there and back again- our Chatham R loop

[david blumberg]

 

Thanks again for all the great advice and suggestions we got on this forum for our recently completed canoe trip in the Everglades.  It made our time there so much better than it would have been.

Because of anticipated high winds last Sunday, we decided to start the trip on Monday instead.  We eliminated our layover day, and got permits for Pavillion-Mormon-Watson-Lopez.

For a day paddle on Sunday we opted to do the 8 1/2 mile Halfway Creek loop, starting and returning at Seagrape.  We all thoroughly enjoyed this, especially the mangrove tunnels, and the narrow, twisty channels of the loop.  it didnt hurt that we saw a bald eagle right after we got on the water, either.

Monday morning we arose at Collier-Seminole Park at 5 am and drove to the OR boat ramp.  We ate home made quiche on the shore while we set up our 3 tandem canoes for the expedition.  By 845 we were on the water, a little psyched by the wind and waves and oyster bars in Choko Bay, and headed out thru Rabbit Key Pass.  We dubbed our style "ultra-heavy canoe camping", as we had SO MUCH STUFF, including 4 tables, 3 coolers, and gourmet meals for each night.  We pulled into Turtle Key for lunch (thanks vivian) and girded our loins for the Pavillion Death March across the open water to our first night's camping spot.  A stout breeze was in our faces, and we were all amazed how our goal could keep receding into the distance the more we paddled.  I have been canoeing over 20 years, and that was the hardest day I have spent on the water.  It was helpful that we had no choice but to keep going until we got there.  We finally landed, set up camp, and relaxed on the beach, glad to finally be there after so much preparation.

Tuesday we paddled the 4 1/2 miles to Mormon Key.  we had dolphins romping alongside, and after the marathon of Monday it went pretty smoothly.  We established camp, and were sitting around after dinner when the Invasion of the Raccoons began.  we had been warned that they were bad there, and they lived up to their reputation.  We placed all the coolers and food boxes in a line and put a canoe on top of them, then we put all the water and other dry bags in a boat and nested the third canoe on top of that to seal them in.  This proved to be successful at thwarting them, and became SOP at the other camp sites.  The mosquitos were a little pesky, but not too bad.  I never needed my head net during the trip, but did have treated clothes and used repellant.  we built a small driftwood fire and sat watching the incredible display of Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon setting into the glassy gulf.  There was a big storm back towards Pavillion, but it didnt come our way.  We awoke the next morning to see the ground completely covered with coon prints, but no damage had been done.

We ate breakfast, loaded the boats, and waited until 1130 for a favorable tide to carry us up Chatham R to Watson's place.  My wife and I had read Shadow Country, and Tom & Cat had been listening to the audio books before the trip, and on the way down.  I had been reading select passages to the group, so we were pretty psyched to be going there to stay for a night, and on the last day of the month: Watson Pay Day!

We cruised in without incident, and had the whole place to ourselves for the night.  A brief rain shower was all the rain we saw all week.  The skeeters were a little worse than in the Gulf, but not the horror we had anticipated.  We dined on chicken curry, and set up our Coon Defense System, but there was no sign of the marauders that night.

Thursday was the big day, with 11.5 miles to paddle to get to Lopez Camp.  We all want to thank Terry for suggesting that Northside Route, as it was the highlight of the the whole trip for us. We launched at 9 am and paddled up Chatham River, taking the first left up that branch.  We cut across the magenta line and entered the Northside Route.  We had the tide and wind at our backs, and were glad not to have to fight the conditions.  I had made an aerial map of that area complete with waypoints transferred from Mapsource to Google Earth, and we followed the trail without any problems.  The last little cut-thru to Sunday Bay was a thing of beauty: it was not only invisible from the water until we were right there, it wasnt even on some of the maps we had.  We saw 2 dolphins mating there in the shallow waters of that bay, so we named it Saturday Night Bay.  we paddled thru the last little channel, and ate our lunch tied up to the point at the start of the Sunday Bay passage.  We crossed without incident, and pulled into Lopez at 130: only 4 hours of paddling! we had expected a much longer day, but favorable conditions and not getting lost helped us average 3 mph while we were moving.

