We are on the road shortly afterward -- down I-75 all the way to Tifton, Georgia, then onto Rt. 82 to Waycross. We were hoping to find a barbecue restaurant on Rt. 82 in Enigma -- we heard it was one of the best in the South -- but we could not find it.
We reached Waycross about 9:00pm, and at the western edge of town found Hicks Barbecue and had some delicious ribs and chicken. Hicks is very small, it sits across from an all-night convenience store and gas station (by the way, there is a liquor store nearby too). Mr Ed, the cook at Hicks is real friendly and enjoys talking about his art.
We continued through Waycross and found a 24 hour food store where we were able to buy meats, salad fixings, water and wine.
Folkston -- on the eastern edge of the swamp -- is a half hour drive south through some very desolate country. We reach our motel easily (one of four in town, and all on the main drag).
As we pulled into the motel parking lot we spotted three cars with canoes or kayaks on top. One canoe was a cedar stripper -- we exchanged pleasantries with the owner/builder who was from Pensicola, Florida. His boat was nicely finished and had mahogany decks! We were in bed just before midnight.
We arrived at Kingfisher Landing -- about 5 miles north of Folkston -- and began packing the boats. The sea kayak became the water tender, it held about six gallons of water in the forward compartment and eight gallons aft. All potable water has to be carried in, the swamp water looks like strong tea and is about 10% mosquito larve -- we have no idea what it might taste like.
A party of 10 with 5 canoes arrived a short time later -- they had enough material for a re-enactment of the Normandy invasion. They were going on a different trail. Each trail requires a reservation, which has to be phoned in 60 days in advance. There are only about ten campsites within the swamp, and there are about ten trail choices. The various combinations of trails and campsites often means that campsites are empty for days at a time. The wildlife doesn't get too accustomed to human visitors.
We left the parking permit on the dashboard and bid goodbye to solid ground for a while. We logged our departure in a clipboard -- this became a ritual, along with reading the comments of other travellers at each stop. This is important too, since it is the only way of tracking canoe parties.
The wind was blowing about 15 to 20 knots and gusting even higher. The trails twist and turn, so we were never paddling continually into or with the wind. Without any sun we became disoriented -- it seems the wind was shifting as much and as often as turns appeared in the trail.
We left the channel into Kingfisher Landing and turned onto the Red Trail -- our home for the next two days. The trails are color coded at each mile marker, with white stakes placed at strategic points in between the miles. We'll switch to the Green Trail in a few days. We start seeing a variation of habitat -- passing through vegetation filled ponds, open lakes, prairies, cypress forests, and brush lined three foot wide water trails.
We meet our first alligator about two miles down the trail. He was lying on a small hummock just left of the trail -- he was completely out of the water. Very dark in color, he had a military look to him. He was about five foot long. Bill spotted him first (winning the $3 in the first 'gator pool, no one won the first snake pool). Bill motioned to the other boat, and they silently drifted up the channel. When they were abreast of the 'gator, Bill hit the switch to extend the telephoto lens on his camera, and with a noise which sounded remarkably similar, a slither and a small splash, the 'gator was gone.
The wind kept up all day and we slogged onward to Maul Hammock Lake where we were to camp. It was exactly 12 miles to this site -- we were expecting it to have been about 8 (from map estimates -- we could find no other information). There was no dry land anywhere between the put-in and here, snack breaks and relief calls had to be handled in the boat! We were very happy campers when we finally arrived.
The Maul Hammock site was a typical Okefenokee platform camp: it measured about 20 by 20 and about half was under the shelter of a tin roof. There was a composting toilet on a smaller connecting platform. A lower dock allows one to step up to the platform's 2 foot height above the swamp.
On the north side of Maul Hammock there was a buzzard roost. We listened to the 20 to 25 birds getting ready to settle down for the night. This had something to do with getting down on the ground, making a lot of noise and snapping lots of twigs.
We enjoyed a Manhattan or two after a short nap. Then we had a steak dinner. We sat in awe as the sky slowly filled with stars, just when we thought there could not be any more, they kept appearing! With no light pollution, and no moon, by midnight the starlight was bright enough to make out the masks and tail rings on the visiting raccoons.
We experienced some of the best scenery on this leg of the trip. One stretch went through a section of 125 foot tall cypress trees. It was like paddling down the center of a cathedral.
Gators were more frequent today. Bill passed within a few feet of a small one and actually smelled 'gator breath' as the reptile dove for cover.
Ben identified a sandhill crane for us. Sandhills are a special treat -- these are seen only by Okefenokee Swamp visitors.
Crossing the hammocks between the prairies and lakes often meant following channels which were often much less than eight feet wide. We knew that because Bill's paddle is eight feet long and he often had to scull with it fore and aft. Sometimes with very little room to stroke, we hauled hand-over-hand on the bushes.
Lunch was taken at Dinner Pond, a small covered shelter. We wolfed down bagels, salami and cheese.
A major incident occurred when a puff of wind pushed Bill's kayak into a group of cypress knees -- small knots of roots growing up out of the water. Taking a stroke, his paddle slipped between two knees and the blade snapped off from the shaft. The swamp resounded with Bill's description of the cypress knees, the wind, and the paddle -- as well as the paddle's maker, owner and user!
Big Water platform is at the end of Big Water Lake -- which is actually a chain of 8 or 10 beautiful ponds, each about a quarter mile long and 100 foot wide. Big Water is 12 miles from Maul Hammock. After a welcoming cocktail, Bill repaired his paddle with a few pieces of scrap pine, four wood screws and Ben's Leatherman Tool. The Leatherman's well designed awl actually incorporates a countersink for screw heads!
