08/16/2008 – 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center

Launch: 5-Rivers off the Causeway (Highway 90).
Launch Cost: Free (except for rental).
Route: East on Sardine Pass, North up Blakeley River, South southwest down the Apalachee River to Whiskey Ditch and back.
Distance: 9 miles.
Average Speed: 2.6 mph.
Time: Approx 3.5 hrs.
Pace: Slow.
Weather: Cloudy to Sunny with temps 80s. Minimal Tides, winds out of the south 10-15 miles turning calm after the clouds moved out.

1) 5-Rivers Outfitters facility.

2) Forecast called for thunderstorms and the skies at starting time were filled with heavy clouds. Winds kicked up significantly during the first hour of paddling.

3) The clouds sped off toward the horizon on the east.

4) Towering plants in the pea family were in bloom all along the banks.

5) By the time I made it to Whiskey Ditch Basin, the conditions were ideal. 

6) One of my favorite wildflowers, the Fen Rose, was in bloom in Whiskey Ditch.

7) Grass spikes stopped swaying as the winds calmed down.

8) On the way back, conditions were still perfect in a little cut north of Justin’s Bay off the Blakeley River.

9) That’s me in a Necky Eskia rental kayak. Hard to believe it has been over a year since I have been kayaking.

10) This kayaker was testing out a Native Watercraft canoe to see how comfortable it was to fish out of.