Cumberland Island yak trip in March, Apr il???

“arclite and Supertroll have expressed an interest.
I've been on two kayaking trips to Brickhill Bluff during the Summer heat.
Time for something different? Maybe Sea Camp in early Spring?
Leave using kayaks from St. Marys, paddle over to Cumberland Island. Stay a couple of days, paddle back.
Dates open to discussion.
I have no idea what dates might be available for Sea Camp.
Fees for Sea Camp are $4 day each person, plus day use fee of $4.
Advance reservations are required.
last edited: 10/30/05 7:37:38 PM”

“I *might* be interested in working this into a trip. No 'yakking for me, though!!

Just remember it's spring break time, especially in March, and you need to call way ahead to get reservations, or keeping calling -- like I did last year -- and hope for cancellations.”

“Good point about Spring Break.”

“well you can still do it. Pick a weekend and check availability. And then get on a waiting list, depending on what's available. Last year I think we went around March 12-15... something in there.

And here I thought you'd be excited I'm a "maybe"... phhhttt... not just giving me "good point"s. LOL”

“Note:
I have little to no interest on this turning into a mass TT kar kamping drunkfest. ;-)
Sites are limited on Cumberland Island so after a good discussion and show of who's interested, if anyone besides lizs and I, I'll make it a private trip and go to email.
last edited: 10/30/05 8:03:38 PM”

“Amen to the ban on drunkfest. :-)

You've got e-mail.
last edited: 10/30/05 8:10:05 PM”

“Stovestomper: Birch and I would like details to see if it's something we could join in on. My graduation is in March so it'd depend on date. If you don't mind, please drop us the details when you get them set. I'd love to see this beautiful place.”

“This past weekend I was thinking about my wife and I trying something like this and boom, here's the thread. I'm just wishlisting at this point. I'll watch the thread in case we might possibly try a trip like this.”

“I am maybe interested, but no yacking for me either [don't have a yack :( ]

I maybe want to take my kid thou. [if he lets me take him]”

“HPM and I may be up in Pisgah if this trip corresponds with our spring break. Sprouts, ya know.”

“I would definately be interested but April works better for me than March.

March 18th-26th is out for me.”

“Noted, HPM.

Temps are usually mild, even in Feb.
Avg high 65
Avg low 47, but the 20s/30s can be seen if a strong cold front moves in.

How about late Feb., folks?
Feb 10-12 is out, that's the FL backpack.

Excellent rental kayaks are available in St. Marys if you do not own or wish to travel with a yak.

Jacksonville, FL has a good airport that is close to St Marys.”

“How many tents/persons are allowed each campsite at Sea Camp? Anyone know?”

“Late Feb is fine by me.”

“For some reason I'm thinking 8 people 2 tents per site but don't take that as gospel.

I'll have check my paperwork when I get home.”

“Sass, please email me with dates y'all might can come.
I'll try very hard to make things easy as I can for the out of towners.”

“Whenever...I'll schedule time off based on the final dates. I'm in agreement with the NO Drunkfest portion....I know my limitations in the yak, and will not compound the issue with alcohol...nor do I want to have to open water rescue a hungover paddler or two.”

“Kewl Beans, ST!
Where the he11 is arclite?
Smokygirl needs to speakup also!
How about om, Rad, locals?”

“SS - arc has sent an email out about this, mentioned that yall had been talking about doing this, but appears to have forgotten to send the message to you. I made sure he knew it was talked about it here. Also, it looks he has HPM's old email addy. Gator fans, sheesh.
last edited: 10/31/05 10:02:23 AM”

“Treebait and I are the locals.
lol.”

“my old seventhman addy?
yikes.”

“maybe.....can you rent yaks there? where the heck IS cumberland?
last edited: 10/31/05 10:06:25 AM”

“HPM - yep, I considered forwarding your work address, but didn't since I hadn't asked first.
last edited: 10/31/05 10:10:59 AM”

“If ya don't know, ya can't go, BW... Rulez is rulez.”

“:(


:(

:(”

“LOL... j/k you chick from alabama. Thta would be a short drive for you from AB (wtf is that state's abbreviation?? Isn't that Alberta? OH YEAH, you're almost that far away in REAL LIFE! lol)”

“hehe the alabama was to throw people off...it worked! Hehehe I am such an evil libby!