Lopez was also a little buggy, but again, didnt have raccoon problems.  In the morning we paddled back to OR, off the water at 11, went to Smallwood's Store, then to Joanies Blue Crab Cafe for lunch (we were a little disappointed after the reviews we had seen, probably shoulda gone to the Havana Cafe).  We toasted our fine adventure and all headed for home.  we arrived last night after many hours of rain and heavy traffic on the interstates...

It was a great trip, made more so by the information gathered on this forum.  We would have blindly followed the magenta line without the help we got from everyone.  We saw no snakes or gators on the trail, but lots of birds, dolphins, and jumping fish, and a coupla sharks.  everyone had fun, and no one got hurt, I'll post a few photos when I get the chance...

[Kim Gass]

Thanks for the TR and sounds like you had a wonderful time.  I like you Coon Defense System. I have seen parties at Watson use the outhouse for storing perishables and it makes misery for other users.

[david blumberg]

photos at

https://picasaweb.google.com/112753916417208834917/Everglades?authk...

[Connie Mier]

Well, a great trip with only one mistake, dissing Havana Cafe.

[vivian]

Looks like you all had fun! Where did you enter to do the northwater route? And what was the inflatable doll for?????LOL!

[david blumberg]

I will try to  upload the map I used...not sure why it's showing the waypoint numbers twice.  The 16, 17 points were for if we had gone straight out of Chatham River...we saw the mating dolphins in the small bay south of #26....and yes, we blew it not going to the Havana Cafe...

the doll is Ezmerelda, she has been down the Grand Canyon many times, the Rogue, Buffalo, Boundary Waters, Green, and many others...

[Kim Gass]

He took my dinner and cooked it!

[vivian]

OK, I see what you did and entered a bit ahead of where I typically start that route from Darwins.  

Do you think you would come back to do another loop in the near future?  Looks like you all had fun.

[david blumberg]

yes, I think we will return for more, maybe mid-late January or earlier in February next year.  We still need to go to Havana Cafe...

As much fun as we had crossing the open seas into the wind we might look for a loop with less Gulf time. Although I really liked camping on the beaches. Our favorite sections were the Halfway Ck loop, and the Northside route. 

We are river paddlers, for the most part, spoiled by going downhill all the time, especially with such loaded canoes!  We are going to the Ozarks in May to do 5 nights on the Current or Jacks Fork in MO. and in April and June we have extended whitewater trips to TN and PA...and I have no idea what Kim's comment refers to!

And by way of full disclosure, I have already been taking grief from my companions for leaving out "The Incident" in the trip report:  back in the narrows of the Halfway Ck loop an overhanging branch got caught in my wife's hair as we went under it, flipping us over in about 4 ft of water.  the boat was mostly empty for the day trip, but I did trash my non-waterproof binoculars.  At least we didnt hear the crash of gators leaving the banks to feast on our sorry butts.  The worst was having to endure the constant references to our indignity (I am sure it will be mentioned for all time, including when someone spreads our ashes on some river somewhere)...As a riposte I had to keep mentioning "The Forgettening", where Tom & Cat left their plates, bowls, utensils, and sassy new coffee mugs behind and had to bum for the whole trip on the water (much worse than our cooling swim on a hot day)

[Kim Gass]

Lobster is a usual dinner here. They are cheap right now. Just kidding you. Uncooked they are green!

As an aside not meaning to hijack, have fun on the Current..I have done it a couple of times. Once a three day solo..fast water..98 miles in three days. Other times with the Ozark Rendezvous gang . Beware horse poop in the river. Commercial trail rides are getting out of hand.

Almost time for me to start south again for northern Florida Rivers and Big Bend rivers and then another Everglades trip..out of CSP.. but now feel I have to go to Havana Cafe.

So David your TR got me psyched again. I am all packed. All I have to do is get the truck out of the snow.

[david blumberg]

where do you live Kim?

we had planned the Current trip for last May, but it kept flooding.  we had literally loaded up and left the house to go to MO when we called our partners in crime and decided on the spot to turn around and go to FLA.  we ended up doing a coupla day trips, and a 3 day on the Suwanee.  I AM concerned about all the horse shit in the rivers up there, especially the Jack's fork.  I read about it last year. 

[Kim Gass]

Maine.

[Terry]

Everybody:

Goggle Kim Gass to view the best calm water solo

paddling you've ever seen.