2013 Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure

Now I am packing for the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure, 2013 version.

I will detail out what we (Jennifer and I) are taking.  Important Note!  We are not traveling light!  Those who do travel light will want to skip this next section!

Camp!
Tent:  An 8 x 10 Eureka Outfitter 6!  Tall enough to stand up in.  We use 2 groundsheets, one under the tent, and one inside to protect the floor.
Cot: Each of us has a Big Grizzly take down cot.  Very compact, and very comfortable.
Cot Pad:  Jennifer uses a standard Thermarest, I use a Thermarest Camp Rest.
Sleeping Bags: Wiggy's 40 degree rectangular bag.
Cotton sheet for really hot nights!
Pillows: Of course!
Chairs:  Very nice, very compact Kermit chairs.  Expensive, but worth it.
Shade Tarp:  Almost a requirement if you are spending time in camp.  We use an inexpensive "blue" plastic tarp, and a couple of take down poles, with extra rope and stakes.
Battery powered fan, one for each of us.

Personal!
6 non-cotton shorts, 6 non-cotton sirts, 6 non-cotton underware, 6 do-rags.  These are packed in 3, 2 gallon ziplocs.  Shirt, shorts, underware, do-rag are rolled up as a unit, and one used each day. Since I ride a recumbent, I do not use Jerseys or padded shorts.
One pair non-cotton long pants, one long sleeve fleece shirt (the Cold Bag).
many bandanas
LED Headlamp (2) plus one flashlight.
Compact umbrella.
Rain/Wind shirt, Rain Hat.
Sun Hat.
Reading Material.
Camp Shoes (I use Crocs).
Walkabout Shoes (I use old running shoes)
Snacks. (granola bars, fruit bits, almonds...for the late night munchies)
Drink Mix (I like the sugar free Hawaiian punch)
Personal Medical Supplies (prescription meds, etc...) in a completely waterproof container!
First Aid Kit
cellphone (bleh!)
Shower kit.  I use a small net bag, and carry a packtowel and a smallish squeeze bottle of baby shampoo, which is good as hair and body wash.  The packtowel is a chamios type towel, and while it will be pretty ripe by the end of the ride, it will last all week if you hang it up after your shower!

For the Bikes!
Floor Pump
Helmet, gloves, bike shoes, sunglasses.
Cargo Bags.

WHERE DOES ALL THIS GO!

Well, we use 2 bags per person.  Three are NRS Bill's Bags, which are roll top waterproof portage packs/backpacks.  I also use a venerable Granite Gear Superior One portage pack.

All of our packs are made even more waterproof by using (2!) heavy plastic liner bags in each pack.  We get the Banana Bag brand at Roush Hardware in Westerville.

Me carry 2 packs at one time!

Once all this is ready to go, we head out to Urbana on Saturday.

Making GOBA more enjoyable:

Wisdom while on the road...

DO NOT stress about getting into camp by a particular time.  You really do have all day to get there.  And Secret Tip:  If you get to camp before 2pm, you may participate in unloading the luggage trucks!  Get there after 3pm, and someone else has already done it for you.

On the very hot days, ride just fast enough to generate a cooling breeze, but not so fast you begin to heat up.  Carry an extra water bottle to hose down your head & shirt so you stay cooler.

When you get a flat tire, walk your bike to the nearest shade.  Sit down, have a drink and maybe a snack.  Contemplate the vagaries of life. Then fix your tire.  Don't know how? - just ask for help, plenty of people are just quivering to show off their tube changing skills!

Zipties are a great thing to have along.  Pack a couple of dozen along in assorted lengths.

See a big hill coming up?  Not a strong climber?  Shift into your lowest gear - it is always easier to shift up to a higher gear ratio when you are on the hill.  Try "spinning" in that lowest gear until you get to the top, you will usually be less winded than if you used a larger gear ratio.

Once you get to the top of that hill, please, PLEASE do not stop while still on the road!  Roll completely off the road so you are not in anyone's way.  I have seen so many near collisions...the person behind on that hill may be just looking down, trying to make it to the top.



