I reserved the group camp site at Goose Pasture with the Suwannee River Water Management District the weekend of February 23-25, 2007. This site provides fantastic access to both the Wacissa and Aucilla Rivers - two of the most interesting and dynamic ecosystems in North Florida. Respectively: a first magnitude, crystal clear spring run teeming with wildlife with nine miles of paddling before it disappears into an impenetrable swamp named "Hell's Half Acre;" and six miles of paddling a blackwater, secluded, twisty-turny tropical paradise with the second biggest rapid in all of Florida two miles above where the river disappears underground. Plus, for the extra adventurous, the five mile long Slave Canal links the Wacissa at Goose Pasture to the lower Aucilla after it's come back aboveground from its subterranean escapades at Nutal Rise, and a paddler experienced with the area volunteered to guide us through it.

The best thing about the group site at Goose Pasture is there are no loud airboat launches and landings, nor wild RV'ers with all night generators blaring to contend with - we had it all to ourselves!

I went in Friday afternoon to set up base camp and kitchen for the next two days. I have cooking and eating gear for over twenty, so folk didn't need to worry about bringing anything other than boating gear, personal camping gear, and their own coffee mug. There are Porta Potties onsite. It is primitive camping though, so water needed to be brought. People could come and go anytime with the gate lock combination.

The Aucilla's water level was decent, so I along with four others did it Saturday. Another goroup of a dozen paddled the Wacissa on Saturday, but strong winds made it a fairly strenous trip. We had no winds down in the Aucilla. A group of about a dozen paddled the Slave Canal on Sunday. Several folk made the variouis paddles day trips and did not spend the nights at Goose Patsure. Too bad - they missed an excellent time, and some great food. Here's some pic's of the trips.

Even the weather was great; and the promised severe thrunderstorms for Sunday held off until everybody was off the river, packed up, and on their way home. Friday night was cold, but Saturday was warm.

Here's a couple of decent descriptions and maps for those of you not famliar with the region:

• Goose Pasture
• Cabbage Grove

And some descriptions of just the rivers:

• the Wacissa
• the Aucilla

A few private boats were available first come/first served for FREE. Otherwise, folk were on their own for renting. I tried to coordinate renting boats for the group last year on a Sante Fe River trip and got burned. It was one of the more frustrating experiences I've ever had, so never again. I do have some names and numbers for canoe rental sources though, both here in Valdosta and at the Wacissa. Near the put-in on the Wacissa, Allen "Canoe Man" Green has a number of canoes available. He can be reached at 850-997-6030 or on mobile at 850-510-6692. I've also seen a 850-997-2324 number for Jim's canoe livery at Wacissa. And here in Valdosta Ben Anderson at 229-247-0408 formerly rented canoes and kayaks, though I have not been in touch with Ben for over five years. Barring these sources there are several canoe liveries on both the Sante Fe and Suwannee Rivers and there's a couple in Tallahassee.

Steve Thompson

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