Monday, January 16, 2023

Kayaking a Nature Preserve: Braden River, Bradenton, Florida - Jiggs Landing to Linger Lodge.


On a nice warm February day, my fellow paddler Mike and I decided to kayak at Jiggs Landing, a nature preserve in Manatee County, Bradenton, Florida. This would be Mike’s first paddle at Jiggs Landing, my second.

We wanted to paddle the Braden River from Jiggs Landing to Linger Lodge Restaurant, about 3 ½ miles upstream, but given that our time was limited, the many turns of the River, and we had not brought a map with us in case we got lost, we decided to limit our trip to one hour upstream and then turn around.

Briefly, our trip was loaded with many types of birds, including egrets and pelicans. We saw many large turtles. There were warning signs to be on the watch for alligators, but we saw none on this particular paddle. Of special interest is the kayak/canoe slide at Jiggs Landing. I had never experienced this type of put-in or take-out, usually, I did a shoreline entry or dock entry. The below video shows both the wildlife and kayak slide entry.



For those paddlers interested in going from Jiggs Landing to the Linger Lodge Restaurant and RV Park, I recommend first scouting this eight-mile roundtrip Braden River trip first, as there are lots of turns where one can get side-tracked, meaning possibly lost. I have attached a Google Earth map where I indicated this paddle to see the many choices that might get confusing.

Yellow Lines from Jiggs Landing to Linger Lodge Via Braden River

To scout this section of the Braden River with a limited time frame (paddle only one-way), I suggest leaving one car at Linger Lodge and a second car going to Jiggs Landing to put in. Of course, the option is always present to do the eight-mile trip.

Remember, for any paddling trip, always leave your put-in and take-out locations with family or friends. I always bring a compass and/or iphone app to trace my paddle as both a reference and a source to confirm where I am on any water paddle.

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Sunday, January 8, 2023

Colony Cove Boat Club Kayaks from Oscar Scherer State Park to Intercoastal Waterway (ICW)





In addition to all-size motor boating enthusiasts, the Colony Cove Boat Club entertains kayaking adventurers. On this day, our kayaker organizer member, Connie, set up a trip to the Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey, Florida.

Seven of us met at 10:30 am on a beautiful Saturday morning and left from a sandy beach on the South Creek near the ranger station. We went right and shortly paddled under the South Tamiami Trail Route 41 bridge and found our way to connecting waterways, eventually leading to the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW). Warning signs are prominent in slowing boaters for awareness of manatees.

Birds are prominent throughout our two-hour five-mile paddle. In particular, we saw droves of pelicans.

The ICW goes under the Blackburn Point Road Bridge. A swing span bridge rotates in a horizontal plane around a vertical axis into a position parallel with the marine channel and shore, allowing boats and ships to pass along a waterway that would otherwise be obstructed by the bridge. It is always interesting to stop and watch as the large boats wait and then pass by the open bridge.

I have a personal interest in this particular ICW area in that I belong to the Sarasota County Rowing Club, and we do our rowing in areas on both sides of the turnstile bridge. Thus, we frequently pass under it. Seeing this bridge from a kayak gives a different perspective than a rowing scull. 

In this same bay, but not today, I experienced two playful dolphins swimming around our rowing scull.

Click the below video to paddle with the Colony Cove Boat Club



Colony Cove Boat Club Kayakers


Blackburn Point Road Intercoastal Waterway Turnstile Bridge

"Everyone must do something. I believe I will go outdoors with family and friends" S. Priest

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