Wisdom while in camp...

Try to visit the Massage Tent during the tour.  About 30 dollars gets 30 minutes of massage, and you cannot believe how good that feels to abused muscles.  And they always have cold water for sale.

Bring Earplugs.  Everyone snores.

I like to have a Potty Pack with me on my bike, and when I visit the porta-jons.  The Potty Pack has a 1/2 roll of your favorite TP, a travel bottle of hand sanitizer, and a travel pack of wet wipes in a quart ziploc bag.  Those Porta-Jons run out of supplies at the very most trying times!  A little paranoia pays off here.

When you get a flat tire, walk your bike to the nearest shade.  Sit down, have a drink and maybe a snack.  Contemplate the vagaries of life. Then fix your tire.  Don't know how? - just ask for help, plenty of people are just quivering to show off their tube changing skills!

Zipties are a great thing to have along.  Pack a couple of dozen along in assorted lengths.

Love your fellow camper!

When you leave your tent, always, ALWAYS zip up the windows and doors!  Even if you are heading out for a 5 minute visit to the porta-jons, do this.  Sudden squalls come up all the time, and a violent 5 minute squall can soak everything in your tent!

The groundsheet for your tent should be tucked completely under the tent floor!  When the groundsheet sticks out beyond the tent, it becomes a COLLECTOR for rainwater to pool underneath your tent.

Always detest those idiots with a boombox.  GOBA does not need a soundtrack!

Always cheer people playing with Frisbees.







 

2012 Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure

I am back from GOBA, and happy to report had a great time.

If you wonder what GOBA is, here is a portion of the description...

GOBA is The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure - an annual one-week bicycle loop tour through Ohio, held each June. GOBA features a different part of Ohio each year, traveling through peaceful countryside and stopping at exciting tourist destinations. The week-long adventure offers fun, Ohio hospitality, and a challenging and rewarding vacation. 

Up to 3,000 cyclists of all ages, from all across the country (and from outside the U.S.), participate each year, riding a 50-mile (average) route each day, through some of Ohio's most scenic areas. GOBA is a tour, not a race; most riders find plenty of time during the day for sightseeing, snoozing on the grass, and enjoying food along the way.

GOBA lays out and marks all the routes, offers guidance to the host towns, and gives riders maps, commemorative items, and informational materials for the week. Delicious and reasonably priced food is provided by civic, social, and church groups along the route and in the overnight host towns.

GOBA is primarily a camping tour; overnight tent camping is included with the registration fee. Each rider brings a large bag containing their tent, sleeping bag, clothing, and other gear. Each morning, riders load their bags into waiting trucks, then start riding the day's route, leaving when they want and riding at their own pace. Meanwhile, the baggage and support personnel travel by main highways to the next overnight host town, and begin to set up the next "GOBAville." As riders arrive, they locate their baggage and set up camp.

And the website GOBA webpage

And here is a picture of me and my bike, a 1988 model Infinity long wheelbase recumbent with underseat steering. (my sister Karen is in the background, packing her Giant Bag).

1988 Infinity recumbent with 1959 model year cyclist

I am going to report the ride in reverse time, since that is how most people will remember the ride.  For GOBA 2012, this is a good thing.  The first day of riding (Sunday June 17th) was very rainy, and the hilliest day of the ride.  

The last of the ride was a good day!  Weather was great, there was little dew on the tents due to low humidity.  We had a skimpy breakfast, and were out of Wilmington and on the   road by 8am.  I was feeling mentally slow and stupid, but was riding just fine.  Saturday is a short day, just under 40 miles.  We were one of the last groups out of the fairgrounds this morning, and were almost among the last riders back to Hillsboro at 1pm.  Jennifer and I are pokey tourist riders, and Karen just goes along.    The route was varied, flat to rolling hills to some pretty sucky hills right at the end of the ride.  It was a real surprise when I arrived at the Highland Co Fairgrounds.

