Cold didn't kill gators
 

Went "Swamp Stompin" yesterday in search of springs deep in the swamps
north of Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee. Several small springs are
listed as being up in the woods there and we even had GPS coords.
Believing the cold might still be keeping the snakes in their holes so
it might be safer to walk in the muck along the edge of the swamp we
went looking for em.
First one was easy to find near a trail, a small pool about 15' across
with clear water and a good outflow. GPS showed the next one well
into the swamp.
Finally "found" the next one by seeing the clear water about 150' out
into the swamp and we tried to get near it by stepping from one
cypress knee to another across logs and branches. Suddenly, one "log"
opened its mouth to show a big white inside and then slithered into
the dark water. The gator had been sunning itself and leaves had
fallen onto his back and the mud on his back made him look just like
one of the rotten logs.
We retreated to more solid ground and walked deeper into the swamp
staying on areas we could walk without going into the water and being
careful to look ahead. No more gators and we finally found the third
spring, small and far enough into the water where we could not really
get to it all that revealed it was the pool of clear water.
Better to be in the woods dodging gators than to be inside.

Cold didn't kill gators
 

Frogwatch wrote:
Went "Swamp Stompin" yesterday in search of springs deep in the swamps
north of Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee. Several small springs are
listed as being up in the woods there and we even had GPS coords.
Believing the cold might still be keeping the snakes in their holes so
it might be safer to walk in the muck along the edge of the swamp we
went looking for em.
First one was easy to find near a trail, a small pool about 15' across
with clear water and a good outflow. GPS showed the next one well
into the swamp.
Finally "found" the next one by seeing the clear water about 150' out
into the swamp and we tried to get near it by stepping from one
cypress knee to another across logs and branches. Suddenly, one "log"
opened its mouth to show a big white inside and then slithered into
the dark water. The gator had been sunning itself and leaves had
fallen onto his back and the mud on his back made him look just like
one of the rotten logs.
We retreated to more solid ground and walked deeper into the swamp
staying on areas we could walk without going into the water and being
careful to look ahead. No more gators and we finally found the third
spring, small and far enough into the water where we could not really
get to it all that revealed it was the pool of clear water.
Better to be in the woods dodging gators than to be inside.


Gosharoonie, when I was seven or eight, I used to hike with my buddies
along what is now called the Regicides Trail. There was a mountain
spring that cascaded down through the rocks and we'd walk to a point
where you could get a hell of a cold drink if you held your head upside
down under the mini-waterfall. Oh...plenty of snakes up there, too. We
had a pact with them...we left them alone and they left us alone. No
alligators.

Cold didn't kill gators
 

On Jan 18, 12:09*pm, "H :) K" wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
Went "Swamp Stompin" yesterday in search of springs deep in the swamps
north of Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee. *Several small springs are
listed as being up in the woods there and we even had GPS coords.
Believing the cold might still be keeping the snakes in their holes so
it might be safer to walk in the muck along the edge of the swamp we
went looking for em.
First one was easy to find near a trail, a small pool about 15' across
with clear water and a good outflow. *GPS showed the next one well
into the swamp.
Finally "found" the next one by seeing the clear water about 150' out
into the swamp and we tried to get near it by stepping from one
cypress knee to another across logs and branches. *Suddenly, one "log"
opened its mouth to show a big white inside and then slithered into
the dark water. *The gator had been sunning itself and leaves had
fallen onto his back and the mud on his back made him look just like
one of the rotten logs.
We retreated to more solid ground and walked deeper into the swamp
staying on areas we could walk without going into the water and being
careful to look ahead. *No more gators and we finally found the third
spring, small and far enough into the water where we could not really
get to it all that revealed it was the pool of clear water.
Better to be in the woods dodging gators than to be inside.

Gosharoonie, when I was seven or eight, I used to hike with my buddies
along what is now called the Regicides Trail. There was a mountain
spring that cascaded down through the rocks and we'd walk to a point
where you could get a hell of a cold drink if you held your head upside
down under the mini-waterfall. Oh...plenty of snakes up there, too. We
had a pact with them...we left them alone and they left us alone. No
alligators.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where did you find the time, what with having to take practice tests,
work in your father's alleged marina, screwing all of the girls for
miles around, building boats, and on and on? Also, you've condemned a
lot of people here for doing anything the least adventurous with their
kids, or allowing their kids to. Therefore, your mother and father
must have been horrible parents to allow you to go somewhere snake
infested. And what's the real laugh of all this is, snakes are cold
blooded and here you are around a mountain stream and afraid of them!!!

