By Peter Clayton

Once again Deep Creek provided a delightful experience for our paddlers aided by perfect weather. The positives began with the short entrance to the ramp from SR 207 which had been filled and leveled making for a much smoother arrival. By 9:15 all were in the water after Marty received the first “dirty socks” award for being the last arrival (albeit on time at 9:00). The socks were found at the ramp and seemed appropriate for “awarding”. On the water it didn’t take long to see the large number of downed trees along the way which had been completely uprooted by strong windstorms during the Summer. Soon we had a “limbo” situation with a fallen tree to get under but all made it without incident. On the outbound leg the only wildlife of note were a pair of pileated woodpeckers which flew across the creek and proceeded to hammer nearby trees with their distinctive booms.

Just over an hour out we found a reasonable spot on the north bank to pull out – something we hadn’t been able to do on Deep Creek in over a decade. Returning to the ramp we passed a few turtles but no other boats while enjoying pristine surroundings. – we pulled out at 11:40, loaded the boats and headed for Norma D’s in Hastings. If you’ve not been there it’s worth a visit offering good country style food at very reasonable prices with great people watching. Two of our MCK Hero stickers were awarded to Craig and Theo – very well deserved. We were home by 1:45.

Next Wednesday we’re looking at either Moultrie Creek or Lake Disston – weather will decide – while our Santa Fe / Ichetucknee overnight is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18th thru the 20th – let me know if you’re interested in either.

Photos by Craig Mancuso and Theo Helms