A bunch of lucky paddlers caught perfect weather for the Banks Lake Full Snow Moon paddle. No snow, just a warm breeze.
![[Paddlers, banners, sunset, moonrise]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-02-16--pictures-banks-lake-full-moon/many.jpg)
Paddlers, banners, sunset, moonrise
I was dogsitting, so did not paddle. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Outing
Radio about Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Suwannee Riverkeeper 2022-02-18
Friday morning, February 18, 2022, at 8:00 AM, Suwannee Riverkeeper will be on Scott James Talk 92.1 FM radio, about the annual 11-mile Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, this Saturday, February 19th, on the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers.
![[Many]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-02-18--scott-james-radio-mayor-chairmans-paddle/many.jpg)
We’ll also talk about how you can ask Georgia statehouse members to pass HB 1289 to protect the Okefenokee Swamp from mining, while you can ask the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to stop a strip mine far too near the Okefenokee Swamp, and ask GA-EPD to stop that second wood pellet plant in Adel while you’re at it.
We’ll mention the trash situation of Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River.
When: 8:00 AM, Friday, February 18, 2022
Where:
Talk 92.1 FM radio, Scott James drivetime show
http://talk921.com/
Listen: Continue reading
Bridge to Bridge Suwannee River paddle for White Springs Wild Azalea Festival 2022-03-19
Update 2022-03-15: Due to high water, replaced by Hike: Bell Springs to Big Shoals, Suwannee River 2022-03-19.
Join us for a geologic education paddle through millions of years, on a scenic two-mile stretch of the Suwannee River. Led by Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price of Hamilton County, Florida, we will pass White Sulphur Spring, the first Floridan Aquifer Spring encountered on the Suwannee River.
Once you land, you can go on up to the Wild Azalea Festival! The festival is conveniently located at the corner of Spring and Bridge Street, 10499 Spring St, White Springs, FL 32096.
![[US 41 Bridge past FL 136 Bridge, Suwannee River, White Springs, Florida]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-03-19--white-springs-bridge-to-bridge-suwannee-river/map.jpg)
US 41 Bridge past FL 136 Bridge, Suwannee River, White Springs, Florida
Dennis Price explains, “For millions of years, Florida was a limestone platform not connected to the now North American continent. For eons the limestone bed would emerge, the bed surface would erode then sink again, several times. Each time the limestone would build again with a different set of fossils. The last limestone bed to deposit was the Suwannee Limestone. Florida thru this time was separated from the continent by the Suwannee Straits, similar to the Florida straits separating Florida from Cuba. Erosional sediments from the continent was slowly filling the Straits and when finally filled, sediments began covering the limestone that was Florida. These sediments are known as the Hawthorne formation today.”
When: Gather 8 AM, launch 8:30 AM, end 10 AM, Saturday, March 19, 2022
Put In:
Suwannee River Wayside Park Ramp @ US 41.
From White Springs, travel south on US 41 to the river; the ramp is on the south side in the town park, in Hamilton County.
This is where the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail officially starts,
although the WWALS web pages and map include the entire river up into Georgia and the Okefenokee Swamp.
GPS: 30.3255, -82.739167 ,
Take Out:
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park Launch, 11016 Lillian Saunders Drive/U.S. Highway 41, White Springs FL 32096.
$5.00 per vehicle (up to 8 people) State Park entry fee.
White Sulphur Springs is after the second bridge but before the takeout. It was one of the first tourist attractions in Florida. Nowadays you can visit the empty bathhouse, see the trickle of water coming out, and read what Dennis wrote: The NFRWSP’s job is to figure out how to increase water levels in the aquifer. –Dennis J. Price 2016-12-12.
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. Mosquitoes can be bad at dusk so come prepared.
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/#join
Pictures: Last stretch, Alapaha River 2022-02-05
Update 2022-02-07: Little Alapaha River, Swallet, Bridges, Source, Mouth 2022-02-07.