Cold didn't kill gators
 

Loogypicker wrote:
On Jan 18, 12:09 pm, "H :) K" wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
Went "Swamp Stompin" yesterday in search of springs deep in the swamps
north of Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee. Several small springs are
listed as being up in the woods there and we even had GPS coords.
Believing the cold might still be keeping the snakes in their holes so
it might be safer to walk in the muck along the edge of the swamp we
went looking for em.
First one was easy to find near a trail, a small pool about 15' across
with clear water and a good outflow. GPS showed the next one well
into the swamp.
Finally "found" the next one by seeing the clear water about 150' out
into the swamp and we tried to get near it by stepping from one
cypress knee to another across logs and branches. Suddenly, one "log"
opened its mouth to show a big white inside and then slithered into
the dark water. The gator had been sunning itself and leaves had
fallen onto his back and the mud on his back made him look just like
one of the rotten logs.
We retreated to more solid ground and walked deeper into the swamp
staying on areas we could walk without going into the water and being
careful to look ahead. No more gators and we finally found the third
spring, small and far enough into the water where we could not really
get to it all that revealed it was the pool of clear water.
Better to be in the woods dodging gators than to be inside.
Gosharoonie, when I was seven or eight, I used to hike with my buddies
along what is now called the Regicides Trail. There was a mountain
spring that cascaded down through the rocks and we'd walk to a point
where you could get a hell of a cold drink if you held your head upside
down under the mini-waterfall. Oh...plenty of snakes up there, too. We
had a pact with them...we left them alone and they left us alone. No
alligators.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where did you find the time, what with having to take practice tests,
work in your father's alleged marina, screwing all of the girls for
miles around, building boats, and on and on? Also, you've condemned a
lot of people here for doing anything the least adventurous with their
kids, or allowing their kids to. Therefore, your mother and father
must have been horrible parents to allow you to go somewhere snake
infested. And what's the real laugh of all this is, snakes are cold
blooded and here you are around a mountain stream and afraid of them!!!

How far *did* you get in school, loogy? Did you complete high school?
You don't seem to have much in the way of educational underpinnings.

We had a small variety of snakes in Connecticut, and that variety
included timber rattlesnakes and copperheads. The rattlers liked to sun
themselves on the rocky outcroppings, just as they do in other
geographical areas.

Did your parents have any children who were not challenged? My guess is
that it is only by the grace of god you can wipe yourself.

Cold didn't kill gators
 

H :) K wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
Went "Swamp Stompin" yesterday in search of springs deep in the swamps
north of Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee. Several small springs are
listed as being up in the woods there and we even had GPS coords.
Believing the cold might still be keeping the snakes in their holes so
it might be safer to walk in the muck along the edge of the swamp we
went looking for em.
First one was easy to find near a trail, a small pool about 15' across
with clear water and a good outflow. GPS showed the next one well
into the swamp.
Finally "found" the next one by seeing the clear water about 150' out
into the swamp and we tried to get near it by stepping from one
cypress knee to another across logs and branches. Suddenly, one "log"
opened its mouth to show a big white inside and then slithered into
the dark water. The gator had been sunning itself and leaves had
fallen onto his back and the mud on his back made him look just like
one of the rotten logs.
We retreated to more solid ground and walked deeper into the swamp
staying on areas we could walk without going into the water and being
careful to look ahead. No more gators and we finally found the third
spring, small and far enough into the water where we could not really
get to it all that revealed it was the pool of clear water.
Better to be in the woods dodging gators than to be inside.


Gosharoonie, when I was seven or eight, I used to hike with my buddies
along what is now called the Regicides Trail. There was a mountain
spring that cascaded down through the rocks and we'd walk to a point
where you could get a hell of a cold drink if you held your head upside
down under the mini-waterfall. Oh...plenty of snakes up there, too. We
had a pact with them...we left them alone and they left us alone. No
alligators.

