Friday, October 3rd came and the ladies got up early and headed to the Good Times Motel & Marina for breakfast. Part of the HCPF registration fee included free buffet-style breakfast each morning and a free bagged lunch to take with on any of the scheduled paddle events. It was actually a very good system that worked out perfectly. The Dallus Creek Paddle was next on the morning agenda and by 8:30 a.m. everyone began to show up at the designated launch site.
Delores gets herself and her loaner kayak ready for the paddle.
Liz Sparks, the guide for this paddle route, answered questions as some of the paddlers organized their gear.
Liz took attendance to make sure everyone was accounted for and gave final instructions before the launch.
The first few paddlers in the water had to wait until the rest of the group was in the water, too.
More and more paddle craft take to the water.
Uprooted tree at the launch site.
If it isn't one thing - it's another!! The rudder pedals in Delores's loaner needed a little oil because they got stuck in one position and she had to park in the grass flats until she got them both working together again. That little set-back put her a far distance behind the rest of the paddlers. Thank goodness for the guide sweep that was assigned to bring up the rear with the "no paddler left behind" motto.
Finally Delores catches up to the rest of the group.
The 5.8 mile paddle launch was at Dallus Creek and the route slithered through the pristine salt marsh to Clay Creek, a meandering, narrow channel only accessible at high tide.
After about a half hour of paddling through the skinny trails, the group was relieved to come up on a little open water. Joining the Gulf coastline for a brief stretch and now with a little elbow room, they headed for the Dallus Creek Campsite which is part of the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail. The wind picked up quite a bit during this leg of the journey which was a challenge for some but they made to the campsite as planned.
Coming ashore at the Dallus Creek Campsite. Ready to stretch the legs a little.
In order to camp here, you have to make a reservation through the FWC website.
The guide, Liz Sparks, gave the group a history lesson on the Drug Running history of the Steinhatchee area.
A little tai-chi session to loosen up the extremities
Making an attempt to stay on scheduled, it was time to leave the campground and get back on track.
The entire route was a vision of grass-lined shoreline as far as the eye could see. Great fishing potential everywhere you looked.
Made it back to the launch site and enjoyed a nice bagged lunch that Good Times Motel / Marina staff had prepared for everyone earlier in the morning. It was a relaxing way to end an exciting paddle route.
A nice mile-long walk through a plot of land the way Florida looked before the age of modern development. It just doesn't get any more beautiful than that!
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