Boiling Creek and Little Boiling Creek
March 25, 2006
by Gary Worob
A SPECIAL PLACE
Boiling Creek has always been a special place to me as well as almost everyone who has ever been there, but Saturday was even more exceptional. I purposely canceled for the first time, as far as i can remember, the camping/paddling trip with other activities when i saw the weather forecast for freezing and near freezing weather. Who wants to camp in Florida at the end of March and freeze, not this old bird.
Anyhow, Harriet led the charge, triumphantly, to carry the flag to one of the greatest paddles i ever experienced. I decided at the last minute to go and shuttled with Ian and there were eight of us who were treated to a wonderful experience. We decided to honor Brint for the extra hard work he did in clearing the trail on Little Boiling Creek and did a quick shuttle to the "lunch spot" right before Yellow River. We then carried boats across the road to the upper section and paddled up into an area that none of us ever were in before. It was like a scene from the original Tarzan movies, really deep crystal clear water with submerged logs and huge fish. We were all amazed at the serenity and beauty there and went much farther than i thought it would go, weaving in and around the many stumps and branches but awed by the depth and clarity of the water.
We had a real treat on the way downriver as we got to run the chute under the road and scream through the tunnel. Then we went on the Brint Trail and wove our way through the many narrow channels and laughed as we had to get out several times in the pristine water to drag boats around and over and through different scenes. At one point Harriet pointed out this huge snapping turtle and it was amazing to watch it make choices in directions with our boats around and then disappear. Brint had done a wonerful job of clearing and we could easily see all the hard work he put into the underwater trail and then we came to the open water, or so we thought only to be surprised at two downed pine trees that i think were beaver cuts, nothing else made sense. But Brint dispatched them with his hand saw and we were once more on our way to Boiling Creek and lunch.
The pitcher plants were in bloom and they were as beautiful and welcomed as ever. We stopped at the wooden bridge for lunch and then went downstream and were treated to a rare site. There were 5 cottonmouths sunning themselves all in a ball on a dead fall across the river. Fritz and I, with appropriate caution, got close and took pictures of the lazy group and you almost, but hardly, could feel sorry for the frozen critters, trying to warm up after a real freezing night. I won't look forward to ever seeing them again. We saw more large birds than I have ever seen on Boiling Creek and we experienced more of the area than ever before.
What could have been a disaster turned into a group effort as we had to push Brint's and Fritz's vehicles out of sand bogs. The grader guy had turned the road into a disaster while we were paddling, making it extremely hard to drive on the road to the lunch spot. I don't reccommend going there without scouting and definetely not alone. It was fun having all of us push and work together to help each other. It reminded me of why I never want to live in the snow belt again, not to ever push another stuck in the snow vehicle again without tons of friends.
So, thanks to Brint and Harriet for the absolutely wonderful day a day dedicated to the great efforts of Brint to make this club and the paddles more than wonderful.I don't recommend the Little Boiling Creek trip to anyone who is not prepared to drag and walk their boats. If you are looking for a lazy day paddle, this is not it. It took a good part of the day for this trip and was worth every minute, but not for long boats and fragile limbs.
Showing posts with label Boiling Creek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boiling Creek. Show all posts
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Boiling Creek & Little Boiling Creek
Saturday, February 4, 2006
by Gary Worob
A FALLING OUT
I had a falling out yesterday...it was pretty dramatic...at least in my mind. It is the first time in probably 30 years that this happened, which made it all the more dramatic for me....and I love drama.
I had paddled the lower part of Boiling Creek to the Yellow River and then to the Hwy 98 take out, with a group that was mostly new to me. We were a gathering of 4 different tribes: the Mobile group-four of us, the Emerald Coast Kayak Club, sort of, the Adventure Club and the West Florida Canoe Club. But really, we were not from any club and that was part of the discussion and realization of the day. We were paddlers on one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the USA, Boiling Creek.
Fortunately, the road before and after the wooden bridge put-in was beautifully graded. The giant sink hole that spanned the road after the bridge, was gone. I decided our group would join the rest and paddle downstream. No one in our group had ever seen Boiling Creek, and it was a perfect day to go. It was a great paddle and fun to watch Cindy and Charmagne take their first tour of such a wonderful place, and they professed a great desire to return. Everyone who paddles Boiling Creek wants to return.
Anyhow, we covered the distance including lunch too fast for me. The current was so fast, after the heavy rains, that even with exploring, we were done by about 1:00 PM. That was too fast and when we shuttled back to our vehicles, I saw Brint's car and knew immediately where he was and I was going on a second trip.
I raced up to Little Boiling Creek and drove down the 6 tenths of a mile on a new road to me. I bounced over large tree roots and hairpin turns and then heard Brint calling my name. I knew we were in for an adventure. We were explorers on a first time journey. Brint was busy sawing his way upstream. He was literally weaving a new trail through this gorgeous series of channels and undergrowth. I raced to a wonderful landing and paddled the boat upstream at full pace.