If I recall correctly there was a dairy farm upstream that insured we
got plenty of nutrients from that hell of a cold drink.

Cold didn't kill gators
 

Frogwatch wrote:
Went "Swamp Stompin" yesterday in search of springs deep in the swamps
north of Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee. Several small springs are
listed as being up in the woods there and we even had GPS coords.
Believing the cold might still be keeping the snakes in their holes so
it might be safer to walk in the muck along the edge of the swamp we
went looking for em.
First one was easy to find near a trail, a small pool about 15' across
with clear water and a good outflow. GPS showed the next one well
into the swamp.
Finally "found" the next one by seeing the clear water about 150' out
into the swamp and we tried to get near it by stepping from one
cypress knee to another across logs and branches. Suddenly, one "log"
opened its mouth to show a big white inside and then slithered into
the dark water. The gator had been sunning itself and leaves had
fallen onto his back and the mud on his back made him look just like
one of the rotten logs.
We retreated to more solid ground and walked deeper into the swamp
staying on areas we could walk without going into the water and being
careful to look ahead. No more gators and we finally found the third
spring, small and far enough into the water where we could not really
get to it all that revealed it was the pool of clear water.
Better to be in the woods dodging gators than to be inside.
You should take Krause for a walk in the woods.

Cold didn't kill gators
 

On Jan 18, 12:25*pm, "H :) K" wrote:
Loogypicker wrote:
On Jan 18, 12:09 pm, "H :) K" wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
Went "Swamp Stompin" yesterday in search of springs deep in the swamps
north of Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee. *Several small springs are
listed as being up in the woods there and we even had GPS coords.
Believing the cold might still be keeping the snakes in their holes so
it might be safer to walk in the muck along the edge of the swamp we
went looking for em.
First one was easy to find near a trail, a small pool about 15' across
with clear water and a good outflow. *GPS showed the next one well
into the swamp.
Finally "found" the next one by seeing the clear water about 150' out
into the swamp and we tried to get near it by stepping from one
cypress knee to another across logs and branches. *Suddenly, one "log"
opened its mouth to show a big white inside and then slithered into
the dark water. *The gator had been sunning itself and leaves had
fallen onto his back and the mud on his back made him look just like
one of the rotten logs.
We retreated to more solid ground and walked deeper into the swamp
staying on areas we could walk without going into the water and being
careful to look ahead. *No more gators and we finally found the third
spring, small and far enough into the water where we could not really
get to it all that revealed it was the pool of clear water.
Better to be in the woods dodging gators than to be inside.
Gosharoonie, when I was seven or eight, I used to hike with my buddies
along what is now called the Regicides Trail. There was a mountain
spring that cascaded down through the rocks and we'd walk to a point
where you could get a hell of a cold drink if you held your head upside
down under the mini-waterfall. Oh...plenty of snakes up there, too. We
had a pact with them...we left them alone and they left us alone. No
alligators.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where did you find the time, what with having to take practice tests,
work in your father's alleged marina, screwing all of the girls for
miles around, building boats, and on and on? Also, you've condemned a
lot of people here for doing anything the least adventurous with their
kids, or allowing their kids to. Therefore, your mother and father
must have been horrible parents to allow you to go somewhere snake
infested. And what's the real laugh of all this is, snakes are cold
blooded and here you are around a mountain stream and afraid of them!!!

How far *did* you get in school, loogy? Did you complete high school?
You don't seem to have much in the way of educational underpinnings.

We had a small variety of snakes in Connecticut, and that variety
included timber rattlesnakes and copperheads. The rattlers liked to sun
themselves on the rocky outcroppings, just as they do in other
geographical areas.

Did your parents have any children who were not challenged? My guess is
that it is only by the grace of god you can wipe yourself.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You stupid fat fool!

First of all, I never said there weren't snakes in CT, moron. I know
good and well what types are there. Same as in western NY. What I DID
say is that they damned sure weren't going to active any where near a
very cold stream. I ran the woods in western NY constantly, and I can
count on one hand the number of times I saw a live rattlesnake. Why?
because it's friggin' cold there and they tend to stay well below or
in caves.

