May trip - Gator Hook to Roberts Lakes Strand

[Keith W]

I have a mind to try and reach Robert's Lakes Strand from the Gator Hook Trail on the Monroe Station leg of the Loop. I know the Fl. Scenic Trail runs through the Strand on the eastern end but I have yet to hear of anybody coming in from the west. The first couple of miles of the old Gator Hook logging tram that runs southeast off the Loop has been cleared, but it's all wild after that. The line of the tram is still evident after the cleared path runs out, and I was able to follow it for about another half-mile but it gets pretty boggy in places. Anybody else have any info on this route?

[shawn beightol]

Regarding Artesian wells in the area:

"Chokoloskee is approximately 150 acres and lies barely above sea level, but it's highest point rises to more than 20 feet.

In 1918, Ted Smallwood, pioneer and general store owner, explored for water and tapped into a "flowing well" (Tebeau, 1976). This and two other "artesian wells" were found.

In the early 1920's, Barron Collier also found freshwater which still flows today on Sand Fly Island. In addition, about 10 miles from Everglades City lies another artesian well in Copeland. Another interviewee said that there were nine wells on Chokoluskee. The following three are still in use: 

1) Hamilton Stone crabs - west side of the island near Chokoloskee Island Park
2) Doc Brown's house. Penny Brown currently resides there.
3) The Blue Heron Hotel - up hill from the Smallwood Store

There are two artesian wells on Highlands Beach. This beach is unique to the Ten Thousand Islands because of the islands' hammock and Key deer. One well is located on the north end nearby where the Hamilton family homesteaded.
On the east side of state road 29 in Copeland, Jim Webb is fourth generation Copeland land owner and owns the Win-Car Hardware store in Everglades City.

Looking across 29 from his hardware store, he pointed out that sugar cane was raised where sawgrass flats used to exist in that area before the installation of U. S. 41. His family used to farm until price and labor forced them out in 1962. The Lopez River is named after his great grandfather Gregorio Lopez. Mr. Webb spoke about the artesian well in Copeland that "flowed all the time and no one knows how it got there." In Everglades City, he spoke about a capped off well near Everglades Fish Company along the Barron River. He recalled that "before 29, 41, and 75, you could drink the water east of Pavillion Key (on the flats) in the summer time." [imagine drinking freshwater off the coast in florida bay/gulf?!]

One artesian well on the north side of Marco Island supplied the means to steam clams before shipping via railcar to Key West or by freighter to New York. Currently, the well lies in between a parking lot at the Snook Inn restaurant and a trailer park[~ 25.973N, 81.728W]. The Snook Inn sits on a mound of clam shells topped with fill that came from the Doxsee Clam Factory."

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/cedar61.pdf - start reading around p26.  There are several HUGE "blue holes" offshore where fresh water is pumping out.  p. 27 gives the LORAN coordinates which can be converted to Lat and Long with free homeland security software found here:  http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=loranConvert

I'm game to go visit one or more of these sites.  Just got a sailing rig for my canoe!

[yakmaster]

Speaking of the passing of Glades Legends:

http://www.fredhunters.com/obituary/123414/Tom-&-Naomi-Shirley/

Lt. Tom Shirley of the Everglades Patrol passed last week.

Talk about a gladesman & historian, check out the book!

http://www.amazon.com/Everglades-Patrol-Tom-Shirley/dp/0813041910

[D Warfel]

good stuff guys

hehe ..anyone else think this thread has gotten a bit off-topic?

[shawn beightol]

Yeah, I mislead the forum ; )

I just made a category under Resources Forum called Historical  Information.  Maybe the moderator (Keith) can move over the offending messages?

Shawn

[shawn beightol]

Dale or anyone.  I just resuscitated an old garmin GPS I used back in '08 for some exploring I did down around Gator Hook.

One of the coordinates is "Frog Camp," a name I vaguely remember.  The coordinates are 25 48.094 -81 01.233 and it appears in a hammock SE of the FT along a jeep trail.

I may have hiked through here, but I don't remember why I thought this was significant.

Anyone know of this hammock?

