| Sarasota, Florida April 02 |
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At the end of April I spent a week in Sarasota working at a conference. I was able to go paddling 3 - 4 hours every day but available time limited me to the immediate area. I paddled three venues during the week: 1. The Open Bay. Twice I simply took off into the main body of Sarasota Bay from the nearest possible launch point, (a sandy spot about 10 feet wide among the rocks behind the Civic Center - - about two blocks from the hotel). The first time was 4:00 am on the night I arrived, (couldn't sleep). This was very nice. At this time of day there is no traffic, the sea was calm and a hugh orange moon hung in the western sky. The city lights were actually pretty. The other outing at this location was very challenging and not at all pleasant. The winds were consistently about 10 -15 knots and this body of water develops a nasty chop that reminds me a lot of Lake Michigan. The traffic is awful and because the whole bay is deep there is no "channel" that a kayaker can stay outside of for safety. There is nothing to see but high rises and if you stay too near to the shore, the seawalls, breakwaters, bridges and other structures create strong and unpredictable currents that threaten to slam you into concrete. Just downwind of the brand new Ritz Hotel the smell of raw sewage is enough to gag a maggot. The best I can say is it is only slightly better than not paddling at all and fraught with danger. 2. The "South Lido Canoe Trail". This is advertised as "pristine" and "untouched by man". I must be very spoiled because in my opinion it was just more big ugly, sleazy city. The trail starts in the "Nature Center" at the south end of Lido Key. The Nature Center park itself appeared to be a place where gay men hang out to meet one another. I kept very busy moving my boat and gear to avoid being hit on. The trail weaves among the mangroves but under the branches there is a substantial accumulation of flotsam which tends to collect underneath and remain no doubt forever. 3. Oscar Shearer State Park and Blackburn Bay. This is another location that the literature from the local Chamber of Commerce and other sources tout as " a natural paradise". I paid a $3.25 park entry fee to launch from a dirt drive right at the park gate - that is all I got for my money. The creek and bay are both just sort of typical South Florida canals lined with multi-million dollar homes and big expensive boats leaking oil and gasoline into the water. About the nearest thing to "natural" I saw was cause for real concern I think. It was a single tiny Mangrove hammock in the middle of the bay with an incredibly dense population of nesting birds of about 6 species; Pelicans, Egrets, Herons and Cormorants. I know that many birds nest in very dense conditions but there are a number things that I question about this particular situation: a. There were no other nesting sites anywhere along the 6 mile stretch I paddled. b. I didn't think that the species normally mix in a nesting site like this. c. The smell of guano was extremely potent from 100 yards even upwind. d. The Mangroves were dead or dying - - it seems unnatural to me that animals would nest in such a way as to destroy the environment that provided them their nesting opportunity. I did enjoy getting a really close look at all those furry babies with their hugh hungry mouths open and reaching skyward. If you are stuck there it is possible, but whatever you do don't go out of your way to paddle in or near Sarasota. We are so lucky - - lets not tell anyone what we have here in Tallahasseee and the Big Bend! -Michael Lampman |
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