Planning a 10-day canoe trip in the Everglades: Part 3

It's about 6 weeks away from our start date, Dec 24th and the excitement is increasing as we continue to prepare. A 4-day trip over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend will be an excellent warm up for the main event. Much of the preparation we are doing now is for that trip as well.

Due to a very hectic schedule, I do not see myself having any real days off just before the 24th. Usually, I am out of the semester a good week prior to the trip, but this year we had a late start which means a late ending. And I will spend some time with my mother who lives about 4 hrs north of Miami. Typically I spend 2 full days during the few days before the trip preparing and packaging all the food. This year, I will have to do most of the preparing much sooner than that. So, for the next couple weekends, I am not going out of town and the time will be partly devoted to getting our food ready for both trips.

Before getting into the food part of the preparation, we had some other things to work on, namely the first aid kit. I use a 1250 pelican case for all the first aid supplies. Each year, I go through the leftover supplies from the previous year and replace anything that has expired. Medications typically have a 2-3 yr shelf life, so if none get used, I still replace expired drugs. Some things do get used more regularly, such as ibuprofen or even benadryl, for instance. I even take the benadryl on day trips because of the regular encounter with mosquitoes and no-see-ums. Other drugs are rarely used, but I take them with me anyway. If I am out there for 10 days, anything can happen; a bad case of the flu or diarrhea, allergic reaction, or an accident. So, like a girl scout, I am always prepared.

Here is a list of my first aid supplies:

• one small tube triple antibiotic cream
• one small tube hydrocortisone cream
• children's benadryl
• Cortaid poison ivy care cloths
• small bottle ibuprofen
• anti-diarrheal pills
• alka-seltzer tablets
• roll of tums
• daytime flu tablets
• nighttime flu powder for mixing
• coughdrops
• tooth filling
• eye drops
• Tiger balm
• gauze
• blister relief pads
• assorted bandaids
• ace bandage
• tape
• a couple latex gloves
• tweezers
• eye glass repair
• small scissors
• mirror
• notes with directions for use of medications

A quick trip to Walgreen's and I'm good to go. The next entry will be all about the food preparation.

Paddling the Everglades Part 4: Some information on the campsites

In the Everglades National Park, there are 3 different camping sites; beach, backcountry ground sites, and chickees. Chickees are free standing wooden platforms that span about 14 by 12 feet. Some are double platforms connected by a walkway where a port-a-let sits off from the center of the walkway. The Pearl Bay chickee is a bit larger (15 X 15 ft) than the others and is handicapped accessible, making this chickee a bit more comfortable in terms of space allotment. Most of the chickees are double and each platform is limited to one party and no more than 6 people. I’ve stayed on a chickee platform with 2 tents and four people. If you include chickee camping, make sure you are comfortable in confined quarters with other people. Chickee camping can be quite fun and allows you to stay in some beautiful backcountry bays and rivers. But a word of warning to kayakers, loading and unloading from a chickee can be difficult especially with low water levels. You can have a > 4-ft distance between the water line and the chickee platform and this makes getting in and out of the kayak challenging. No doubt, chickees are more canoe friendly.

Among my favorite chickee sites, primarily for the view, are:
Lane Bay: It's a single chickee overlooking Lane Bay and gives you the ultimate peaceful experience in the glades
Hells Bay: At sunset, the view can't be topped
Rodgers River: It's actually on a bay and offers one the best open views in the middle river area of the park

The backcountry ground sites can be the most interesting, the most remote and the most lively, all depending on the site and the time of year. Getting on and off the backcountry sites with your boat can be easier than a beach site that is highly influenced by the tides. Most of them have docks, so these sites are accessible to and quite popular with powerboaters. Some of the backcountry sites are quite small, like Lopez River or Willy Willy, and you may have to share it with several other people from 2 other parties. One last point, Camp Lonesome and Willy Willy can be very difficult to get on and off from a kayak or double canoe if the dock is being occupied by powerboats. Little ground space is left around the docks for a kayak or canoe to access the land directly from the water. We had to cut several low lying branches and clear some brush at Camp Lonesome where we were 2 kayaks and 2 canoes sharing the space with 2 powerboats.

