Guided Outdoor Adventures with Lars this weekend!

- Friday, June 14: PAYNES PRAIRIE HISTORY HIKE: Lore & History of the Great Savanna

We'll be meeting at 9:00 A.M. at the Prairie, about 15 minutes south of Gainesville.

This will be an easy, 2 - 3 mile stroll out into the center of the Prairie, by way of La Chua trail, and back.

The cost for this one is $15, which includes your park entry fee.

Description

Before we start on the hike, I'll spend about 10 - 15 minutes giving you a brief overview of the Prairie's early history (12,000 years of history in 15 minutes - I'll talk fast!). We'll then head out onto the Prairie. When we reach the observation deck in the center of the Prairie, we'll scan the “great savanna” for birds and some of the other wildlife that makes this a Mecca for birders and naturalists of all persuasion.

The "natural wonders" we see on this hike begin as soon as we stroll away from the parking area and enter onto the forested trail leading toward the basin. Hog plums, laurel oaks, hackberry and Hercules club trees are some of the species we pass. But the stars of this trail are the massive live oaks. So large and sprawling are these ancient giants that we usually don’t think of them collectively as a forest. Instead, we admire each tree individually. Each occupies its own domain within the forest where it lords over a bustling and wildly diverse community of plants and animals.

One of these massive live oaks, perched on a bluff above Alachua Sink always captures my imagination. Its appearance alone—wide, grey trunk, expansive, open canopy and massive limbs adorned with green, species-rich thickets of resurrection fern and other small plants—would be enough to bring me up short. But, more than anything, it’s this tree’s setting that fires my imagination. With its wide view across the Prairie, I wonder what events this ancient sentinel has witnessed. How many times did Don Thomas Menendez, whose La Chua ranch house stood on this bluff in the 1600's, stand in this same shade and gaze across the Prairie? Did pirates rest here after raiding the ranch? How many Indians, explorers, settlers, soldiers, missionaries, ranchers, cowboys, toe-headed school boys has this tree comforted with its cool shade? How many weary travelers tied their horses to it? Bartram? Cowkeeper? Who leaned against it to steady their rifles? binoculars? scopes? How many people hid behind it? From whom? How many people waited here for someone to arrive in their canoe? steamboat? powerboat? How many people have stood here in awe?

The time I've spent gazing up at this giant oak over the years, watching the interactions of wildlife and conjuring scenes from the past, must certainly run into the hours. But, as far as the tree is concerned, I'm just another of the countless human specks that have blown across its roots over the centuries. Dreamers and schemers have come and gone, but this grand sentinel remains.

After passing the oak tree, the path descends the bluff and skirts the north and western lip of Alachua Sink. After passing another fine live oak (don't get me started!) we enter onto the open Prairie basin. From here, the view is as variable as the Prairie itself. Shorter cycles, like time of day and season of the year, dictate what animals you might see and what plants will be blooming. But, all of these depend on a much bigger cycle that makes the Prairie so unique and such a Mecca for wildlife - the flood cycle.

With every phase of the flood cycle, the dominant plant and animal species change. At present, the prairie is moderately wet—great for birds.

- Sunday, June 16: PRAIRIE CREEK

We'll be meeting at 10:00 A.M. The fee is $39 for wanna-go members, ($50 for others), or $25 with your own boat ($35 for non-members).

Description

Located about 20 minutes east of Gainesville, Prairie Creek connects two of North Central Florida's most popular havens for wildlife watching, Newnans Lake and Paynes Prairie. So, it's no surprise that a paddle down this winding, dark-water creek offers a variety of plants and animals. We usually see a number of water birds, and if you watch closely, you'll probably spot a few turtles sunning on logs and branches debris on the riverbank.

We'll start our paddle on Newnans Lake. The dense marsh thickets that sprouted during droughts a few years ago are still thriving, as is the abundant wildlife that loves such places. Around the edges of these marshes, American lotus plants are at the tail end of their bloom. While many are still displaying their showy yellow flowers, most are sporting the odd looking seed heads that are commonly seen in flower arrangements.