Jennifer arrives at Highland Co Fairground

A neat thing we saw on Saturday was a Lavender Farm called Peaceful Acres.  Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm    The owners were also building a passive solar house from recycled materials called an Earthship  Earthship website

Back in time, to Friday, June 22.  We start in Washington Courthouse, and ride to Wilmington.  This is one of the most perfect days on a bike I can recall.  Just a perfect day, nice places to ride, the land is rolling but not hilly....just perfect.  The weather had cooled down from the heat of Wednesday and Thursday, but still sunny with just enough of breeze.  What more can I say?  The riding was so perfect it was a surprise to get to Wilmington!  GOBA always has a big party in town the last night, and this is something I prefer not participate in.  Nothing wrong with it, just not my bag.  Karen and Jennifer went into town for the evening festivities while I found a shady spot for some more sitting and reading.

Karen in front of the Fayette Co Courthouse

Thursday, June 21 was a layover day, we do not have to ride today or tear down camp.  I decided this was my do nothing day - and I mean nothing.  There is a 100 mile ride today - nope, not for me.  Karen and Jennifer want to go into town and cavort - not me!  Since my stomach surgery in 2010, I find I really need a do nothing day in a week long trip.  It was going to be another very hot day with temps in the mid 90's.  We were camped at the Washington Courthouse High and Middle School campus, and they had opened up the cafeteria for a hang out space.  I spent most of the day there, and read an entire novel, the latest in the Temeraire series, Crucible of Gold  Temeraire series

Me in the cafeteria at Washington Courthouse schools

Thursday is the evening for the very exciting grilled chicken dinner at the First Presbyterian Church.  Jennifer and Karen have hankering for grilled chicken ever since a GOBA they went on in Amish country.

Jennifer is VERY excited about the chicken dinner

We went to dinner early, and lucked out.  The church made 350 dinners, and sold out just after we got seated!  I will say that cook was a genius, that was some of the best chicken I have ever had.  And we had strawberry shortcake too!

HOT is term for Wednesday, June 20th.  Temps in 90's, rising humidity, gentle to non-existent breezes.  We are riding from Asheville to Washington Courthouse.  The day was another good day for riding, not as nice as Tuesday, but the heat did not get oppressive until the last 10 miles into  Washington Courthouse.  We stopped for a dip in Deer Creek lake, 

and stopped for ice cream not long after that.  Then we just had hot ride into Washington Courthouse, and a really hot time setting up the camp.  I did correctly rig the shade tarp this time, and it gave us a good bit of shade.  With the shade and breeze, it was pretty comfortable under the tarp - and I always let our neighbors know that they are welcome to share the shade.  We ended up eating lasagna in the school cafeteria, and it was really really good food.

PERFECT is the term for Tuesday, June 19th.  Temps in 70's, low humidity, gentle breezes.  We are riding from Chillicothe to Asheville.   Just a wonderful route all day, a few hills, nothing nasty, great views.  You know you are having a good ride when the food stops are a surprise - you think there is no way you should have come upon them so soon! We got to Asheville, and without a bicycle generated breeze it became very warm! 

 Jennifer had a co-worker that lives in Asheville and was going to call her and invite us over, and he never called.  Kind of a disappointing in a sweltering camp with no shade.  We ended up finding a refuge in the school cafeteria, where they were selling Dilly bars for a dollar! 

 A movie was showing in part of the cafeteria, but I sat by a window to read and ended up talking to a guy about my age named Brian from Springfield.  He had given up a 20+ year career in MIS to become a pilot for NetJets.  You always meet really interesting people on GOBA.

LAYOVER is the plan for Monday, June 18th.  We have a day for doing nothing in Chillicothe.  

But, I am with Jennifer and Karen, and they are determined to do something.  The something we do is a really neat something.  For $15.00 apiece, we get a bus tour of the local historic attractions with admission included.   1st stop is the Hopewell Mounds, one of my favorite places in the Chillicothe area.  I have been there when the museum is closed, but still able to walk around and visit the mounds - this is the first time I was able to visit the museum building.  The museum is small but informative, and has a very good video presentation about the Hopewell people.

