Exposing Hogans Creek

[billy]

where are people launching?

[Captain Zissou]

Let me know the closest place to put the 'yak in and i'm there.

where are people launching?

If you look at page 3 of this thread, there's a photo for Noones Launch.  it looks to be at the intersection of Beaver and Washington.  It appears that Beaver dead ends right at the launch point.  This would be an easily accessible and convenient place to put a park/ launch point.  I'm excited. 

[CG7]

Thanks, Ill be there about 8:30 Saturday

[Ocklawaha]

It is a beautiful site as long as you don't step in anything... This is exactly where I propose we develop a "Trolley Park," a cross between Boone Park in Riverside, the old Dixieland Park on the Southside, with a dash of San Antonio Riverwalk tossed in for good measure.

The proposed stadium extension of the streetcar line would use Beaver and run right off this end and on across the creek to Randolph.

OCKLAWAHA

[JaxNative68]

"Come on you curmudgeons!!  What would Freddie Mercury do??"

he'd get on his bike and ride!
i want to ride my bicycle, i want to ride my bike . . . right into hogans creek.

[billy]

One Man, One Vision!

[PatODo]

I'll be at Hogans with my 3yo nephew around 8:30am. Never too early to appreciate our city! Should be fun! Noone, I'll give you a ring Saturday morning when we're on our way out.

[Ocklawaha]

Is the cleanup still on for SATURDAY MORNING? 8:30am end of Beaver Street?

LET'S DO IT!

OCKLAWAHA

[Noone]

Its still on. Loaded some kayaks and looking forward to meeting you Ock and some others. PatODo your nephew is going to have a lot of fun. Hope someone is bringing a camera.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

One Man, One Vision!

wahowahowahoawaho, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!
http://www.youtube.com/v/mF8SMibVFog?fs=1&hl=en_US

[PatODo]

I'll have the camera! Just hoping my nephew takes to being out in the kayak...if not we'll keep an eye on the trailer back at base!  ;-)

[Noone]

Yesterday was a Chamber of Commerce day for experiencing Hogans Creek. It started with PatOD0 and his 3 year old nephew Gavin arriving and the immediate smile on that child's face with the wading birds that were surrounding us and the anticipation of going for a ride on the water. He had the happy face and attitude from start to finish. What a proud uncle PatODo.   

Field arrived and we immediately were getting the kayaks ready and in the water. Cg7 arrived and with the precision of a vetreran had his craft in the water and was ready to go. It was an outgoing tide and if we didn't get started right away it was definitely going to impact the fun factor.

Field and I led the way down the creek. Sitting in the front there seemed to be more birds than I can recall. The warm weather, falling tide, baitfish, all contributed to a visual pleasure of pushing these birds toward the river and their increasing numbers as the flock seemed to swell as we continued to advance in the water.

When we went under the Bay St. bridge we were then just seconds from popping out into the St. Johns River our American Heritage River. A boat was out in the channel booking it heading north. Field and I just went out about a 100 yards and then did a 360 and we were heading back. At the same time here comes PatODo and Gavin and he's saying Mr. John as he has his stick in the water and gliding it through.  His enthusiasm was so good to hear.

We are heading back as the tide is continuing to fall. We spot Ock on the top of Bay st. bridge. we are making the trek back. Craig is bring up the rear and you just have that feeling that there isn't a better man for that position.   

I point out to  Field my shopping cart creek depth meter. On a high tide its under water. Its pretty exposed. We are making good time going against the current and back to our starting point. We are going over the rapids of Hogans Creek and are starting to feel the shallowness of the creek because we are just scraping the bottom in some spots. We all made it back just before it would have turned into a non paddling event.

With the trip over and our kayaks put away and a little cleanup we are about to say our good byes then Capt. Zissou shows up with reinforcements, Kelly and Tripp.  They want to do some cleaning up and just like that the little cleanup turned into a major cleanup. Tripp went for the big stuff and used the truck to getr-done. We ended up pulling out chairs, tires, mattresses, filling up bags of garbage. What a team effort. I had fun.

Hogans Creek its Jacksonville's unpolished gem. 

[Captain Zissou]

Even though we focused on such a small portion of the creek (Noone's Launch Park), it's amazing how much was and still is out there to clean up.  We evicted one or two urban outdoorsmen, cleaned up one 'home' that had been abandoned a couple months ago, removed 3 or 4 office chairs, a mattress, a few tires, and probably 50+ beer can rings. 

I can't wait to get back out there to clean.  I had a blast cleaning yesterday and my eyes were really opened to the potential of the creek.  I have an entirely new perspective on what Noone is trying to do with the creek and downtown's waterfront.  If those are restored, we will have one of the nicest urban areas in the country.

[dougskiles]

Sounds like a great time.  When is the next one?

[fieldafm]

I'm leaving to go out of town for a week.

How about the 12th or the 19th?

I'll bring a truck this time to help with the efforts.  Tripp's truck was a HUGE help.

Lets start breaking this into sections along the creek basin and I bet with 3 or 4 of these morning meetups we'll have the Hogan Creek Greenbelt looking its best since Klutho was alive.  By that time, a new leadership apparatus will be installed and they'll start to hear us loud and clear.  I like Ock's idea in that respect.