SATILLA RIVER
SEPTEMBER 1998/JANUARY 1999
January 10, 1999
A few brave souls tried this trip. Debbie and Kristen came down from Savannah and it was nice to see them again.
The diehards, Trish, Jim and Roz all paddled. The wimps went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel.
I have been told by those that braved the weather that it warmed up nicely and they had an excellent paddle.
A happy day of paddling is always worth it.
The air temperature was a cold and numbing 26 degrees Saturday morning,
January 10, 1999. My friend Kristen and I were loading our gear at 7:30
am to drive south on I95 to meet the Coastal Kayaking group. We were
joining them to paddle a six mile section of the Satilla River.
The morning was the coldest we have had this year, but we had warm
clothes and a desire to explore a new river and become reacquainted with
a few paddlers I had met earlier in the fall.
We were joining friends, Jim, Roz, and Patricia at Angelous Restaurant
off exit 3. I had recently made friends with this group on a trip I had
paddled on the St. Mary's River. They were excited to see me again, and
also glad to make a new friend of Kristen.
We followed them to our put in at 3R Fish Camp. Next, Jim, Kristen, and
I shuttled my car to the take out called Burnt Fort Rd. We then drove
back in Jim's car to meet the others. We finally launched our boats
around 10 am.
We were all wondering what a group of people are doing on a river in
January in that kind of temperature, but we all secretly knew that we
loved to kayak, and the weather wasn't going to deter us.
The sky was clear and the sun had climbed high in the sky warming us
enough to quickly remove a few layers of our clothing.
The Satilla is a black water river. This means that the river is dyed a
reddish color by tannic acid from tree roots and rotting vegetation.
This makes the river highly reflective. The reflection on this day would
be spectacular.
We found numerous small creeks to explore. You enter a small unique
world by paddling carefully through these narrow waterways. Just
paddling up the first narrow creek, was worth the trip for me. I felt at
peace paddling close to the base of the cypress trees. Their trunks and
knees covered in a mosaic of moss and lichen. The swollen trunks of the
black water tupelo trees also provide a picturesque sight. This quite
solitude is so valuable to my spirit.
Although the cypress and tupelo trees were now bare, their beauty was
still evident by the twisted reflection upon the still water. There
were holly trees bursting with red berries, and still a little color
remaining from wild huckleberry bushes. The reflective property of these
black water systems are what make these rivers so special. When you
photograph the area, you aren't sure if you have the picture right side
up or upside down.
We found a white sandbar, and decided to break for lunch. As we were
eating, a red-tail hawk screamed and alerted us to his presence. We
enjoyed our lunch and conversation, and returned to our boats to
continue the adventure.
We saw a variety of ducks on the water throughout the day. There were
also white egrets, and belted kingfishers hunting for small fish.
As we neared the bridge which would be our take out, we reflected on the
days travel. Yes, it was cold, but we were glad that we had been on the
water paddling, instead of inside the warmth of our homes in front of
the television.
We said our farewells with the promise of continued paddles throughout
the rest of the year. I hope to paddle on this river in every season,
for I know the beauty of it in the winter.
~Debbie Wells~
Email: epitt@gate.net
