Vacation

[Keith W]

Just got back from vacation which started with a weekend of diving at Pompano Beach followed by 8 days in the Glades and BCNP.

The trip was pure R&R, day trips only and lots of sleeping in, a great way to decompress from a grueling fall semester. Some highlights:

• I located my first ghost orchid in the Fakahatchee. I hope to see it bloom next summer.
• Hot showers at Flamingo campground!
• Night paddling the Hells Bay trail under a clear sky with a beautiful gibbous moon.
• A day on Still Creek, perhaps my favorite ENP paddling trail. Something needs to be done about the Brazilian pepper that is cropping up at the West Lake end we call the Chute.
• Frost on the inside of my tent for 2 mornings at Flamingo.
• A wonderfully wet and muddy day hike from Oasis out to Roberts Lakes and points west in the Big Cypress.

My apologies to the new members who had to wait until I got back to approve their membership requests. That should no longer be a problem after the site is upgraded on Jan 1. Detailed news regarding that upgrade, as well as the long-term future of the Everglades Exploration Network, will be posted sometime in the next few days. Stay tuned.

[Jared E]

Sounds like an amazing time Keith!

[vivian]

WOW! Hot showers at Flamingo!!!

 

Glad you were able to get out and decompress. Nothing like disappearing into the Everglades to set your mind straight and get your stress level down.

[Terry]

Still Creek, the original Noble Hammock Trail, sustained a lot of damage from the '92 storm down at the

mouth of the Chute.   The blown down trees allowed Brazilian pepper to take hold where there was none

before the storm.   This isolated but dense invasion right at the entrance of the popular creek made it a

target for treatment and in 2009 the invasive eradication crew made a number of trips down the creek

to kill the trees.  Almost all the Brazilian pepper was killed but there remains one sprawling tree that

continues to poke a very green and alive branch out.  Unfortunately that tree is close to the creek

bank and is clearly seen by passing paddlers.   As with any treatment site multiple visits are required

so the park's pepper killing crew will be back in there to get that last one during routine maintenance.