Shawn

[Swamp Hunter]

Im not able to check your coordinates but I believe Frog Camp is a designated camp/resting spot with a shallow well water pump on the Florida Trail. My lost loggers camp/deep sulphur well pump is somewhere near the center of the "W"  just south of the Gator Hook Trail and far west of the Florida Trail..

Im beginning to come to the realization that the loggers camp/water pump/possible Calusa site will remain lost forever. I seemed to be the only one visiting the site and I last visited at about 1991. I was so afraid of others finding it, that I removed and/or moved my ribbons as I disguised the trail.  I also redirected trails until I fooled myself and/or the swamp gobbled it up.

shawn beightol said:well 

Dale or anyone.  I just resuscitated an old garmin GPS I used back in '08 for some exploring I did down around Gator Hook.

One of the coordinates is "Frog Camp," a name I vaguely remember.  The coordinates are 25 48.094 -81 01.233 and it appears in a hammock SE of the FT along a jeep trail.

I may have hiked through here, but I don't remember why I thought this was significant.

Anyone know of this hammock?

Shawn

[Swamp Hunter]

They died within minutes of each other.  http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-03-18/news/fl-game-warden-die...

yakmaster said:

Speaking of the passing of Glades Legends:

http://www.fredhunters.com/obituary/123414/Tom-&-Naomi-Shirley/

Lt. Tom Shirley of the Everglades Patrol passed last week.

Talk about a gladesman & historian, check out the book!

http://www.amazon.com/Everglades-Patrol-Tom-Shirley/dp/0813041910

[Swamp Hunter]

Im one that thinks these historic flowing wells need to be opened back up. The campground at Bear Island as well as the Wilderness Waterway have no fresh water or electric and a flowing well would be perfect. Im trying to save the artesian well at Forty Mile Bend. I cant see any harm its causing as it doesnt kill any vegetation and fish thrive in the little pond it created. Im perplexed that a wilderness area so blessed with underground potable fresh water doesnt utilize these resources. 

Stop at FMB and fill your water jugs and tell the NPS how much you appreciate it. Oops maybe I should start a new thread.

shawn beightol said:

Regarding Artesian wells in the area:

 

[Swamp Witch]

Dale, don’t give up hope about finding that spot.  I bet you didn’t think there’d be a cleared trail through the center of the W even if it isn’t exactly on the tram in the center of the W, yet.  I still marvel how easy it is now to walk from Gator Hook parking area to the Florida Trail and back!  All thanks to your dedication and hard work.  And you’re not the only one looking for the old camp.  I make forays out there and wander around hoping I’ll blunder into it.  When did you remove the ribbons?  Five or 6 years ago I found some old, faded ribbons near the center of the W, but they turned to the north.  I was sticking to the tram as closely as possible so when the ribbons continued north I stopped following them.  Next time I was out there (a year later).  They were gone (or I couldn’t find them). 

[Bill Riley]

I'll spend some more time looking for that area next time out. I've missed the last four weekends of hikes as I had a screw go into my foot all the way to the bone. Should have one more week of healing.

[Swamp Hunter]

I only discovered the camp by following some earlier explorers ribbons in the 80s.. I think they were orange and he also painted the trees red. I tied my own ribbons in a different direction to mislead people in the 90s. This was stupid of me.  But back in the day if you found something nice, you needed to protect it. The red paint started blending in with the red lichens and started confusing me.. Then one day I took 3 friends to show them the pump island and I couldnt find it. I purchased a GPS but it was too late.

Some of the original ribbons may possibly remain today but they will be extremely faded and brittle. I also found a few of the originals about 6 years ago.  Its not too far past the bench builders camp, before the center of the W, and I thought it was south but now I am not so certain.

You may have noticed some ribbons tied on large trees, very high up about 7 or 8 feet. These ribbons are not mine and have been there since the 90s and may be on the trail.

Swamp Witch said:

  When did you remove the ribbons?   

[Zoltan Torok]

Hi, sorry about asking again but seems the conditions are getting drier and drier so I am just curious to know if anybody  visited Roberts Lake Strand very recently. As I wrote earlier I would like to fly over and make some aerial shots from a helicopter for our nature documentary but only if there are gators in the drying lake.

Thank you!!