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We're just lady anglers having fun on the water, trying to improve our fishing skills and enjoying the "reel" life !!!
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Hidden Coast Paddle Festival - Part 7

10/31/2014

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By the time Delores, Janet and Theresa had unloaded and unpacked, Marie and Yvonne had pitched their tent in the free camping zone.  Instructions from the paddle guides said to meet at 1:00 at Good Times Motel & Marina. 

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Seemed everyone got that memo.  Finding a parking spot meant channeling some creative parking inspiration.

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15 paddlers, including Delores, Marie, Theresa and Yvonne, climbed into this groovy little ol' transformed school bus which served as a shuttle bus, while they watched as their kayaks got loaded onto a couple of transport vehicles.  This way everyone (and their yaks) arrived at the designated launch site (Steinhatchee Falls) without getting lost and arriving late, or not at all.  Great idea, event organizers!!!

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Steinhatchee Falls

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Kayaks got unloaded and everyone is getting organized

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And they're off.....

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 Time to enjoy a leisurely 6.7 mile paddle downstream on the tea colored waters of the Steinhatchee River.  The upper half of the river is a shady, moss-draped tunnel that widens as it approaches the Gulf.

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Beautiful scenery at every turn.

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Marie, Theresa and Yvonne - dead ahead
Great opportunity to meet other paddlers and make new friends.  Paddling along striking up conversations with complete strangers only to find out how much you have in common.  It's a true testament to the phrase "It's a small world".

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Wouldn't mind waking up every morning and having such a beautiful view from the window.  #jealous

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The 6.7 mile paddle ended between 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. as everyone slowly but surely arrived at the take out destination, the ramp at Spurgeon Cheek House, a newly developed property owned by Dixie County that will be available to the public for rental.

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All went well until Theresa tipped over in her kayak trying to get it out of the water once she was at the end point.  In doing that, her automatic life vest inflated upon impact with the water.  The next 30 minutes were spent trying to figure out how to DE-flate the darn thing!!


A quick drive back to the condo to freshen-up a bit before heading over to Good Times Motel & Marina for the scheduled "Meet & Greet" with free hor dourves and free drinks from 6-7.

Problem was, by the time the girls got back to the condo, showered and drove to Good Times Marina were the party was going on, it was 6:30, all of the food was gone!  That was pretty disappointing but a few red solo cups of free Coors Light seemed to ease the pain somewhat. 

Tummies were growling, however, and that couldn't be ignored much longer so a mad-dash to Roys Restaurant to take advantage of the "free appetizer" coupon that was in everyone's goody-bag was in order.


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From there, it was back to the condo for a good nights sleep.  Lord knows everybody needed one.  Friday would be just as busy if not more so.

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Hidden Coast Paddle Festival - Part 6

10/29/2014

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The morning had become a blur.  So much to do in such a short amount of time:  The six mile paddle back from Butler Island, the 45 minute drive from Shired Island to Steinhatchee, the pit-stop at the Community Center to pick up the registration folders, then to the condo unit to unload luggage and gear and a quick shower before the first guided paddle of the day at 2:00 p.m.

http://www.thesunsetplace.com/

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By the time Delores arrived, Janet and Theresa had already checked-in, unpacked and were enjoying a beverage in the livingroom.  Clearly, they weren't the primitive camping type!

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Main Entrance to the condo.

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Janet's Room

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Kitchen stocked with everything but food

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Spiral staircase leading up to the second level.

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Delores's upstairs bedroom

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more of the upstairs bedroom

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View from upstairs

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Livingroom area

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View from the balcony

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So now that the girls were settled into their accommodations for the duration of the Paddle Festival festivities, it was time to get the party started!  Off to the Good Times Motel & Marina to meet up with the shuttle that was going to transport everyone to their first paddle event of the day:  Steinhatchee Falls.

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Hidden Coast Paddle Festival - Part 5

10/28/2014

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The doors to the Steinhatchee Community Center opened at 12:00 noon to kick off the official start of the event.  That's when and where all of those who registered earlier in the year needed to go to pick up their registration packet which included their individual itineraries of each paddle they signed up for over the course of the weekend.  They had until 4:00 p.m. to do so.  There was no time to waste, either, because many of the attendees had a 2:00 paddle they had registered for and so registration and check-in to the hotel all had to be done within a two hour window.

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The sign-in process went smoothly and everyone received a personalized folder that included an itinerary for each guided paddle they had signed up for and when & where it took place, a few marketing trinkets (whistle, sunglass bands, tokens for free drinks, etc) and lots of local marketing paperwork.

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Good Times Motel & Marina was the official host facility for the Hidden Coast Paddle Festival.  This was the hub where everyone met before disbursing again.

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Once the formalities were over, it was off to check into the condo before the 2:00 paddle down Steinhatchee River.

