I’m heading to Florida next week for the only winter paddling I will get this season.  My buddy, John Resch and I are joining our favorite guide, Scott Locorini on a 135 mile paddle of the Suwannee River.  We will start in northeastern Florida near White Springs and paddle southwest across the state, ending at Fanning Springs.  I have wanted to paddle this river since reading a trip report in Sea Kayaker magazine several years ago. 

The river has three distinct sections.  The upper river, starting in Georgia at the Okefenokee Swamp is narrow and winding, with many channels and dead-ends.  It is lined with large Cyprus trees, and in photos looks mysterious and spooky.  The second section where we’ll spend most of our time paddling is the “clear water” or spring fed section, with spring after spring identified on the map.  The third and final section is the tidal section above the town of Suwannee on the gulf cost.  By the time we reach Fanning Springs we should be within this tidal area. 

This is a low budget trip for John and I.  He is already in Florida, golfing.  I try to tell him that he should rid himself of that vice, that it will ruin his paddling stroke, but he persists.  So I will drive to Rochester from Troy to pick up John’s boat and visit family before heading to Florida the next morning.  The trip from Rochester to White Springs takes about seventeen hours.  This will be the inaugural trip hauling boats on the new car. 

If you are curious about the Suwannee River and the paddling trail, here are two good resources:

•Suwannee River Wilderness Trail

•Canoe Suwannee

Look for trip reports sometime in April!

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