{"id":9998,"date":"2024-02-01T12:57:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T17:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/?p=9998"},"modified":"2024-06-25T17:41:56","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T22:41:56","slug":"everglades-kayak-trip-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/2024\/everglades-kayak-trip-2024","title":{"rendered":"Everglades Kayak Trip 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- Everglades Kayak Trip 2024 --><\/p>\n<p><!-- paste the html code below directly into wordpress --><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year we planned an aggressive trip\u2014going down the <em>Gulf Coast<\/em> to access the narrow <em>Wood River<\/em> and then loop back through the various inland bays. Yet again we were thwarted by <em>adverse winds<\/em>\u2026 [<a href=\"https:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/everglades\/2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">More Photos&#8230;<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-map.jpg\" alt=\"Route Map 2024 \"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Route Map 2024 <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 1 (Rabbit Key)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> We set out from Everglades City on a rising tide. <em>There was a small craft warning that day with wind gusts to 25 knots.<\/em> It was a mostly <em>offshore<\/em> so the waves were a modest one foot. Once out in the Gulf, we hopped from small island to small island. We had no problem making it to <em>Rabbit Key<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Everglades Kayak Trip 2024\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VqafqmewqDk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThe best campsite is now on the north end just above the large sand spit. [The passage between <em>Rabbit and Lumber Keys<\/em> appeared to be gone BTW.] When we got there the tide was going out, so after unloading our boats we went for a <em>walk around the island<\/em> (always a fun thing to do!). The only unexpected change was a thick mat of red seaweed (or algae?) on the side facing the Gulf.\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-15.jpg\" alt=\"Red Seaweed or Algae\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Red Seaweed or Algae<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Horseshoe Crab and Snail Egg Case\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Horseshoe Crab and Snail Egg Case<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nOur tent this year was new and came with thin wire stakes. I bought some large, flat <em>sand\/snow stakes<\/em> and they worked exceedingly well. The only issue is they required a mallet or rock to drive them into the compacted shell debris under the sand.\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-17.jpg\" alt=\"Rabbit Key Campsite\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Rabbit Key Campsite<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 2 (Lopez River)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThe next morning started calm, with the tide went out. This gave us plenty of time to get up, walk around, have breakfast, and get things packed. As the tide rose the wind came back with a vengeance (it was predicted to decrease each day?). We checked our radio and the forecast had changed to <em>increased winds<\/em> for the next two days. We were going to be more and more exposed on the coast so we decided to <em>divert inland<\/em> (just like last year.).\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-2.jpg\" alt=\"Sunrise on Rabbit Key\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Sunrise on Rabbit Key<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nWe headed back to <em>Rabbit Key Pass<\/em> to get into the <em>Lopez River<\/em>. We must have been taking lots of waves from behind because <em>my boat began to fill up with water<\/em>. At first I thought this must be a leak below the waterline, but it turned out to be the waves over the stern (a relief actually). Only <em>baseline leakage<\/em> for the rest of the trip. No big deal!\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nNear <em>Chokoloskee<\/em> I had cell service so I called to amend our permit. It was very odd. The person I talked to could tell me the <em>Lopez River Campsite<\/em> was open, but could not actually change the permit. <em>I think this is a real problem with the conversion to recreation.gov<\/em>, there is no flexibility or local control anymore. [They also no longer handle &#8220;walk-up permits&#8221; at the Visitor Center.] This is <em>NOT<\/em> an improvement IMO!\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-3.jpg\" alt=\"Bugs at Lopez River Campsite\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Bugs at Lopez River Campsite<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThe campsite was indeed unoccupied, but out of the wind, so it was <em>buggy<\/em>. We got my boat out of the water to check for leaks (there were none). We had an early dinner and went to bed at dusk.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 3 (Darwin&#8217;s Place)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThe next day was basically a <em>long crawl across several large bays<\/em> against the wind (and sometimes the tide!). Other than a few fishing boats ducking behind islands, we did not see anyone else. Our target was the ground site at <em>Darwin&#8217;s Place<\/em>, thinking it would be unoccupied. So we were surprised to meet a husband and wife from Tennessee who had come that day from Sweetwater in a <em>canoe<\/em>!\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThey were very nice and had no problem with our unexpected arrival. Fewer bugs because there was a breeze into the evening. We were pretty much exhausted so it was a quick dinner and into the tent. We both slept very well!\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-4.jpg\" alt=\"Leaving Darwin's Place\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Leaving Darwin&#8217;s Place<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Days 4 &amp; 5 (Willy Willy)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nAt this point it was a bit too far to <em>Camp Lonesome<\/em> (to get back on our original itinerary) so we decided to go directly to <em>Willy Willy<\/em>, stay two days, explore, and see what that area had to offer.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nOn the way we had to traverse two long creeks. As we were about to enter <em>Alligator Creek<\/em>, two dolphins came out and made big wakes right under my kayak. Along <em>Plate Creek<\/em> we encountered a medium-sized hawk with nearly all black plumage. I later keyed this out as a <em>Zone-Tailed Hawk<\/em>, which is normally found in the Southwest!\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-5.jpg\" alt=\"Zone-Tailed Hawk Along Plate Creek\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Zone-Tailed Hawk Along Plate Creek<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThe wind was still there, but a bit less. The high overcast abated and the sun came out. Midday we rafted together and ate lunch on the float. (Up until this point we were just chugging along eating energy food all day.) I should mention how well <em>avocados<\/em> work as trail food!