Tag Archives: Shirley Kokidko

Cancelled: Okefenokee Floyd’s Island Campout, Suwannee River, SCFSP, 2025-11-14-15

Update 2025-11-02: The Refuge says the water is too low to paddle to Floyd’s Island, so this outing is cancelled.

Update 2025-09-17: Shirley got a reservation for Friday and Saturday, November 14-15, 2025.

Paddle 9 miles upstream on the Suwannee River in the Okefenokee Swamp for primitive camping on Floyd’s Island. Paddle back the next day.

You must RSVP on meetup to get a spot (clicking Going on the facebook event does not count as an RSVP).

This is the farthest you can get from any road in Georgia, with very dark sky.

You can camp inside the century-old Hebard Cabin, or in your tent or hammock outside.

Yes, you will see gators, and probably other wildlife.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end All Day, Friday, November 14, 2025
Launch 9 AM, End 1 PM, Saturday, November 15, 2025

Put In: Stephen C. Foster State Park Ramp, 17515 GA-177, Fargo, GA 31631. From Fargo, travel south on US 441 to CR 177; turn left and travel to Stephen C. Foster State Park, in Charlton County.

GPS: 30.826833, -82.361333

[Floyd's Island Campout, Okefenokee Swamp, Suwannee River, Friday & Saturday, 14-15 Nov. 2025]
Floyd’s Island Campout, Okefenokee Swamp, Suwannee River, Friday & Saturday, 14-15 Nov. 2025

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Pictures: 2nd Annual Okefenokee Folk Festival, Okefenokee Heritage Center, Waycross, GA 2025-05-03

It was a fun and educational day at the Second Annual Okefenokee Folk Festival.

Thanks to Chris “Turtleman” Adams for inviting us.

[Okefenokee Folk Festival, Okefenokee Heritage Center, Waycross, GA, May 5, 2025]
Okefenokee Folk Festival, Okefenokee Heritage Center, Waycross, GA, May 5, 2025

It was also Sue Clark Day, referring to the late Sue Clark, who “spearheaded the creation of Southern Forest World and the Okefenokee Heritage Center.”

Thanks to Shirley Kokidko and Gretchen Quarterman for helping at the WWALS booth.

And it was the monthly Waygreen Local Fare Market, run by Gretchen’s friend Connie McDaniel Oliver.

Thanks to Jolie Hoyle, Environmental Education Coordinator, Okefenokee Swamp Park, for lettting me pet the alligator, illustrating what not to do when paddling.

For more Continue reading →

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

Update 2025-07-11: Pictures: Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River 2025-07-05.

Join us for an 11.2-mile paddle on the upper Suwannee River.

This is beautiful part of the river has one section of small shoals to paddle through. There can also be some tree debris in the river to work our way around.

Everyone must wear a PFD while on the river. Both ramps are on long dirt roads that are usually well maintained. Please come on time, the shuttle leaves promptly at 9:30.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10:15 AM, end 3:30 PM, Saturday, July 5, 2025

Put In: 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.

GPS: 30.524333, -82.728167

[Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River, July 5, 2025]
Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River, July 5, 2025

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2nd Annual Okefenokee Folk Festival, Okefenokee Heritage Center, Waycross, GA 2025-05-03

Update 2025-05-05: Pictures: 2nd Annual Okefenokee Folk Festival, Okefenokee Heritage Center, Waycross, GA 2025-05-03.

Join us at the WWALS booth in Waycross, Georgia, at the Second Annual Okefenokee Folk Festival.

Thanks to Chris “Turtleman” Adams for inviting us to the Okefenokee Heritage Festival for this event.

We’ll be talking about the Okefenokee Swamp and the Suwannee River Water Trail (SRWT) among other things.

When: 10 AM-3 PM, Saturday, May 3, 2025

Put In: Okefenokee Heritage Center, 1460 N Augusta Ave, Waycross, GA 31503

GPS: 31.235502, -82.382189

[WWALS Booth at 2nd Annual Okefenokee Folk Festival, Okefenokee Heritage Center, Waycross, GA 2025-05-03]
WWALS Booth at 2nd Annual Okefenokee Folk Festival, Okefenokee Heritage Center, Waycross, GA 2025-05-03

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

Update 2025-06-01: Pictures: Big Shoals St Pk to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River 2025-05-31.

Join us on this beautiful section of the Suwannee River.

This paddle is appropriate for anyone who is in reasonable physical condition, agile enough to launch from a rocky edge (see photo above), and can portage your kayak 400 feet. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the magnificent views and cool off in the river.

We will launch from Big Shoals State Park, paddle downstream 1 mile to the start of the portage trail around Big Shoals, the only Class III rapids in the state of Florida.

Pack light as you will need to portage everything on a dirt trail. Then we get back in our boats and paddle on through Little Shoals.

When: Gather 9:00 AM, launch 10:00 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, May 31, 2025
Come on time to drop your kayak at the launch site and be ready to help with the shuttle to the take out in White Springs.
**Shuttle begins promptly at 9:30 a.m.

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

GPS: 30.3529705, -82.6879375

[Big Shoals Tract Launch, Suwannee River Wayside Park, Suwannee River, Portage Big Shoals 2025-05-31]
Big Shoals Tract Launch, Suwannee River Wayside Park, Suwannee River, Portage Big Shoals 2025-05-31

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Outings Committee Co-Chairs 2025-01-29

The WWALS Board has unanimously appointed Kimberly Godden Tanner and Janet Martin Massengale as Co-Chairs of the WWALS Outings Committee. They have already decided who will lead each of the Banks Lake Full Moon outings for the whole year. Their main task is to facilitate the Outings Committee in getting outings scheduled and successfully held.