The next stop was Adena, the mansion of Thomas Worthington, Ohio's 6th Governor.  This is an amazing place, and well worth a visit.  Make sure you take the interior tour, it is well worth the time. 

Adena

Adena Parlour

After this, we went to the Ross County Heritage Center.  Imagine my surprise (and delight) to find an actual Bandwagon on display.   I also found that Chillicothe was the home of my Civil War Navy hero, Captain Henry Walke.  Henry Walke   Stories about the Carondelet and Henry Walke

There is also a couple of cabooses in Yoctangee Park, and these house a small but quite interesting group of exhibits about railroads in Chillicothe.

Sunday - ah, Sunday.  The first day of GOBA featured Rain, violent rain, humid sunshine, and torrential rain!  We are riding from Hillsboro to Chillicothe.  Right out of the box, we come out of the fairgrounds, turn right and start up a hill.  I remember this hill from the last time, and think I can climb it, albeit slowly.  But, about 2/3rds up the hill something strange is happening with my steering.  At about 3mph, my bike zips from the right side of the the road to the left, without my input!  I lean back, and the bike zigs back towards the right, but not in control.  2 more zigs and zags, and i am still trying to resume control of the bike.  Then, the bike rolls backwards, and I go over in a low speed crash, rolling over my right shoulder!  I have no explanation how this happened, and the bike did behave for the rest of the tour.  So, I have to walk the FIRST hill we come to on GOBA!  Bad Omen!   While walking, a light rain starts to fall.  The rain will increase to a steady rain that lasts until our lunch stop in Greenfield.  Right after the first AM food stop in Leesburg, I hear a crash behind as I pass the crest of another hill.  Hearing what seem to be concerned voices, I stop and look behind me - Jennifer is on the ground, trapped under her bike!  By the time I reach her, people have removed the bike, and I am looking at the classic "road rash" on her right knee.  Her first "road rash"!    Using the emergency medical supplies we carry in our bike bags, we scrub and disinfect the gouges.  This may sound strange, but she is lucky she can still ride - it allows a good blood flow, helping to wash debris out of the wound and really helping her leg from stiffening up.  

wounded knee

We take it slow to the lunch stop in Greenfield - keeping her knee warm and limber in the intermittent downpours.  She sees the GOBA Medical team in Greenfield, where a much for enthusiastic round of scrubbing and bandaging is held.  We also visit a High School in Greenfield built in 1914 for $900,000 - that was real money in 1914.  

McClain High School (Greenfield, Ohio)

The sun came out at lunch, and it began to get steamy - we are now headed for Frankfort, riding in the Paint Creek Valley area.  I am semi-familiar with the area from boating trips, but not familiar with these roads.  We find a couple of more hills we have to walk, but the vistas make the walks worthwhile.  We arrive at Frankfort, and find that we will be on a bike trail to Chillicothe.   This is good, because the rain really lets loose for the next 2 hours - I would not have been riding on the roadside.  The trail is nice, but I intend to go back some day and see what it looks like, sans deluge.

Tri County Triangle Trail

the rain is almost done.  I find our bags (waterproof canoe portage packs from NRS) NRS Bill's Bag  I even find a campsite that will have some shade!  Nice, since we will be here on Monday as well.  Tired out, we scrounge a sketchy but filling dinner from the vendors in the park, and then off to the massage tent!  

What are 3 items I take on GOBA that make for a more enjoyable tour?
1. Earplugs
2. Battery Powered fan.   Battery Powered Fan
3. Totally Waterproof bags  NRS Waterproof Duffel Bags 

2013, The 25th Southern Paddle Trip

This was the 25th Southern Spring Paddle Trip! 

Sunset from the Coffee Bay shelter on Wednesday

Also the most consecutive days we spent spent canoeing in the Okefenokee Swamp (7, Sunday - Saturday). 

Website for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge 

Most swamp Mileage (12+12+9+10+6+4+4) = 57 miles!  

Six people were on the trip - Trip Leaders Dave Seslar and Keith Finn, COP members Jeff Haven, Walt Taylor, Michael Lange and Ann Gerhkins.

