August Exploration of Sweetwater Slough Southwest from Loop Road?

[shawn beightol]

Discussion forming of a 3-4 day kayak paddle/drag SW from loop road (bend) of Sweetwater Slough/Creek.

Yes, I've heard it "peters out" SW of loop road.  Maps and aerials pre 1940 show sweetwater creek/river ran up to and beyond Loop Road.  I wonder if we set out and did some portaging, how far we could get?

Thoughts?

[Swamp Hunter]

I heard it peters out too but my 1974 USGS map shows what looks like a navigable river.  An oldtimer told me he would like to return someday to an airboat trail back in there somewhere with high banks on each side built by ancient Indians who supposedly traveled inland up Sweetwater into Roberts Lakes and further..  The old airboat trail landing is just to the north also on Loop Rd. but I dont know if the NPS will ever open those up again. They went SW all the way to the ENP line and they were closed only a few years ago with the implementation of the designated trail system.  

[shawn beightol]

I believe there was a second Fort built AFTER the Seminole wars that King visited called Fort Howelll/Harwell.  I believe it is on Sweetwater Creek and it may be near Roberts Lakes.  I believe, like me initially, many confused Harrell for Harwell/Howell.  However, sites like this (http://www.northamericanforts.com/East/flsouth.html#sem ) based on military listings of decommissioned forts, suggest there were 2 separate forts with similar names nearby each other, like Fort Douane and Fort Keias near Immokkolee.  

The link I provided above states that Howell is near Monroe Station and would explain why King saw the fort from Sweetwater Creek in 1917.

 

[Chris Meyers]

RE: The old airboat trail landing is just to the north also on Loop Rd.

I'm curious about this trail Dale. I've done a bit of hiking through Sweetwater and have never come across anything remotely hinting at an old trail. Google Earth doesn't show anything and GE is great for finding those old trails (see off topic note below).  Any chance you can scan/upload the USGS map you're referring to? 

Off topic note on GE and old trails:

Airboat trails are usually buggy/atv trails in the dry season (don't ask me how I know this ;-)  The weight of the buggies compress the soil. Cypress on that trail will grow slightly shorter than surrounding cypress, resulting in the "trail" showing up on GE 20 years later.  I've wound my way through many of these old "trails" in the dry season and been surprised how overgrown they are with cypress and pine. Plain as day on GE but impassable to boat & buggy.

Dale said:

I heard it peters out too but my 1974 USGS map shows what looks like a navigable river.  An oldtimer told me he would like to return someday to an airboat trail back in there somewhere with high banks on each side built by ancient Indians who supposedly traveled inland up Sweetwater into Roberts Lakes and further..  The old airboat trail landing is just to the north also on Loop Rd. but I dont know if the NPS will ever open those up again. They went SW all the way to the ENP line and they were closed only a few years ago with the implementation of the designated trail system.  

[Swamp Hunter]

The old airboat landing is north of Sweetwater but I think its closed to all but property owners now.  There is a culvert across the canal for buggies as well..  I rode my ATC on it in the dry season and I have old 35 mm pictures somewhere packed away.  The landing is north of the Monroe/Collier countyline on Loop Road but one trail branches off and goes back southwest down towards Sweetwater. I remember a beautiful trail through the cypress but these were the pre-GPS days so dont ask me exactly where I was. I also dont have my good USGS maps with me as I left them in my camper..  If you walked due west from the Sweetwater culvert, Im sure you would hit the SW trail but I dont know if it will be recognizable. Like you say look for the smaller trees.. An oldtimer told me there is a canal back in there somewhere in or behind Sweetwater Strand built by the ancient Indians.

Chris Meyers said:

RE: The old airboat trail landing is just to the north also on Loop Rd.

I'm curious about this trail Dale. I've done a bit of hiking through Sweetwater and have never come across anything remotely hinting at an old trail. Google Earth doesn't show anything and GE is great for finding those old trails (see off topic note below).  Any chance you can scan/upload the USGS map you're referring to? 

Off topic note on GE and old trails:

Airboat trails are usually buggy/atv trails in the dry season (don't ask me how I know this ;-)  The weight of the buggies compress the soil. Cypress on that trail will grow slightly shorter than surrounding cypress, resulting in the "trail" showing up on GE 20 years later.  I've wound my way through many of these old "trails" in the dry season and been surprised how overgrown they are with cypress and pine. Plain as day on GE but impassable to boat & buggy.

