Surveying Irma Havoc. 6 days in the Everglades

[yellowcanoe]

We launched from the new to us paver covered launch in Everglades City behind the shell of the Ranger Station ( they are now in a trailer). No more boot waist sucking mud at low tide.
The paddle to Jewel was of course against the tide. We met an overloaded group of kayakers who were discouraged. The tidal currents are up to 2 mph so going against them is wearying.. We all just visited for a while clinging to mangroves waiting for the tide current to lessen.
Jewel used to have a good sized beach .. Now its a giant beach. The rest of the vegetation is stripped of leaves mostly. This leaves no water source for the raccoons who were pests. They wanted our water.
Next day we had a stupid moment. We were in two solo canoes and I launched first. Assuming he was right behind me I lolly gagged a bit but the wind took me out a bit.. Turning around I could not find him .. I went back.. I had drifted half a mile away. No partner. Turns out he went back to the tent site for a hat he had forgotten..Coming back to his boat he could not see me. There was another group on the island on the other side and he paddled to them asking directions to Rabbit Key. He took off but got disoriented and headed the wrong direction.. Not finding him nor anyone else I called for help ( the cell did work, but I also had a marine radio).. Feeling very dumb. He did not have a chart. I had two. I got to Rabbit Key to rendezvous with the rangers as he paddled up.
OOPS.
Moral give everyone a map and a float plan and make sure they have a compass.. Especially in wind and waves and wide open spaces.. Assume nothing..you know what they say about that.
OK we finish the four mile open water crossing to Pavilion without incident and without sighting George.
When we had gotten our permit ( currently free as all the potties blew out to sea and the maintenance boat sank) the ranger mentioned George.
Ranger: "Look out for George"
Me: " Who is George"
Ranger: "Our great white Shark who is radio tagged"
Me: O ( wondering who did the tagging)
Next day on to Turkey with of course a headwind.. The next day was a lay day and we did.. lazy.
We should have started back instead. The departure day was stormy with hail and a cold north wind of 30 mph. This got worse overnight and abated very little the next morning though we let at six in the dark. We were supposed to get back to Rabbit but got hung up in a cove for hours and had to backtrack to find a new irma generated beach to make an emergency bivouac.
Too tired to take pix
Next day we paddled 12 miles again against the wind to Everglades City. It was nice to have a shower in the parking lot where we had kept our trailer ..for free. The fresh water tank was full. And we were dirty!

Some photos

https://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcanoe72/albums

 

[sweeper]

Looks like great shelling.

 

[memaquay]

Beautiful pics!

 

[lowangle al]

That looks and sounds like it was a good trip. Did you see any crocs? They should be on the beaches breeding about now. How did you keep the raccoons from getting your water? Thanks.

 

[yellowcanoe]

That looks and sounds like it was a good trip. Did you see any crocs? They should be on the beaches breeding about now. How did you keep the raccoons from getting your water? Thanks.

We were in too saline a water for gators.. As for saltwater crocs no.. The two or three at Flamingo reportedly are not the only ones around and I have heard stories about possible migration along East Cape and the beaches to NW cape.
We carry water in those hard sided blue containers. An added bonus to the 6 gal containers is that the water stays pretty cool all week due to lots of mass compared to surface area. Raccoons don't yet wield teeth and claws that can puncture a hard side container. We only saw them on Jewel..skulking around

From time to time we saw out to sea the Watertribe "crazies" in the Everglades Challenge.. I hear some capsized out there.

 

[deerfly]

the canoe launch looks great, a welcome change for sure. Pic's are great too, everglades looks beautiful as ever. Will be down there in a few weeks tarpon fishing. Great report and glad you guys found your way home.

 

[snapper]

We just got back from 5 days in the 10,000 Island NWR and the wind was bad every time we hit the water. Luckily we did have some mangrove islands to hide behind but it was the windiest few days of paddling I've experienced in years. In fact, the wind was so bad the only photos I got of paddling were when we finally hit the river we paddled in on to end our trip. Of course, instead of wind we ended up paddling in floating debris (non-burning at least) from a wildfire that had started a couple of days before in a lightening strike.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time....be well.

snapper

 

[yellowcanoe]

We just got back from 5 days in the 10,000 Island NWR and the wind was bad every time we hit the water. Luckily we did have some mangrove islands to hide behind but it was the windiest few days of paddling I've experienced in years. In fact, the wind was so bad the only photos I got of paddling were when we finally hit the river we paddled in on to end our trip. Of course, instead of wind we ended up paddling in floating debris (non-burning at least) from a wildfire that had started a couple of days before in a lightening strike.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time....be well.

snapper

Yep I don't have pictures of paddling in the wind.. Putting the paddle down was not an option. Floating debris from a wildfire? That I hadn't seen. There was plenty of floating stuff from snags that were getting blown around.. I don't think any were from the wildfire up north of 41. But that was last month.
Blackwater River . Did you launch from Collier Seminole?
Its odd. People often don't think the Everglades is what it is.. Big water, shallow water, big winds and very little wind escape. Very bright and blinding.. The broody swamps are in Big Cypress a little farther inland and still scattered, but adjacent to the Everglades.

 

[snapper]

Yes, we took off from the Collier-Seminole SP and paddled down the Blackwater River to White Horse Key. We based camped there except for the last night when we got about 4 miles closer to the park at the edge of the river so our last day's paddle wouldn't be quite so long. That last night the stars were gorgeous, as they had been except for the night of the storm, but you could also see the glow of the wildfire to our northeast. That fire is what "snowed" on us the last day in. Thankfully there were no burning embers but lots of small to medium sized white flecks of what looked like paper; only it was really ash.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time....be well.

snapper

 

[Erica]

I am surprised you saw raccoons at all. We have heard reports that all the raccoons are gone from the keys - eaten by the pythons. This sounds like a joke, but I am not kidding. We're planning a paddle end of April similar to snapper's.
Erica

 

[snapper]

Erica - Funny you should mention the pythons. When we were at Shark Valley the tour guide kept mentioning the pythons and how they grew & grew & grew. The last mental image he dropped on everyone was of a python with a 125 pound pig in its mouth; and this was after the started with them eating a dog and then working upward. He also mentioned that they can stay underwater for up to 45 minutes without drowning. I'd never heard that but if it's true, it explains why they've taken over throughout all of Florida.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time....be well.

snapper

 

[yellowcanoe]

I am not a good snake noticer.. Never saw a python this trip.. And there are still raccoons but not in the numbers we have had them on prior trips. This time I didn't have one hanging around as I made selections from the food wanigan.

There are several You Tube videos of pythons killing pigs but none seem 125 lbs. There is also one of a python who ate a porcupine. Not posting links.. its kind of gruesome.