New River Prairie/New River Strand Out to Sunday Bay

[shawn beightol]

I just posted pictures from the epic kayak pull from Highway 41 south to New River Strand to New River.

My 2 friends Leanne and Scott and I did this trip in early 2000.

We pulled 2 days and on the 3rd day reached the New River Strand where the water was sufficient to support the kayaks.  Eventually we were able to get in the kayaks and begin paddling.

In one of the isolate lakes that New River opened wide as, we observed what looked like archaeologic remains of an indian village - posts rotted off at the surface of the lake that looked as though they had once supported houses/huts out over the lake/river.

This was an amazing trip.

[Swamp Hunter]

I dont think I will be able to go.  I wish we had a buggy or ORV.

Is it possible to walk the Monroe Station South ORV trail to get to where you are going?  Its over 7 miles one way but the walking is much easier and there is always a chance of hitching a ride back.

[shawn beightol]

There is a route from the monroe south trail terminus that takes you to th new river. It is 2.5 miles further so a tough day hike with no time or energy to explore new river same day. I would like to try biking to the terminus then hiking the 2.5 miles. Dale, the easy street trail we hiked on leaving new river was part of the monroe connector.

[Chris H]

This weekend doesn't look good for me either.

Biking down the Monroe Station South ORV trail sounds like a good plan to me.

[shawn beightol]

Weather looks excellent for surgical strike/hike to New River tomorrow.

[Swamp Hunter]

Yes it does but unfortunately I cannot make it.

shawn beightol said:

Weather looks excellent for surgical strike/hike to New River tomorrow.

[shawn beightol]

A beautiful day, a beautiful hike. 5 miles down to new river head. "Searched" thoroughly 3 pine hammocks on the way down and traveled a mile or so down the eastern strand around where smallwoods Northern limit of where he recalled it. I found plenty of evidence of logging - not surprising since dale, chris and I hiked an elevated tram like the one at gatorhook trail. Entering the nearly impassible jungle at the northeast shore of the headwaters, I found a candidate clearing...but no evidence of wood or metal remains of even a hunting camp. I then exited the jungle for the cypress prairie and walked around to re-enter the trail we blazed last week to th creek bank. I searched thoroughly the area around the old brazilian peppers and found no hint of human activity. I then bushwhacked my way to the meandering creek bed - mostly dry for now - and searched its south bank down for about 2/3rds the way to the airboat intersection knowing id run out of time & more than half my resources to return. I bushwhacked my way south through a dense forest of cocoaplum and out to a cypress strand near blarcoms estimate of Copelands marker. Again, no sign of it so I worked my way east to intersect with last weeks trail and beelined it out. Total distance 13.8 miles in 8 hours. Pix and trail track plus revision of fort possibilities tomorrow.

[Swamp Hunter]

,Thanks for the update. Looking forward to pics. An old clearing would most likely be choked with Brazilian Peppers by now. The Pepper areas on the river banks look promising as they were at one time cleared and or possibly cultivated.  Copelands brass plaque, if it still exists on site, will probably be surrounded by these Brazilian Peppers. Human activity, if it predates gas stoves and aluminum beer cans lol, may be buried. It would be interesting to research when these trees were first introduced to South Florida. I believe they were used as a Christmas ornamental tree.

[Swamp Hunter]

It says here that the tree was introduced to Florida in the 1840s which was the time of the last Seminole Wars.. Brazilian pepper tree was brought into Florida in mid-1800 for use as an ornamental plant. Its bright red berries and brilliant green foliage are used frequently as Christmas decorations. We should concentrate on hammocks of oaks and thick exotics. I dont believe you will find a clearing. We may have already found it.

 

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/405

[shawn beightol]

Pix of yesterday's Hike down to New River

click any picture to get "upright" enlargeable version to open in a new window.  Click again to enlarge.

Here is a compilation of the 3 hikes I have done down to the New River with the Florida Trail group, Chris and Dale from EEN, and solo yesterday.

FT group is farthest West and South, EEN group is middle line (slant/straight, few deviations) and return far right/East, Solo was on top of EEN route down and back same way (middle) with variations into hammocks and into the New River Strand going down.  The area enclosed by the red is the area of possible fort locations along the New River.

The solo hike is illustrated here:
View Larger Map

or here: http://goo.gl/maps/lUSie

Here is a shot of the New River Strand.  Funny, as I pushed my way into the Strand, I had the distinct sensation that I was going in a significant distance.  Looking back at the kml track above, you can see I just scratched the surface.  The strand will need to be investigated as a possible site for the Fort.

Stumps like the one below make it clear that logging has occurred in this strand, as further corroborated by the tram that Chris, Dale and I hiked down (and I followed again Saturday).

A gator trail I followed in the strand going down to the head of New River:

Leading to this Gatorhole:

This is the suspicious clearing at the head of the New River.  Just SW of this in line with the creek there is a large marsh that is surrounded now by willow that are tough to break through and thwarted Dale, Chris and I last week. However, if you view this clearing in google earth and set the imagery to 1994, you will see jeep/buggy tracks that cross it through the center and probably lead to a boat/airboat launch on the marsh.  I searched this clearing as good as I could. Friday's rains had unleashed the mosquitoes which made doing anything in the woods fairly stationary crazy.  I did not find any evidence of former human occupation, but I did find a number of cypress logs felled and sort of surrounding it.  The were more recent than what I would expect of a 180 year old fort and I suspect park service felled them to block access to the river.  I would like to look at earlier images of this and possibly use it for a camping site in winter 2014 from which to stage a week long search (before Xmas).  so, any interested parties let me know, even if you hike down a weekend.

This is what the center of New River looks like at its extreme Northeast head, just below the marsh/pond that is inaccessible due to willow undergrowth.  I did not wish to spend energy or time pushing NE from the point of entry as it was not my objective.  I entered the creek here just SW of where Dale, Chris and I turned back last week (note: we turned back because we had Lat and Long coordinates from one of the apparently most researched works on Seminole War Forts - Blarcom's "Seminole War Artifacts"(<- click to see)

More signs of logging with square cut cypress logs.  Logging occurred in the big cypress commercially from the 30's after the Tamiami Trail opened until the late 50's (when it became commercially unprofitable, WWII made cypress wood valuable for warboats etc).  There was Reynolds Sawmill located near New River Strand , an employee of which is the source of the name of George's Strand due to he and his wife Hattie living on after the mill shut down in the late 40's.  They were given a house where the Sawmill was due to the fact their son's shirt got caught on one of the saws and pulled him in...you can read about it on page 22 of this document (<-click there).  Maybe we can talk David Denham of FT to lead us on a hike to visit the site of George and Hattie's house and the Reynolds Sawmill?

I saw 3 of these owls throughout the times I spent in the understory (the strands and along the New River):

This is the path forward along the creek

And, the ubiquitous selfie:

[Swamp Hunter]

My friends family owned Reynolds Sawmill.  Cool post Shawn. 

I heard that George died from a Diamondback Rattlesnake bite that gave him a heart attack while walking to Copeland.  But I dont know if its true.  Those things about give me a heart attack when I see them.

[Swamp Hunter]

For some reason the map wont zoom in for me.

shawn beightol said:

Here's the map

[vivian]

What an adventure! Love all the historical data you share and hope you can find what you are looking for. I guess the searching for it is what is so much fun.