I caught up to Brint about a quarter mile upstream after seeing his trail and followed it. There were always lots of choices, as the creek splits up in many places and it goes from very shallow drag and paddle, to clear open waterway in seconds. Brint was busy working and clearing just enough scub to make a channel for one boat at a time, good conservation technique and not harmful to the eco-system. I forged ahead and realized that in some places, it was easier to just get out and walk. I pretended I was the first explorer to ever visit this area. And, in fact, it was a first for me. One of two for me.
I soon made it to within a couple turns of the road and large culvert. We had planned to go through and then up into the mouth of Little Boiling Creek and see if there was a huge beaver dam ahead.
I never made it. One minute, I was paddling hard upstream, weaving in and out of trees and grassy islands, and the next minute I was in the water looking up and wondering how I got there. I was totally submerged under my canoe. I flipped out of the boat by something under the water that I did not see into the deepest channel. It was instantaneous. I came up and starting laughing. I had been skunked, as it was the first time that I can remember in, I don't know how many years, and it was too funny, for awhile.
The water was very warm and swimmable temperature. But, I was dressed warm and now I was dressed in soggy wet clothes. Brint caught up and saw me standing there dripping. I said my choice was to drag the boat out and walk the short distance to my van and change. He went on ahead and finished clearing and made it to our new put-in sight. It will now be a wonderful downriver adventure paddle, thanks to Brint. We loaded both boats and headed to his vehicle, quite content that two pioneers had explored new territory. It was great. I can't wait to try it out.
So, that was my falling out, and I loved it.
Saturday, February 4, 2006
by Gary Worob
A FALLING OUT
I had a falling out yesterday...it was pretty dramatic...at least in my mind. It is the first time in probably 30 years that this happened, which made it all the more dramatic for me....and I love drama.
I had paddled the lower part of Boiling Creek to the Yellow River and then to the Hwy 98 take out, with a group that was mostly new to me. We were a gathering of 4 different tribes: the Mobile group-four of us, the Emerald Coast Kayak Club, sort of, the Adventure Club and the West Florida Canoe Club. But really, we were not from any club and that was part of the discussion and realization of the day. We were paddlers on one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the USA, Boiling Creek.
Fortunately, the road before and after the wooden bridge put-in was beautifully graded. The giant sink hole that spanned the road after the bridge, was gone. I decided our group would join the rest and paddle downstream. No one in our group had ever seen Boiling Creek, and it was a perfect day to go. It was a great paddle and fun to watch Cindy and Charmagne take their first tour of such a wonderful place, and they professed a great desire to return. Everyone who paddles Boiling Creek wants to return.
Anyhow, we covered the distance including lunch too fast for me. The current was so fast, after the heavy rains, that even with exploring, we were done by about 1:00 PM. That was too fast and when we shuttled back to our vehicles, I saw Brint's car and knew immediately where he was and I was going on a second trip.
I raced up to Little Boiling Creek and drove down the 6 tenths of a mile on a new road to me. I bounced over large tree roots and hairpin turns and then heard Brint calling my name. I knew we were in for an adventure. We were explorers on a first time journey. Brint was busy sawing his way upstream. He was literally weaving a new trail through this gorgeous series of channels and undergrowth. I raced to a wonderful landing and paddled the boat upstream at full pace.
I caught up to Brint about a quarter mile upstream after seeing his trail and followed it. There were always lots of choices, as the creek splits up in many places and it goes from very shallow drag and paddle, to clear open waterway in seconds. Brint was busy working and clearing just enough scub to make a channel for one boat at a time, good conservation technique and not harmful to the eco-system. I forged ahead and realized that in some places, it was easier to just get out and walk. I pretended I was the first explorer to ever visit this area. And, in fact, it was a first for me. One of two for me.
I soon made it to within a couple turns of the road and large culvert. We had planned to go through and then up into the mouth of Little Boiling Creek and see if there was a huge beaver dam ahead.
I never made it. One minute, I was paddling hard upstream, weaving in and out of trees and grassy islands, and the next minute I was in the water looking up and wondering how I got there. I was totally submerged under my canoe. I flipped out of the boat by something under the water that I did not see into the deepest channel. It was instantaneous. I came up and starting laughing. I had been skunked, as it was the first time that I can remember in, I don't know how many years, and it was too funny, for awhile.
The water was very warm and swimmable temperature. But, I was dressed warm and now I was dressed in soggy wet clothes. Brint caught up and saw me standing there dripping. I said my choice was to drag the boat out and walk the short distance to my van and change. He went on ahead and finished clearing and made it to our new put-in sight. It will now be a wonderful downriver adventure paddle, thanks to Brint. We loaded both boats and headed to his vehicle, quite content that two pioneers had explored new territory. It was great. I can't wait to try it out.