  

[Dallas]

I would be interested in exploring that area. 

[shawn beightol]

Recruiting for company for 1 day hike/slog:

When's a good day for a 1 day slog?  I'm good any weekday next week or Saturday, August 2nd.  

Plan A

The idea is to hike/wade/slog SSW from loop road on old airboat trail (Sig Walker) just south of Roberts Lakes Strand crossing.  Head SSW about 3 miles, then SSE to bushwhack to Sweetwater Slough to investigate for first week of August Overnight Kayak/Canoe bushwhack.  If clear enough to readily return to Loop Road, we do so for a roundtrip hike of 5 miles (assuming a 2nd vehicle has been left at picturesque culvert where Sweetwater Slough goes under diagonal portion of loop road).  If no 2nd vehicle is available, we'd hike the remaining mile and a half back up loop to the airboat trail where we left our vehicle.

Plan B 

If it is determined that turning SSE from Airboat trail leads to impassable undergrowth (damn willows and cocoplum), we would retreat and return clock-wise to connect with 2nd airboat trail crossing West and then head NE on 2nd airboat trail that leads back to start.

Warning:  you probably know that the first 100 steps (or so) of such a slog are the worst, psychologically - fear of the unknown, the impression that the thick undergrowth that grows thickest where it has been disturbed (abandoned trail-heads) is going to be the remainder of the trip, etc.  We get through these first 100 steps and start to feel confident and the passage begins to open up (except maybe Sweetwater...doesn't look good on any map and haven't found any reference to passsage there...but Ive read of historic use at the turn of the 20th century).

Extension:

Depending on what we find, I may want to return Thursday, August 7 - 9 with Kayak and hammock for 3 day exploration down the Sweetwater Slough.  Recruits wanted!

[shawn beightol]

OK, Modified 1 day trip:  Plan C is preferred (see kml/GE links).  Plan A is OUT.  

Plan B & C will start at the old airboat launch site just south of Roberts Lakes Strand Crossing.

Both B & C follow upper airboat trail until the connector which takes us by a hunting camp (3 cabins) I've never noticed on the maps before (they go back to 1994 maps on GE, probably earlier).  

In Both B & C, we travel down the connector to the lower Airboat trail and attempt to bust through to Sweetwater

If do-able, we come up Sweetwater Slough.  This is 7 miles on trail and slough.  An additional mile or so up loop road ~ 8.5 miles.  This is Plan C (the preferred plan):http://goo.gl/maps/jiSqT <- you can download kml file for your GPS from the search box

If Sweetwater Slough is too tough, we back track to the lower Airboat Trail and head up that to start point. 8.7 miles

This is plan B: http://goo.gl/maps/dW6zy <- you can download kml file for your GPS from the search box

[shawn beightol]

Possible dates are July 22-25, July 29-Aug 2. Its a 1 day hike.
I'm available any of those days, but have another interested hiker asking for Aug 2 (Saturday).

What days are good for you?

This will probably involve wading and bushwhacking through heavy brush. 8 miles of high stepping/wading can produce cramps...Just trying to paint a clear picture.

This is really a recon trip to see how far down Sweetwater kayaking would be possible. There's no modern information available about Sweetwater being navigable. It was in the 30's.

I hope to do a 3 day kayak trip down and back on one of the strands August 7-9

[Swamp Hunter]

The old airboat trail is closed to ORV use but I should have stated that its open for hiking.  The trails are always open for walking or canoeing.  

[Chris Meyers]

RE: Airboat trail north of Sweetwater

Dale,

Ah, I misunderstood. I thought you were referring to an airboat trail ON the Sweetwater to the north of Loop (ie. going back towards Gator Hook, etc).

I am familiar with the airboat/buggy trail that you're talking about. The first 50 yards coming off Loop are at royal PITA. The dissolved limestone in that first section is BAD. I tried it in a Jeep and backed out within 20 yards. The last time I hiked it (2-3 years) it was very overgrown, and footing was dangerous (ie. twisted ankle).

