Inland Route - Flamingo / Cape Sable

[Terry]

Inland Route - Flamingo / Cape Sable

Before Hurricane Andrew the preferred paddle route between Flamingo and
Cape Sable was the Homestead Canal. Avoiding the open bay provided a
wind protected route and separated paddle craft from power boats. It also
guaranteed solitude and remoteness by staying in the back country wilderness.
The 1992 hurricane damaged Homestead Canal with downed trees making passage
very difficult. As it became less traveled, foliage growth accelerated and
the 2005 storms made the canal impassable. After Hurricane Wilma a plan was
created to reopen the canal and a volunteer group headed by Tom Rahill and
Jim Brack took on the project. They cleared the canal to Bear Lake and
reopened the Bear Lake Trail which loops through Mud Lake and comes back
down Buttonwood Canal to the Bear Lake parking lot. The section of
Homestead Canal between Bear Lake and Gator Lake remained impassable,
cutting off the inland route to Cape Sable.

Sue Cocking, Bill Evans, Terry Helmers and Jay Thomas devised a plan to
survey the damage to the canal west of Bear Lake and search for an alternative
passage through a body of land between the waters of Bear Lake to the east
and open water to the west. Previous trips by Thomas had identified
the narrowest section of land between these two waters which was called 64M
but there was another slightly wider area of land that warranted
investigation. If a navigable route could be established through these two
bodies of water the entire stretch of Homestead Canal between West Lake and
Gator Lake could be abandoned. It would also establish a natural route from
Coot Bay Pond to Cape Sable - the ultimate trophy. The group also had heard
reports of a route that went into Bear Lake with a portage over the narrowest
piece of land between the canal and the lake.

On 18 January 2014 the four set out in 3 canoes from Bear Lake parking lot
and went directly to the narrow area between the lake and canal. The last
time Helmers had paddled the canal was 28 years ago when there was nothing
at this narrow spot. This time, the explorers found ruins of what appeared
to be a dock that could have been built to assist portaging. It's assumed
that shortly after Hurricane Andrew an attempt was made to keep the
Inland Route open by using as much of the lake as possible to shorten the
length traveled in the canal. Today there's a small break in the narrow spot,
making it easier to slide a canoe through this slot and back into the canal.
After doing this, the group continued west through near impassable
"jack straws" (a sawyer term for criss-cross piled trees) but after making
headway of only a couple hundred yards in an hour the effort was abandoned
and the canoe party returned to the lake to continue west in Bear Lake and
then across the lake to its' west. Since Thomas had already examined the
narrowest portion of land barrier between the east and west the decision was
made to continue directly to the other narrow spot just south of 64M. After
negotiating mud bars a small creek-like opening was spotted. Although there
was a 3 foot mat of pneumatophore roots to be portaged, the creek continued
west with a hard twist to the north then west again to the open water of the
"other side". After the search party spooked a spoonbill at the west mouth
of the creek it was quickly dubbed Spoonbill Pass. Knowing "this was it" all
agreed to ignore 64M and paddle the shallow but open water to Gator Lake.
How ironic that paddlers spent decades paddling back and forth in a straight
as an arrow canal, how ironic that a large dock was built to go over the
narrow spot between Bear Lake and the canal, how ironic spending the effort to
keep trying to push through the canal between Bear Lake and Gator Lake when
there was a beautiful natural creek waiting for paddlers at Spoonbill Pass.

On 20 January 2014 Terry Helmers launched at Coot Bay Pond to
specifically survey and map the Spoonbill Pass area. Although launching at the
pond meant it took 2 and a half hours to get to the pass, it reduced the
paddle distance in the canal to just 200 yards between Bear Lake Trail and
Bear Lake. Two additional non-portage creeks were mapped with the optimal
route going from 09.858'N and 59.397'W to 09.857'N and 59.447'W. After two
rewarding explorations, a natural route from Coot Bay Pond to Lake Ingraham,
Cape Sable has been established.

To use the Inland Route, study and printout or download maps of the area.
Carry a spare GPS unit. There's a lot of shallow water throughout the trip
but it's all open paddling.

[Amazon Bill]

A hand dug canal may exist from the canal to east fox lake

[Roger Hammer]

Quote: "...spending the night on Cape Sable."

I guess I'm the pessimist here but I'm glad someone is optimistic!

[Terry]

There's nothing obvious but I'll bet people have been in Fox Lakes and we will find their tracks

and without a doubt the lakes are going to be connected.

The trophy goes to documenting the best slot into the lakes.

You just never know, the thrill of ground-truthing, Spoonbill Pass doesn't show on GE yet you

can just paddle through without even banging.   The best hidden-from-satellite view has got to

be Barron Creek.   Not a canoe mangrove tunnel but an airboat mangrove tunnel completely

out of sight from the sky!

