Why I'm attempting the 100 Mile NPS Paddle Challenge

The news that these people had left their own country to bathe in the river Jordan, spread among all the kings and chiefs of Florida, and as they were an ignorant people, they all set out in search of this river, which was supposed to possess the power of rejuvenating old men and women. So eager were they in their search, that they did not pass a river, a brook, a lake, or even a swamp, without bathing in it; and, even to this day, they have not ceased to look for it, but always without any success.

- Memoir Of Hernando D’Escalante Fontaneda 1575

I'm not expecting to find the Fountain of Youth, but I needed some kind of cross training upper body workout to supplement (i.e. give my knees a break) my long distance running. As with signing up for a marathon it is simply a way of maintaining my motivation to keep exercising. I much prefer training outside versus working out in a gym. So kayaking (and the occasional period oared powered vessel), seemed like a good fit.

Monday, August 1, 2016

The Keyhole

Sunrise at De Soto NM


 

This morning I stuck to the waters immediately adjacent to De Soto National Memorial my first chance to kayak since the aborted Biscayne National Park paddle a week and a half ago.  I haven’t really done De Soto other than using it as a launching/landing place since Father’s day.  It was dead calm and little boat traffic at the time and I was hoping to catch sight of some marine life for a change.

 
Required Selfie

I arrived at the park just before the gates opened and launched pretty soon after sunrise.  The Manatee River was close to a high tide and I caught sight of something I had never seen before.  There is kind of a keyhole slot on the nature trail where it turns at “De Soto /Shaw’s point” and you can see through into the cove area.  I think that a high tide makes this much easier to spot from a kayak and that is why I never noticed it before, or maybe some brush has been trimmed back across the trail.  An exciting discovery, not really, but I’ll take what I can get.

 

 

 

The "Keyhole' looking east.

 
The "Keyhole" looking west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
No boats were moored in the cove this morning.

 

 

My wildlife encounters were limited to some mullet jumping and some happy dogs playing in the water.

 

WET

HAPPY

DOGS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tampa Bay

Not  getting  a picture of the mullet jumping

Still not  getting  a picture of the mullet jumping

 

DESO

#FLNPS100PaddleChallenge and #FindYourPark

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