We dined on spaghetti with pesto, Italian sausage and chilled four-bean salad -- after an antipasto of olives, cheese, peppers and salami! Red wine was courtesy of some little old winemaker with the foresight to package the stuff in a plastic bag inside a cardboard box! (If only all food merchandisers had the canoeist in mind!)
Steve was growing excited about the appearance of a comet -- his interest was soon diverted to other concerns after he fell off the platform into the swamp. He was out in milli-seconds and with a change of clothes and a hot chocolate he was soon back at the comet watch.
We had a great "frog jam session" that evening. A great horned owl flew by in the night hooting loudly at his hunting success -- to the accompaniment of the screams of his dangling victim.
The wind didn't rise with the sun this morning, so after a breakfast of omelets stuffed with the remnants of last nights sausage and antipasto, we launched just wearing short-sleeved shirts. Bill's paddle repair worked fine.
We crossed a number of lakes and prairies and entered the channel leading to Floyd's Island -- our only portage. The canoe trail ended abruptly at the take-out and we enjoyed our first steps on solid ground. We were surrounded by huge pine, cypress and live oak trees -- they towered 150 feet in the air! Ben and Steve shouldered some gear and ambled off down the path. Their shouts brought Bill running.....
They found our accommodations for the night: a four room cabin, screened in, with fireplace, water pump and front porch! It was an old logging cabin which has been "adopted" by Boy Scout Troop 123 from Georgia. They maintain it for Floyd's Island visitors -- all they ask in return is respect for the swamp.
We located the two wheeled portage cart and moved the boats and gear to the lodge. We had plenty of time to explore since the Big Water to Floyd's leg is one of the shortest. We collected dead-fall firewood -- enough for breakfast and enough to leave a small pile for the next visitors.
We each had our own bedroom (well, Steve did have a 'coon in his for a short while). We had an open fire that night and enjoyed a cup of coffee as it grew dark.
The visitor log here noted bear sign, bobcat screams, armadillo visits and lots of 'coons. Every visitor thanked Troop 123 for the hospitality. Floyd's ranks high in the list of wonderful things to see in the Okefenokee.
On the way to Bluff Lake we had to pass through some of the narrowest trails we had seen. For over a mile the sides of the boats scraped the trees and paddle handles rattled the overhead bushes. Bill's kayak was about two feet longer than the canoe and often he had to make back-and-forth, "u-turn" maneuvers to get around some tight spots.
Floyd's to Bluff Lake is another short day, and we enjoyed a warm afternoon's nap upon arrival. Bluff Lake is in the middle of a lake and the horizon is low for 360 degrees around. There was not a cloud in the sky when we pulled in -- this would be our night for the moon, the stars and the comet.
Our last evening's meal started off with a toast of chilled Byelorussian vodka, then some herring and caviar. The Beef Stroganoff was great, we think it was because we used fresh Georgia onions.
In the swamp, nightfall comes quickly, and by 7:15 it was dark. We began our comet search, and were a little disappointed by the small object we found.
Bill stayed up to continue the comet watch -- he remained in the quite for about two hours, watching and listening to the swamp creatures. He was brought up short when he suddenly recognized the silhouette of a large bird, an owl, perched on the roof of the shelter not ten feet away. Bill remained very still and watched the owl, and the owl watched Bill. A cramp caused Bill to get up, so he reached for his flashlight to get a good look at the visitor -- he flicked on the light! Bill immediately recognized the kayak paddle blade poking up over the peak of the roof -- and it didn't even flinch when the light hit it!
Steve awoke that night at about midnight and his howls of delight brought Ben and Bill from their sleeping bags. The comet had traversed about 20 degrees of sky and the tail had grown to two widespread hands held up at arm's length. It filled the northern sky from close by to Polaris all the way to the cup of the Big Dipper. We stood -- in our underwear -- in awe for about ten minutes. No one spoke. It was wonderous.
We enjoyed pancakes and bacon and our last pot of coffee. We started off toward Kingfisher Landing -- about eight miles away. As we left Bluff Lake we were saluted by the cries of sandhill cranes. For a while it seemed that the 'gators were all standing in line to watch us leave the swamp -- we saw about a dozen.
As we got closer to the eastern edge of the swamp we realized that the tree line we were seeing was the beginning of solid land. We could see thicker stands of pines and oaks, and suddenly we turned into a man-made channel -- there were many failed attempts made to harness the swamp. We heard voices and up ahead watched two canoes come into sight.
We were back. We turned into the channel to Kingfisher Landing and paddled in silence for a mile or so. The Okefenokee had treated us to a special visit -- we were happy to have been in there and we were sad to leave.
Bill's boat, one of a pair of Cape Charles 18s, was built by Bill and his son Ted about two years ago. An account of the building can be found at: http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/Building/EXCELLENT/Bill&Ted.html
An account of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure to the 30,000 Islands is at: http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/Building/EXCELLENT/GeorgianBay.html
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Route 2, Box 3330
Folkston GA 31537
(914)496-3331
http://www.gorp.com/gorp/resource/us_nwr/ga_okefe.htm
Waycross, Georgia
http://www.gacoast.com/navigator/waycross.html
Folkston Hotels
Okefenokee Lodge 914-496-7380
Travel Inn 914-496-4111
Days Inn 914-496-2514
Georgian 914-496-3482