Georgia Wilderness Society
Adventures on the Suwannee River
October 24 - 28, 2022
Trish, Terry, Joe, Jeff, Ben, his guest Neil, and myself spent the night at the very quiet, private, campground called Griffis Fish Camp. The pleasantly cool, sunny, next morning we shuttled to Stephen Foster State Park, and paddled the Narrows Trail through the swamp sill back to Griffis Camp Landing (7 miles).
Leaving Griffis the next day for Fargo via the Suwannee River became Halloween for us. The skies were cloudy with an occasional sprinkle giving a heavy feel to the atmosphere. The dominant Ogeechee tupelo with many tangled roots, sometimes bulbous stems, wide spreading limbs, aided by the tall cypress with teepee shaped stems, sometimes hollow and dead, added to the closeness. Then there were the three deadfall with witchy fingers just waiting to grab a paddler. Eerie! Worst of all there was a large corpse floating belly up and stench. Happy Halloween from nature! It was a large alligator (14 miles). Trish ran shuttle.
In the swamp there was a place we named “Vultures Alley.” Around every bend there was a coven sunning themselves with a few even extending wings like the anhinga. There were alligators, blue herons, great egrets, and smaller birds. After the cypress tree Narrows Trail, the swamp grasses appeared and at the sill water backup were the Ogeechee lime or Ogeechee tupelo (Nyssa ogeche) trees in fruit. The fruit is red and yellow with a sharp citrus taste.
Jeff Sorenson helped by knowing the last biggest sand bar just before the Florida line that made a good overnight place. He, at the end of the trip from his Magic Truck, gave Kit Kat ice cream cones to everyone.
Thanks to all who came on this trip for their help and companionship. Jo
The last 22 miles was from Fargo, GA across the Florida line to a boat ramp in the Suwannee River Wilderness Wildlife Management Area named Roline. Joe Mangum suggested a paddling break every hour and a half, which was a wonderful idea, since it was finally easy to get out of a boat surrounded by land or sand. The surroundings changed to cypress, pines, palmetto, maple, black gum. We realized that during the 5 days we had been in South Georgia and Florida we have been privileged to see the Fall Color change with no crowds and two passing boats only. The cypress turned a bright rusty orange from yellow green, maples and gums red. The Ogeechee tupelo yellow and shedding leaves rapidly. The changing colors were heightened by bright sun, sugar sand, and coffee colored tannic water. Warm weather added to the ethereal “Way Down Upon the Suwannee River,” captured in music by Stephen Foster.
