Gopher Key

[Rob Stevens]

   I was confused by Johnny Molloy's description of finding Gopher Key. I must confess that I'm the type of person who when driving can be confused by the directions "Take this right". In his guide, second edition, he writes "Just before you get to Gopher Key.... the creek splits"  I would say as you are passing Gopher Key the creek splits. Before reaching Gopher Key there is a wide water, then a round key and a creek on the right that is part of the water that creates the round key. If you enter this creek and then left into a small cove you will  head toward the gumbo limbos on Gopher Key. There were three spots that looked like trails but because of the mud/ time/ etc. we didn't explore them. Taking the creek after passing Gopher Key there was, as Molloy writes, "a canoe-width clamshell landing between two mangrove trees". I love this description, like saying take a right at the white house with green shutters here in Maine, but it was obvious. At this landing was a piece of thick pottery, about 1/2" thick, and glazed on the inside.  I think it was a piece "salted" there to tempt those of us larcenous at heart so the Calusa can put a curse on us.

   In his next paragraph he writes of an alternative access to Gopher Key  where he writes "head farther up Gopher Key Creek". Still not sure we had found the creek he describes as before Gopher Key ( and I would describe as after) I didn't realize he was refering to the same creek that lead to the "canoe-width clamshell landing" as Gopher Key Creek and that to continue up it and take a right. It took us a while to figure this out. Earlier he describes this as "the creek the nautical charts show going to the unnamed bay." Then he writes "back track to the main artery of Gopher Key Creek" to continue to Charley Creek. That didn't make me feel that the creek we had been up he also was calling Gopher Key Creek.

   Then again I got us lost looking for Charley Creek and did not earn the nick name Compass Boy for nothing. I know how hard it can be to give instructions and I may just have confused you who read this.