Tag Archives: Dennis Price

Pictures: Alapaha, Dead Rivers, Sink 2022-10-02

Not many miles, but packed with sinks, a beach, two rivers, and the big one: the Dead River Sink, on October 2, 2022. Thanks, Dennis Price, for leading us, and for chainsawing our way in.

[Sasser Landing, Alapaha River, Dead River Sink 2022-10-02]
Sasser Landing, Alapaha River, Dead River Sink 2022-10-02

Thanks to Randy Madison for the ropes that got the boats up the cliff at the Confluence.

Thanks to Phil Royce for helping haul a couple of boats up the Jennings Bluff stairs.

More pictures are below. They’re also in a facebook photoset.

See also facebook photosets by: Continue reading

Directions: Sasser Landing and Jennings Bluff, Alapaha River 2022-10-02

Update 2022-10-31: Pictures: Alapaha, Dead Rivers, Sink 2022-10-02.

Expedition leader Dennis Price reported on access for this morning’s Sunday: Paddle Sasser Landing to Jennings Bluff, Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, 2022-10-02.

[Signs to Alapaha River]
Signs to Alapaha River

Getting to Sasser Landing to deposit boats is still simple. From Jennings, Continue reading

Roline to Hunter Creek, Suwannee River 2022-09-17

New route: Roline Boat Ramp to Hunter Creek Launch, Suwannee River, Hamilton County, Florida. Join us for this sunny five-hour paddle on the world-famous Suwannee River, led by Practicing Geologist Dennis Price.

Dennis has moved us upstream, due to our previous put-in being closed due to high water. The new route goes by the lally column remains of Turner Bridge.

[Roline to Hunter Creek, Suwannee River]
Roline to Hunter Creek, Suwannee River

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Pictures: Nice day for a portage around Big Shoals, Suwannee River 2021-05-19

Four is enough for a fun Suwannee River paddle and portage around Big Shoals. Thanks to Bobby McKenzie for leading us.

[Put In, Portage, Big Shoals, Bell Springs Run, Little Shoals, US 41]
Put In, Portage, Big Shoals, Bell Springs Run, Little Shoals, US 41

There are many more pictures on the WWALS website, with copies on facebook.

Dennis Price will lead us through the same stretch on Continue reading

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

A fine day, balmy, breezy, sunny, with springs and rapids and fine company, from Sullivan Launch to Madison Blue Spring on the Withlacoochee River, in the October WWALS Outing, October 24, 2015.

[Onwards from Hardee Spring 30.5444069, -83.2500076]
Onwards from Hardee Spring 30.5444069, -83.2500076

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.

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

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.

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.

Watch the WWALS Outings for more outings and events!
https://wwals.net/outings/

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

After

[WWALS at Madison Blue Spring --Gretchen Quarterman]
WWALS at Madison Blue Spring –Gretchen Quarterman

Before

[Gathering]
Gathering

Pinnetta Gauge

[Pinetta Gage Tower 30.5957374, -83.2598038]
Pinetta Gage Tower 30.5957374, -83.2598038

Old Belleville Bridge

[Belleville Bridge buttress from below 30.5953369, -83.2596130]
Belleville Bridge buttress from below 30.5953369, -83.2596130

On the water

[CR 150 bridge, looking upstream 30.5956955, -83.2594681]
CR 150 bridge, looking upstream 30.5956955, -83.2594681

First Shoals

[Shoals 30.5941982, -83.2590637]
Shoals 30.5941982, -83.2590637

Flotilla

[Gretchen and the boaters 30.5822926, -83.2627106]
Gretchen and the boaters 30.5822926, -83.2627106

Second Shoals

[More shoals 30.5819988, -83.2626953]
More shoals 30.5819988, -83.2626953

First Spring

[Coffee Spring 30.5775184, -83.2618179]
Coffee Spring 30.5775184, -83.2618179

Onwards

[Froth 30.5762119, -83.2609482]
Froth 30.5762119, -83.2609482

Third Shoals

[Sighting the rapids 30.5697098, -83.2624817]
Sighting the rapids 30.5697098, -83.2624817