As your boat glides into the mouth of Prairie Creek, you'll realize you've discovered one of Gainesville's least-known natural treasures.

For most of its run, Prairie Creek courses through a mature forest of mixed hardwoods and cypress which form a dense, closed canopy overhead. Most years, seasonal rains cause the creek to brim and spill over the low, sandy banks into the forest. This keeps the understory relatively free of vegetation and allows good viewing into the forest.

As our journey carries us closer to the prairie basin, marsh and deeper swamp habitats become more prevalent, and the wildlife changes accordingly. Water birds, including ibis, wood storks, egrets and herons become more common. The last leg of the trip skirts along the backside of the huge Camp's dike, erected in the '30's to divert the creek's flow away from the prairie.

Gliding down the first section of Camp's Canal, we'll pass the controversial weir that, as dictated by State regulations, allows a percentage of the water to flow onto the Prairie and shunts the rest down the canal to River Styx and Orange Lake.


Wildlife

As mentioned above, we might spot some wading birds, osprey and possibly a bald eagle on Newnans Lake. The creek forest is home to woodpeckers (we commonly see a pileated or two), owls and various perching birds. As of a couple of years ago, there was apparently a panther (probably an escaped pet??) that roams these woods. Known as the "Micanopy Cat," it was seen by a number of people including a park ranger at Paynes Prairie State Park. You might also see some bear sign. There's been at least one bear in the area whose tracks I've seen several times in recent years.

History

This trip takes us into one of the wilder areas of the Paynes Prairie domain which boasts a fascinating cultural and written heritage dating back nearly 12,000 years (somebody should write a book!).

Prairie Creek, while being an interesting and fun little creek, bears the scars of heavy abuse. Here, you'll find a good example of how important even the smallest changes to a system can have a huge impact. In the 1930's, the natural flow of Prairie Creek onto Paynes Prairie was blocked by a dam and redirected to River Styx and on to Orange Lake.

Later, the head of the stream, where the water entered from Newnans Lake, was dammed to keep water levels high in the lake. It wasn't until the '70's and '80's that it became clear how harmful these alterations were to all of the systems involved, especially the Prairie. The dam at the Newnan's Lake end was removed, but the sediment that accumulated while it was in place remains and has created a block to sediment flow out of the lake.


Removing the dike and canal at Paynes Prairie has proved to be more of a challenge. With two highways and a number of private properties around the basin, letting the water levels rise and fall, uncontrolled, would require a lot of changes and preparations.

For our purposes, the most relevant event in this creeks history is the recent flooding brought on by the hurricane season. This comes on the heels of a three year drought which is just ending. At its most extreme, in 2002, Prairie Creek was more a hiking trail than a stream. But, the waters have returned and so will we.


Skill level

Intermediate. Even though there's plenty of water and it's a relatively short trip (about 2.5 hours), there will be a bit of weaving between obstacles in some places. The main consideration is your physical ability.

** FOR ALL TRIPS **

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED for all trips! You can make a reservation any time before 5 PM the afternoon before the trip. HOWEVER, there's no guarantee that - a.) you will be able to contact us, b.) that there will still be spaces available, c.) we have not already left the store with the boats. The earlier you call, the more likely you are to secure a spot.

- All reservations must be secured with prepayment, using cash, check or credit card (by phone is OK).

- CANCELLATIONS: You can cancel up to 24 hours before the trip and get a full refund. After that, your payment is forfeited.

Wanna Go?

- If so, please Call us at Adventure Outpost (386) 454-0611 and we'll get your payment information and give you trip specifics.

- If you're not sure, write or call with any questions and we'll be glad to answer them.

- If not, do nothing. By not responding we'll know you want to pass on this trip. You won't hear from us again until your next trip notice.

Thanks,

Lars Andersen

Adventure Outpost

18238 NW Hwy 441

High Springs, FL 32643

(386) 454-0611

http://www.adventureoutpost.net

riverguide2000@yahoo.com

* No trees were destroyed in the sending of this contaminant free message, though a significant number of electrons may have been inconvenienced.