Let me revert back to the weeks leading up to this 23 mile excursion where the tales of this swampy river did not provide much confidence. Most people I talked to provided insight on survival and encounters of poisonous snakes and alligators, as if these were necessary tips. All of these self-proclaimed outdoorsmen accompanied their anecdotes with laughter and a little shake of the head. The laughter quickly turned to concern and sympathy when I voluntarily mentioned this canoe trip included my..eh hem..girlfriend. Words of encouragement were spun to questions of why? stupid? and refund? I won't say I argued against their thought process. A typical response included, "I'll have plenty of beer".
Fast forward to the time of this entry and our trip was flawless! The smile on my face could not have been slapped off if Brittney tried. Day one included 13miles and around six hours of paddling/floating. We stopped a few times along the sandy beach river banks to rest our arms, have lunch, and drink beer. The sun definitely beat down at times but the spanish moss provided a nice umbrella over the water to shade us. The river on a Thursday afternoon was peaceful as if our own private island. No venomous snakes, human hungry alligators, or swamp people (ok one) were ever a concern. We saw a plethora of turtles and even a young fawn.
Nestled in the trees just off the river view. Our tree house took me back to my youth. I never had one but this is what my little imagination conjured up as a kid. A hammock near the riverbank, fire pit, and wood framed 10x10 home twenty feet in the air. The house itself was perfect for the two of us. A simple layout of futon, coffee table, propane range, and sleeping loft provided everything we needed. We explored the small island, attempted to build a camp fire, cooked a meal, and drank ourselves to sleep. I couldn't have asked for a better night in the woods.
Early to rise the next morning, we cooked
breakfast and sipped coffee. Empty cooler in tow we loaded the rest of our belongings and set out for the final 10miles of our journey. This day hosted a little more action on the river with fishing boats and kayakers sharing what was our own peaceful journey. The paddle back was bittersweet. The sheer joy of this adventure still existed but I knew in a couple hours I would be fighting speeding traffic down the interstate. Why are we in such a rush? I could only sit and wonder when my next trip would be and what new discoveries it will bring.
