Howdy
I like trip reports and slide shows and frequently share......again please be patient as my contributions may miss the mark on occasion. Here is a slide show of a recent trip.
http://vimeo.com/74485430
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Permalink Reply by vivian on
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One other thing to maybe consider when looking at paddling the outside is plan on doing it in a week that gives you morning incoming tides. As Jay's picture shows, sometimes the North winds empty the back bays even the gulf island shorelines of water. You will paddle far from shore to find enough water to get through. This in high winds is not fun. Also, on an incoming tide you can get closer to the shorelines where the fishing is best.I don't really see a need for a depth finding in a canoe or kayak unless you wanted to find some grouper holes in the passes and rivers. The marine charts give you a general idea of water depth and with experience you can figure out as Kim suggests where the shallow waters are in the backcountry and gulf.
If I were doing the trip as you are thinking, would look at contacting Glades Haven out of Everglades City. You can come into their ramp which is across the street from the ranger station and rent a cottage there. I do remember they used to allow tent camping but not sure. They have a small store that you can stock up at and a full bar should you need a drink to celebrate. You can walk to the town center from there or get a ride from someone. Don't know if they have a laundry.
If you have a second car at the Everglades City Ranger station, you can also contact Chokoloskee Island Park they allow tent camping, have showers, laundry but resupply means driving to E City.
Leave a car at Flamingo campground and cache your food in your car if you do it the other way around. There is nothing much in terms of resupply at the Flamingo marina store but the microwave cheeseburgers taste very good after along paddle. Even walking to the marina store is a trek from the campgrounds. So leaving a car there would make it much easier for logistics.
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Permalink Reply by Kim Gass on
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Alan I liked your video! So calm.. The Everglades will be so different for you to experience though all the gear you use in Quetico ought to work.. (don't forget the olive barrel or two). Pay attention to the tide tables when planning your trip. The tides can make miserable work out of a ten mile day or make it a two hour breeze. Everglades paddling is some of the hardest work I have ever done.
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Permalink Reply by yakmaster on
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If you're going to round trip. I think starting and ending in Flamingo is the way to go. Everglades City has much less supply options than the east coast, but the east coast options are 40 miles away from Flamingo, while you can walk from store to store in Ev City.
Therefore, you will have much more initial supply alternatives on your way in in homestead/Florida City (Walmart, etc. while you have a car) and MUCH more resupply options (grocery store, hardware store, LIQUOR store, etc. while you're on foot) in Everglades City than in Flamingo. And even the chance for a soft bed and a hot shower on your turnaround night!
We lost all our hard wall housing in Flamingo 8 years ago...
Alan Gibson said:Sounds like a fun group.....
Kim did you used to post on solo tripper? Is it still down?
I am perhaps overly ambitious. I want to through paddle as my first trip. What's worse is I don't want the hassle of a shuttle so it will be there and back. Everglades city to flamingo on the inside and back on the outside. I am eyeing early December. I know very little so any and all advice with be consumed with much gratitude. The boat is a superior expedition which is a sea wind knockoff. Nice boat but I suspect a little less sturdy than a sea wind. Gear is going in 5 gallon buckets with screw top lids to thwart the thieves. Hoping the fish will cooperate.
Al
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Yes incoming morning tides are probably a good thing. I have respect for the outgoing where the current and waves meet. Resupply? The thought never crossed my mind......water would be my only concern. I'm figuring 10 to 12 days tops. Am I off in my thinking? Actually I have been so busy at work I have not given the trip much consideration yet even though it is just around the corner. Looks like my plan and Obama care might have a lot in common at least from the planning perspective.
Funny you mention gladed haven. That is usually where I put in with my fishin boat. Can you put in at the ranger station? Do they charge a parking fee? I will leave from e city since it is closer for me. I suppose I should start putting my noggin to this trip and not take it lightly......lots of new challenges.
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The Ranger Station has lots of parking and its a short hand carry to the put in..about 40 or 50 feet. A cart sometimes helps. Try to avoid low tide as its not a paved ramp. ( It is in back of the Visitor Center)Parking is free. Its got a handy dumpster too.
Time to check your boat outfitting. At some point you will be using chickees. Some are quite high up. I believe all on your route have ladders. You will want a tie up system to snug up your boat to the ladder so you can stand or kneel to throw gear up on the platform.
!0-12 days tops is really rushing it. You are talking of a 200 mile trip. . Due to shallow water, paddling is alot harder than in Quetico and 25 mph winds are normal. You may get in some 20 mile days, sure, but planning when those will be is not possible without knowing the wind/tide combination. If you can find a couple of extra days you will be better off.
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If you resupply mid-trip, that's that much less weight you need to carry on the 1st half! At least 50 pounds of water if nothing else...
Also "fecal matter happens", if you need to buy "stuff" Everglades City has all sorts of supplies. In Flamingo, it's the marina store or a 70 mile round trip for anything that ain't there...
Alan Gibson said:Yes incoming morning tides are probably a good thing. I have respect for the outgoing where the current and waves meet. Resupply? The thought never crossed my mind......water would be my only concern. I'm figuring 10 to 12 days tops. Am I off in my thinking? Actually I have been so busy at work I have not given the trip much consideration yet even though it is just around the corner. Looks like my plan and Obama care might have a lot in common at least from the planning perspective.
