The With North Paddle

By Peter Clayton

Our three days in Madison couldn’t have provided better weather – sunny, with mild temps and light winds. The river was running strong with a 2+ mph current and high enough that we had no rocky shoals to navigate. However, “boils” (places on the river bottom where springs gushed to the surface) were frequent creating eddies which pushed boats in unexpected directions. Another characteristic was plenty of bends which added interest and demanded attention.

Our paddle started at the FL/GA line and covered 20 of the 28 miles in Florida before merging with the Suwannee. The banks were fairly high, and on occasion were 60 feet+ above the river. Along those banks were many magnificent cypress and live oak with occasional cabins. We did not encounter any other boats on this leg and the quiet was amazing. Wildlife was sparse – a few turtles, a great horned owl, a kingfisher and small songbirds flying across the river. There were some springs along the way which we entered, most notably Madison Big Blue, the centerpiece of a state park.

On Day 2, Bud got caught by an eddy among trees along the left bank which pushed his boat over – see Stan’s photo. Craig got to Bud to help him reach shore while Stan pulled Bud’s sit-in to dry land – not easy since it was full of water. To his credit, Bud didn’t panic and all ended well – Ellis provided a towel to dry off and Peter a warm long sleeve top – it was a good example of teamwork when faced with the power of the river.

We enjoyed two dinners in town – Italian the first night and Mexican the second – after which we walked the historic downtown, finishing with some libations at Casa Grande and the Manor House. since the motel didn’t have an area to do so. Breakfasts were at a Waffle House near the motel while Subway provided some lunches and dinner leftovers the rest. Our final day’s lunch was at Big Wood BBQ in Live Oak which got us home with big smiles and more leftovers.

Thanks to all for a wonderful outing – many, many photos below.

Peter

We walked “downtown” Madison our first two nights admiring the courthouse, Four Freedoms Park and old homes, over 40 of which are listed in the walking tour guide we picked up from the Chamber of Commerce.