St. Johns River Trip - Latest Map Update



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31 December, 2009

Day 4

The gang arrived at our house at about 3:00pm. Here is a link to the photos they have taken so far photo slideshow

Jay

30 December, 2009

Hello everyone! The trip has been quite an experience so far. Early morning stars, not knowing the time, food rationing, bad thoughts,good thoughts, good laughs, beautiful landscapes,getting camp set up together, and cracker-&-peanut-filled burritos for dinner:) Yea it is hard work, but it's so worth the experience. It's a whole new world out here. Overall and so far, I love it. -Stephen p.s. We really appreciate the support!
Hey everyone brandon here. So were at the end of day 3 and were all alive and in good spirits. I just want to thAnk my friends and family for all the amazing support. I received a very encouraging text today! Unfortunately I haven't been able to take many photos because ive been paddling so much but we're making great progress. we should be arriving in debary
tomorrow so hopefully I'll get to see some familiar faces for New Years. Shalom Alchiem -Brandon
Wow what an experience it has been so far. I feel like I have done so much and it's only day 3! This trip definitely has it's ups and it's downs, however that is what makes it an experience. I've seen so much beauty that the st. Johns has to offer and we have only reached the middle basin. Tomorrow well be heading into river bluff so I'm really excited about that. Hopefully it won't be too tempting hahaha. Well, I'm off to slumberville, I'll talk to you guys soon!

-Jesse

Day 3

Today was crazy, but we did awesome! We passed through the southern labyrinth with hardly any navigational errors. We passed the jolly gator where we stopped last trip and are about half way through lake harney, on this sweet strip of beach. Tomorrow is gonna be about 33 miles or so, and we're hoping to be to riverbluff sometime tomorrow. Tired but in good spirits. -daniel

29 December, 2009

Day 2

Long day today! We ended up going 7and a half miles farther this day than we did on the last trip, so we're inside the southern labyrinth. Wind wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday, and we were able to cross washington, winder and poinsett without much trouble. Tomorrow We'll try to cross through the remainder of the labyrinth and end somewhere around the jolly gator marina. I'll text again from there. Goodnight!

28 December, 2009

Day 1

We made it! We got about 2-3 miles ahead of where we stopped last time, so that's good! Really rough day though, lots of wind! I an really beat but the whole crew did great, i'm really impressed. Big day tomorrow, I'll write more then. Goodnight! -daniel

Successful start of trip

I dropped off the guys this morning at blue cypress lake and they got on the water at about 6:30am. It looks like good weather for at least the next few days. Daniel is planning to post short entries daily from his cell phone.

Jay

27 December, 2009

Yikes

Hey everyone, Jesse here. I can't believe its finally here! All these months of planning will finally be put to the test. Am I ready for this? I'm not sure ha ha ha! I have no idea what to expect; however, I do know that this will be the experience of a lifetime. Being out in the Florida wild is going to be absolutely amazing! I'm so grateful for everything I have and I know that this trip will only make life much more fulfilling. These lads that I will be paddling with are a great set of guys and I'm sure we will have countless memories to share. Well folks, I must be heading to bed, I have to be up in a few hours. We will talk to you soon, adios! :D

-Jesse (Wing of Falcon)

Want to Leave Civilization...?

The time is upon us (hit the epic music)! Can't believe we've actually arrived at the last day before the trip! Today we'll be getting our canoes to Riverbluff and figuring out exactly how our gear is going to fit in these things; better to get a system down now than at 3am when we have to leave tomorrow morning, right? We'll also do some last minute consolidation with gear, for instance, if we all brought a big tube of toothpaste or everyone brought a large flashlight, we could purge some of that since we only need one or two. I'm hoping to at least shave a few pounds off our load by the time we're actually set to go.

I'd like to change the tone a bit now,if I may, and share a little something that's been on my mind lately. You know, we so often think of human civilization as being true reality; about it encompassing everything and everyone, the ALL IN ALL, but that's actually not true. Besides actual physical structures like roads and buildings, many of the fundamental pillars that drive civilization--a sense of security, a sense of power and control over one's life through money--aren't really there at all; they are illusions that we accept as truth. The key to keeping people believing these things is to impart the sense that human civilization is strong; that it has power over the natural world; that it's something that can be trusted.