Although the backcountry campsites can get cramped, they can also offer you the best camping experiences. If you are interested in the human history of the Everglades, there are several campsites that help tell the story. Most of these sites sit on a shell mound, built by Calusa Indians. Later, these sites were inhabited by European and American homesteaders 100 years ago or so. Perhaps the most famous site is The Watsons Place, previous home to Ed Watson, a notorious character in the Everglades a hundred years ago. Outlaw that he was, Watson was also a shrewd businessman, landowner and farmer who became quite successful. However, it is also believed that he killed several people, which led to his murder. What ever the story is, staying at the Watsons Place is interesting and it's located on the beautiful Chatham River. Several old pieces of farm equipment are still scattered about. This site as with a few others has a cement structure that once served as a cistern or foundation for a home.

Probably the biggest issue with the backcountry sites is the presence of mosquitoes and no-see-um bugs. Some sites are buggier than others, Broad River being the worst of them. Don’t let this deter you especially during the winter months when the bugs are as bad (between Dec and April) and with a nice breeze, you can generally have a bug-free evening.

Among my favorite backcountry ground sites are:
Lopez River: the river is magical; it’s not unusual to hear the tell-tale sound of the dolphins as they blow through their air holes while passing through with the tide in the evenings.
Watsons Place: for nostalgic reasons (I always have fun there), but also because the Chatham River is awesome.
Darwin’s Place: because it is near Gopher Creek, one of the most remote and beautiful areas in the Everglades.

The beach campsites are the essence of camping experience in the Everglades. These are what people primarily come here for; to sit on a beach at sunset, get a campfire going, and listen to the waves coming on shore; a classic Florida scene.

Getting on and off the beach with your boat makes beachcamping more interesting. Unlike the backcountry sites, tidal influences are significant. Leaving or pproaching a campsite at low tide can mean dragging or carrying your boat for dozens of feet. On the other hand, coming into a gulf side beach, like Picnic Key, with 20-25 knot westerly winds can be precarious as the crashing waves push you violently toward the beach. But, this is not as nerve wrecking as getting into the water under the same conditions or having to do so in a canoe.

Once you are safely on shore, finding a camp site above the high tide line is necessary. You also want to make sure your boat is safely above that line as well. Choosing the best campsite location depends on several factors including wind direction, storm predictions, location of other campers, and shoal length. Wind direction should be considered when deciding on which side of an island to camp and also which island to camp on, when choices are available. Why is wind direction such an important consideration? One word: bugs. Winds above 5 knots are ideal for camping because they help keep the no-see-ums at bay and if you know your wind directions, you can choose a location that will provide you the best breeze action. The flip side of that is when you know there is a storm coming. In which case, wind protection should be considered. Carry a weather radio with you and check it at least daily; the weather can change dramatically in the Everglades and you want to be prepared for anything.

The shoals along the shoreline should also be considered. At low tide, try to avoid areas where you have the longest shoal in front of you, this means you will be carrying your boat quite a distance before you have enough water to paddle in.

In the Ten Thousand Islands, my favorite beach sites are:
Picnic Key – for the location, sunsets, and beauty
Tiger Key – for the location, sunsets, and beauty
Rabbit Key – for the full moon rise, sunsets with osprey nest, and ability to walk around the island
Turkey Key – especially on the south side which has a beautiful sunrise view

In the middle and southern regions, Highland Beach has been a popular site, but it has changed since the 2005 hurricanes. The ideal spots for pitching a tent have disappeared, but there is still enough coastline for lots of choices. Highland Beach is notorious for very large shoals at low tide. Graveyard Creek is another example of a beach site that has been dramatically altered as a result of the hurricanes. This site was once a beautiful beach site, seated along the creek as well as the gulf. The hurricanes pushed the beach up into the mangrove forest and now, the campsite is confined to the dense area of the mangroves. It still beautiful, but it is buggy and cramped.

About 10 miles south of Shark River is the cape, beginning with Northwest cape and continuing on to Middle and East Capes. Basically, it’s 10 miles of continuous beach. Northwest cape has got to be the most beautiful of all the sites. You’ll see so many tarpon, dolphin and pelican action from your campsite, the entertainment never stops.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: If you are planning a multi-day trip with 4 or more night stays, consider base camping at one of the sites. My favorite base camp is Darwins Place from which I can head into Gopher Creek. The creek begins about ½ mile from Darwins in Cannon Bay and leads you eventually to Rookery Bay, a great area for fishing but also for wildlife photography. This is a spectacular area to explore and you can easily spend more than one day here. Any campsite where you have several areas close by for exploring is an opportunity for base camping. Consider base camping at Middle Cape and exploring Lake Ingraham, or at Cape Lonesome and exploring the nearby creeks and bays. The choices are many, but remember, you cannot base camp on a chickee; there is a 1-night stay maximum rule for those sites.