Cold but well worth it, said the nineteen paddlers let by Shirley Kokidko on the WWALS paddle from US 41 on the Alapaha River to the Suwannee River. Plus a distributary that turns out to be the Little Alapaha River. And the Alapaha River Rise, where Alapaha River water from the Dead River Sink comes back up 20 miles and three days later, slightly upstream on the Suwannee River.
![[US 41 Bridge, Little Alapaha River, Suwannee River, Alapaha River Rise]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-02-05--last-stretch-alapaha-pictures/many.jpg)
US 41 Bridge, Little Alapaha River, Suwannee River, Alapaha River Rise
Here are 360-degree views every 10 seconds, taken with a GOPRO 360. Continue reading
Banks Lake Full Snow Moon Paddle, 2022-02-16
Update 2022-02-18: Pictures.
Leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our mini-Okefenokee, Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Maybe it will be warm enough for the bats to be back out.
When: Gather 5:30 PM, launch 6 PM, moonrise 6:28 PM, sunset 6:21 PM, end 8 PM, Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, in front of Banks Lake Outdoors, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
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. Mosquitoes can be bad at dusk so come prepared.
Safety: Each person in a boat, no matter how young or old, must wear a PFD. You must have a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow sticks work well, or head lamp, flashlight, etc.) so other boaters can see you in the dark. It will be totally dark after sunset. A whistle is not required, but it’s a good idea in the dark.
Boats:
Bring your own if you have it.
Thanks to Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.
Please ask for boats at least 2 days prior to the event:
on the web form on
https://wwals.net/outings,
or on the facebook event, the meetup,
or call 850-290-2350.
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/#join
![[Moonrise --Shirley Kokidko]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-12-18--banks-lake-full-cold-moon-pictures/sk-moonrise-269436667_10227002787639794_4574390632223567606_n.jpg)
Moonrise –Shirley Kokidko, 2021-12-18.
Rescheduled: Third Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, Withlacoochee River 2022-02-19
Update 2022-02-15: We’re go for this Saturday, February 19, 2022, for the Third Annual Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle. Saturday is going to be the coolest day of the week, but that’s low 39, high 64, much warmer than last month, and the water temperature at US 84 is currently 51F, much higher than the mid-40s last time. Dress warmly in layers and bring a dry change of clothes in a waterproof bag just in case. And come on down to Troupville Boat Ramp this Saturday!
Valdosta, Georgia, January 26, 2021 — An unusual cold snap is expected this Saturday, too cold for novice paddlers. So we’re rescheduling three weeks later, for Saturday, February 19, 2022. Everything else is the same; only the date has changed.
Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter summed it up, “Safety should be considered above all and hypothermia is a huge issue if someone was to go in the water!”
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman added, “Water temperature was already down to 47 degrees Monday at US 84 on the Withlacoochee River, and air temperatures for this Saturday are predicted to be low of 22 and high of 42. So hypothermia is indeed a risk, however seldom seen in south Georgia. Also not many people would turn out in such cold.”
Valdosta Mayor Scott James said, “So we’re all agreed: Saturday, February 19, 2022. Come as early as 8AM to get on the shuttle!”
![[Troupville Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River, WWTP clean outfall, Spook Bridge, Takeout]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2022-01-29--chairman-mayors-paddle/many.jpg)
Troupville Boat Ramp, Withlacoochee River, WWTP clean outfall, Spook Bridge, Takeout
We hope there will still be plenty of water for this annual eleven-mile river paddle, past the future site of Troupville River Camp and Nature Park, along the west side of the most populous city in the Suwannee River Basin, past Valdosta’s clean outfall of its Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant, with many creeks, oaks, cypresses, pines, fish, turtles, and maybe an alligator, down to Spook Bridge, so scary it has its own movie.
Valdosta Mayor Scott James said, “I am excited to partner once again with WWALS, plus this time with Lowndes County, to show people our fabulous blackwater rivers, Continue reading
Banks Lake Full Wolf Moon Paddle, 2022-01-17
Join us for our first 2022 leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, just west of Lakeland, Georgia.
When: Gather 5 PM, launch 5:30 PM, moonrise 5:41 PM, sunset 5:55 PM, end 7:30 PM, Monday, January 17, 2022
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp
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. Mosquitoes can be bad at dusk so come prepared.
