Keep moving through the landscape ahead of the monsters!

That one Halloween we had on the

Taylor Slough of the Everglades.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

The hungry ghost of a gator snaps at inquisitive paddlers.
Halloween on the Taylor Slough.

.

Grass paddling is a local Everglades specialty!

While free ranging is always possible, it’s usually best to save the energy by mostly sticking to (relatively) well established canoe and NPS airboat trails as much as possible. Poling, pushing, and paddling – it’s all good on the slough. This Halloween trip followed down the Taylor Slough and then the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail, eventually exiting at the Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail. The upper part of Taylor Slough is a beautiful area, paddling amongst Cypress trees with mixed vegetation. Then the further south we went, the more open and prairie-like the landscape became. We kept moving across this wide open watery landscape until again being corralled into channels by coastal mangroves.

Then we ran out of daylight and it got real dark ..

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/everglades-national-park/sloughs/halloween-on-the-taylor-slough/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Time-release Dose – “Watch out for them airboaters, they’re all drunks!”

That’s what the good natured airboat operator

quipped as he pulled into the hammock camp.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

Miami adventurer Leah stands up in her sea kayak and surveys the sea of grass.
Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area – History, Gladesmen & more Grass!

.

The airboater was quite surprised to see a bunch of canoeists and kayakers already there at the dock, including (then) Everglades National Park Superintendent Dan Kimball!

Out on this sea of grass, it’s important to be able to stand up and see over all the tall grass! This is easy in a canoe, but much harder in a narrow sea kayak. Fortunately, the shallow depth and extensive vegetation cradle the hull and make this easier. Using the paddle as a support pole also helps.

The biggest challenge to paddling a long sea kayak in the grass is that you have to pick your line exactly and stick with it! The long kayak acts a lot like a knife blade – easy to push through the vegetation, but nearly impossible to turn sideways from a dead stop. It really helps to keep constantly moving, and you need to edge the boat because the rudder or rudder strokes are useless and unworkable in the grass. The few times I got off track I had to back up like a semi truck (beep beep .. beep beep) and start my line up again!

.

Full story at:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/grass-paddling-in-the-east-everglades-expansion-area/

Revised and updated for your reading pleasure!

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – “Harmlessly paddling the time away in the grasslands” on the Everglades Invitational 2021!

Everglades Invitational 2021 Paddling Event:

“Craighead Pond Canoe Trail”

accessed via Nine Mile Pond.

.

The event’s special guest was Daniella Levine Cava, the Mayor of Miami-Dade County. She and her husband Dr Rob Cava are both avid canoeists!
Everglades Invitational 2021 on the Nine Mile – Craighead Pond route!

.

This year’s event was held in the Nine Mile Pond and Craighead Pond areas east of the Park road and just north of the mangrove forests that border Florida Bay. The Everglades Invitational 2021 Paddling Event was a success and we have resurrected a yearly Everglades tradition of sorts.

We paddled all day long, right into a glorious sunset!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/events/everglades-invitational-2021-on-the-nine-mile-craighead-pond-route/

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – I said Craighead, not Crackhead – Pond Canoe Trail.

Paddling under mangrove roots

on a sea of periphyton

with that big blue sky.

.

“Paddling through hoops of mangroves!” – Kayakfari ART photography.
Craighead Pond Canoe Trail

.

It’s a beautiful thing!

The Craighead Pond Canoe trail is about a 12 – 14 mile round trip if you start and end at Nine Mile Pond. You’ll paddle through some of the most pristine and picturesque freshwater interior Everglades territory! In the Craighead Pond area, you can paddle along and parallel to  the “reef” line and also intersect with the smaller of the two main Everglades sloughs – the Taylor Slough.

This trip should probably only be done during times of high water, otherwise you will find yourself slough-slogging at lot!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/everglades-national-park/interior/craighead-pond-canoe-trail/

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/south-floridas-walking-coastal-mangroves-roots-paddling-photography-and-dreadlocks/

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – That one Halloween on the Taylor Slough.

Poling, pushing, paddling is all good

as long as you keep moving through the

landscape ahead of the monsters!

.

The hungry ghost of the gator snaps at paddlers, is it lunch time yet?
Halloween on the Taylor Slough.

.

Paddling down the Taylor Slough and on the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail, exiting at the Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail inside Everglades National Park. The upper part of Taylor Slough is a beautiful area, paddling among Cypress trees and mixed vegetation. The further south we go, the more open and prairie-like the landscape becomes. Grass paddling is one local Everglades specialty, and usually entails taking advantage of any existing airboat or other trails. Free ranging is possible, but it’s best to save the energy on longer trips such as this one by mostly sticking with the well established NPS airboat trail.

After we paddled off into the sunset, it got dark, real dark!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/everglades-national-park/sloughs/halloween-on-the-taylor-slough/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Paddling and exploring South Florida’s wilderness – the sloughs of the Everglades!

Adventures on the endless “River of Grass”:

The Everglades’ sloughs!

---

Exploring the sloughs of the Everglades – satellite view!

.

(Each pic opens a story!)

Taylor Slough:

Running down the Taylor Slough!

.

Halloween on the Taylor Slough!

.

Craighead Pond Canoe Trail connector to Taylor Slough.

.

East Everglades:

Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area – History, Gladesmen & more Grass!

.

Grass paddling and poling in the Everglades Water Conservation Areas.

.

Chief Chekika’s not so secret island hideaway in the Everglades!

.

Paddling under the Everglades Skyway – the one-mile Tamiami Trail bridge over Shark River slough.

.

Shark River Slough:

Kayaking the River of Grass – a Shark River Slough Expedition!

.

The Lost Portage – connecting streams in the Everglades!

.

Pahayokee to Main Street – probing into the Shark River Slough!

.

Kayaking at Shark Valley – A visit to Seagrape Hammock, aka Willoughby Key!

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2017 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:: The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Taylor Slough 2015 Invitational paddle – Halloween edition!

.

Just when you thought it was safe for Thanksgiving ..

it’s time for

Halloween on the Taylor Slough!

.

(click any pic to enter)

Charlie and Frank paddling it out in the grass on the 2015 EEN Taylor Slough Halloween Invitational run!

.

Hey Charlie, stay out of the passing lane, will ya!

.

Jim grass paddling at the 2015 EEN Taylor Slough Halloween Invitational!

.

T”was Halloween on the slough!

.

Lighting up the darkness on Craighead Pond.

.

Finish before dark on Halloween ? A ha ha ha ha .. ha!

.

Halloween on the Taylor Slough!

.

.

.

! BLESS

.

.

© 2015 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com / decoratedreality.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:: The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

With that said..
Blessings friends!

.