Hello Everyone!

[Swamp Witch]

I have been reading this site for a long time.  Thanks Keith for creating it!  I live in Michigan but have been coming down to Florida at least once a year my entire life.  Every year at xmas I spend a couple weeks visiting my dad and exploring the Everglades (kayaking & hiking).  Before she died, my mom gave me the name Swamp Witch after I told her my story of hiking through from Gator Hook to Roberts Camp (lunch stop) and back (in one day).  I try different routes through the middle overgrown section.  One year I tried going south on my way back.  Big mistake.  It was like Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin in the Old Forest.  I wanted to go north/northeast and the swamp was sending me south/southwest.  The water was too deep to cross (I won’t go in deeper than mid thigh).  Eventually I decided that I had to go north no matter what and ended up crawling through some thick growth before finally reaching water I could wade through.

 

I was completely filthy, scratched & bloody, and covered in cypress needles, my hair was full of them.  On normal days my hair is a grey, scraggly, frizzy mess so I already half look like a witch (don’t need a wig at Halloween).  Now it was full of cypress needles and standing out every which way.  Tying it in a ponytail didn’t help much.  Anyway, it was getting late and I had to hurry to get back to the trail head before sunset (to call my mom) so I didn’t bother cleaning up.  I just ran.  As I got back to the trailhead, some sunset/bird photographers were there and I think I scared them.  No one would look at me or talk to me and they left pretty quick giving me a wide berth.  My mom said they must have thought I was a swamp witch.  I decided to use that as my moniker.

 

Love this site for all the stories and advice.  It is wonderful to have a group of people who understand how much fun it is to be out in the Glades crawling through swamps and making 2 mph against a wicked headwind with waves crashing over the bow while kayaking to the next camp.  Everyone else just thinks I’m crazy.

[Swamp Hunter]

Hello Swamp Witch. I posted a story about someone that decided south from Gator Hook was the easiest way out. Did you read it? Welcome to the forum. Where is Roberts Camp?

[Jay]

Welcome EEN Swamp Witch!

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

As we say down here in the Glades : Bienvenidos!  ;)

[Swamp Witch]

Hi Dale!  South would have been much easier but my car was west and so west I had to go.  Roberts Camp is a backcountry camp site on the Florida Trail in Robert's Lake Strand between Loop Road and the Oasis Visitor Center.

[Swamp Hunter]

No you made the correct choice.   These people chose to go south away from their car.  http://flcenterlitarts.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/lost-in-the-evergla...