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Hidden Coast Paddle Festival - Part 4

10/25/2014

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By the time everyone made it to the Butler Island it was about 11:30 a.m. and the tide was going out.  Many of the area oyster bars were just beginning to expose themselves.

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Yep - This is the right place....

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Kayaks had to be trudged through the mud during low tide to high ground because by the time high tide rolled around again during the night, that mud trail would be completely submerged under water.

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View from the campsite.  Looks like a great place to cast a line.  No time for that now, though.  It'll have to wait until other chores are done.

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Marie & Delores, along with the 7 guys that were camping as well, spent the next hour unloading gear and setting up camp.

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By 12:30, everyone had their tents set up and were taking a break.

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Island exploration revealed this unusual site.  What's left of a dead palm tree, its base all hollowed out now and full of water from the rising and falling tides.  There were many of these scattered along the shoreline of the island.

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Delores and Marie can't sit still for too long so after exploring some of the island shoreline, they jumped back in their kayaks and paddled to a nearby oyster bar to try their luck at catching a few fish

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Just using Gulp bail on jig-heads lured a few small trout but that was about it.  It is a place to put on the "let's do it again" list, maybe during a better tide phase, though.

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They paddled back just in time.  Dinner was being served:  salad, fried redfish and grits.  Delicious!! 

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Afterwards it was stories around a bonfire and then time to call it a night as Mother Nature slowly turned the lights out.

Thursday, October 2nd brought the most beautiful sunrise ever seen.  Everyone seemed to want a picture of it.  It was close to high tide, oyster bars covered over, and if it wasn't time to paddle back to Shired Island, Delores and Marie would have done some early morning fishing.

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Sunrise came and the group admired it over a cup of instant coffee but it soon became apparent that the time to break down tents and pack kayaks had arrived too quickly.  By 9:30 a.m. everyone was packed and launching for the paddle back to Shired Island which took about an hour and a half.  There was no time to dilly-dally around, though, The Hidden Coast Paddle Festival was going to filled with one adventure after another and it was time to get going!

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Hidden Coast Paddle Festival - Part 3

10/17/2014

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Early Bird Island Camping Trip

Day One of the Hidden Coast Paddle Festival was a new event that had never been offered before - primitive overnight camping at a nearby island which involved a 6 mile paddle to and from the island.  Both Delores and Marie signed up for this adventure and they were the only two females that did so.  The rest of the group consisted of 7 male campers and an additional 3 male guides.  Those two had to stick together !!

The organizers of the event sent an e-mail to everyone with a list of what to bring along with instructions to be at the Shired Island Campground no later than 9:30 a.m. for a 10:00 launch.  To find out how to get to Shired Island Launch Site, click on the LAUNCH SITE tab at the top and scroll down to find SHIRED ISLAND PARK.
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As the morning progresses, new paddlers/campers arrive and unload

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Marie is getting her kayak loaded with camping & fishing gear.

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Delores's Loaner Kayak

The bad news was that Delores did not read the "details" of the camping trip registration paperwork very closely and signed up for it without knowing that there was a minimum 14 ft requirement in place for each paddler.  Her kayak was only 11 ft - not even close!  The good news was that she wasn't the only one who didn't read it and the guides were prepared, bringing several old loaner kayaks to substitute.  "Whew...that was a close one!"
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Lining up the kayaks for the armada launch...

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A picture perfect day for a paddling a kayak

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Shired Island Fishing Pier

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Red Tide Evidence -

In contrast to the otherwise beautiful scenery, the red tide that is sneaking up on unsuspecting marine life a few miles farther out has sent a message to the local mainlanders in the form of a fish-kill washed up on shore.  The message?  "I ain't no joke!"  The shoreline was littered with dead carcasses  - what a shame!  Many, many bait fish, mullet, keeper trout, bull reds and huge saltwater gar.  Sad sad sight to see.  County workers were doing their best to dig a long deep trench to bury them before the stench overwhelmed the public visitors.
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Amongst all the dead fish was this little fella

By 10:00 a.m., everyone was ready to hit the water!
Two women and 10 men (7 campers / 3 guides)

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Now it's a six mile paddle to Butler Island  :o)

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68 degrees
cloudy skies
wind @ 3 mph
bar pressure @ 30
1/2 moon
outgoing tide
Let's get it on !!!

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Hidden Coast Paddle Festival - Part 2

10/12/2014

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Now that a few of the NCLA ladies had decided to partake in the 2014 Hidden Coast Paddle Festival festivities, they knew it would be within their best interest to high-tail it up to the Jena / Steinhatchee area to lock in a decent place to lay their heads at night before all of the other Paddlefest participants did so.  It was a strategic move and one meant to save time and anxiety.  Jena & Steinhatchee are well known for their hot-spot fishing villages but not so much for their luxury accommodations.  Those two small towns are constantly dealing with a revolving door of tourists flowing in and out during fishing and scalloping season so most of the lodgings are a bit run-down because of their frequent turnover.  If the NCLA girls wanted to sleep comfortably and soundly each night....they'd better get while the gettin' was good.

