Tag Archives: Shirley Kokidko

Gibson Park to Suwannee River State Park, swim view Five Holes, 2022-08-13

A summer saunter on the iconic Suwannee River, with swimming in viewing the connected sinks and springs of Five Holes.

According to the Park, Five Holes is closed for renovation, but we have permission from Park Manager Matt Phifer to swim in view Five Holes on this outing.

There may or may not be swimming through some of the holes if you know what you’re doing. If the water is low like now, you can see through and it will be a walk through. But there are no dark spots; the main danger with swimming is banging your head.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 2 PM, Saturday, August 13, 2022

Put In: Gibson Park Ramp, 6844 SW CR 751, Jasper, FL 32052. Right bank, west side of the river. From Jasper, Hamilton County, FL, travel southwest on Right bank. SW CR 249 to SW CR 751; turn left and boat ramp is on the right in Gibson Park.

GPS: 30.437637, -83.094031

Take Out: Suwannee River State Park 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.

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

[Five Holes, Alapaha River Rise, Suwanacoochee Spring, Suwannee River swing]
Five Holes, Alapaha River Rise, Suwanacoochee Spring, Suwannee River swing

Continue reading →

Pictures: Pafford’s Landing cleanup 2022-04-16

Here are pictures and commentary by WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman at the WWALS Earth Day Pafford’s Landing cleanup on the Alapaha River.

Meanwhile, I’d like to know what we need to do to get people from Lakeland and Lanier County to come clean up? What happened to the regular cleanups apparently promised by the Sheriff and the County Commission? Must we call in the Marines every time to clean up Pafford’s Landing?

After previous cleanups in Lanier County, the county dump accepted all the trash we got from the river, including tires. Why not these three tires this time?

The dump did accept the approximately 300 pounds of bagged trash. Thanks to the Marine recruits for helping bag it.

Also, Hooters, KFC, Hardees, Chick-fil-A, and Budweiser, maybe if you didn’t produce so much single-use trash, there wouldn’t be so much of it thrown away.

[Begin, Volunteers, Marines, Trash]
Begin, Volunteers, Marines, Trash

Shirley and I were the volunteers to sign in and we waited for other WWALS members or Lanier County people to help out but no more came. We are looking fresh and clean at 9AM. Continue reading →

Statenville to Sasser Landing, Alapaha River, plus Turket Creek Waterfall 2022-07-09

Paddle with WWALS down the blackwater Alapaha River over some rapids, with side trip to Turket Creek Waterfall.

[Jennings Defeat, Turket Creek Waterfall, Statenville Boat Ramp]
Jennings Defeat, Turket Creek Waterfall, Statenville Boat Ramp

Bring a rope for each end of your boat, for towing and carrying. Shortly after the GA-FL line are the notorious shoals Jennings Defeat, so named because even the founder of Jennings, Florida, portaged around them. Last time WWALS went through there, only three boats paddled through those shoals. Continue reading →

Earth Day Rivers Alive Trash Clean Up, Pafford’s Landing, Alapaha River 2022-04-16

Update 2022-05-12: Pictures: Pafford’s Landing cleanup 2022-04-16.

Join us for a cleanup at the white sand beach of Pafford’s Landing on the Alapaha River east of Lakeland, Georgia. This is one of the WWALS events celebrating Earth Day 2022.

When: Gather 9 AM, end 12 PM, Saturday, April 16, 2022

Put In: Pafford’s Landing, east of Lakeland, GA, on the south side of GA 122 and GA 37, into the woods, on the right bank (west side) of the Alapaha River, in Lanier County, on the WWALS Alapaha River Water Trail.

GPS: 31.043011, -83.042564

Bring: Cleanup materials will be provided, but if you’ve got a trash picker, bring it along. No boat is required, but if you want to bring one, you can use it.

Free: This outing is free to everyone!

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

Event: facebook, meetup

[Pafford's Landing ARWT signs, beach with view of bridge]
Pafford’s Landing ARWT signs, beach with view of bridge.

Continue reading →

Pictures: Banks Lake Full Snow Moon Paddle 2022-02-16

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]
Paddlers, banners, sunset, moonrise

I was dogsitting, so did not paddle. Continue reading →

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]
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 →

Chitty Bend East Distributary, Withlacoochee River –Shirley Kokidko 2022-01-07

Update 2023-08-27: Pictures: Sullivan Launch to Florida Campsites, Withlacoochee River 2023-07-15.

River scout Shirley Kokidko went to investigate Mystery: Withlacoochee River Distributary 2021-01-01 and came back with these pictures from Friday, January 7, 2022.

Remember: it’s not safe to paddle in there.

[Distributary, Swallet, Sinkhole]
Distributary, Swallet, Sinkhole

Chitty Bend East Distributary

The Withlacoochee River was 57.9′ NAVD88 (11.4′) on the Pinetta gauge. Continue reading →

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]
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 →

Mystery: Withlacoochee River Distributary 2021-01-01

Update 2022-01-10: Chitty Bend East Distributary, Withlacoochee River –Shirley Kokidko 2022-01-07.

Update 2021-12-28: KUR: M2 Blue cave system, Madison County, Florida.

Where exactly does Withlacoochee River water run into this creek, about three hundred feet into the woods, and disappear into a sinkhole? Left (east) bank, which is state land, or right (west) bank, which is private land? If it doesn’t have an observation platform, where is the one pictured? Maybe you can help us resolve this mystery.

One thing is clear: do not paddle into this distributary! When the river is high, the current is high, and you will have a hard time gettin back out. There are deadfalls and a sinkhole at the end.

[Platform, Distributary]
Platform, Distributary

Here’s where this mystery started:

“Some 7 miles downriver from CR 150, there is a 10- to 12-foot opening in the high banks on the east side where water comes rushing out of the river. If followed, this stream flows for 75 to 100 yards and then disappears under a high bank. In Florida, whole rivers disappear in this manner, but it is unusual to lose just part of a river.”

That’s from Canoeing & Kayaking Florida, Menasha Ridge Press; 2nd edition (November 11, 2007), by Johnny Molloy, Elizabeth F. Carter et al., Page 122, Georgia State Line to Suwannee River S.P. Hm, I see there’s now a third edition of November 11, 2016.

Helen Crowley says she and Shirley Kokidko and Don Crowley paddled past there on January 1, 2021. She sent this picture as of the distributary. 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]
Banners, Sunset, Moonrise

Russell even saw an osprey nest. Continue reading →