Safety: Each person in a boat, no matter how young or old, must wear a PFD. You must have a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow sticks work well, or head lamp, flashlight, etc.) so other boaters can see you in the dark. It will be totally dark after sunset. A whistle is not required, but it’s a good idea in the dark.
Boats:
Bring your own if you have it.
Thanks to Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.
Please ask for boats at least 2 days prior to the event:
on the web form on
https://wwals.net/outings,
or on the facebook event, the meetup,
or call 850-290-2350.
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/#join
![[Sunset big sky]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-12-18--banks-lake-full-cold-moon-pictures/20211218_173257.jpg)
Sunset big sky. Photo: John S. Quarterman, 2021-12-18.
Pictures: Alapahoochee River, GA 135 to Sullivan Launch Sasser Landing 2021-06-05
Update 2023-01-26: Pictures: Many deadfalls, shark teeth, and rapids: Alapachoochee Adventure 2022-07-09.
Bird Chamberlain and others had been suggesting it for years, and we finally did it: the Alapahoochee River from GA 135 to Sasser Landing on the Alapaha River. We paddled over many deadfalls, across the GA-FL line, past the creek of shark teeth, under old abandoned steel Beatty Bridge, through Devil Shoal, right by Turket Creek Waterfall.
![[Banners, Alapahoochee River, Deadfall, Beatty Bridge, Devil Shoal, Turket Creek Waterfall]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-06-05--alapahoochee-pictures/2021-06-05--many.jpg)
Banners, Alapahoochee River, Deadfall, Beatty Bridge, Devil Shoal, Turket Creek Waterfall
Many thanks to Bobby McKenzie for organizing this expedition, to the WWALS Outings Committee for planning it, and to all who paddled, including Suzanne Welander, author of Canoeing and Kayaking Georgia, who came down from Atlanta for this outing. Continue reading
Pictures: Banks Lake Full Cold Moon paddle 2021-12-18
The wind was brisk but died down as soon as we started paddling on a warm winter night, to see the sun set and the moon rise over Banks Lake, our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia.
![[Banners, Sunset, Moonrise]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-12-18--banks-lake-full-cold-moon-pictures/2021-12-18--many.jpg)
Russell even saw an osprey nest. Continue reading
Riverbank camping, Suwannee River, Fargo to Turner Bridge, 2022-03-05-06
Update 2022-08-29: Pictures: Fargo to campsite, Suwannee River 2022-03-05.
Join us for the first-ever WWALS riverbank camping outing. We’ll paddle from Georgia to Florida, and we’ll probably camp slightly downstream of the GA-FL line so as to pitch our tents and hammocks on state land.
Spaces limited to 14 paddlers. RSVP on meetup to get a space. https://www.meetup.com/Withlacoochee-Alapaha-Suwannee-RIvers-WWALS-Outings/events/282688733
When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10:30 AM, Saturday, March 5, 2022, End 2PM, Sunday, March 6, 2022.
Put In: Fargo Boat Ramp. Half a mile southeast of Fargo on US 441, the boat ramp is on the northeast side of US 441 and on the west (right bank) of the Suwannee River, in Clinch County, Georgia. Downstream there are plenty of turtles, cypress, oaks, pines, some creeks, many white sand beaches, maybe a small shoal if the water is low enough, and and no roads for 23 river miles in Georgia and Florida.
Take Out: Turner Bridge Ramp. From White Springs, travel north on SE CR 135; cross over SE CR 6 onto NE 180 Boulevard (Woodpecker Route); travel north to NE 38 Trail; turn right and follow road to ramp, in Hamilton County, Florida.
Bring: a tent or hammock and tarp or whatever you want to use for camping, along with 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.
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/#join
![[Suwannee River, Shirley Kokidko, 30.621387, -82.660998]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2021-05-28--swimming-for-epd/Upper-Suwannee-30.621387-82.660998-E7256844-A9CF-43A2-BC5A-F78C1C937CD4-Shirley-Kokidko.jpg)
Suwannee River, Shirley Kokidko, 30.6213870, -82.6609980