Ok, Georgia is an aweful long ways away...and its pretty scarry in the south....dont know if I could swing that...plus I dont have my own boat :(”

“Any links to boat rentals?

It looks like about 6.5 hrs for me. Southwest airlines isn't running any deals on airline tickets to JAX. booh. I got $39 (one way) tickets to Orlanda about 6 weeks ago.”

“Theres an Idea! I could Fly in near you people, get a ride and rent a boat...if I find a good deal...hmmmm....

itching....itching...havent been on the water in over 2 years now!”

“Sea kayak rentals go for about $40/day at Up the Creek in St Marys about a half block from the water 912-882-0911”

“Thanks.”

“Alcohol isn't allows on the island anyways, people.”

“You write like you've been drinking, hic, treebeast666.

;-P”

“I really would like too go...so a STRONG maybe.”

“This crossing isn't a death paddle like my last one, but I would not recommend it for people who are not paddlers with basic sea kayaking skills.”

“Is this a trip I should be nervous about then SS?”

“Can your wife paddle a canoe straight?
If you can paddle a canoe, you can paddle a yak. Getting IN or OUT of a yak can be very tippy. Once in, they feel good.

If the wind picks up, there could be breaking waves over the kayaks. We will be crossing the Intercoastal Waterway with barge traffic a concern. Common sense is needed, LOL.”

“We've paddled a bit and have moderate success in keeping a canoe straight. Would a 2 person yak make more sense for us?”

“How brave is your wife, dayhiker? ;-)

Most places don't recommend married couples paddle in the same boat. ;-)”

“Example: We took a little family canoe trip a few years back. I put my sister in the front of my canoe to keep her from driving her husband or kids crazy.
She stands up in my canoe screaming at my nephews about something they were doing in their canoe she didn't like.
I calmly took my paddle and swatted her on the butt. She sat down.
Her husband couldn't have gotten away with that, but big brother could. LOL!”

“*bump*
for arclite”

“I think we'd be fine from a bravery standpoint, but we do tend to grate on each others nerves as the bow of the canoe teeters back and forth since we aren't experienced paddlers.”

“Well dayhiker, if you get a two person yak with you at the rudder controls, will not matter which way y'all paddle.
He11, you both could paddle only on one side and still go straight.

Just don't both lean over in the same direction! SPLASH!!!!!”

“iv'e been wanting to go to cumberland island for the longest time. i can canoe, but i never kayaked. i would love to go, if i'm not working.”

“These things have rudders, sweet!!!

I'll know more about our availability when all of my other winter stuff shakes out. I suspect Utah is a pipe dream at this point, so maybe HPM's trip in Feb or Savage in Jan, this trip, and then Sipsey in March. I have tons of b'day parties to attend in Feb, so that'll have to play out too.”

“I'm here, I'm here.

Sorry HPM. Yep, that old address. I've got another one for you though. I figured if you didn't show up here, I'd just email you with the other address.

I'd vote for further along in the year. Late March and April are exceptionally fine months down here. The water will be warmer by then and it still won't be too hot. But I’m game for the consensus.

I really believe that this paddle is almost like a trip to Alaska. It’s a “must experience.”

Seacamp is an easy paddle with lots of day trip possibilities by both land and sea. The beaches at the south end of the island make a nice area to explore by kayak.

I'd love to try paddling up the Atlantic side of the island again. Rad and I tried that one year but the weather was so rough that we ended up dragging the boats through the surf from the jetty at the south end of the island up to Seacamp (not recommended).

Brickhill Bluff is really the prettier paddle, but it may be a bit longer that some folks may want to do. St. Mary’s to Seacamp is so easy I’d feel very comfortable bringing a weak paddler. But the intercoastal is wider at the south end. Rad and I encountered 2-3 foot chop. It was a lot of fun once you got used to it. We made it from St. Mary’s to the south end of the island in a little over an hour.

If you hit the tides right, you can ride to the island with the outgoing tide, explore the south end beaches for a while, then catch the incoming tide up to Seacamp. With 6-foot tides, it makes for an easy paddle.

That same year we dragged the kayaks, I read the tide tables incorrectly when we left. Rad and I ended up paddling back to St. Mary’s against the river current and the tide (highly unrecommended).”

“'Bout time, you hoser....”

“hoser gator”