Pictures: Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring Withlacoochee River 2015-10-24

Update 2022-07-20: better picture labels and access.

A fine day, balmy, breezy, sunny, with springs and rapids and fine company, Onwards from Hardee Spring 30.5444069, -83.2500076 from Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring on the Withlacoochee River, in the October WWALS Outing, October 24, 2015. This is part of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, and you can join the committee!

Below are some pictures. Click on any small picture to see a larger version. Pictured: many shoals and rapids. The Pinetta gage (pictured) read 6.4 feet. Any lower and more dragging boats would have been necessary. Lots of cypress, oaks, pines, and other native species.

Pinetta Gage steps and old-style measure 30.5957374, -83.2598038 Not pictured: a large turtle, numerous birds (heron, ibis, hawk, buzzard, others), and fish (mullet, bass). No gators. Very few invasive species, except the notorious Japanese climbing fern.

Coming up next:

Watch the WWALS calendar for more outings and events!

-jsq

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Gathering

Gathering

Remains of Belleville Bridge, Madison County side 30.5957298, -83.2596435

Remains of Belleville Bridge, Madison County side

Pinetta Gage Tower 30.5957374, -83.2598038

Pinetta Gage Tower 30.5957374, -83.2598038

Pinetta Gage steps and old-style measure 30.5957374, -83.2598038

Pinetta Gage steps and old-style measure 30.5957374, -83.2598038

Belleville Bridge buttress from below 30.5953369, -83.2596130

Belleville Bridge buttress from below 30.5953369, -83.2596130

Gage pipe and warning on door 30.5953369, -83.2596130

Gage pipe and warning on door 30.5953369, -83.2596130

Fallen girders of Belleville Bridge, Hamilton County side 30.5956020, -83.2597732

Fallen girders of Belleville Bridge, Hamilton County side 30.5956020, -83.2597732

CR 150 bridge, looking upstream 30.5956955, -83.2594681

CR 150 bridge, looking upstream 30.5956955, -83.2594681

Down the Withlacoochee River 30.5956001, -83.2593307

Down the Withlacoochee River 30.5956001, -83.2593307

Chris and Deanna picking up trash 30.5956001, -83.2593307

Chris and Deanna picking up trash 30.5956001, -83.2593307

Shoals 30.5941982, -83.2590637

Shoals 30.5941982, -83.2590637

Movie: Shooting the rapids (9.6M) 30.5941982, -83.2590637

Movie: Shooting the rapids (9.6M) 30.5941982, -83.2590637

Smooth water 30.5842590, -83.2621613

Smooth water 30.5842590, -83.2621613

Gretchen and the boaters 30.5822926, -83.2627106

Gretchen and the boaters 30.5822926, -83.2627106

More shoals 30.5819988, -83.2626953

More shoals 30.5819988, -83.2626953

Starting the rapids 30.5819034, -83.2627106

Starting the rapids 30.5819034, -83.2627106

Not bad 30.5819054, -83.2627029

Not bad 30.5819054, -83.2627029

Ripples 30.5814247, -83.2629699

Ripples 30.5814247, -83.2629699

A spring: Coffee Spring 30.5775184, -83.2618179

A spring 30.5775184, -83.2618179

Boating in the spring 30.5775299, -83.2618256

Boating in the spring 30.5775299, -83.2618256

Another spring 30.5776119, -83.2620239

Another spring 30.5776119, -83.2620239

Froth 30.5762119, -83.2609482

Froth 30.5762119, -83.2609482

Sun beams 30.5761909, -83.2609329

Sun beams 30.5761909, -83.2609329

Sighting the rapids 30.5697098, -83.2624817

Sighting the rapids 30.5697098, -83.2624817

Two directions 30.5679722, -83.2606277

Two directions 30.5679722, -83.2606277

Onwards 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Onwards 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Island? 30.5653133, -83.2575378

Island? 30.5653133, -83.2575378

Rock bottom

Rock bottom

The other side of the island

The other side of the island

Movie: Sand and rocks (12M) 30.5653133, -83.2575378

Movie: Sand and rocks (12M) 30.5653133, -83.2575378

Fossils for lunch 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Fossils for lunch 30.5626812, -83.2563248