The swamp canoeing was broken up into 3 segments, each segment based out of one of the 3 entrances into the swamp.

Oh, by the way, some definitions:

Swamp - Swamp in Wikipedia

Bog - Bog in Wikipedia

Marsh - Marsh in Wikipedia

Fen - Fen in Wikipedia

Broadly, the Okefenokee is a swamp, with the northeastern corner having the characteristics of a Bog.

PART 1: SUNDAY and MONDAY

First trip was an overnight trip from Kingfisher Landing to Maul Hammock Lake, and back to Kingfisher Landing the next day.  This was the longest paddle of the trip, and the second day turned out to be the most difficult day of paddling we had.  

Last time I made this paddle was in February, 2004.  The fires in 2007 and 2011 affected this portion in sporadic areas.  What Dave and I both noticed was a lot more of the "hedgy" growth along the trail - we remembered the trail to be more in open prairie than what we saw on this trip.  

first part of the trip to Maul Hammock

As an out and back, I would not do this portion again.  The trip to Bluff Lake is 8 miles instead of 12, and would allow you to explore more interesting areas just south of Bluff Lake.  

a really skinny alligator

We had just a slight current on trip to Maul Hammock, making me apprehensive for the paddle back on Monday.  The 12 miles in this part of the Okefenokee is, IMHO, the equivalent to 24-30 miles on a typical river trip.  Adding in a just a slight current to fight will make that much more difficult!

paddling thru a burned over section

The mile markers went by slowly.  My new Old Town Penobscot 16, on it's first trip proved to be a pleasant surprise.  It has a superior glide compared to my Wenonah Rendezvous - the Rendezvous is slower but more maneuverable  the Penobscot is faster but harder to turn.  A good choice for this trip!  

Me in my Old Town Penobscot 16

Jeff and Walt at Mile marker 7.  

We keep slogging along, in and out of narrow water trails bordered by hedges that occasionally open out into broad, lily pad covered "lakes".  As it turned out, the last mile marker we see is for mile 9, the others had been burned and not replaced.  My bad right shoulder was acting up by mile 8, and I took a long break to give it a rest at that time.  That was a good move, the pain and cramping eased off and I was fine for the next 4 miles.

Onward we slogged!  The faster kayakers had long since left the slower canoes behind.  And here is when being a more experienced paddler was a problem.  Michael Lange had asked a kayaker we had seen earlier in the day about the Maul Hammock platform, and the person gave him some general directions to reach the platform from the trail.  I didn't ask, because I had been to the platform before, I KNEW where is was!  

Except I didn't.  The platform had been burned down, and the refuge people had built a new platform in a different place.  I hunted around quite a bit before I heard voices in a direction opposite to where I was searching.  After some difficulties in changing directions in a narrow trail, I was able to home in on my yammering companions and found the new Maul Hammock shelter.  Notice I didn't follow the signs to the shelter.  That is because there aren't any!

The new shelter was a very pleasant surprise - situated in the open on Maul Hammock Lake, with a most salubrious aspect.  Dave and Ann arrived shortly after I did, and camp was set and dinner started.  A most peaceful evening ensued, interrupted only by occasional downpours and the gentle swaying of the platform when someone walked about.

sunset over Maul Hammock Lake

Monday morning is cool and damp, but the rains are gone.  We pack up and head out on the looonnnnggg slog back to Kingfisher Landing.  One odd thing on Monday morning - we had 2 bull alligators doing their bellow/growl.  A bit early in the season for that.  The Sound!

The long paddle (10 am to 6pm) leaves plenty of time for my active imagination.  Here is a series of thoughts I had while looking at a mat of sphagnum peat moss

peat moss in the wild

• why don't woodpeckers get concussions?   Article!
• Would there be a market for ranch raised opossum?  Yes!
• How silly it was for native american women to be forced into the "moon hut" during her menses.  How modern women would not put up with that.  Then, hey!  The women are getting away from men and family for one week out of every month, what a break.  I always assumed this was a Man's idea, but maybe not!  Maybe this was a "Brer rabbit" ploy from the women.  I pondered all this while looking a mat of sphagnum peat moss, a natural Kotex pad.

