Santa Fe River East of I-75

Using the same starting point as yesterday, I went east, under the I-75 bridge, and up a river that bore no resemblance to the one I paddled yesterday. While the river west of I-75 was as knotted as a tangle of hair, the east was broad and imminently navigable and devoid of most of the features that give the west its personality.

Indeed, the element that riveted me to the point of obsession was the steam coming off the river. In some sections, I was unable to see where I was paddling. All my pictures from today have this steam in them somewhere. But nothing prepared me for the section where seemingly random columns of steam twisted straight out of the water. Are there mini-springs down below? Why do they twist like little waterspouts, often six feet or higher into the air? Why, as I approached them, did they disappear? I predict a call or two to my scientist friends on this issue.

Another question I need to pose to them is where do the alligators go when it gets cold? I have not seen one since the weather has turned. In fact, aside from the occasional hawk criss-crossing over the river, the only bird I saw (I heard plenty, however) was a solitary white egret. Is this this a Santa Fe thing or a weather thing? Speaking of which, this coolness has gotten my camping juices flowing. I yearn to disappear down a river soon and camp along its banks for a few days. Any suggestions would be welcomed.