Pearl Bay and Lard Can

[Terry]

There's a nice new dock at Lard Can.  I haven't been at Lard Can for a while so maybe
everybody already knows but it looks very new.
Also, half of Pearl Bay Chickee and the toilet have been cut away.  It looks like
construction in progress,  leaving one side for staging but the posts look in pretty good shape
to be rebuilding it already.
Other news - remarkably there were no bugs....middle of June!   However, it was hot as
you know what, you almost can't take enough liquids to drink.

[Jared E]

No Bugs? Weird. Maybe I'll have to make a trip there soon. Thanks for the update Terry!

-Jared E.

[10xqe8b3zmgs7]

I took the Hells Bay Canoe Trail to the Pearl Bay Chickee last weekend. The Pearl Bay Chickee is still under construction. The frame and floor are in place on the new half. The floor boards aren't attached and no roof yet. The old half is still there and looks like it needs to be rebuilt and the toilet added. The water was high about 4 inches over the dock at the launch and Lard Can was wet. The bugs weren't bad except when I landed at Lard Can, then the mosquitoes came out.Was hoping to make the Pearl Bay Chickee my first back country camping trip the end of this year or beginning of next year, but it looks like there is still a lot of work left to complete the chickee. Might give Lard Can a try when the water drops and we get a good cold snap to clear the mosquitoes.

[Alex Madrigal]

We stopped at Pearl Bay chickee this weekend on our way to Hell's Bay. The rangers had told us that it wasn't open yet because it was still under construction, but it looked finished with both sides completed and a huge brand new port-o-john when we got there. One side has the standard ladder while the handicap accessible side has three long steps the width of the chickee with wooden handrails. I'm not sure if they are going to add a canoe slip similar to what they had in the old chickee, but it looked like everything had been cleaned up when we were there.

[Xavier Becquer]

We are probably some of the first to camp at pearl bay(nov 28th) It is just as described by alex.  Very comfortable chickee we had it all to ourselves. The bugs were a little thick at dawn and dusk, but then again the cold had not come through yet. incredible sunrise, sunset is blocked by trees, but still pretty. Fishing in the entire area was horrible only 1 ladyfish. heard gator or croc grumbling mating call at night.

 

 

[00640flkqr3zy]

I stayed at Pearl Bay chickee Saturday nite with an older friend who was pretty tired and sore from the previous day's long paddle, and he especially appreciated the steps along one edge for debarking.  This chickee is in excellent shape, and the side rails are nice for lounging around or hanging gear.  The port-a-john is immense - you could almost park a small car in it!

 

Along that topic, we noticed (without getting out of our boats to thoroughly investigate) that there is apparently no longer a port-a-john at Lard Can, or even evidence of fixtures to bolt one down on the dock (so that the "honey barge" can access it).  Most of the day-trippers with rental canoes head out to that point before turning around, and it's a shame that there is no place for these folks to relieve themselves in an environmentally-friendly manner -- this site is too small to tolerate that kind of abuse for long.  Anyone have any info on the Park's plans regarding this?

[Terry]

It's not on the dock but off to the side at the end of the dock.

You won't see it if you don't walk in on the dock.

 

[00640flkqr3zy]

OK, that's good to know, Terry.  I craned my neck to see as far back as I could from my lofty kayak perch, but we didn't exit the boats cause we were in a hurry to get home.   My poor friend had to listen to me wonder aloud for the next ten minutes "why on earth the Park Service would not have a port-a-john there"!

[00640flkqr3zy]

Here's a few shots of PB chickee

[Juan Estevez]

Larry,

After your stay at Shark Point Chickee, Pearl Bay must have felt like a luxury condo!

 

Juan

 

[vivian]

Wow! They really did a good job with this chickee! I also liked the re design of North Joe River.