So, that was my falling out, and I loved it.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
GRASSY POINT/BOILING CREEK
Milton, FL
May 7-8, 2005 by Gary Worob
Day ONE - GRASSY POINT
On Friday, there were 4 of us who camped at Grassy Point. The views and breezes were spectacular. I faced my van to the water and had to keep getting up to look in the night, it was so spectacular. The stars were bright and the winds and cool weather kept all the bugs away. The water was perfect in the morning for a quick dip, then breakfast before our group expanded to 13 for an exploration of Catfish Bayou and looking for a way to get closer to the many osprey nests. We wove around in several tall grass channels and had quite a fun time playing hide and seek, and then realizing we could be there for days, trying to explore when we really needed an overhead shot or a helicopter to guide us. It was great fun.
We came back to the beach for a lunch and some had to leave for Mother's Day weekend, but those who wanted were treated to a tour of a totally self-sufficient house. It was an extremely informative tour, with lots of questions and lots of great insights into living independently, without giving up "things."
Carl, Hank and I paddled up the estuary as far as we could and did get to see an osprey building a nest. He or she was not happy we were there, so we quietly took photos and moved on.
The afternoon was marred by some other "extremely drunk campers", who ruined an otherwise perfect weekend for us and the neighboring house. I won't go into details, but I notified the Northwest Florida Water Management District, with the aide of several other concerned people, to review the procedures at Grassy Point, and to keep me informed of the progress to make this a more user-friendly and safe area for camping, paddling and pure enjoyment.
DAY TWO - BOILING CREEK
We had 10 paddlers on Mother's Day for one of the best paddling trips of my life. I have paddled Boiling Creek for almost 6 years, but this one was as powerful as the very first one, maybe more. We went way upstream, a decision I made, because the downstream section was still high and not cleared enough for my liking, from the heavy rains and tannins that flowed into the stream from the forests.
The trip was very mellow and the weather was perfect. No one was in a hurry and I brought different kinds of food for Mother's Day, including my favorite "ginger snaps." Some of us got to swim in the crystal-clear cool water and floated downstream among the many blooming pitcher plants and lots of other plants in bloom. The ranger did stop people and check passes. So, if you do not have one, make sure you get one. The sturgeon will be running on the Yellow River in the fall, and Boiling Creek flows into the Yellow River, so I, or someone, will surely want to lead a trip and experience the great "caviar" carrier of Yellow River. The sturgeon get as big as 300 pounds, and it is quite a sight to see them coming upstream en masse, and leaping out of the water.
The Boiling Creek trip was from 10 until about 3, and it felt like seconds. That's what happens when you paddle in Paradise.
Milton, FL
May 7-8, 2005 by Gary Worob
Day ONE - GRASSY POINT
On Friday, there were 4 of us who camped at Grassy Point. The views and breezes were spectacular. I faced my van to the water and had to keep getting up to look in the night, it was so spectacular. The stars were bright and the winds and cool weather kept all the bugs away. The water was perfect in the morning for a quick dip, then breakfast before our group expanded to 13 for an exploration of Catfish Bayou and looking for a way to get closer to the many osprey nests. We wove around in several tall grass channels and had quite a fun time playing hide and seek, and then realizing we could be there for days, trying to explore when we really needed an overhead shot or a helicopter to guide us. It was great fun.
We came back to the beach for a lunch and some had to leave for Mother's Day weekend, but those who wanted were treated to a tour of a totally self-sufficient house. It was an extremely informative tour, with lots of questions and lots of great insights into living independently, without giving up "things."
Carl, Hank and I paddled up the estuary as far as we could and did get to see an osprey building a nest. He or she was not happy we were there, so we quietly took photos and moved on.
The afternoon was marred by some other "extremely drunk campers", who ruined an otherwise perfect weekend for us and the neighboring house. I won't go into details, but I notified the Northwest Florida Water Management District, with the aide of several other concerned people, to review the procedures at Grassy Point, and to keep me informed of the progress to make this a more user-friendly and safe area for camping, paddling and pure enjoyment.
DAY TWO - BOILING CREEK
We had 10 paddlers on Mother's Day for one of the best paddling trips of my life. I have paddled Boiling Creek for almost 6 years, but this one was as powerful as the very first one, maybe more. We went way upstream, a decision I made, because the downstream section was still high and not cleared enough for my liking, from the heavy rains and tannins that flowed into the stream from the forests.
The trip was very mellow and the weather was perfect. No one was in a hurry and I brought different kinds of food for Mother's Day, including my favorite "ginger snaps." Some of us got to swim in the crystal-clear cool water and floated downstream among the many blooming pitcher plants and lots of other plants in bloom. The ranger did stop people and check passes. So, if you do not have one, make sure you get one. The sturgeon will be running on the Yellow River in the fall, and Boiling Creek flows into the Yellow River, so I, or someone, will surely want to lead a trip and experience the great "caviar" carrier of Yellow River. The sturgeon get as big as 300 pounds, and it is quite a sight to see them coming upstream en masse, and leaping out of the water.
The Boiling Creek trip was from 10 until about 3, and it felt like seconds. That's what happens when you paddle in Paradise.
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