Happy Kayaker & Traveler: The Big Bend: Wacissa and Aucilla

The Awesome Aucilla River, Wonderful Wacissa River

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Weekend at Goose Pasture

1/29/2016 Through 1/31/2016

View from Goose Pasture Campground to the Wacissa River

Our trip to the Big Bend of Florida began mid afternoon on a Friday. It took us approximately 4.5 hours from our home destination to arrive at Goose Pasture Campground. Along the way we amused ourselves by listening to “The Big Jon” show on the radio. “Big Jon”plays oldies and laughs like Muttley from “Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines.” I sent Big Jon an email from my cell phone with a request for a song. JB and I high-fived and burst out laughing when we heard my first name and email read on the radio followed by the song requested!

We drove the last hour or so in darkness. Along the way we saw the silhouettes of many deer on the side of the road out searching for their next meal. Our travels took us down long dirt roads surrounded by total darkness (described, at times during the ride, as "creepy") until we finally reached the campground where the rest of our group was warming up by a campfire. We couldn’t see what the campground looked like because it was so dark. However, pinholes of golden light from the multitude of stars above poked through the dark sky. I’ve never seen a more beautiful sky than here. The skies were crystal clear. We were told this campground was designated as a “Dark Sky Place,” though I can’t find any information confirming that, but I can tell you I have never seen that many stars in the sky with such clarity in my entire life. The sky was literally filled with stars.

Goose Pasture Campground

DAY 1: MIDDLE AUCILLA RIVER

We awoke to a very chilly morning, but that didn't deter our quest for paddling a new river! Everyone was up bright and early and ready to go. Since this was our first time in this area we weren’t very familiar with where we were going, but we managed to find the take-out and buddy shuttle to the put-in.

This railroad bridge was the first thing I saw as we slid our kayaks into the water - such a beautiful image to see first thing in the morning. We had no idea what to expect as our kayaks merged into the swift moving current of the Aucilla River and began to take us on a ride through natural wilderness beauty.

River Birch trees lined the banks and the bark was in various stages of peeling, curling like the shavings of a pencil just sharpened.

Every mile we continued to paddle did not disappoint. Everything the eyes took in illuminated the beauty of our wild surroundings.

Unfortunately, this river is known for fishing lines and hooks left to hang on tree branches. The casualties of this practice could be seen as we passed what appeared to be a Barred Owl that I assume must have gotten caught on the hook and drowned.

The star of this paddle was the scenery. We did not see much wildlife -only a few birds here and there.

Cormorant sitting high above us in a tree

The river was very deceiving. The waters could be calm and peaceful one moment and suddenly the loud roaring of fast moving water could be heard just around the corner. We rode through some small, fun shoals.

"Roxy"

We made our way back to the campsite for dinner followed by a VERY large campfire!!!

DAY 2: WACISSA RIVER

The next day we drove to our put-in at the Wacissa River. The Wacissa flows about 12 miles from its headspring before it joins the Aucilla River. It has been declared an "Outstanding Florida Waterway"and I can see why it has earned such a distinction. I have never seen water so clear for so many miles!!! From the moment we launched our kayaks, there were many different kinds of birds that could be seen: Cormorants, Moorhens,Great White Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Little Blue Heron, American Coots, Bald Eagle, to name a few:

Moorhen

American Coots


Snowy Egret

You can tell a Snowy Egret apart from a Great Egret by their bills, which are mostly black with orange at the base, their long, fluffy plumes and though it can't be seen in this picture, their yellow feet.