****** Welcome ******

Welcome to Backcountry Kayak Adventures, the blog site to coordinate trips for the Queen's Harbour Kayak Club. This is an informal club that is attempting to promote organization of paddling trips for beginner to advanced levels, for residents and friends of Queen's Harbour Yacht and Country Club. Canoes Welcome.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Guana River Wildlife Management Area

***** TRIP COMPLETED *****



TRIP REPORT:

This is a wonderful place for those of you wanting to do some bird viewing. I saw more birds here than anywhere else I've gone in Florida. It is close to home and if you launch from the 6 Mile Launch Site, just off of A1A, there is no fee. I think we should do a trip here sometime.

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Date: Saturday, April 21, 2007

Time: 08:00 am

Length: 4 - 6 hours

Rating: Moderate

Leader: Lisa Beardsley

Guana River Wildlife Management Area is located off of A1A in St. John's County between Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine.

I will be doing a trip this Saturday while Shannon is at a conference. I have never been to this place and want to check it out. I thought someone may like to join me. There are no kayak rental facilities, so I would say you need to have your own kayak.

If any of you have been to this location, I'd love some info.....

Cheers,

Lisa

Please click on "comment" below and leave a message if you are interested in participating.

Folio Weekly's Kayak Festival '07

***** TRIP COMPLETED *****


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This is a posting from the Folio Weekly. Please call the phone number below if you are interested in attending. This is not an official QHKC event, but we thought some of you might be interested.
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You haven’t seen the real Florida till you’ve seen it from a kayak. And we here at Folio Weekly feel it is our duty each year to make sure you get that opportunity — to kick back in a streamlined water vessel and cruise the waters of Little Talbot Island and Fort George River. Folio Weekly’s Kayak Festival ’07 features ACA-certified instructors holding guided tours, leaving on Sunday, April 22 at 12:30 p.m. from Ribault Club, 11241 Fort George Road, Jacksonville. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. The $40 admission fee benefits the Northeast Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club. Bring your own kayak, and it’s just $30. 260-9770.
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Full Moon Marsh Paddle - May

***** TRIP COMPLETED *****




TRIP REPORT:

There were eight members of the club that participated in the trip. Five members signed up, but could not make the trip - three of them stopped by the Lock Dock to wish us a wonderful trip.

We met as planned and headed out minutes before sunset into the Intracoastal Waterway turning south. Just after the beautiful homes out on "The Island", we tucked inside the Marsh, being blocked at first by reed grass, having to take the Intracoastal a little further south than planned. Shannon then assisted the group through some shallow reed grass and we were able to reach the water trail. We paddled into the marsh behind the homes on Shipwatch Drive and watched as the moon rose. Due to the smoke of the Georgia fires being in the atmosphere, the moon appeared red! We enjoyed the peace, serenity and the view; speaking briefly to Dave from the dock behind his house (why were you not on the water Dave?). We then paddled back to the Lock Dock inside the marsh, passing through the reed grass and back into the Intracoastal, without any difficulty due to the rising tide. Some of the group concluded the trip then, while others continued the evening inside the marsh behind the homes on Moss Creek Drive. The night was concluded with a Champagne Toast to a successful trip on the Lock Dock!

A View of the Marsh behind Queen's Harbour.



Unloading everyone's boats. Frank and Shannon.


Getting ready to launch.


Waiting for everyone to get into the water.


Warming up.


The sun sets over Queen's Harbour.


Heading out into the Intracoastal.


Calm waters! A happy group.


We round the point.


The Red Moon rises.


Duke and Frank.


A view from inside the Marsh.


Hope and Harold with the group behind.


Duke - the fisherman!


Debbie and Glen.


Frank and Shannon behind the homes on Shipwatch Drive.


Soca, Shannon and La Luna.


Celebration Champagne.


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Date: May 1, 2007

Time: 7:15 pm - meet at the Queen's Harbour Lock Dock

Rating: Moderate (due to being out at night)

Length of trip: 1 to 2 hours

Leader: Lisa and Shannon Beardsley

Additional Gear: Everyone will need to have a flashlight in their kayak (required by Coast Guard Regulations), in addition to your PFD.