Cold didn't kill gators
 

Loogypicker wrote:

You stupid fat fool!

First of all, I never said there weren't snakes in CT, moron. I know
good and well what types are there. Same as in western NY. What I DID
say is that they damned sure weren't going to active any where near a
very cold stream. I ran the woods in western NY constantly, and I can
count on one hand the number of times I saw a live rattlesnake. Why?
because it's friggin' cold there and they tend to stay well below or
in caves.


Frankly, loogy, I doubt you can wipe yourself without help.

Cold didn't kill gators
 

On Jan 18, 1:59*pm, "H :) K" wrote:
Loogypicker wrote:
You stupid fat fool!

First of all, I never said there weren't snakes in CT, moron. I know
good and well what types are there. Same as in western NY. What I DID
say is that they damned sure weren't going to active any where near a
very cold stream. I ran the woods in western NY constantly, and I can
count on one hand the number of times I saw a live rattlesnake. Why?
because it's friggin' cold there and they tend to stay well below or
in caves.

Frankly, loogy, I doubt you can wipe yourself without help.

My interest in doing this "swamp stomp" is somewhat historical.
Between about 1600 and 1700, the Spanish had a colony here supported
by several missions. The one just outside of Tallahassee was the
largest. They used the Province of Apalachee to support the annual
Flota of gold ships returning to Spain. The Flota consisted of
numerous ships each holding hundreds of men and it took nearly 3
months to get from St Augustine to Spain so you can imagine the amount
of provisions this took. They tried to raise crops and livestock
nearer to St Augustine unsuccessfully but nearly a century earlier
DeSoto had found this area (Apalachee) under intense cultivation by a
very large population of indians. The Spanish decided that Apalachee
would be the breadbasket for their Flota.
So, how do you get many tons of food (fried beans, squash, corn etc)
and livestock overland to St Augustine? Overland was difficult
because the trail passed through hostile indian country and it was
completely unsuitable for wagons. The amount that could be delivered
that way was minimal. They tried to get the "stuff" to the coast and
then onto shallow draft boats and thence to the mouth of the Suwanee
River and then overlaqnd, again, through hostile territory. The best
way was by ship from their fort at St Marks around the tip of FL and
then up to St Augustine. The journey by ship was a 2 week trip.
So, how do you get tons of food through the swamps and sand to the
coast, a distance of about 30 miles? Livestock would of course be
driven over trails but taking wagons to the coast was extreemely
difficult because it is either deep sand or swamp. One source and a
Spanish map says they did it by boat. However, there has been no
water connection between Tallahassee and St Marks in the past 2
hundred years at least. Most of the water flowing south from
Tallahassee goes underground into the worlds largest known underwater
cave system before arising in springs along the coast and a bit
inland.
Supposedly, the Spanish used a chain of lakes SW and South of
Tallahassee to get their stuff south using shallow draft boats.
However, there is currently a a gap of at least 10 miles between the
farthest south part of this stream where ti goes underground and
either the Wakulla or St. Marks River. However, the slough/swamp we
explored can be seen on Google Earth to project northward toward the
southern extremity of said stream. At the northern extremity of
McBride Slough, it is only 3 miles to the southern extremity of the
Lake Bradford/Munson Slough water system mostly through easy to dig in
sand.
Any evidence of a shallow canal dug in sand would be gone by now as
the area has been extensively logged with heavy equipment since about
1900 completely re-arranging the landscape EXCEPT in the swamps their
equipment could not get into.
We did find what may have been artificial cuts in the swamp that are
ditch like areas carrying water from N to S but it is really diff to
tell if they are natural or not.

Next fun trip: Searching for the Lost Wakulla Volcano

Cold didn't kill gators
 

On Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:53:19 -0800, Frogwatch wrote:


Next fun trip: Searching for the Lost Wakulla Volcano

I've read a little about that. It seems that if it were a true volcano,
evidence of it, would be unmistakeable, and easily recognized. Still, it
would give you a good excuse to traipse through the woods. Although, I
must say, the few times I have done that in Florida, I found the woods
rather inhospitable.