Canepatch Creek

[Terry]

Date: 29 December 2008

Location: The north creek out of Canepatch. Shown on NOAA Nautical Chart 11432
but not named. Ignore the intersections shown on the chart at 25' 39" N and
56' 50" W and 25' 53" N and 56' 56" W they are so overgrown they don't even
exist. Once in this creek there's only one way to go.

Condition: Open and trimmed this season by NPS Volunteers. Deep water and
a small motorboat could make it through. Excellent for hand propelled craft.

[Rolando Willimann]

A guide has mentioned something about an aggressive gator at this site, probably been fed one to many times, anyone hear anything about it? will be around that way in a couple of weeks and I don't want no gator trouble

[Terry]

Joe, the alligator, hangs out at the Canepatch dock. He's not a big one, about 7 feet in length and I don't
know life spans of alligators but Joe or another one has been near the dock for as long as anyone
remembers. He's not aggressive but will come very close if the fishermen are throwing fish cleanings
off the dock. Ignore him and he'll stay 10 feet off the dock leaving when he realizes you're not going
to give him anything.
There's probably one at every backcountry site but the other well known visit-the-campers-in-the-evening-
alligator hones in on Roberts River Bay Chickee when someone arrives. This one is a little bigger and
slowly comes out of that little bay to the east of the chickee and hangs around soon after someone
docks. You will not have any trouble with alligators on your trip.

You'll like Canepatch, it's the best backcountry site in ENP. Try to arrange your trip to use both
Avocado Creek and Canepatch Creek, it makes a great loop route in and out of Canepatch.

[Rolando Willimann]

now I'm really torn, we actually just switched the trip to give us more time around willy willy and camp lonesome...the idea is to give us the opportunity to run the outside on the return trip. After leaving Camp Lonesome we would go to Graveyard Creek and make the choice of returning through whitewater bay or taking little sable creek to middle cape and so forth. I am most intrigued by Little Sable Creek at this point and after 4 nights of chickee's and ground sites we will be glad to see the cape beaches. I'll have to give this some more serious thought, thank you so much for the input.

[Terry]

Yes, Canepatch is way in there (note that once in that area you can freely roam miles up
Rookery Branch where you can really see the River of Grass) it almost forces you to use
Watson River or Oyster Bay on the south side and Broad River on the north. Although
my son and I canoed all the way from Canepatch to Flamingo in one day last October,
13 hours - needless to say all conditions were perfect.
You also have to make sure the tides are right - always with it so you get pushed in and
pulled out. Check the tides, that may be a deciding factor, remember there's at least a
3-4 hour delay from the entrance of Shark River to Tarpon Bay.
Did you say you were going south and looping back?
How about this? ....Willy Willy, Broad River, Canepatch, Oyster Bay, Northwest Cape,
Graveyard Creek, Highlands Beach.... Wow, now that's an inside and out!
Whitewater Bay? Personally I avoid it always taking the north route (Hells, Lane, Watson)
or south route Joe River but I'm an open canoer. Lately I've enjoyed starting the through trip
at Hells Bay Trail.
Whatever you plan it will be great!

[Esther Luft]

Hit Canepatch on 11/27/09 It is clear and clean, A friendly fisherman cleared the site with a weedwacker. Thank goodness. We were six and it would have been a super tight squeeze otherwise.

Joe the alligator has been replaced by a snippy junior. There's a four foot juvenile at the dock mimicking the same behavior. This little guy tried to show us how big he thought he was and growled at us, postured, and tried his best to intimidate us for a good five to ten minutes. He came back several times until we pushed him off with the butt end of a large stick. Then he went away. Unfortunately, this little guy has no fear of humans.

There's a decent looking python that seems to have been feeding by the dock as well. I'd say it's about 10' and healthy. She swam right up to us and nearly begged for a meal :) Can they do that? Great spot, beautiful sunset, wish we had more time to explore. Next time.

[vivian]

OMG Esther I am planning on Canepatch at end of month. I sure hope that python is gone by then! Did you report it to park rangers?

[Esther Luft]

Don't worry, they are pretty harmless. I did report it. The gator was more of a concern. I'm not afraid of them but this guy had no fear. Not a good thing for him. The site was great. Have you been there before?

[vivian]

Yes I have been to Canepatch many times in the past but not since the hurricanes. Looking forward to it and thank you for the reporting the python. Those gators that are human habituated are indeed worrisome. Last year at Roger's River Chickee we had one circling the platform and snapping at us during dinner time. We named it Roger.

[Esther Luft]

I love it! It makes trips more memorable. LOL

Canepatch is one of my favorite sites. I'd love to explore the island itself. See if any artifacts can be located.

We stayed at Roger's River on the last night. Steps up to the platform are in disrepair. The first rung is gone and the second step is cracked mid-way. I did report that too but... Hopefully they'll get to it soon.

Have a great time!

[vivian]

Esther I don't remember a ladder at Rogers River are you referring to some other chickee on Whitewater Bay? I am asking because I've got several I will be camping on and wanted a heads up on conditions.

Did you go through the Labarynth route on your trip?

[Esther Luft]

I meant Robert's River. I always switch the two around. We are leaving on the 27th from Everglades City for the next paddle. Maybe we'll cross paths on the water. If the weather holds we'll paddle the outside via the Cape to Flamingo. The planned itinerary is simple. Of course, it all depends on what sites we can get. Plan C and D are more adventuresome than below.
12/27 Everglades City to Watson's Place
12/28 Watson's Place to Lostman's Five
12/29 Lostman's Five to Willy Willy
12/30 Willy Willy to Broad River
12/31 Broad River across the Nightmare
-- to Graveyard Creek
Opt A.
01/01 Graveyard to S. Joe River Chikee
01/02 S. Joe River Chikee to Flamingo
Opt B.
01/01 Graveyard to Middle Cape Sable
01/02 Middle Cape to Flamingo

[vivian]

We will be circumnavigating around Whitewater Bay so it does not look like we will see you on the water. Maybe at Flamingo when we all go stop at the marina for a cold drink :-)

Your trip is perfect! That is a very beautiful route and hopefully the weather will hold so you can go around the cape.

Thanks for the heads up about Roberts River we had intended to camp there if we can get a permit for it.