A full moon kayak trip will be offered on May 1st. The trip will leave from the Queen's Harbour Lock Dock just before sunset and head out into the Marsh behind the homes of Queen's Harbour. You must have your own kayak to participate in this trip. We will meet at 7:15 pm to have everyone in the water and paddling by 7:45 to see sunset at 8:03 pm. Moon rise will be at 7:41 pm so we should have a nice sunset and full moon view!

Please click on "comment" below and leave a message if you are interested in participating.

See you on the water!

Little Talbot Island Trip

***** TRIP COMPLETED *****




TRIP REPORT:

This is a great beginner trip for novices or families (easy paddle with rental gear available) and the staff at the Outfitters are very friendly and helpful. Even for the more experienced kayaker, it makes a nice leisurely trip with many great places to take a rest, have lunch and a swim.

Please feel free to contact any of us about this location -- it will surely become a regular.

Five club kayakers showed: Hope, Harold, Glen, Shannon and Lisa. As planned, the tides were with us on the way in and out. We launched from the Outfitters at Kayak Amelia and immediately turned south toward Ft. George Island. After about an hour of paddling, a quick beach stop was had for a stretch break. Along the way we watched anxious baitfish jump repeatedly out of the water, saw many meandering redfish and an occasional great blue heron stalking it's prey. We then paddled for another 30 minutes, taking a restroom stop at the Ribault Club beach. Following another short paddle, it was lunch on a large sand bar, complete with beer and wine! During lunch, the tide turned, and after stowing our wine glasses, we made the easy trip back to the launch site with both the tide and the winds to our sterns. Due to the full moon being in two days, the tide was very low and occasionally some of us had to walk our kayaks across a shallow sand bar or two. (Shannon was the only one with perfect navigation skills and did not have to take a walk). After a quick rinse of our gear at the Outfitters, we all made the dash for the ferry and our way back to Queen's Harbour. The trip lasted just over four hours -- on the water time....

We hope to see some more of you on our next trip.

Photos were limited as they were taken with a photo phone....thanks Hope.

Hope and Harold take a stretch break at our first beach stop.



A group photo minus the photographer - Hope.


Soca the dog has a stretch as well.


Back to your boats!


Our third stop; lunch on the Large Sand Bar with some South African Wine!


Shannon and Lisa pose after lunch.


Shannon and Glen have a chat.


"QHKC Was Here"


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Date: April 30, 2007

Time: 11:30 am; Meet at Kayak Amelia on Little Talbot Island

Rating: Easy/Beginner

Length: 1-4+ hours

Leader: Lisa and Shannon Beardsley

Many of you expressed interest in doing a trip to Little Talbot Island. Let's plan for April 30th.

We will launch from "Kayak Amelia" located at 13030 Heckscher Drive.

If you need to rent a kayak one may be rented on site from Kayak Amelia Outfitters. Their phone number is 251-0016 and their web site is http://www.kayakamelia.com/

Rental Costs are as follows:

Single Kayak = $30 for up to four hours and $45 for over four hours
Tandem Kayak = $45 for up to four hours and $60 for over four hours.

If you have your own kayak -- there is a launch fee of $1.00

The easiest way to get there from Queen's Harbour is to take the St. John's Ferry from Mayport to cross the river. Make a right out of the ferry docks and drive towards Amelia Island. You will pass Hugeonot Park, then Little Talbot State Park. Kayak Amelia is located just past Little Talbot State Park on the Left (west) side of the road. There is a sign; "Kayak Amelia", with an actual kayak above it.

The trip will last from 2 to 4 hours. A good thing about this location is people can turn around whenever they want, with little chance of getting lost. We will meet at Kayak Amelia at 11:30 and be ready to launch at 12:00 noon. The tide will be out going at that time and we will have an easy paddle towards Ft. George Island. Low tide is at 1:44 pm, so we will turn around after that, and again have an easy paddle back to the launch site. Plan on bringing a lunch to eat at a beach stop along the way. Those of you wishing to have a more leisurely trip, you may wait at the beach after lunch until the tide turns, then return to the launch site.

Please click on "comment" below and leave a message if you are interested in participating.