So off they went, Delores and Theresa, on a field trip to Jena & Steinhatchee to scope out several of the hotels, motels, and condos that looked fairly promising on the internet....but we all know that internet photos can be quite misleading.  A drive up to get a live, visual over-view of each of those places would be the determining factor in where they would stay for the upcoming event.  And after hours of lodging visits, they had made their decision.

The Sunset Place Resort
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There was no contest, really.  They had visited nearly every location that rented rooms by the day or week and none were as welcoming as The Sunset Place Resort.  It was away from the hustle and bustle of the night-owl crowd.  It was a well maintained piece of property.  There was plenty of parking.  The staff was more than helpful.  And the balcony afforded it's name sake, a beautiful view of the evening sunset.  It was an oasis in a desert of high-cost / low level hotel rooms.  

This is a 32 unit condominium resort located at the mouth of the Steinhatchee River.  Each condo has a private balcony, facing the water, with a spectacular view of the river's mouth and the gulf. 
Office Hours:  9-5
One & Two Bedroom Fully Furnished Units
Free Dock with Boat Slip and Access Code for Guests Only
Private Pool
Trailer and Car Parking
Screened-In Cook House with Grills (VERY CLEAN !!!)
Cable T.V.
Linens and Cookware 
Free WiFi

Reservations were made for the October Hidden Coast Paddle Festival!
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Martha Ann in Big Pine Key - Journal Entry #1

10/9/2014

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Hello from Big Pine Key!
Our welcoming committee was very happy to see us.  I think they remembered the hot dog buns they stole from Wayne last year!
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We've had a bit of windy weather & some thunderstorms to dodge, but have been out every day on the water.  Wayne captured a few lobsters, but hasn't worked too hard at it yet.  I took a few underwater shots of Angelfish (wish they would hold still though!)
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Spent a little time playing Hide-N-Go-Seek with some lobster.  Just because they can't see me doesn't mean I can't see them.
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The Permit are proving they are smarter than us, as usual.  We have seen a few in the last 3 days, but either missed the shot entirely, or weren't ready when they appeared, or they weren't hungry when I did put the crab in front of them (or so I thought!).  We've also seen a few Tarpon & no better luck there either!  Taking us longer to get into our groove this year!  We have not been totally skunked, though, catching a few sharks, one BIG Barracuda, some Jacks & two nice Mangrove Snapper that became dinner for two nights.  Yum!


Off to the No Name Pub for pizza!  

Martha Ann in Big Pine Key - Journal Entry #2

Hi, again!  Finally downloaded these pics from yesterday so here they are!  Wayne is holding up my big barracuda for me because no way was I going to try to hold up that fish with those big teeth!  Just call me chicken!
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These are the snappers that made two dinners for us!

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Sunrise as we were heading out, No Name Key Bridge.
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Had another great time at No Name Pub tonight!  Met some nice people. 

Martha Ann in Big Pine Key - Journal Entry #3

Hi everyone!  FINALLY!  Today I caught the first Permit of the trip!  The day was dead calm (be careful what you wish for) and hotter than Hades this afternoon!  We could see everything in the water, but the Permit could also see us, too.  Missed several shots at some tailers in the morning.  Also spent some time chasing what turned out to be several Spotted Eagle Rays!  Thought those tails looked a little odd!  Proud of us though for sticking it out in sweltering heat, outgoing tides & all to hook this beauty!  32" to the fork of its tail, approx. 22 lbs.
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We had to head over to a few lobster holes after this fight so we could dive into the water & cool down!  Wayne then got on the hunt & caught a few lobsters.  He also speared a couple of nice Mangrove Snappers!
Left the dock today around 7:30am & came in around 6ish - long day, but really fun!  We are really whipped! 

Martha Ann in Big Pine Key - Journal Entry #4

Well, Our Keys vacation is over again too soon!  Still many more fish to catch, places to explore, but it is also nice to be home!  Here are some highlight photos of this year's adventure.
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2014 Hidden Coast Paddle Festival (Part 1)

10/6/2014

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Last year, in October of 2013, five of the NCLA gang registered for and participated in the 4th Annual Hidden Coast Paddling Festival.  That year it was held in the quaint little fishing village of Cedar Key.  It was an event we spent a number of hours planning and one that none of us will soon forget.  The event organizers went to enormous lengths to polish off every little detail, dotting all the "i"s and crossing all the "t"s.  Each year the Festival is held in a different location all along the Hidden Coast of Florida around the Big Bend region in order to broaden the horizons of those with a taste for adventure.  New sights, new sounds, new friends.  Jena/Steinhatchee was the location selected for 2014 and we wasted no time in registering for this year's event as well. 
Hidden Coast Paddling Festival 

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