East of Nine Mile Pond

[Keith W]

Who else here has paddled/poled the area east on Nine Mile Pond (other than Terry, whose epic voyage is chronicled here). Last year I poled my skiff out to where the big sawgrass starts at the western edge of Taylor Slough. Once you get past the mangrove maze just east of the Nine Mile trail, the prairie opens up and the mangroves are replaced by hardwood bayheads and cypress, a very nice change of pace from the endless monotony of mangroves you see everywhere else on the Park's paddling trails. For those who love solitude, this open prairie is about as isolated as you can get anywhere in the park. The sawgrass here is very sparse and is easy to get through in paddlecraft, at least until you get to the edge of Taylor Slough. I may try this trip again, maybe in a week or two, and make a loop straight east to the edge of Taylor, then south to Craighead Pond and back to Nine Mile.

 

Another area I have a great interest in exploring is the Reef. Back in the day, the Gladesmen would pole their skiffs from US 1 to Whitewater Bay following the Reef Trail. The Reef was a straight 'ridge' of slightly higher ground, parts of which you can still see on the aerials as a distinct line of foliage running east-west about a mile north of Nine Mile Pond Trail between the road and Taylor Slough. They would stay just outside the Reef where there was a line of deeper water, and this was the main drag for gator hunters, moonshiners, and others who travelled into the Everglades wilderness.

 

 

So much wilderness to explore, and so little time...

[Geoffrey H Kendrick]

Kieth, first of all, thanks for the site. I paddled this area yesterday, a short out and back primarily to check conditions.

I launched just south of paurotis near a culvert with easy launch. Paddled due east for an hour and the scrub mangrove patches kept getting thicker, not the open prairie I was looking for. Once again, NO BUGS, 14+" of water.

I think this might be a decent alternative to nine mile for a launch for Craigheads. It looks if you go generally southeast, there is a break in reef to make a reasonably straight path to Craigheads.

Geoff 

[Terry]

Although it's not historically correct the large parking lot, excellent large launch area and

until Ed Brookers Landing is restored, Nine Mile Pond [Borrow Pit] will probably remain the

pseudo entrance to the original Reef Route.  For interpretation, following the airboat trail out

of Nine Mile Pond down to Craigheads Pond then up the west side of Taylor Slough to the

Reef Route works well.   Keith and I have probed various ways to push this route north to get

it closer to or on the original route and have found the same as you observed that the vegetation

gets thicker north of Craigheads Pond.  There seems to be a ridge of higher elevation on the

north side of Florida Bay that holds back the water following down Taylor Slough.   The dwarf

mangroves are sparse just north of this ridge suggesting the fresher water flowing down the

slough and fanning out against this ridge might be altering the water chemistry enough to lessen the

encroachment of mangroves.  Note that on the west side of the highway, there is no elevation raise

toward the Hells Bay Area allowing the saltwater to intrude more freely making the Jungles almost

all mangrove.  In the mid-1980's standing at the airboat ramp on Paurotis Pond you would see almost

all grass on the other side of the pond, few, if any mangrove, look at it now.

Your probes are interesting since Keith and I have started south of the Reef to explore.   I have looked

with great interest at the area north of the Reef from the highway but never entered on that side.

I suspect that you'll find a thin channel of deep water on the north side of the Reef but it will probably

be too overgrown to use the original route....but then I'm just guessing.  It's out there, waiting to be

surveyed, keep good records, document your routes and keep us posted.  Your goal would be

to make it completely on the Reef Route to the intersection with the Taylor Slough airboat trail

from there the east/west airboat trail (original route) will take you to Taylor River which is another story

reference the infamous Tony trip out Taylor River.

[yakmaster]

That was a river?

[Geoffrey H Kendrick]

Good information. I think I am launching close to Ed Brooker's Landing. The Gladesman speaks of easily moving from the Jungles or Maderia Farms to the Cuthbert marsh. This of course was before the influx of mangroves east of the highway, I understand to be bolstered by Hurricane Donna blowing propagules well into the fresh water areas of the park.

I've identified three spots I will try this week, all not to far east of the highway, still not historically correct, just trying to escape 9 mile.

Any probes south of Craigheads? Little Freshwater pond, campsites, or original Whiskey Still Creek

As long as the bugs are tolerable, I will continue to play in this area. Bugs are tough here in Flamingo. This morning I checked out the water level in a section of the Calussa Mud Lake canal I had walked about 1500 feet of in March. Enough water to paddle but the mosquito level was formidable!

Geoff 

[Terry]

I have not probed south or east of Craigheads Pond, a day doesn't permit the time

needed to travel to and from, but groups travel the Taylor Slough Canoe Trail from

near the entrance station at Pine Island and exit the usual way at Nine Mile Pond.

This is a good trip, it's always a favorite and if you're not finding a problem with bugs

and can take the heat, do this trip.   It's a must do, a lot of people on this website will

concur.    I've always done it in October, in that small window

of time for grass paddling after the first cool front and while the water is high.  The

Taylor Slough Canoe Trail is described all over this website with lots of photos on Flex's website.

You merged two creeks that I'm uncomfortable with: Still Creek and Whiskey Creek.

Still Creek is the most popular off-the-brochure canoe trail in the park going between

Noble Hammock and West Lake.  This is Willie Nobles route, or the original

Noble Hammock Canoe Trail.  The Noble Hammock Canoe Trail today was sometime

later turned into a loop.  Still Creek has always been a popular route just not advertised.

