River of Grass flows again into Everglades National Park

[Keith W]

River of Grass flows again into Everglades National Park

A backhoe breaks through the roadbed of the old Tamiami Trail

[Swamp Hunter]

Of interest here is that at or near the end of the canal, may still lie 2 very large Cypress dugout war canoes. My friend told me he discovered them over 30 years ago but they were way too heavy to pull out with an airboat. He wonders where they got the wood because they were over 30 feet long. He tells me they were on one of the islands. Of course the area is all protected but its a shame they will probably rot away.

At the time they where supported on wood horses, he says, which would have collapsed by now. He says there were also several abandoned chickees.  Maybe someone has further information on these dugouts. I dont have time to find them. He told me the name of the hammock but I already forgot. I would remember if I heard it again. He tells me he is grandfathered in with his airboat but he is getting old and I doubt he will ever go back.

He also tells me an island behind Chekika was at one time a trading post.

[Terry]

Yakmaster and I walked around on Tyre Camp in July.   There's an old dock and ruins of

simple modern structures.   There is one more hammock further south along the blue line

that we did not get down to to explore.   Yak, that's no big deal to get there we can just

put in the same way when we did the surveys in July.   That further south hammock could be

interesting but it might not be of much use for paddlers, the paddler needs to get to NP202 and

this takes you out of the way.   I'll get back when I schedule our pilots.

By the way, all these camps will be excellent back country campsites.

[Swamp Hunter]

The hammock may be just inside the old ENP boundary. The structures were Native American made. I remember him saying 10 minutes in and out of the ENP by airboat, if that helps any.. Im guessing that the boundary may not have been clearly marked 30 plus years ago and/or it may have been breached on occasion. Maybe he walked? Things were different in those days but you need to look just inside the old ENP boundary.. Is there an island called Black Hammock? What is "Outlaw Route?"

[Swamp Hunter]

I guess the boundary is the canal? I dont have a map.  You need to look just inside the park Im almosty certain if you are interested..

[yakmaster]

Remember that before 1989, the canal was the boundary. After the East Everglades expansion, the boundary moved east a good ways. Here's a link to an aerial of the east ev camps and hammocks. Tyre Camp is marked as Cranden. But I don't see a "Black Hammock". Don't mean it's not there, maybe it has another name... That southern camp that Terry refers to seems to be Iron Grate.

Dale said:

I guess the boundary is the canal? I dont have a map.  You need to look just inside the park Im almosty certain if you are interested..

[Swamp Hunter]

He was airboating in the East Everglades but his father was a Game Warden in the 50s, 60s and as a child airboated the entire area with his Dad including Shark Valley. I was a little reluctant to say at first but yes I believe he told me that the dugout canoes are just inside the park boundary which yes, must have been the canal. 

Heck in the 80s I remember airboaters could ride all the way to Everglades City from Mitchells up the Stairsteps. I guess it was technically illegal but everyone did it and nothing was posted or enforced. This is no longer allowed.

[Terry]

You're on your own from L-67 but the goal is to get to NP202.   Once there it's

just open straight paddling all the way to Canepatch.   There's 3 proven routes

from L-67 to NP202:  High Route, Cattail Route and Outlaw Route, the three are in

yellow in the above map.  All three are paddlable without slogging but Outlaw has got

the most pushing, especially near the canal and High Route gets you out of the canal earliest

but that means you're on your own longer.  Cattail Route, cutting between the other two is 

the preferred route.  The canal can be paddled in the dark so you can get started a hour before

dawn reaching the breakout with just enough light to see.   From there it takes about an hour

to paddled unbroken spike rush channels to NP202.

It's a beautiful area and a very good day trip can be made by paddling Cattail Route out to

NP202 for a picnic then High Route back to L-67.   Park your cars in the Francis Taylor parking lot.

That and Everglades City might be the only thing we can paddle if they close the park next week.

Back when Clinton closed the parks they locked the gates so we were cut off from everything south

of the Ernest Coe Visitor Center.

Dale said:

The hammock may be just inside the old ENP boundary. The structures were Native American made. I remember him saying 10 minutes in and out of the ENP by airboat, if that helps any.. Im guessing that the boundary may not have been clearly marked 30 plus years ago and/or it may have been breached on occasion. Maybe he walked? Things were different in those days but you need to look just inside the old ENP boundary.. Is there an island called Black Hammock? What is "Outlaw Route?"

[Dennis McDonald]

Closing the park?

[yakmaster]

Full Gumment shutdown, if we don't get a continuing resolution or budget.

With or without Obamacare, depending on your preferred flavor du jour...

[Terry]

And the National Park Service was/is the first to go, top of the list, with

any government shutdown, happened before in 1995 and 1996.

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

I remember this well because I was visiting the Grand Canyon at the time. The gates were open there, they weren't collecting any fees since no one was working. There were no services open, but you could go and see the canyon. However private operations were in business and stayed open. We decided the best option was to go on an airplane flyover tour - it was worth it! C'est la vie!

[Swamp Hunter]

Im staying at FMB. I have not been told to leave. ...I hope not.