Stayed tuned for part 5, I'll provide some recommended routes for multi-day trips.

Paddling the Everglades Part 1: Getting oriented with the park

Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. I suppose the attraction to the Everglades for many northerners is the climate and warm temperatures during the winter months. Whatever the attraction is, your paddling vacation in the Everglades can be an incredibly wonderful and pain-free or it can be completely miserable. The difference is how well you plan your trip, as well as your tolerance level for certain inconveniences and annoyances).

Planning your trip begins here: research the Everglades National Park’s website (http://www.nps.gov/ever). Starting with ‘Directions’, you’ll find that the park has 4 visitor centers. While all four are worth a visit, only two of these provide you camping permits, Flamingo and Gulf Coast visitor centers. Now, click on 'view map' and find those visitor centers. Flamingo (on the southern end of the park) is your gateway to Florida Bay, Whitewater Bay and Hells Bay, and the beginning or end point of the wilderness waterway. On the northern end is the Gulf Coast visitor center in Everglades City, your entrance to the Ten Thousand Islands and the beginning or end point of the wilderness waterway.

Your planned paddling route, rental needs, and shuttle needs will dictate which of these two visitor centers will be your camping permit venue. If you are planning a one-way trip, it may be useful to know that Flamingo has a campground near its visitor center. While there are hotels in Everglades City, there is no tent camping. However, there are nearby campgrounds, Seminole-Collier State Park and Chokoloskee Island Park.

To get to Flamingo, you must pay to come into the park, $10 per car and $3 per boat. There is no entrance fee to the Gulf Coast visitor center in Everglades City. I believe it is $16 to camp at the Flamingo campground. Your backcountry permits will cost $10 plus $2 per person ($1 for seniors) per night (14 days maximum). Permitting only takes place from mid-November to the end of April.

From the website, you can download maps and brochures (http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/maps.htm). Two of them are very important

• The Everglades National Park map is useful for planning the beginning and end of your trip and helping you decide on where you want to begin and end your trip.
• The Wilderness Trip Planner is also a useful brochure. The brochure contains a list of all the backcountry campsites and a map to orient you to the campsite locations and distances. DO NOT USE THIS MAP for navigating! You’ll need a marine map for that (more on that later). From this brochure, you can at least get an idea on distances so you can begin planning your route. But it isn’t until you study a marine chart that you will begin to get a full understanding of the trip you are about to take.

It would also be a good idea to begin learning more about the Everglades and the ecosystem that you will be visiting. Do some research on typical weather patterns (temperatures, wind velocities and directions) for the time of year you intend to visit. If you intend to fish, you will need to read up on fishing regulations and get your Florida saltwater fishing permit. The best money you can spend when planning your trip is Johnny Molloy’s book: A Paddler’s Guide to the Everglades National Park. He has a new edition includes areas north of the national park in the 10,000 Islands Wildlife Preserve. This book is essential to good planning and regardless, it’s a great read. He includes much information on the history of the area and invaluable insider information on campsites and paddling routes.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: at this stage in your planning, you are perusing the ENP website, but there are some things you cannot glean from the website where a little local knowledge may be beneficial.

Depending on when you are planning to come here, acquiring a backcountry camping permit can be very difficult. The busiest times are around the holidays, weekends and in March (spring break). You must purchase your permit in person at either Flamingo or Gulf Coast visitor centers and it is first-come-first-serve. The earliest you can purchase your permit is 24 hrs prior to your trip. Several parties can be vying for backcountry permits at the same time. At the busiest times, you will find people camped out on the doorsteps of the visitor center waiting for the doors to open at 8 am. So here is an important tip, have a contingency plan in case you do not get the campsite you want. Arrive at the visitor center well before 8 am and get in line. Welcome to sunny Florida!

Next blog; Part 2: acquiring a marine map, the tides and planning your route.

For more information, go to my website: http://www.cmierphotoandfitness.net