Camps Canal In Which We Gain A Few More Precious Feet Toward River Styx

As I've mentioned before, getting from Newnan's Lake to Orange Lake is the paddling holy grail in this area. As far as I know it has never been done successfully in modern times. Yet that has not stopped me from trying. As I see it, two problems areas remain unnavigable: a small stretch between Prairie Creek and Camps Canal and another longer stretch between Camps and River Styx. Evidence abounds of attempts to clear this portion in the form of sawed-off trees that now clog the channel. It is gratifying to see this same desire to break through in others, but I think it will take at five people who are willing to go on a do-or-die mission to accomplish this. I volunteer my services.

Nevertheless, this space between the lakes stands as the crowning jewel of Alachua County and I have been in few places more lovely anywhere in the world. The water is the color of jade and trees no less than 40 feet high line its banks. Old, broken bridges and water gates appear out of nowhere as markers of previous attempts to create and control its flow. In places the canal lines the swamp adjacent to Paynes Prairie where, in the case of today's outing, we seriously pissed off a Great Blue Heron. "You kids get outta my yard!" it seemed to say.

My favorite places here are the "discovery" areas where one has to somehow move past debris to get to the next jaw-dropping space. Up to now I have moved through these areas almost completely ignorant of where I was geographically. Now I have a GPS that can actually pick up a signal and mark my progress (conventional maps are useless, as they show lakes where there is but a trickle). Henceforth, I will mark foot-by-foot my progress into the problem areas. Oh, and anyone who want to go on that do-or-die mission, please contact me.