But it's not. Look behind the scenes; look a little more carefully and you'll notice that the artificial world we have created must be constantly maintained to keep the natural world from engulfing it. Leave a house or road or car unattended for a few years and watch what happens; not only does the natural world swallow it but, given enough time, even the houses and roads and cars themselves crumble, fall apart, and eventually return to their natural state! The irony in this is darn near poetic! This civilization we have built is not strong at all! It's a flimsy curtain masking a single, certain truth; we DO NOT have control.

Want to leave civilization? It's actually quite easy: YOU GIVE UP CONTROL. When you boil everything down and get rid of all the fluff, that's really what civilization comes down to, right? CONTROL. Humans are not equipped--aren't wise enough, strong enough, big enough--for this task, no matter how you slice it. We aren't designed to carry that kind of burden. That being said, there's a very interesting thing that happens to a human being who finally surrenders that control over their life: they become truly free.

Think about it, cause it really makes sense: once you give up the rights to your very life, from the food you eat to the next breath you take; if you have literally faced and reckoned with your own death, what's left to worry about, what's left to fear? Nothing, folks; the answer is nothing. When you take each moment of your life, not as wages earned, but as a gift that's given, then you've arrived in a place where you can experience what life is actually about.

Hopefully this unveils the ultimate motivations that are driving me to take this trip, but more than that I hope it conveys that you don't need to row three-hundred miles to find peace with your life. That's found in surrender; an attitude and a way of being that can be manifested anywhere, anytime.

-Daniel

22 December, 2009


Farewell, farewell, my backwards world
For all your riches scrambling
I’m bourn away by River’s shore
My own life I am gambling
To wild places not confined
By cold and lifeless walls
Let water wash away your lies
Divorce me from your fall

Farewell, farewell, you heartless lot
Hard bound in slavery
Machines has money made of you
And stole humanity
I pity you well-civilized
For your reward has come
In concrete, plastic, steel and glass
You make your lifeless home

Farewell, farewell society
You cardboard prop of old
Behind you lie the countless killed
To line men’s chests with gold
Farewell you artificial world
I’m going to be free
In places where my heart finds rest
In places far from thee.


-Daniel

20 December, 2009

dried apricots

Greetings! This is Stephen, and this is my first post on here. This will be the first time ever that I grab the food and clothes that I can carry on my back and leave society for several days. From the family and friends I've talked to, most of them think of this trip as some kind of extremity. Even though we live in a time where it's common for people to rarely go camping, or even never leave the busy streets and shopping malls, I think that we should all be reminded, atleast every so often, that the natural world is probably the most beautiful thing that a human being can experience. I'm glad I have a canoe so that I can have the ability to go explore the natural world. And I'm glad that I'll be experiencing it with three friends who are ready to have a great time together. Surely I will learn a lot from this and memories will be made.

-Chief Sacajawea

18 December, 2009



Hey everyone, it's Brandon! Just wanted to say hey, and let everyone know that we're merely just over a week away from our launch and we're all getting really excited!! Today me and the guys went grocery shopping together to get most of the rest of what we need to complete our packing. Daniel has immense experience packing, as well as the rest of us being (former UPS employee's, Boy Scouts, and minimalists), so we take great care and detail into packing our gear into the smallest space possible. I posted this poorly done video to show everyone Daniel's gear being packed, and to see kinda what's going on in our heads right now. We will be updating almost daily soon, so keep checking back!

13 December, 2009

Normal guys...

The four of us all had a meeting this past Friday to go over the last gear that we had left to buy. This coming Friday we'll go out together and grab all of our food for the trip (I'll give a break-down of what we're bringing when I bring it all back home). I haven't written in a while because I am SUPER busy at work! On that note, I want to really drive home the fact that all four of us are regular guys; we don't spend our every waking hour out on the River doing extreme kayaking/canoeing feats. We go to work, we've got bills and commitments just like everyone else. But that just goes to show you what people are capable of when they put their minds to something.

I haven't had too much time to really think about the trip at all this last week, but I can't wait for it to get here. After all the hussle and bussle of the Christmas season, it's gonna be so awesome to leave all the noise behind and loose myself in nature once again!

I've also had some interest from a few people concerning what kind of gear we are bringing, so I think that as the trip gets closer, I may just go ahead and list everything that we're bringing along, to give you all a good idea of what we've got to work with. Stay tuned!

-Daniel

08 December, 2009

Salutations...


