Standing on the creek’s bank looking up the narrow twisting waterway, one word came to mind: “mystical.” The creek reminded me of a fairy tale…a beautiful twisting path leading to a mystical,
magical place. Tall cypress embraced the waterway and added a welcomed shade on a hot day—in the 90s already.
My sister had suggested we paddle Deep Creek in Volusia County. I didn’t even know it existed! Deep Creek flows from the northwest—I believe originating from run-off (from what I could tell from the topo map). It merges with the Lake Ashby Canal at some point before our put-in location on Maytown Road, and it empties into the St. John’s River somewhere before Lake Harney—just a few miles away. I found little information about Deep Creek online or in my guide books.
So, we pushed away from the shore, looking down the twisty, narrow waterway, low banks on both sides. Cypress knees outlined the edges of the dark water, fresh pink growth poking through the bark. We paddled towards the St. John’s, coming across our first deadfall ten minutes later—and ducked under. We loved the peaceful tranquility and the many twists and turns of Deep Creek! Our paddle was quiet with the exception of the hum of the cicadas and an occasional bird call deep in the woods. For a time, a great heron led our way up the river.
If you look closely at the one picture, you will see a thin dusting of green pollen on the top of the water–perhaps because it was so still–and I’m not sure that is a bad thing. However, somewhat troubling was the very large number of Amazonian apple snail eggs that sat on top of the cypress knees. Sadly, these are the invasive species, not the Florida species, and can cause great harm to the ecological system of the waterway.
My sister and I paddled about three miles towards the St. John’s River, stopping on the side of the creek for a snack and a stretch—before turning back in time to meet the outfitter.
(Go Kayaking Tours. 415 South State Road 415, Osteen, FL 32764. Tom and Jason.)
Footprints and Ripples 