And yes, that trail is closed to ORV. I'm not sure there are any property owners off in that direction any more either. Interesting side note, I noticed on some of the NPS burn maps that NPS still shows two "private structures" in that BiCy Zone 3 area, kinda parallel & north of Sweetwater Slough. 

Dale said:

The old airboat landing is north of Sweetwater but I think its closed to all but property owners now.  There is a culvert across the canal for buggies as well..  I rode my ATC on it in the dry season and I have old 35 mm pictures somewhere packed away.  The landing is north of the Monroe/Collier countyline on Loop Road but one trail branches off and goes back southwest down towards Sweetwater. I remember a beautiful trail through the cypress but these were the pre-GPS days so dont ask me exactly where I was. I also dont have my good USGS maps with me as I left them in my camper..  If you walked due west from the Sweetwater culvert, Im sure you would hit the SW trail but I dont know if it will be recognizable. Like you say look for the smaller trees.. An oldtimer told me there is a canal back in there somewhere in or behind Sweetwater Strand built by the ancient Indians.

[Chris Meyers]

Shawn – once again a fantastic job of details & prep work.

 

RE: Dates

 

Sad to say I cannot make any of the earlier dates but Friday, Aug 1 and/or Saturday, Aug 2 are pretty doable for me.

 

 

RE: Questions

 

Any thoughts of an overnight, or 2 consecutive days (in & out each day)?

 

In your “Plan C & B route” image above, why the route (let’s call it Robert Lakes Strand North trail) to the camps and then around to the east, instead of using your Plan B “back out” trail (Robert Lakes Strand South trail)?

 

Where did you get the water path of the slough (Plan C & B route image)? Is it historical? Current?

 

Is anyone carrying a PLB (land use EPIRB)? You might get cell service out of Everglades City on RLS North, but all of Sweetwater will have no service. Gators & snakes don’t bother me too much, but twisted/broken ankles are show stoppers 4 miles into a cypress swamp.  I’ve also had the undignified privilege of experiencing an NPS SAR (there’s a story) and climbing pines to get cell services ain’t no fun at all ;-)

(yeah, I’m a big baby)

 

 

RE: Comments

 

TheRobert Lakes Strand South trail (RLS South) is 2.5 miles to your jump point into Sweetwater Slough (this is your “back out” route in your Plan C&B image above). Would this be a better route as it gets you to Sweetwater that much quicker?

FYI, there’s a water gauge station at Loop & Sweetwater. Bob Sobczak over at GoHydrology.org does all the work, we only have to look at his graphs! High water in there is 2.5 feet, we are currently at 1.25.

 

Big Cypress 60-day ORV closure is over on Aug 1.

 

If you ever wanna do this from the southeast, the Sig Walker airboat trail MIGHT be opening in the near future. The BiCy ORV committee recommended opening last year so we’ll see.

Thanks again for all your work.

Chris

[shawn beightol]

Chris, your shorter route (RLS south?) was my plan A (see first graphic)...until I was mapping the Plan B departure - as I was placing waypoints on the crossover to RLS north, I saw the fish/hunt camp and got curious.  I'm pretty sure if we do Plan C (RLS north) counter-clockwise, the trail should get better after the first bit of overgrown (I hike it 10 years ago for about a mile).  My thinking was that it'd be cool to hike by the camp and see whats up.

Just plain curiosity.  

I'm game for an overnight.  I've posted this on the Florida Trail Association Happy Hoofer's FB page and got 2 bites from interested parties.  Let me ask them if they'd do overnight.  I was going to save the overnight for the following weekend and do 2 nights with Kayak straight down Sweetwater if we find water further down the strand (I know there's water at the culvert).

btw, the interest in Sweetwater is that in 1919, John King's account of fishing up Sweetwater with his son was described by Livingston Larned in Forest and Stream (August 1919, p 396 ) where they saw what they hoped was Fort Harrell (but I think was something else, another fort,  a plume hunter's camp, an old indian settlement):  "[a] picturesque jaunt up Sweetwater River there was little to see save the solitude of hammocks and marshy ground stretching away into misty perspective and ridges of rotted wood where once had been fortifications.  They stood as a mute testimony to the ravaging work of time which brings all of man's creations at last to dust "

Thoughts?