Hi friends and readers! This is Brandon and this just happens to be my first posting on the blog. I’ve been canoeing with the Riverbluff League for some years now, and it’s about time I stepped it up and started talking about why I ride the waters. Today I really just wanted to come on here and express the sheer excitement and anticipation I have for this upcoming trip. After witnessing one of my closest friends Daniel, cross the entire St. Johns in 9 days, and mostly by himself it got me to thinking… What are the limits of a person? Physically and mentally? Is it really possible that someone in the right shape and mind set can accomplish such a feat? None of the four of us going are Olympians by a long shot, but I believe we all possess the spirit of adventure and determination to do something as daunting as this. Just this summer I had arthroscopic surgery on my right shoulder and was pretty much incapacitated for over two months. Looking back, just the preparation for this canoe trip has made me a better person. Just a few months ago I could hardly lift the groceries, but through training and the help of my friends I feel like I can climb a mountain. My mind is sharp and these have been some of the best months of my life. That being said, this voyage is going to be easily the most difficult thing I have ever been crazy enough to see through. Canoeing might seem like fun recreation to many, but if you’ve been on the water for more than a day or two, you know what the risks are. Considering the time of the year and distance we’re traveling there’s plenty of time for the elements, hardships, accidents, and the fear of death. The benefits of completing such an adventure far outweigh the possible downsides though. No matter the cost, the experience to be completely immersed into nature, just me, the paddle, and the earth we come from, are alone tugging at my heart until the day we depart.

-Brandon

07 December, 2009

Goodbye, David


Just yesterday, my good friend and one of Riverbluff's greatest canoers/kayakers, David Heath, left for the Marines. As most of you know from our previous trip, David wasn't able to travel the entire St. Johns with me in March due to a shoulder injury. He was hoping to finish up the four more days he missed on the River before he left, but didn't get the chance. But who knows? Perhaps he'll have the opportunity again in time. Good luck, David; you'll be missed, my friend!

04 December, 2009

Elements...


Today is exactly the kind of day we're hoping we won't get on the trip coming up: cold and rainy. There is a worse kind of day, though, which all kayakers and canoers know; cold, rainy AND windy. This triple combo can really mess up your day! Traveling on the water cold and wet all day, plus being chilled by wind, can get you sick, so we're taking some precautions.

We're all getting a rainsuit (jacket and pants) that is completely waterproof and windproof, and as a plus just also happens to insulate. Triple-threat clothes for triple-threat weather! I picked mine up for $10 the other day, and gave it the best run-through test I could at the time: I put it on over my clothes and went in the shower with the water turned all the way cold! I only had a t-shirt and shorts on under it, but still stayed quite warm and dry. Oh, and this particular rain jacket has a waterproof hoodie as well; BIG PLUS!

One other waterproof item is a must; rubber boots. Good ol' cheapo rubber boots will work great to both keep out the cold and the water around our feet, and the rainproof pants can pull right over the tops of them. An extra item that I'm still debating on is waterproof gloves of some kind, though I wouldn't say that they're an absolute necessity.

Now, one problem with cheaper waterproof gear is most of the time they tend to insulate too much. The plasticy material that they're made our of keeps water and wind out because it pretty much keeps everything out. It also keeps everything IN on the inside, including your body heat, so that after a while it can feel like a sauna! Why not just buy some breathable waterproof gear, you might ask? There are two reasons: 1) all four of us are pretty much totally broke, and 2) we enjoy doing stuff with everyday, "average Joe" kind of gear, just to prove that the gear doesn't make the man, the man makes the gear. We might get a little sweaty,sure, but if we do end up putting on the gear mentioned above, then chances are that the weather is pretty nasty, and sweating would be preferred as opposed to facing the elements directly.

Quite honestly, I can't wait to be back on the River again! We've been planning this trip since summer of this year, and now that we're within a month of the start date, I'm definitely getting antsy!

02 December, 2009

Nature...

What is it about nature that draws us so much? This is a question that I ask myself almost daily. Maybe it's because in nature we find something very similar to ourselves; something that is living, moving, striving to grow to its full potential. In nature we find the unpredictability that is so characteristic of life, and with that unpredictability a sense of newness, of fresh beginnings, of freedom. These are things that many times are completely opposed to the artificial world in which we live. In our artificial world that we have created, everything is lifeless. TVs, microwaves, toasters, computers, cell phones; these things can't grow, they can't improve. Yet these are the things that we now use--that we now RELY ON--to exist.

Humans were made from the earth, and so they belong with the earth. I think that being out in nature connects us to something greater and more transcendent than ourselves; to that Source of life from which all life stems, from each blade of grass to every human. By our very nature, I believe we long for nature, because it reveals to us a part of ourselves.

-Daniel