Funny you mention gladed haven. That is usually where I put in with my fishin boat. Can you put in at the ranger station? Do they charge a parking fee? I will leave from e city since it is closer for me. I suppose I should start putting my noggin to this trip and not take it lightly......lots of new challenges.
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I suppose a big front might keep me off the water but I like big days and hate sitting in camp. I will be surprised if it takes much longer than 12 days. But no rush, I refuse to push the safety envelope due to time constraints. If it takes longer no big deal. I have been eyeing a SAT phone for quite some time and might just pull the trigger since I am generally cautious and conservative anyway and the prices have come down substantially. Anyone have any experience with the SPOT phone? It is currently on sale.....very reasonable price plus the minutes seem good.I used a spot to have my sorry rear dragged off a sandbar in Woodland Caribou some years back. Very professional bunch in Ontario who came to get me.Got the knee operated on back in the states and am back good as new ( well, almost).
As per loading and unloading on the chikees. Well that certainly has my attention. To be honest I am not especially crazy about the idea. I dislike the idea of tossing things up.......I had considered getting a pole of sorts with a hook on one end and just grab hold of gear and hoist it up. I also loathe the concept of standing in a canoe. The expedition would be a bear to empty if it filled with water. Better bring a hand pump just in case. You guys and gals have me starting to think now!
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Its not daunting to stand in the boat if you remember to snug up on one side tight and run the line in back of the ladder and as high as possible. You want to prevent the ladderward gunwale from dipping at all. Stand but do not let any weight go to the water side.. You don't want to raise the ladderward gunwale.
In my Rapidfire I can use thwarts to wrap the line around. Your boat doesn't have those and neither does my Mad River Monarch. So we put a couple of fittings on the side..metal loops that a line can pass through. I havent taken the Monarch to the Everglades yet but its four inches wider than the RapidFire and I don't see any real problems.
Somewhere here Vivian posted a link with pictures for a chickee snug up system. Yes getting to gear could be an issue as you might be on your belly. Perhaps as I am planning.. some long lines on each bag as it goes in would make getting to bags that find themselves way up in the bow. Once we got something jammed in the bow of a kayak and we had to pull the whole boat onto the chickee deck. Fortunately we were we.. not solo.
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Here is the slide show of the "chickee rope" for the balance challenged. Obviously, you can modify for your own canoe or kayak.
http://s12.photobucket.com/user/snook_/slideshow/Chickee%20ropes
12 days to go back and forth is possible but I would hate to keep that pace and bypass some good side trips to fish and enjoy the off trail. A few years ago my friend Dave did the trip you are considering in 8 days, here is the old trip report. Might be some info you can use.
http://www.paddleacrossflorida.com/WW_Trip_Report.htm
One more piece of advice I have learned the hard way. Leave camp at O' dark thirty and get lots of miles in before 9 am. The winds become very strong from then on with the heat of the day.
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Hey wow thanks! Lots to think about.
I am usually a very early riser but not sure I'm going to be out paddling in the dark. That sort of creeps me out. Lots of pollyhumpers and other largish creatures out in the dark hours that just might take an interest in me. I could possibly be mistaken for a juvenile pollyhumper and we all know what a mistake that could turn into.......the large jaws crunching my s glass and Kevlar into tiny bits as I try to swim quietly away from the mayhem.
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If you are in the mangroves you might not like dark paddling. But a mapping GPS really is a useful device if you are near the mainline routes or on the Gulf. Vivian is correct. One piece of gear you need to have..and it is a real need..is a NOAA weather radio. The winds usually build at nine and can hamper progress and stop it entirely at 11 AM. The info you get about wind speeds and direction from the weather radio is invaluable.
The visions of monsters in the deep doing you in during the dark are scepters of your dreams. Night paddling is fairly easy with the GPS and the glow of Naples to the NW and Miami to the E. The main difficulty is not being able to judge water depths.
But you are not alone. I dragged my Ontario paddling partner out of the tent and made him paddle in the dark. He was not happy till the sun rose. It does that fast in the Everglades. Sun on..just flick the light switch. Of course there is the reverse..no lingering sunsets like in Ontario. Lights off. Dark. Now. (Don't care if you could read five minutes ago).
Yep O dark thirty for departure. The frost might be on the pumpkin too! Don't dress for an Ontario summer. It's likely to be frosty in the winter in the Everglades.
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My routine when alarm wake up is at 4:30 am: . .Bring a good thermos like the one made by Nissan that keeps water boiling hot even in the coldest south Florida nights. Fill this thermos with boiling water after your dinner and bring into the tent with you along with ziplock bag breakfast items plus a spoon. Tea or instant coffee (Starbucks) and a thermal cup with lid to mix the drink in. Add water to ziplock breakfast bag and eat out or that or just down a cliff bar. Meanwhile, put away your sleeping bag, pad and clothing while you listen to weather and have a nice breakfast free of bugs in the comfort of your tent. Once breakfast is done and all gear packed away and ready to roll, get out of tent and start packing your boat. Take down tent and leave camp by 6:30.
Good ziplock breakfast ideas: instant oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts, instant grits with powdered milk, brown sugar, nuts, raisins. Fold down to create a bowl and pour hot water to rehydrate. Eat out or bag and close up when done to pack out.
Turn on your mapping GPS and follow the line until the sun comes up. It is beautiful at night and you can get a lot of paddling done before sunrise and winds start. I have had some encounters with critters but not any different then those in daylight. Usually a manatee or alligator but they tend to move AWAY from you as they are probably more freightened than you are.
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