St Jude's Kayak Trip--2013 Report--Great time!

[swampdrummer]

Ya'll have a good time! That is one pretty stretch of river!

[Doc Nock]

Originally posted by Duckbutt:
Joe and Jeff
Number one Southern Backcountry Wilderness Paddler tip:

If you hear banjo music, paddle faster!

[rastaman]

i hope you guys have a blast!  Good luck and be safe!  

[tippit]

Just saw that picture from Orlando airport!  I'd better fly back to Aiken and drive my 18' Panga skiff down to help barg all the gear  

[awbowman]

I'll be watching this one.

[lilbobby]

You going to wear "TheHat"?

[T-Bowhunter]

I hope you guys have a great time.    

[awbowman]

Hey Joe, I hear there is a tornado watch in Florida.  You are a cursed man!  

[mjh]

I think that if yea hear banjo music it's most likely already too late......or if your lucky a bluegrass festival is right around the next bend....

[tracker1]

Have fun guys and be safe.  Greg keep the Otter Fedora dry.  Ha Ha.

[gregg dudley]

Originally posted by awbowman:
Hey Joe, I hear there is a tornado watch in Florida.  You are a cursed man!      

No doubt!  It hasn't rained here in a month!  Joe and Jeff show up and the sky is clouds roll in!  I might have to take the otter fedora for luck!  Everything is on the trailer and the kids are tucked in.  Good night johnboy.

[Robertfishes]

Gregg will show you guys a good time! If yall get in a bind and need rescue give me a call..I live in NE Ocala not far from the river..we can stack the Yaks in my boat.. There should be a few Gar and Mullet to shoot at in the River..  

[elkken]

Now this is a trip I wish I was going on ... great bunch of guys !! I better grease up my bidding button for next time if Gregg is soooo generous to donate this adventure again !

[Kip]

Hey Jeff and Joe I just figured out I think ya'll are the reincarinated Bing Crosby and Bob Hope road to Louisiana and road to Florida coming to a movie screen near you.
Enjoy guys I can only hope some day soon.Kip  

[KOOK68]

Can' wait to see pictures.
Kip, it's not much, but I can take you on a pirogue tour of the Bayou teche if you come south.    :D

[Greg Szalewski]

That is a lot of gear for a kayak trip. Gregg must have the queen Mary model. Have fun.

[Jack Guard]

I have been looking forward to this.

[7 Lakes]

I worked for a Wilderness Educational Program for 30 years.  The first rule when dropping off a group on the river was the driver had to stay until the group paddled off.  Often the group would send stuff back to camp to prevent sinking.       Ya'll have fun.

[Shinken]

WHOA!  This looks to be real excitin'!

Lookin' forward to the fishin' report and ALL of the war stories!

     

Shoot straight, Shinken

   

[gregg dudley]

Well we are back and we had a fantastic trip!  I'll start the story tellin' briefly tonight, but probably won't be completely finished for a couple of days.  I had an absolutely fabulous time with Joe (Whip)and Jeff (Tippit). These guys are first class and would make a welcome addition to any adventure.

From the moment that I picked them up at the airport on Thursday evening I knew that I was in for a treat.  I had had the pleasure of spending some time with Joe last summer in Wisconsin, but this was the first opportunity that I had to meet Jeff.

Because of their reputation for bringing record floods with them wherever they go I was worried about the weather forecast.  As a measure of good luck, I wore my lucky St Jude's Otter Skin hat to breakfast Friday morning.  As it turned out that was a good move becasue we were blessed with wonderful weather all weekend.

   

Left to right:  My son, Reed, me, my Dad (who graciously dropped us off and retreived us from the trip, my friend Jim Wohrley, Joe, and Jeff.