Kayaking at Halpatiokee

Halpatiokee is Seminole for “Alligator Water”.

Here is why:

 

 

 

 

OK, just kidding, not sure where that actually is 😛 But we DID see some gators on our trip.

We started at South River Outfitters on Lost River rd in Stuart, FL, a place I’ve driven past about thousands of times, but never stopped before. You should stop. I wish I had a long time ago. They not only offer rentals, but also sales and service for their kayak and bicycle customers. And talk about selection! They have a better selection than any other store I’ve been in, as far as kayaks go, better than Gander Mountain and Sports Authority combined! And they KNOW their products! I spoke with Ed when I walked in, and he was very friendly and helpful, answering any questions I had, but never pestering. The only non-requested information was that the majority of his products are made in the USA, a rarity in this day and age, but a commendable achievement.

Let me break for a moment to set the stage a bit. I am not from this area, but my wife grew up here. Every place we go, she runs into someone she knows, sort of the way it is for me when I go back to West Virginia, only on a much larger scale, since there are far more people here.

Having explained that, as my wife walked in, Ed greeted her by name, asking how she’s been , and if I was her husband. It turns out Ed & my wife have some relatives in common through a couple marriages. Where I grew up, that makes us family 🙂

Joining us was a couple of my wife’s co-workers, Dan and David, both originally from England, Dan lives here, while David was visiting for work. The opted for a tandem kayak since David was unaccustomed to kayaking. My wife, who has been talking about getting a kayak for herself, went with a Tarpon 120 kayak as a possible future purchase. I brought along my own kayak, a Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 in green, a discontinued color, I believe. Mine is an older model, but I’m very happy with it overall after some modifications. (I should review it, I suppose!)

With a packed lunch for each of us, and several coolers for drinks, we set off around 10:30. Directions are very simple when leaving from the South River Outfitters launch point – take all the rights until you pass the houses, then take all of the lefts. You paddle upstream, so will simply float past the launch point eventually. This is a great plan for most kayakers- paddle UPSTREAM to start, so that once you turn around, it is MUCH easier to get back, the current helps move you back to your starting point.The water was surprisingly clear for south Florida, home of black waters due to heavy tannins. Not crystal clear, but enough to see a lot more aquatic life than I’m used to being able to see fresh water.

The trip is a peaceful one. Once you leave sight of the houses, you lose yourself in the solitude. The only thing marring the experience is the background sound from I95, barely audible in the distance. Wild life is everywhere. Turtles, jumping mullet, and birds call this home, and you are travelling quietly through the middle of it. Trees and vines hang down, into the water in many places, adding to the Old Florida feel.

About the time my butt needed a break from sitting, we arrived at the primitive camp site. Several picnic tables sit under moss-covered oaks, providing us with the perfect shaded place to break for lunch.

I wandered around a bit, putting my wild edible plant knowledge I recently gained from Green Deane’s class as well as from RidgeRunner at Green Earth Survival School I looked for some Beauty Berries I wanted to photograph for an future post. AS I was standing at the edge of the treeline paying little attention to anything around me, I heard a commotion in the bushes directly in front of me. Something was charging through the tangles trees heading straight for me me FAST! By the time my eyes adjust to the darker areas under the trees, it was too late for me to do anything or get out of the way before…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

….the guy on the mountain bike made his turn and was quickly out of site and gone. Apparently there is a bike trail hidden just out of view that runs for about 100 feet along the edge of the camping area. By the time I realized it was NOT A charging wild hog, it was too late for me to do anything but swear. Everyone with me heard the racket and saw me get the manure scared out of me, much to their enjoyment. Everyone LOVES to laugh at me, not that I mind much – life IS funny. I did have sense enough to shift my camera to my left hand and was about to pull my Mora Companion to take on whatever was charging me. Like I’d have a chance.

I don’t even think the guy on the bike knew I was there. 😛

After lunch, we started back down stream, finding that with the sun higher in the sky, the alligators were far more frequent. In total, I believe we saw about 9 different gators, ranging from an 8 or 9 footer to a couple little guys no more than twenty inches long.

As I approached one 6 or so foot gator, started to see a pattern. I’m easily startled when I’m looking through a viewfinder, and tend to not pay as much attention as I should be. Watch my video proof here: That gator is close! Also, be sure to listen to the Brits as I spook the gator (and myself) as the gator swims under their boat. I’m pretty sure David’s most memorable moment of the trip will be when this gator swims directly under him….and leans how I was feeling when that mutant zombie woods biker was charging me 🙂

The trip lasted about 4 hours start to finish, including our lunch stop. I enjoyed the trip so much that when we were lulling the kayaks out of the water, I was very surprised to know it had been so long. It felt like we had only been gone an hour or so.

This is a GREAT trip, one I highly recommend, and will be doing again. The rental cost was FAR less than a Disney ticket, and the effort required on our part as far as equipment goes, was minimal. Ed at South River Outfitters has everything you need, and was great to deal with, the equipment he offers is top notch and is well maintained. They rotate stock annually, with a “Fleet Sale” every year to move the used kayaks out to make room for the next year’s models. This year’s sale is July 21 at 9am. I plan on being there myself, I may look at upgrading my own kayak. If you end up stopping by, let them know you heard about the sale from FloridaHillbilly. He did say to show up early, inventory goes fast.

The last thing I want to say about the trip is to be sure to bring plenty of water. We were OK with 3 bottles per person, but I was pretty parched by the time I got back. Plan on a bottle per hour or more as a minimum. My next trip, I’ll be bringing a gallon per person. I’d rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

So go rent a kayak, or better still, buy one. And USE it! Kayaking is peaceful, relaxing, and great exercise. It allows you to see nature in a far closer way (sometimes TOO close) than if you were in a powered boat. Animals seem to to take you as one of them, allowing for much closer views. I’ve been withing paddle reach of turtles, birds, dolphins, manatees, and river otters (as well as that gator). No need for a telephoto lens when you are quiet and in a kayak.

As I hit submit, I’m grabbing a lunch and heading out to go fishing…in my kayak 🙂

 

Peace,

db

 

 

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