Sometimes it is fun to live in my mind.

Monday is HOT!  Mid 80's at least.  Slog, slog, slog, paddle, paddle, paddle...

a pretty big gator does not mind the heat

After a very long, hot, tiring day - we get back to Kingfisher Landing at about 6pm.  

Nobody wants to camp tonight, so head back to the Western Hotel in Folkston for a shower.  Dinner that night is at the Okefenokee Restaurant.  They have fried catfish in the buffet!   Review!

PART 2: TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY

Second trip was an two night trip from Suwanee Canal Recreation Area (SCRA) to the Monkey Lake shelter. Then Monkey Lake to Coffee Bay Shelter, and then Coffee bay back to the SCRA.  We had breakfast at the Huddle House.  Should have known better.

We have gotten pretty good at getting the boats and gear off and out of the vehicles.  We are on the water by 10:30 am - even without some officious little twit getting on our case (note, that is a bitter interlude from years ago, the current staff is really very nice...)

ANYWAY...we have a 9 mile paddle to Monkey Lake.  Most of this is new to me, and a very nice trip it is.  We were in a lot of open prairie wetlands. A very nice day, not as hot as Monday.  As usual, Michael takes the lead and paddles out of my sight.   It is just a nice paddle today, does not feel like endless slog.  No real twinge of shoulder pain today, and it feels good to have the really hard paddling behind us.  

on the way to Monkey Lake

For whatever reason, this a just a nice day to paddle. 

  
The Monkey Bay shelter is tucked in a woodsy pocket out of sight of Monkey Bay Lake.  Too bad, cause this is one buggy shelter.  Not too bad this time of year, but in another month - ug!

Monkey Lake aerial view. 

Still, another pleasant evening.  We had some raccoons try to visit, but no serious assaults.  

Wednesday - Monkey Lake to Coffee Bay

Wednesday dawned gray and cloudy, with a chilly breeze.  A cold front is moving thru.  We have a 10 mile paddle to get to Coffee Bay, so we best get going.  As it turns out, I misplaced my camera for most of the day, so no pictures until I get to Coffee Bay and found where I had "lost" it.  We had some light rain, and just enough to keep you in rain gear for most of the day.  Again, a very nice paddle for the day, and the rain kept the larger wading birds in the wet prairies.  Saw a lot a Wood Storks today - a bonus.  Had not seen many of these in prior trips.

Wood Storks!

The route backtracks about 6 miles of the trail we paddled, and then we branch off towards the west to find the Orange trail again.  Part of what we paddle is the wider power boat channel, but no power boats out today!  
Coffee Bay is where we stayed on our overnight last year, and it is a newer shelter.  Very nice.  One bonus is that with a canoe, I can unload the boat from the edge of the platform without dragging the boat onto shore. The height of the canoe and the height of the platform and the depth of the water all conspire to allow me to lay on my stomach and comfortably unload my boat. 

boat loading from platform edge

Have I mentioned my Tent Cot?  This has been working out very well on the trip!  A very good choice for an Okefenokee trip, but it is an awkward burden on the boat. We call it the Helipad when it is strapped on the back of the boat. It takes up very little room on the platform, and has been a very comfortable sleeping space.

Tent Cot with rain fly at Coffee Bay

starting dinner

sunset Wednesday

Wednesday night is Cold!  No frost, but temps dropped into the 30's.  

Thursday - Coffee Bay to Suwanee Canal Recreation Area (SCRA)

Thursday morning dawns clear and cold.  I do not fell like getting out of my cozy sleeping space, but I do...and have a very rare cup O coffee.  We have an easy 6 mile paddle today. 

trees that burned but survived

We will traverse much of area burned in 2011.  Another nice surprise is the Orange Trail that used to be shared with power boats has been allowed to revert back to just a canoe trail.  Makes for a nicer paddle!

this used to be a wide open channel for power boats!

 Another pleasant day of paddling, my hands are hardened up nicely, my shoulder has given me no problems since Monday afternoon, I am eating OK - my allergies to maple tree flowers is NA is part of the world...  things are just duckky.  No sunburn even!  

