Category Archives: Outing

Little River Labor Day Paddle, Reed Bingham St Pk West Ramp 2025-09-01

Pictures: Black Moon morning paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23

It was a small but jolly group on the morning Black Moon paddle around the perimeter of Banks Lake, approximately 4 miles. Thanks to Shirley Kokidko for leading this one.

We saw a little gator as we were starting, and I saw a bigger one later.

We found again the same cleft bat tree we found September 4, 2023.

Plenty of water lilies and red maple turning red.

Two white birds, one probably a Great Egret.

Seasonal Black Moons happen about once every 33 months. It was the third of four new moons in a season.

Black Moon morning paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23, Gator, bats, red maple, lilies, and Great Egret flying

See also pictures by: Continue reading →

Black Moon Morning Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23

2 Replies

Update 2025-08-24: Pictures: Black Moon morning paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23.

Come out and join us for a morning Black Moon paddle around the perimeter of Banks Lake, approximately 4 miles. After we launch there isn’t anywhere to get out of your boat for a break until we get back to the boat ramp.

Seasonal Black Moons happen about once every 33 months and the next one is this Saturday. It’s the third of four new moons in a season.

Banks Lake Outdoors has kayaks and canoes for rent.

When: Gather 8:30 AM, launch 8:45 AM, Sunrise 7:03 AM, Moonrise 7:18 AM, end 10:45 AM, Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

Black Moon Morning Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23, Third of four new moons in a season

Continue reading →

Come to the WWALS River Revue and WWALS Paddles, 2025-07-08 –Suwannee Riverkeeper to LCC 2025-07-08

I invited the County Commissioners and staff of the most populous county in the Suwannee River Basin, Lowndes County, Georgia, to the 2026 Mayor and Chairmans Paddle and to a chainsaw cleanup preparing for it, as well as to the WWALS River Revue and Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, both coming up September 6, 2025.

Come to the WWALS River Revue, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, and WWALS Paddles, Suwannee Riverkeeper to LCC 2025-07-08

First I congratulated them on the discussion during a rezoning Public Hearing earlier in that same meeting two weeks ago. See the video by Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/?p=25109

I had been prepared to leap up and defend the Withlacoochee River from this rezoning just west of it, but between the citizens who spoke against,the speaker for, and the Commissioners and staff, they covered it. As I mentioned, I don’t necessarily completely agree with the decision, but it was a very civil discussion. Continue reading →

Video: Full Buck Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-07-10

Well, after watching lightning strike straight down onto Banks Lake, expedition leader Turtleman Chris Adams called it off, the Full Buck Moon Paddle, 2025-07-10. Nobody paddled onto our watery living room near Lakeland, Georgia.

Full Buck Moon Paddle, Banks Lake NWR 2025-07-10, Called off because of lightning

So many people had requested boats that I had brought one of the WWALS canoes and an extra kayak. As you can see, few people showed up, because of the weather.

Here is a video WWALS Outings Committee Co-Chair Kimberly Godden Tanner took of us with banners. You can see lightning flashes and hear thunder.
https://youtu.be/TB-PWP_Zauo?si=fKcaYfYaQgGs1tRx Continue reading →

Pictures: Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River, 2025-07-05

Shirley Kokidko sent these pictures of the 11.2-mile paddle on the upper Suwannee River from Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge. Thanks to her for leading. She remarked, “I didn’t take many pictures, just loved soaking up a beautiful day on the river with Joyce Ball and Steve Shaw.”

Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge, Suwannee River 2025-07-05, Thanks to Shirley Kokidko

Also, “It was perfect weather, we bobbled around in our PFD’s in the river just to make sure they are still buoyant enough to keep us afloat, talked about self rescue, assisted rescue and other fun things. Two kayak campers passed us going upstream for a couple of nights. Otherwise we were the only ones out until we got to the ramp at Cone Bridge. Lots of big bass boats with BIG motors, in and out of the water, nobody was there to fish, just river fun. Maybe it was a club, everybody very friendly. I love this Turner to Cone section. Easy shuttle and beautiful paddle. We should do it again sometime.”

Full Harvest Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2025-09-07

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our watery living room. If we’re lucky, there will be bats.

When: Gather 6:45 PM, launch 7:15 PM, moonrise 7:53 PM, sunset 7:48 PM, end 8:45 PM, Sunday, September 7, 2025

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

Full Harvest Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, Near Lakeland, GA, Sunday, September 7, 2025

Continue reading →

Pictures: Florida Campsites to Allen Ramp, Withlacoochee River 2025-06-21

That was fun, by several second-magnitude springs (Pot, Tanner, etc.) and first-magnitude Madison Blue Spring, as well as several islands (Turtle Rock, Chervil, and Madison Blue), as well as a few tiny rapids. Fish jumped and the paddlers were pleased, on our way from Florida Campsites Ramp to Allen Ramp..

Thanks to Gee Edwards for leading this one.

Florida Campsites to Allen Ramp, Madison Blue Spring, Withlacoochee River, Saturday, June 21, 2025

All on the Withlacoochee River between Madison and Hamilton Counties, Florida, in the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

For more Continue reading →

Pictures, Full Strawberry Moon, Banks Lake 2025-06-11

Thanks to Gee Edwards for leading this one at the last minute, after Janet had some sort of dancing injury.

Full Strawberry Moon, Banks Lake NWR 2025-06-12, A small but hardy crowd, not scared of rain predictions

Janet did not paddle. Nor did I, although I brought Honeybun, Blondie, and Sky to help out. River stayed home.

Janet and Gee are WWALS Board members.

Janet and Kim Tanner (not present) are the co-chairs of the WWALS Outings Committee. Maybe you’d like to join that committee to help schedule outings.
https://wwals.net/about/committees/#wwals-outings

The next Full Moon paddle is Continue reading →

Pictures: Big Shoals St Pk to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River 2025-05-31

The Suwannee River was deep enough that walking your boat in the side of the river required pulling it up along the bank half of the distance, so wasn’t much better than just portaging all the way.

Except for getting back down that rocky portage put-in.

Big Shoals SP Launch to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River, May 31, 2025

Amy was already on the beach below Big Shoals, because she shot the shoals in her Cypress Dagger. So did Mike Hurley in his liquidlogic, designed for whitewater.

The other 15 paddlers portaged one way or another, which was the original plan.

We had lunch on the beach, while Dennis Price told us about the geology of the area. Thanks to Dennis for leading this paddle. Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.