\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-7.jpg\" alt=\"Our Floating Lunch\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Our Floating Lunch<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-8.jpg\" alt=\"Mmmm\u2026 Avocado Sandwiches\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Mmmm\u2026 Avocado Sandwiches<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<em>Willy Willy<\/em> was not what we expected: reasonably open, enough breeze to keep the bugs off, perfectly clear (and fresh) water! As we were unloading a <em>6-8 foot gator<\/em> approached and then submerged just below the dock. It was like watching him in an aquarium exhibit! I thought it could be a problem but he got bored when we didn&#8217;t engage, backed off, and we didn&#8217;t see him again after a few hours.\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-9.jpg\" alt=\"Willy Willy Campsite\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Willy Willy Campsite<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-10.jpg\" alt=\"Willy Willy Dinner\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Willy Willy Dinner<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nWe had a beautiful counter-sunset and it was the full moon.\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-6.jpg\" alt=\"Willy Willy Sunset\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Willy Willy Sunset<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 6 (Plate Creek Chickee)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nBy the third day were finally back on our permit and headed north. The wind had diminished but not changed direction so for the first and only time we got to <em>sail<\/em> most of the day!\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-11.jpg\" alt=\"Our One Day of Sailing\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Our One Day of Sailing<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nWe got to the <em>Plate Creek Chickee<\/em> easily and early. The light breeze continued so there were no bugs. There were two gators cruising around but neither approached us in an aggressive manner.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nJust at sunset we started to see small flocks of <em>Roseate Spoonbills<\/em> all headed in the same direction to rooker-up for the night. Then they just kept on coming!! In one formation we counted thirty five. <em>We estimate we saw about eighty of these rare birds before darkness fell.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-12.jpg\" alt=\"Flocks of Roseate Spoonbills\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Flocks of Roseate Spoonbills<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThe <em>tent<\/em> (without fly) fit the chickee well. (My old tent was more hexagonal, so effectively occupied more floor space.) The breeze fell just at dusk and the bugs moved in so we were more than ready to get inside and close the doors! We woke to a <em>thick fog<\/em> in the morning.\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-13.jpg\" alt=\"Foggy Morning on Plate Creek Chickee\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Foggy Morning on Plate Creek Chickee<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 7 (Lopez River)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nAgain we listened to the <em>marine forecast<\/em> on our radio. A cold front was coming and sometime that day <em>the wind would shift from SE to NW<\/em> and might be a steady 25 knots! We decided to make haste through as many large bays as we could before the change and camp at either Crooked Creek or Lopez River.\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-18.jpg\" alt=\"Lopez River Campsite\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Lopez River Campsite<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThis was a good decision. After a very long, but not unpleasant day we pulled into the <em>Lopez River Campsite<\/em> (for the second time) just at dusk. We made camp and had a deluxe dinner of Pad Thai and Mango Sticky Rice. No bugs this time and much cooler. We slept well.\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-14.jpg\" alt=\"Trail's End\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Trail&#8217;s End<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nThe next day there was indeed a 20 knot plus wind from the NW. We elected to take the <em>Chokoloskee Canal<\/em> to avoid wind on the bayside, and had some problems with mud at low tide. It was a good thing we&#8217;d gotten so far the day before! We were out by 2pm and met two large groups of high school students about to go out on their first canoe trips\u2026\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\nOur trip this year was challenging and highlights the capabilities of peddle kayaks. <em>We logged three 18+ mile days AGAINST 10-20 knot winds<\/em> without too much trouble. There is no question in my mind that we&#8217;re seeing the results of <em>Climate Change<\/em> with ever increasing energy in the atmosphere. Future trips will have to take this into consideration.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Epilogue<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/everglades-2024-book.jpg\" alt=\"Desert Solitaire Book\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Desert Solitaire Book<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I had the good fortune to pick up this paperback copy of &#8220;Desert Solitaire&#8221; by Edward Abbey for reading material on the trip. It is an excellent book for both the stories and the perspective on our National Park System (of which the Everglades is a part). With all the tent time I read most of it by the end of the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">[<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/everglades\/2024\/\" target=\"_blank\">More Photos&#8230;<\/a>]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year we planned an aggressive trip\u2014going down the Gulf Coast to access the narrow Wood River and then loop back through the various inland bays. Yet again we were thwarted by adverse winds\u2026 [More Photos&#8230;] Day 1 (Rabbit Key) We set out from Everglades City on a rising tide. There was a small craft &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/2024\/everglades-kayak-trip-2024\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Everglades Kayak Trip 2024&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,12,268,27,4,14,10,30],"tags":[481,235,363,413,538],"class_list":["post-9998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-birds","category-books","category-camping","category-critters","category-everglades","category-photography","category-travel","category-video","tag-climate-change","tag-kayak","tag-panoramas","tag-roseate-spoonbill","tag-zone-tailed-hawk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9998"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10137,"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9998\/revisions\/10137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}