On down the river

[Two directions 30.5679722, -83.2606277]
Two directions 30.5679722, -83.2606277

Eyott

[Island, or rather eyott? 30.5653133, -83.2575378]
Island, or rather eyott? 30.5653133, -83.2575378

Fossilized

[Fossils for lunch 30.5626812, -83.2563248]
Fossils for lunch 30.5626812, -83.2563248

River House

[House 30.5626812, -83.2563248]
House 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Left bank island

[Island on left 30.5626812, -83.2563248]
Island on left 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Karst

[Confab 30.5626812, -83.2563248]
Confab 30.5626812, -83.2563248

Tiny Fourth Shoals

[White water 30.5529365, -83.2608795]
White water 30.5529365, -83.2608795

Soon Spring

[Spring coming up 30.5446434, -83.2505264]
Spring coming up 30.5446434, -83.2505264

Hardee (Rossetter) Spring

[Hardee Spring dam 30.5446434, -83.2505264]
Hardee Spring dam 30.5446434, -83.2505264

After Hardee

[Onwards from Hardee Spring 30.5444069, -83.2500076]
Onwards from Hardee Spring 30.5444069, -83.2500076

Rock Tree

[Dan and the rock tree 30.5336761, -83.2483062]
Dan and the rock tree 30.5336761, -83.2483062

Balcones

[Undercut caves 30.5118561, -83.2455368]
Undercut caves 30.5118561, -83.2455368

PBR

[A boat ramp 30.5118217, -83.2455063]
A boat ramp 30.5118217, -83.2455063

Black Rocks

[Interesting black rocks 30.4932423, -83.2414474]
Interesting black rocks 30.4932423, -83.2414474

Fifth Shoals

[Rapids 30.4910717, -83.2443161]
Rapids 30.4910717, -83.2443161

Karst Tree

[Karst tree 30.4899406, -83.2438965]
Karst tree 30.4899406, -83.2438965

Egret

[Green bank, white bird 30.4822121, -83.2433777]
Green bank, white bird 30.4822121, -83.2433777

FL 6 Bridge

[FL 6 bridge from downstream 30.4812660, -83.2434616]
FL 6 bridge from downstream 30.4812660, -83.2434616

MBS

[Just around those logs 30.4810009, -83.2436981]
Just around those logs 30.4810009, -83.2436981

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Sunday: Paddle Sasser Landing to Jennings Bluff, Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, 2022-10-02

Update 2022-10-02: Directions: Sasser Landing and Jennings Bluff, Alapaha River 2022-10-02.

Rescheduled a day later, to Sunday, October 2, 2022. Yes, probably the fastest reschedule ever. Turns out that Saturday is the Hahira Honeybee Parade, and we don’t want to disappoint 25,000 of our closest friends. So Sunday, October 2nd it is for the Alapaha River paddle and Dead River Sink hike.

A two-hour paddle down the Alapaha River, and a two-hour hike roundtrip up the Dead River to the Dead River Sink and back, with Practicing Geologist Dennis Price. If the Alapaha is low enough, we will also see two sinks in that river just before the Dead River Confluence.

There is nothing else quite like this in Florida (or Georgia). Dennis Price for years has been recommending a state park here, at these jewels of the Alapaha River Water Trail. Hamilton County is making a county park nearby on land it owns.

The Dead River itself is a distributary: the Alapaha River runs into it, down into the Dead River Sink, and does not come back up for twenty miles and three days until the Alapaha River Rise on the Suwannee River.

[Say karst, 13:11:30, 30.5837121, -83.0531756]
Say karst, 13:11:30, 30.5837121, -83.0531756, 2018-01-27.

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Paddle Sasser Landing to Jennings Bluff, Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, 2022-10-01

Update 2022-06-20: Rescheduled a day later, to Sunday, October 2, 2022. Yes, probably the fastest reschedule ever. Turns out that Saturday is the Hahira Honeybee Parade, and we don’t want to disappoint 25,000 of our closest friends. So Sunday, October 2nd it is for the Alapaha River paddle and Dead River Sink hike.

A two-hour paddle down the Alapaha River, and a two-hour hike roundtrip up the Dead River to the Dead River Sink and back, with Practicing Geologist Dennis Price. If the Alapaha is low enough, we will also see two sinks in that river just before the Dead River Confluence.