We stop for lunch at the junction to the Cedar Hammock trail and the Orange trail.  I hear people talk about some really small alligators, and hear "chirps" that may be the noise from a really young gator.  Then I spot 4 small alligators just a few feet from me - these are the smallest ones I have ever seen in the swamp, probably late hatchlings from last year, maybe 7 to 9 months old.   The Sound!
  

really young alligators

So we saunter back into the Suwanee Canal Recreation Area, and once again do the tear down / unload / load truck routine.  

Tonight we are going to stay in Cabin #9 at Stephen Foster State Park!  We got a cabin there a couple of years ago, and they are fairly priced and very comfortable.  We are packed up and are on the road to the Stephen C. Foster State park, and our cabin.  Dave is making burritos for us tonight!   It is 72 miles to get to the western entrance of the swamp.

We arrive at 5:15pm, and find the office is closed.  I was told we had to be there by 10pm, but there is nothing to tell us how to find a staff person to get the keys.  After wandering around a bit, a fellow cabineer tells me we have to find one of the staff residences and they will know what to do.  After some time and a couple of knocked doors (and one pissed off staffer...) we find the on duty guy and we get the keys.

As anticipated, the cabin is very nice.  Dinner is had, and I picked up some eggs and bread for breakfast in the morning.

The only real disappointment we have is the the Big Bang Theory was pre-empted by the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

PART 3:FRIDAY - SATURDAY

Now we have a short paddle into a very beautiful section of the swamp.  Just 4 miles to the Minnies Lake Platform, thru the big cypress tree section of the swamp.  We are actually paddling the East Fork of the Suwanee River.

loading again...

And another really nice day of paddling.  That sounds monotonous, but is is not!  We paddle for a mile or so on the wide open Billy's Lake, and the head up to Minnies Lake.

Jeff gives me some batteries and my camera is resurrected

This has to be one of my favorite trips in the Oke.

Blue Flags

And after a short day, we find the Minnie's Lake platform. This also serves as the rest stop for boaters in this section of the swamp, so we will be sharing it for a while.

and our new safety director is?

Dave and Michael head north to check out where the Big Water platform used to be.  Jeff leaves a little later for somewhere else, Walt and Ann take naps.  I start my Vegan Dinner.

We are having Mushroom Rice with fake vegan beef slices and a Thai Noodle soup. 

Another peaceful night (many owls and frogs, but no Raccoon Raiders.)  Ann did have to rescue a Cotton Mouse that got trapped in a ziploc bag.

Saturday morning is cool and humid, with Ominous Skies.  We are packing up when the first Tourist boats start checking in.  The first group was some kayakers, and nice people.  Then a motor boat full of younger kids and parents shows up, and it is time to go!  Just as the thunderstorms starts up, even more people are headed for the shelter in motorboats!  We vamoose!

Saturday Morning departure

The rain starts slowly, and then commences into a genuine downpour.  I was last off the platform, and the only person I see in our group is an occasional glimpse of Jeff.  This is fine, we do not want to bunch up in a thunderstorm.  From what I have researched on lightning storms in a swamp environment, we are best off in our boats, away from land / water interface, and not bunched up.  This is what we do.

Hard Rain!  Even the gators are hidden now.

Jeff and I arrive back at Stephen Foster State Park at the same time.  Everyone else is there and we commence to tear down and pack up.  While ANYTHING is bearable on the last day, this is a really sucky packing situation.  Everything in the back of the truck is now wet.  Tempers get a bit frayed, but no handles fly off and we get things put away.  I decide we need to take pirate showers at the campground, and that does raise some spirits.  Lunch is then done in the warn and dry Suwanee River Cafe in Fargo, and we decide to take I-75 north to get home.

PART 4: SELECTED FLORA

burned cypress stumps  Taxodium_ascendens

golden Club  Golden-club

swollen bladderwort  Swollen_bladderwort

fetterbush  wildflower.org

Blue Flag  Iris_versicolor

Water Lilies