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Hello all. Thirty one years in a canoe and still learning from this site.

Joined
Jan 31, 2013
Messages
260
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Location
Middle of the Florida paddling paradise
Would like to say thank you to all who have posted here. Have been lurking and learning for a wile now Have gained some ideas and knowledge even though I have been canoeing for 31 years now.

Have two marriage canoes(tandems that some like to call divorce boats) and two solo canoes. Have found that working together in the tandems has helped me to work together with the better half in the rest of the world too. Been part of a few canoe clubs and even lead some trips. Found the best time on the water is with my better half alone on a creek or river working together as a team. She pointed out a while back how much more enjoyable it was just us in the wilderness over a group. We are stuck canoeing in central Florida for the near future. Hence cflcanoe screen name(Central FLorida Canoe) Not a bad place to be stuck with canoes.
 
I also like the teamwork that solo canoeing requires. It can also be creepy sleeping alone in the wilderness.
 
Hi cflcanoe, and welcome from Ontario, Canada.

Do you ever paddle the everglades? My wife and I found paddling the glades to be one of the most unforgettable paddling experiences of our lives. We look forward to when we can do so again.

Cheers,
- Martin
 
Pine Martyn the glades are out of Base camp range (to far from my house)at this time. Its been awile sine I have been there. Remember that there used to be platforms to camp/sleep on at night. Okefenokee swamp is interesting also.
 
Are you near Tampa? My wife and I spend winters in Zephyrhills. We bring our kayaks down from Wisconsin and mostly paddle the nearby rivers, mangroves, and Tampa Bay. I'd like to discover some new sites.
 
Hogan we are right smack dab in between Orlando and Daytona. Two hour drive from Tampa. If you can travel a little the Wekiva River and its tributary's are very nice. Rock springs run and Black Water Creek are great. Rock Springs is an almost required paddle if you are in east central FL. Silver river near Ocala is a experience not to be missed. Kind of spoiled by the motor boat traffic but getting out on it early mourning during the week is a real treat. Water from state route 40 to Silver Springs theme park is crystal clear. The bass and other fish came up to our canoe to beg for food when we stopped for lunch. Wild monkeys are fun to watch. Juniper and Alexander spring runs are good... But Juniper is not as nice as it used to be. They are not clearing the downed trees that well. Even had a spot that a downed tree had an opening too narrow for a Mad River Explorer to make it through with out being put on its side. This was an opening they had cut. Do not have enough post yet to PM. So PM me if you wish to talk or know more about east central FL.
 
Welcome cflcanoe! We just did an 11 day Glades trip in two solo canoes and also do tandem freestyle canoeing. For us canoeing helps communication. I am far nicer to him in the canoe than in the kitchen.

Chickees are still there for dry camping where there is no dry land.. This trip we also canoed around Cedar Key and today we move up toward Homosassa Springs to paddle WeekiWachee and later in the week Silver..also some river that has a long name beginning with a C that for the life of me I cant remember now. Florida has an awful lot of paddling!

Juniper has changed that much? The last time I ran it two years ago it was fairly easy if you can maneuver your boat..(we used WildFires).. What about those school groups that use it for outings? (three years ago I was in back of a group of some 20-30 boats..they had a bit of oopsie and stuck going on)

Rock Springs is still on my to do list. The livery, the last I knew, was closed on Mon and Tues and I turned up ignorant and on Monday.
 
Juniper was far different in the late 80's and 90's. We made it trough this summer with only hitting one under the water snag. It was right after a tropical storm and the current was fast. The small ripples on the lower part were about 20 feet long that day. Yea ha!!! But they were not clearing the stream like they used too. The dock at the center of the run is gone. It was great place to stop to picnic. Yes I am remembering the glory days.

For the trippers out there a campground called Buffalo Tram on the Wekivia. Start on the Rock Springs Run then the Wekivia river to Buffalo Tram then the next day down the rest of the Wekivia to High Banks Marina on the St. Johns.
 
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