MLK Weekend - Canoe-Camping in Ocala

Over the long MLK, Jr. weekend, January 16 - 19, a group of 21, mostly members of Men's Fraternity in Atlanta joined by family and friends, enjoyed camping and canoeing with OWLS in Florida's Ocala National Forest. We operated out of a base camp set up at Fore Lake, just off Hwy 314, which allowed us to reach the Silver River and Juniper Springs access points with very little effort. Friday evening when most of our group arrived was on the chilly side, reminding us to thank God for our warm sleeping bags and the gift of fire.



Saturday morning, was spent enjoying breakfast, checking out gear, waiting for the few who had opted to stay in a motel the previous night, and telling tales about other people and paddling trips we had enjoyed. After everyone had assembled, PFD's were distributed and tried on for size, we said a prayer of praise, thanks, and for safety through the day, and then we headed over to Ray Wayside Access to the Silver River.



Last minute safety review and pre-launch prayer at Ray's.



Unloading the canoe trailer went smoothly and everyone was quickly headed down the canal to meet the Silver River where we would paddle the five miles upstream to Silver Springs. These springs gush forth 550 million gallons (over 2 billion liters) of crystal clear water every day creating the largest natural artesian spring formation in the entire world. The waters of Silver Springs and the Silver River are so transparent that this has become a favorite location for the filming of underwater scenes in many movies and television shows, most notably Tarzan and SeaHunt. In fact, the Rhesus monkeys which populate the jungle-like surroundings are, by most accounts, descendants of escapees from the filming of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movie series.




While most visitors to Silver Springs go there to ride the glass-bottom boats, visit Ross Allen's Reptile Institute, Deer Park, the antique car collection, or even play at the Wild Waters water park, we all agreed that the best part of the paddle was the travel up the river. It was here that we could see so much of God's creative genius and also acquire a better understanding of our place and His plan for us.

After reaching the Springs, we noticed the sun sitting lower in the sky and the wildlife, particularly the many alligators, starting to become restless as it neared feeding time for them. We judiciously made our way back downstream, up the canal, loaded up our gear, and headed back to camp, where we enjoyed huddling around the campfire while waiting for the genuine low country boil to get just right for our consumption.



After such a busy day, eating and discussions soon gave way to checking our eyelids for leaks. Saturday night was comfortably warm compared to the previous night and everyone slept comfortably until daybreak.

We started Sunday morning, of course, with a fireside worship service with several members of our party leading discussions and reading Bible passages concerning the Lord's use of parables, creation, and our experiences to teach us things He knows we need to understand, drawing strongly from Romans 1 and Psalm 19. Some of the living parables observed and discussed included:
1.) The “Laodecian Syndrome” as demonstrated by that uneasiness when we are not fully in or out of our canoes.
2.) The wide and narrow paths as illustrated by strainers across the wider river.
3.) The universality of God’s laws as seen in the rain or the flow of water downhill.
4.) Our need for a Savior related to our need for our PFD’s.
5.) Our place as members of Christ’s body illustrated by rain, springs, tributaries, etc.
6.) The armor of God as it relates to the paddler’s outfitting requirements.
7.) Encouragement, Teamwork, and Goalsetting as these relate to tandem canoeing.
8.) Importance of seeking the good and making every effort count re: paddle strokes.
9.) God’s untiring grasp of us as we consider the unrelenting grip of the alligator's bite.
10.) His lighting the way for us and His showing navigators the way with the stars.



Much of our worship time was spent pondering parable of the "Living Water" as we discussed the triune nature of God as displayed in the immense hidden resource of the underground river, the springs which show us the power and character of that otherwise hidden resource, and the stream banks which channel that refreshment and power right to where it is needed. We also noticed how, even though the water may be right at our feet, many will choose not to drink from or cool off in it's regenerating flow.




Following are just a few photos of some of the participants on this outing:


Three generations of Turner in one canoe!


The other two Turner boys paddling Juniper Creek.


Proof that "Yours Truly" really does go on these trips.


Clay and McClain Bradley heading to Silver Springs.


The Ritchie girls on the Silver River.



Todd and Preston Blair getting the requisite whistle before launching.


Bob and Jackie Tolford (w/Big Red) at Ray's Wayside.


Ron and Griffin Holmes assist in unloading and staging the canoes.


Vicki and Jackie reflecting the sunshine back at us in Silver Springs.

Ross Bickers waits to lead the charge up the river to Silver Springs.


Joel, Aaron, and Zachary heading up the Silver River.


Todd and Preston are all smiles as they search for the monkeys of Silver River.


Ron Holmes wins the undisputed title for the "I'd do anything" award as he searches for Griffin's lost glasses.


Griffin looks back toward the camera as he starts down Juniper Creek.


Bob was moved to play "How Great Thou Art" for us during a pause in our paddle through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area.


Tom, Ron, Tim, and the boys watch as a couple of kayakers move out ahead of us.

And, of course, most people look at this blog to see photos of some of the abundant wildlife we encountered while paddling thorough the streams of Ocala National Forest. The following are just a few of the literally hundreds of pictures we took during the trip. I trust you will enjoy what you see here.