A prehistoric scraper 30.5626812, -83.2563248

A prehistoric scraper 30.5626812, -83.2563248

House 30.5626812, -83.2563248

House 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Confab 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Confab 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Could that be karst? 30.5529404, -83.2608642

Could that be karst? 30.5529404, -83.2608642

White water 30.5529365, -83.2608795

White water 30.5529365, -83.2608795

Somebody following me 30.5509796, -83.2578125

Somebody following me 30.5509796, -83.2578125

Spring coming up 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Spring coming up 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee Spring dam 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee Spring dam 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee Spring sign 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee Spring sign 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee Spring steps 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee Spring steps 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee Spring cavern goes through to a karst window 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee Spring cavern goes through to a karst window 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Looking out from Hardee Spring 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Looking out from Hardee Spring 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Onwards from Hardee Spring 30.5444069, -83.2500076

Onwards from Hardee Spring

Dan and the rock tree 30.5443058, -83.2500305

Dan and the rock tree 30.5443058, -83.2500305

Dan and the portrait rock tree 30.5337314, -83.2483062

Dan and the portrait rock tree 30.5337314, -83.2483062

A boat at a bend in the river 30.5337410, -83.2490692

A boat at a bend in the river 30.5337410, -83.2490692

A net of roots 30.5188904, -83.2391357

A net of roots 30.5188904, -83.2391357

Clouds 30.5188904, -83.2391357

Clouds 30.5188904, -83.2391357

Undercut caves 30.5118561, -83.2455368

Undercut caves 30.5118561, -83.2455368

A boat ramp 30.5118217, -83.2455063 30.501128, -83.242411

This has to be Withlacoochee Ramp Florida Campsites Ramp in Hamilton County.

A boat ramp 30.5118217, -83.2455063

Looks like Shirley 30.4988537, -83.2424850

Looks like Shirley 30.4988537, -83.2424850

Interesting rocks 30.4932423, -83.2414474

Interesting rocks 30.4932423, -83.2414474

Rocks on bank 30.4932537, -83.2414703

Rocks on bank 30.4932537, -83.2414703

Rocks from the river 30.4929829, -83.2421799

Rocks from the river 30.4929829, -83.2421799

Tall rock: petrified tree? 30.4919090, -83.2447128

Tall rock: petrified tree? 30.4919090, -83.2447128

A familiar shape 30.4918537, -83.2448120

A familiar shape 30.4918537, -83.2448120

Rapids 30.4910717, -83.2443161

Rapids 30.4910717, -83.2443161

Shirley and Dan 30.4910507, -83.2443466

Shirley and Dan 30.4910507, -83.2443466

Shoals ahead 30.4910946, -83.2444839

Shoals ahead 30.4910946, -83.2444839

Shoals behind 30.4903641, -83.2442551

Shoals behind 30.4903641, -83.2442551

More rocks 30.4902477, -83.2441711

More rocks 30.4902477, -83.2441711

Karst tree 30.4899406, -83.2438965

Karst tree 30.4899406, -83.2438965

Narrow 30.4899750, -83.2439499

Narrow 30.4899750, -83.2439499

Smooth 30.4863148, -83.2434845

Smooth 30.4863148, -83.2434845

Green 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Green 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Bridge 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Bridge 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Movie: Nearing the goal (6.7M) 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Movie: Nearing the goal (6.7M) 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Movie: Bridge1 (16M) 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Movie: Bridge1 (16M) 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Movie: Bridge2 (19M) 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Movie: Bridge2 (19M) 30.4822121, -83.2433777

Just around those logs 30.4810009, -83.2436981

Just around those logs 30.4810009, -83.2436981

Madison Blue Spring 30.4809990, -83.2436905

Madison Blue Spring 30.4809990, -83.2436905

WWALS at Madison Blue Spring –Gretchen Quarterman

WWALS at Madison Blue Spring --Gretchen Quarterman