With the water up like described the Chute (the tight and narrow end of Still Creek that

flushes out into West Lake) must have rapids Everglades style....and plenty of bugs.

Whiskey Creek came off the highway between Paurotis Pond and Nine Mile Pond

and went down to the Hells Bay area but the highway cut off it's flow and it has grown in.

[Geoffrey H Kendrick]

Very good, I agree with the time/mileage constraints thus the quest for a more direct route, it takes me close to an hour to get out of 9 mile and probably longer to get back

I've read accounts of Taylor Slough trips, Tony's epic trip, and most everything posted on this site related to this end of the world. I have no TV. Currently, trips are solo, car shuttles not available.

Still Creek, thank you, I believe you or others on this site are responsible for maintaining this indispensable route, it is historic, no doubt Bill Nobles way out, provides a nice loop trip, or for me, a nice half day with a bike stashed at West Lake.  

Whiskey Creek, I understand to be the Park's name for the Reef Trail as it crosses Ingrahm into the Bill Ashley Jungles north of Hells Bay, barley passable in the day, no doubt lost forever.

Whiskey Still Creek, so named for the 1,000 gallon still half sunk in the mud, in Cuthbert Lake (closed to entry), or the, no doubt impassable Whiskey Still Creek leading out of the north east of Cuthbert to the Cuthbrt Marsh, campsites, and the Little Freshwater Pond, just above Seven Palms.

Geoff    

[Gary M]

Geoff,

Never assume a trail is lost forever... not with this group!

BTW... I too share your interest in that area south of Craighead's Pond. I would love a second option for getting down to 7 Palm Lake other than via the outside.

GM

[Geoffrey H Kendrick]

Launched again yesterday just south of Paurotis with intentions of exploring three possible Reef crossings not too far to the east so as to avoid the thicker patches of mangrove encountered there last week. Again, the hope was to find a more direct route to east of 9 Mile, while enjoying some bug free recreation.

The first spot; a little jumble of creeks entered around 25-16.035', 80-47.007'. Unfortunately, my printer ran out of ink when I tried to make blow ups of this area. I did poke into this area and found 3-4' of clear water and will return with better charts. 

#2; 16.059', 46.736' Looked on GE that it might be short drag over. Not so, 1 zig, 1 zag, and I was through!

#3; 16.006', 46.629' This area seemed a merge of mangrove patches from both sides of the reef, passable, not as easy as #2 and lacks the clear boundary crossing experienced at #2.

Paddled back to #2 and headed south figuring I would run into 9 Mile PVC, mangroves quickly thickened, altered to SE, with much clearer paddling. Wasn't long before I saw PVC directly ahead, marker 79. Followed descending to 65A. Elapsed time, 2hrs, more than twice the time as from 9 Mile parking, typical of many short cuts taken over the years.

I then paddled to the first airboat marker ESE of 65A. Now it is time for the fruits of my labor, a straight shot from there to cut #2 in the reef, 310 on the compass, just W of NW. Quickly thwarted by mangroves, dropped down to near 65A and proceeded NW going left around the first hammock as it looked clearer. Soon I saw PVC, 79 again. Proceeded to cut, zig-zagged, headed NNW to round the headland, then W to the highway. Elapsed time; 1:15, no savings but good adventure.

Overall, good water, no bugs, except at the road. I did get locked up a few times in the mangroves north of the reef on my way back. Perhaps more 9 Mile short cuts could be found, 65A to 79 just presented itself.

Geoff   

[Dennis McDonald]

We are heading down Friday morning to spend the weekend and make the trip out to Craigshead pond. We are going to stay in Flamingo and plan on paddling out to Craigshead Saturday morning. How far is it from West Lake up to Noble Hammock on the road? We were thinking of doing the trail down to West lake on Friday afternoon. I can't wait for Friday. Is anyone else going to be in the area this weekend? Also how are the bugs at the campground?

[Terry]

It's about 3 miles from Noble Hammock Landing to West Lake.

Although I've never been in there in the summer, I would expect the mosquitoes

to be unimaginably bad in the Chute (the tight slot where Still Creek emties

into the lake).   I've worked with the invasive team clearing pepper down in the

Chute and it's buggy in there even in the winter.   But as far as timing, it's a short

perfect few hour trip from the highway out to the lake then back for an afternoon.

[Dennis McDonald]

About how long is the chute? We have always crossed West Lake to get to Alligator Creek and thought this might be a nice change. I have heard the horror stories about the mosquitoes and really am kind of excited to see them (my feelings may change after seeing them). I have read your trip reports and admire you for the time you have spent in the glades. This is kind of a primer for a trip down the Taylor Slough. We went out of Mitchells Landing last New Years and got a little taste of the grass and now want more.;

[Terry]

The Chute is about 1000 feet long.

You'll know it when you're in it, a tunnel as tight as the width of the canoe with

water flowing at a good clip.  Beautiful air plants help provide a very primitive feeling then you

quickly pop out into the lake.   This is the perfect route to Alligator Creek as Still Creek

is directly on the opposite side of the lake.  Look at the NOAA chart.  Cutting out the

boring paddle long ways across West Lake, this was THE way to get to Alligator Creek

campsite back in the 1980's.