Sunday February 13th 2022

It rained lightly off and on all night. This morning the sky was cloud covered and gloomy, but as the day progressed conditions improved. The sun made an appearance shortly after the noon hour. By 2:30PM the sun dominated the sky allowing the temperature to peak at seventy degrees.

Today was my last full day at Silver Springs State Park. I have really enjoyed my stay. The river has a fascinating array of wildlife to watch. The rifer is a long way from the campground, but that has its advantages too. I got plenty of exercise walking to the kayak launch or the overlook on the river. Both areas are more than a mile hike each way from my campsite. Along the trail there is also a chance of seeing a few of the land animals in the area. I saw several deer, but never got one to pose long enough for a picture.

On my first walk to the river of the day, the kayak launch was once again filled with kayaks and their occupants. The first paddlers to arrive seem to get out of their kayak and leave the boat right at the water’s edge blocking most of the eight foot wide aluminum ramp. The next people to arrive either try to climb over the boats already there or pull up along the shore beside the launch area. Eventually, people get the idea to carry or drag their boats inland a bit away from the bottleneck at the end of the ramp. After people finish their lunch or bathroom break the congestion of launching boats and landing boats gets even more exciting. People with rental kayaks that may be paddling for the first time don’t have a clue how to get in and out of the boat without unintended comedy.

I have completed most of my outside travel prep for tomorrows journey. It is less than fifty miles to my next stop. I won’t be leaving until close to the 1PM checkout time, so I’ll have plenty of time to finish the other tasks.