Hello Everglades Exploration Network

[Jason Jones]

Hello Explorers,

My name is Jason Jones, and I’m the newest addition to this group. First, I’d like to thank Keith for taking the initiative to put this site together, and second I’d like to thank everyone else who has participated in the past to build up such an amazing collection of original information on the specific topic of manpowered exploration of the ENP.

I’m 30, a 5^th generation Floridian, and I was born and raised in Port Charlotte. I have been kayaking since 2009, but only Charlotte/Sarasota/Manatee/Lee counties. For the last few years I had been living abroad, but I decided to return because I just missed kayaking and being alone on the FL waters without engines or artificial noise pollution. Peace and quiet has become a rare commodity these days.

In addition to kayaking and exploring the waterways of southwest Florida, I also enjoy backcountry hiking, especially to places with historical folk lore attached. Learning the history of the area helps me to better appreciate my own ancestors. It also helps me picture what these areas looked like when their use and vegetation were different. I’m interested in everything from the geology and how it was formed to the Indians that inhabited the area thousands of years ago.

My interest in the Everglades has been growing for years, but only through indirect research. I now have all the books (Totch, Dredgeman of Cape Sable, River of Grass, The Swamp…), have visited all the websites (Everglades Diary, KayakFari… thanks again Keith and Flex!), watched the YouTube videos (this is my favorite http://www.youtube.com/user/mechanicmike69), etc, etc, etc. I’m working extra jobs to buy a 16-18-foot touring sea kayak by Sept so that I can start practicing in it—right now I have 13-foot hybrid fishing kayak.

I’ve been building out a GoogleMap with routes, notes, and markers in my free time. I will keep adding to it in the weeks and months to come as I prepare for a through trip (Everglades City to Flamingo or vice versa) this winter. Feel free to check it out (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gAS5Nc5AtMuwdF4beDj9ESihhr4&u...). Like I said, I’ll keeping adding more campsites and routes to it. Plus, I’ll add the mileage to the route names to make it easier to plan.

I do have many questions, but I will continue to read through the forum before asking anything so that I’m not making you guys repeat yourselves. Thank you again for building this amazing resource, and I look forward to contributing as well. As a person who enjoys being alone and values independence (probably too much), it is good to see that as a group we really can accomplish more than any of us on our own. Kudos.

-Jason Jones

[Dallas]

Hi Jason.

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

Welcome Jason! Keep your fishing yak, you're gonna want both! :)

[Jason Jones]

Flex Kayakfari.com said:

Welcome Jason! Keep your fishing yak, you're gonna want both! :)

Thanks so much man. I certainly will keep it! It's hard for me to sell a kayak that I bought even when I buy a new expensive... for one because im sentimentally attached to my kayaks and secondly because they have different uses. Thanks again!