There is nothing else quite like this in Florida (or Georgia). Dennis Price for years has been recommending a state park here, at these jewels of the Alapaha River Water Trail. Hamilton County is making a county park nearby on land it owns.

The Dead River itself is a distributary: the Alapaha River runs into it, down into the Dead River Sink, and does not come back up for twenty miles and three days until the Alapaha River Rise on the Suwannee River.

You can also paddle to the Rise on August 13, 2022.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, October 1, Sunday, October 2, 2022

Put In: Sasser Landing. Left bank, east of river, north of CR 150. From Jennings, Hamilton County, FL, travel east on CR 150; cross the Alapaha River; turn left onto NW 72 Court and follow to river.

GPS: 30.599562, -83.069828

Take Out: Jennings Bluff Landing. From Jennings, Hamilton County, FL, travel south on US 41 to NW 25 Lane; turn left; travel east to NW 82 Court and the entrance into the SRWMD Jennings Bluff tract; turn left and follow road to canoe launch.

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat, paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit. Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup. For the hike, boots and long pants: stickers and ticks.

Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. You can pay the $10 at the outing, or online:
https://wwals.net/outings

We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

Event: facebook, meetup

[Say karst, 13:11:30, 30.5837121, -83.0531756]
Say karst, 13:11:30, 30.5837121, -83.0531756, 2018-01-27.

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Portage Big Shoals, paddle Little Shoals, Suwannee River 2022-09-17

Update 2022-09-12: The ranger said the launch remains closed until it falls below 62 at White Springs. We are watching that gauge and you can, too.

A brief paddle downstream to the biggest rapids in Florida, portage around, and paddle through the next rapids, with Practicing Geologist Dennis Price.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, September 17, 2022

Put In: Big Shoals Tract Launch. From White Springs, travel north on CR 135 to SE 94 Street (Godwin Bridge Road); turn right and follow road to Big Shoals.

GPS: 30.353167, -82.687333

[White water, 14:19:25, 30.3381380, -82.6834810]
White water, 14:19:25, 30.3381380, -82.6834810 2021-05-14

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Pictures: Dead River Sink 2021-11-07

Thrice rescheduled because of water levels and weather, the Dead River Sink Hike drew a small but attentive crowd to listen to Practicing Geologist Dennis Price and see the Dead River Confluence, the Dead River, and the Dead River Sink, with cypress, tupelo, oaks, pines, and beautyberry along the way, on a warm November day.

[Jennings Bluff Landing, Dead River Confluence, Dead River Sink, Banners]
Jennings Bluff Landing, Dead River Confluence, Dead River Sink, Banners

Jennings Bluff Landing

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Rain reschedule: Hike to Dead River Sink, Alapaha River, Jennings Bluff Launch, 2021-11-07

Update 2022-01-09: Pictures: Dead River Sink 2021-11-07.

Saturday is rain all day and cold, so we’re going for 2PM this Sunday, November 7, 2021, when it should be 60 degrees with zero percent chance of rain.

Join us for an approximately three-mile hike down the Dead River to the Dead River Sink, where the Alapaha River goes underground much of the year. We will be led by Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price of Hamilton County, Florida. He will explain the geology, and how unusual this place is: there’s nothing like it in Florida (or Georgia).

This is a hike: no boat is needed. (Also, SRWMD has made a road right to the Sink, if you don’t want to hike.)

Also, time permitting, on the way out we will park at Jennings Bluff Cemetery and look at the nearby Jennings Bluff Spring.

[Karst limestone cracks by the Alapaha River, Dead River, Sink, Dennis J. Price]
Karst limestone cracks by the Alapaha River, Dead River, Sink, Dennis J. Price

When: Gather 2:00 PM, launch 2:15 PM, end 5:15 PM, Sunday, November 7, 2021

Put In: Jennings Bluff Launch. From Jennings, Hamilton County, FL, travel south on US 41 to NW 25 Lane; turn left; travel east to NW 82 Court and the entrance into the Suwannee River Water Management District’s Jennings Bluff tract; turn left and follow road to canoe launch.

GPS: 30.567183, -83.038911
You’re aiming for the Jennings Bluff Tract entrance. Continue reading