Tom Econ River Paddle
The Econ River is in east Orange County, Florida. Tom paddles from Hwy 419 to Snowhill Road.
Attorney Tom Olsen: Two weeks ago-
Attorney Chris Merrill: You were?
Attorney Tom Olsen: -I was telling listeners about how I was going camping on the Econlockhatchee River. That night that was two weeks ago, we got to the river at 3:00 PM and I looked at the radar on my phone and, man, it was still sketchy. It could have gone either way. By the time we unloaded our canoes and by the time we shuttled our cars to the end of our trip and got back there, man, things are completely turned around, the blue skies are popping out and the cool dry air was blowing. That's been raining earlier that day, remember two weeks ago. We went out on the Econ River. We had lots of good wood. We had some hot dinner, and we had bourbon, and we had a campfire. It was so pleasant beautiful out there. I've been paddling Econ for, gosh, 25 years now and 100 or more times. All my buddies, man, they always see the gators, "Did you see that gator, Tom?" I’d never seen on Econ. I’ve seen them elsewhere but just not on the Econ. Well, this time I saw just the top of a gator, the rest of the gator was underneath the water. I saw it and I approach it, it had to be super quiet because gators otherwise will just run away or go underneath water. I quit paddling and the current is carrying me towards this gator. I see about two feet of gator above the water just by a couple inches. I do the smart thing, I'm not getting real good view of it. So I stand up in my canoe.
Attorney Chris Merrill: Whoa
Attorney Tom Olsen: Oh yes. I look down at this gator, it is so big. I got to first look left just to see his whole tail. I mean I'm scanning his tail and thinking, “Man, that tail goes on forever.” Then I go the opposite direction and scanning it from the middle to his head. I go, “Man, the rest of his body goes on forever.” That was like a 10 or 12-foot alligator just sitting there in about two feet of water, that I just drifted by standing up for my canoe, hope I didn't fall in.
Attorney Chris Merrill: Well, I was excited for you because I know it was important for you to see it. I on the other hand would have been a bit nervous, but--
Attorney Tom Olsen: I have always swam freely in the Econ River, because I'm not one to be hot and sweaty man, I'm getting in that water and I'm cooling off, and it gave me second thoughts about swimming in that water quite honestly, I'm sure I'm going to get over. That night I was down there standing next to the edge of the water just staring at the moon I'm thinking, “Maybe I just step back a few feet.” [laughs]
Attorney Chris Merrill: I agree.
Attorney Tom Olsen: I love alligators, it was super cool to see one that big on Econ River.
Attorney Chris Merrill: That close up.
Attorney Tom Olsen: A lot of fun with our friends, we'll be out there again, actually, in a couple of weeks.