Shirley Kokidko will continue to handle meetup.com for WWALS outings.

[Outings Committee Co-Chairs 2025-01-29, Kimberly Godden Tanner, Janet Martin Massengale]
Outings Committee Co-Chairs 2025-01-29, Kimberly Godden Tanner, Janet Martin Massengale

For WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see: https://wwals.net/outings

Maybe you would like to request an outing:
https://forms.gle/RcUbpX2AVNQ7wRco9

For more about the Outings Committee, see:
https://wwals.net/about/committees/#wwals-outings

Maybe you would like to apply to join the Outings Committee: https://forms.gle/YofiUxQAmHz42NgC6 Continue reading →

Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17; Clean Withlacoochee River and Franks Creek 2025-01-19; Clean New River 2025-01-20

Update 2025-01-26: Cleaner but still dirty Sugar Creek 2025-01-24.

Due to the ice storm, nobody sampled this week since Monday: not WWALS and not Valdosta.

So here is what data we do have from Friday about Sugar Creek (filthy), Sunday about Franks Creek and the Withlacoochee River (good), and Monday about the New River in Tifton (good).

Valdosta Utilities drew samples today from Sugar Creek and the Withlacoochee River, and their results should be up tomorrow on their 2025 Sugar Creek Spill Testing web page. More about Sugar Creek below.

Most of the river gauges we follow couldn’t handle the sleet, snow, or rain Wednesday, so we don’t know how much preciptation fell. From the few that did register, probably up to an inch or more.

Which means more contamination probably washed into the waterways.

Since the weather prediction is freezing at night and cold during the day this weekend, I wouldn’t be paddling. If you must go out in a power boat while the rivers are up a bit, best not to get the water on you.

Or join us tomorrow for an on-land cleanup on One Mile Branch at Wainwright Driver in Valdosta, on the Azalea City Trail.
https://wwals.net/?p=66659

[Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20]
Filthy Sugar Creek 2025-01-17, Clean Withlacoochee River 2025-01-19, Clean Franks Creek 2025-01-19, Clean New River 2025-01-20

Sugar Creek

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Rescheduled: Griffis Camp to Fargo, Suwannee River Paddle 2025-03-01

Come out and join us for a late winter paddle on the Suwannee River in this remote 14-mile section of wilderness from Griffis Fish Camp to Fargo.

Rescheduled to March due to very cold weather in January.

Dress in case of a cold day and bring a change of clothes. Everyone must wear a PFD at all times on the water. Have a bow line/rope for your kayak.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, January 11, 2025

Put In: Griffis Fish Camp, 10333 Ga Highway 177 Fargo, Georgia 31631. From Fargo, travel south on US 441 to CR 177; turn left and travel 10 miles northeast; Griffis Fish Camp is on left, in Clinch County.

GPS: 30.7845, -82.446333

[Griffis Fish Camp to Fargo 2025-03-01, Suwannee River, Late Winter paddle]
Griffis Fish Camp to Fargo 2025-03-01, Suwannee River, Late Winter paddle

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Griffis Fish Camp Suwannee River Water Trail signs planted –Richard Fowler 2024-12-15

Thanks to Richard Fowler for these pictures of the WWALS Suwannee River Water Trail signs being planted at Griffis Fish Camp.

[Griffis Fish Camp, Suwannee River Water Trail signs, planted 2024-12-15, Photos: Richard Fowler]
Griffis Fish Camp, Suwannee River Water Trail signs, planted 2024-12-15, Photos: Richard Fowler

Thanks to Linda Tindall for digging and leveling, to Shirley Kokidko for pouring, and to camp manager Walter Hickox for advising on where to plant the signs.

Thanks to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR) for the generous grant that paid for these signs, the signpost, the concrete, and the screws.

See also the other pictures of this sign planting, and also at Fargo Ramp:
https://wwals.net/?p=66605

And pictures of the paddle Shirley organized the previous day from Stephen C. Foster State Park in the Okefenokee Swamp down the Suwannee River back to Griffis Fish Camp:
https://wwals.net/?p=66675 Continue reading →

Pictures: Stephen C. Foster State Park, Okefenokee Swamp, to Griffis Fish Camp, Suwannee River 2024-12-14

It was a fast paddle from Stephen C. Foster State Park in the Okefenokee Swamp to Griffis Fish Camp on the Suwannee River, as part of the WWALS campout and paddle: barely more than three hours. Or four hours, counting getting ready at the Park and getting out at Griffis.

But it still looked fun, through the Narrows, past piers of an old logging railroad, and through the Suwannee River Sill, with birds and gators.

[Stephen C. Foster State Park, Okefenokee Swamp 2024-12-14 to Griffis Fish Camp, Suwannee River]
Stephen C. Foster State Park, Okefenokee Swamp 2024-12-14 to Griffis Fish Camp, Suwannee River

Fast because expedition leader Shirley Kokidko decided to go through the first gate at the Suwannee River Sill, considering water levels were too low to go up to the second gate and back down the west side of the Sill.

Thanks to Shirley Kokidko of Pearson, GA, for leading and for one picture here, and to Phil Royce of Live Oak, FL, for the other pictures. And thanks to the paddlers, from Miami to Alabama to South Carolina, not to mention Hahira and other places in Georgia and Florida.

Stay tuned for pictures of the campfire cooking and the turkeys the next morning.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are announced, see:
https://wwals.net/outings Continue reading →