[toofaraway]

I'm sending you all positive vibes and hopes for no more than thin "ketchup" on your exploration!  The variable water levels on the prairie and the thickness of the soup doudle are reasons why the park won't publish more details about this route and they certainly won't do any dredging.  Once you find a good route and start using it repeatedly you might be able to accomplish the same effect and I wouldn't be surprised if the large lizards and even fish wouldn't help in keeping the route deep. The rangers certainly know about the route and have used it for years.  Good luck and don't forget to write!

[Terry]

I wonder who knew about the correct route before Homestead Canal became impassible.

I heard no rumors during the 1970's and 80's when everybody unquestioningly used the canal.

Then the structure was built at the narrow spot between Bear Lake and the canal

sometime after 1986, probably after the '92 storm.

The fact that someone spent considerable time and effort, not to mention material, to build

the structure in an apparent desperate attempt to re-direct traffic out of the canal then back in the canal

suggests there was no knowledge of the correct route.  But the fact still remains that had the

correct route been known, the canal between Bear Lake and Gator Lake would have never

been paddled even when it was passable.

Knowing how things work, I'd bet that a few in the early years marked it out the quickest and easiest way

without doing much surveying and the whole world just blindly followed for decades.

In their defense take away GE and GPS and exploring quickly becomes random wandering. 

[Esther Luft]

What you are looking at is a newer "dock" above a much older structure.  The original timbers were held together with the old steel pins coverd in that stinky schemical used to keep it from rotting.  Creoline or something like that.  The submerged wood is still solid.  The top platform is not very old.  The more recent purpose was to serve as a landing spot for trail work. 

Check out these photos

2011:  http://www.meetup.com/miami-kayak-club/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbu...

2013  http://www.meetup.com/miami-kayak-club/photos/all_photos/?photoAlbu...

The trail was open several years ago, all the way to the end of Bear Lake.  The trees and vines grew back so quickly.  Then some small storms knocked down more debris in the canal.  In 2011 you could paddle that entire section to the old campground at the end of the trail (now overgrown).  Would love to learn the true history behind this entire project.

God bless Google Earth and all its Hi-Res splendor.

[Esther Luft]

That was so much fun too!  And we also found melted fudge to paddle through as we approached Ferguson.  Ah, memories :)

Terry said:

There's nothing obvious but I'll bet people have been in Fox Lakes and we will find their tracks

and without a doubt the lakes are going to be connected.

The trophy goes to documenting the best slot into the lakes.

You just never know, the thrill of ground-truthing, Spoonbill Pass doesn't show on GE yet you

can just paddle through without even banging.   The best hidden-from-satellite view has got to

be Barron Creek.   Not a canoe mangrove tunnel but an airboat mangrove tunnel completely

out of sight from the sky!

[Esther Luft]

The mud blocking the BLC was removed by flushing out the mud, by hand using big potato mashing rakes, as the tide ebbed out.  This was repeated many times.  Much life returned once the water again flowed. 

Oh, I only watched.  That's crazy hard work for you big strong men.

Amazon Bill said:

A hand dug canal may exist from the canal to east fox lake

[Esther Luft]

Bear Lake for my team. 

We will be there for Tom's next clearing.  He'll have recon once we all return.  I hope we can all dedicate a few days this year to working these trails.  Certainly the approval for the work will come quickly.  We can then mark accordingly.  These should all be designated as difficult paddles for obvious and varied reasons.

Amazon Bill said:

I am considering the day paddle. Are you leaving from Bear Lake or Coot Bay?

Tom is planning trips to keep the canal work moving forward in Feb/March.

[Esther Luft]

Sounds like a great bunch of plans.  I will have a radio.  Hail when you're on the prairie.I'll monitor the standards.

Terry said:

Bear Lake hasn't seen action like this in a while:

The dedication is at Coot Bay Pond at 07:00, Esther you're starting your group at Bear Lake Parking Lot.

I would like to take the Saturday Coot Bay Pond group up to Fox Lakes all depends on time.

Vivian, Jay and Charlie's group will be splitting off at Gator Lake Camp to

map the &^&%^$ out of the prairie between

Gator Lake and Cape Sable spending the night at Cape Sable.

Esther we will be behind you but might catch up when you get slowed down mapping the best

slot into Fox Lakes.   This will be handy, if my group runs late we can follow Esther's group back

to the shorter Bear Lake Parking Lot and we'll have a ride to pick up cars from Coot Bay Pond,

although this shuttle might take more time than just paddling straight to Coot Bay Pond.

Whatever, we've got lots of options.  It looks like we only need daylight on the west side

of Spoonbill Pass, Spoonbill Pass back to either Bear Lake Parking Lot or Coot Bay Pond

can be done in the dark.    By the way, we have no moon light.

With 3 simultaneous survey teams on Raulerson's Prairie, GladesGoDeep will return with

more data than any other trip.

[Terry]

Yup that's the same bridge structure I'm talking about at the narrowest spot between

Bear Lake and the canal.   That was a lot of work, if only they knew.....Spoonbill Pass.

[Esther Luft]

They cut straight through.  No idea why, but they did.  We always used your Spoonbill.  It's the best route.

Did you leave the trail marked (trail tape)?