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Everglades Exploration Network Invitational:
“Halloween on the Taylor Slough“
special edition.
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Continuing on a theme of annual “Invitational” paddling events, the 2015 event revisited the Taylor Slough in the eastern Everglades. The trip was organized and led by contemporary Everglades explorer Terry Helmers of the Everglades Exploration Network. Terry likes to go well off the beaten path and plans the invitationals right at the start of the Everglades camping season, usually late October or first week of Novemeber. Terry’s promise to participants is to never subject paddlers to a “tourist brochure route” and always delivers!
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Charlie with Halloween head dress picks up the tail end at the NPS airboat ramp on the old Ingraham Highway.
Note: This is NOT a general public launch ramp – used by special permission.
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This is what launching into the Taylor River Slough might have looked like back in 1916. Note the deep water full of Water lilies!
Credit: floridamemory.com
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A previous trip down the slough with a lot more water:
Running down the Taylor Slough
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Satellite view of Taylor Slough and the entire 22 mile route.
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This year the invitational date fell on Halloween. There was a light fog and the early pre-dawn air had an unsettled, slightly eerie aura to it. Or maybe I felt his because I had already consumed too much coffee this morning.
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This year’s water levels were less than optimal, resulting in walking boats early on.
This was OK as we were actually walking on the old Ingraham Highway here!
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Sunrise and a new day breaking through the clouds over the Taylor Slough.
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Satellite view of the NPS airboat launch ramp and vicinity on the old Ingraham Hwy.
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The water level was on the low side of “doable” for this time of year. The first stretch out of the airboat ramp involved a litle paddling, but mostly walking our boats over the remnants of the old Ingraham Highway. Also, the trail passes within shouting distance of the well know Anhinga nature trail. On previous Taylor Slough runs I remember clearly overhearing tourist’s conversations.
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A section of the old Ingraham Highway, the first road ever to reach through the Everglades south into the town of Flamingo. Pictured under construction in 1921.
Credit: floridamemory.com
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Beautiful but highly toxic Water Cowbane (Tiedemannia filiformis) inflorescences silhouetted in the early morning sun.
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A sweet sunrise over the flora of the Taylor Slough!
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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.
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Vivian and Connie in the early morning on the Taylor Slough.
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A bit of free-ranging in the grass prairie of Taylor Slough.
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Moving through this grassy landscape at a human pace takes some hard work, but is also immensely satisfying for body, mind and soul!
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Connie paddles nearly camouflaged on this (lil) River of Grass.
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On this section of the Taylor Slough we paddled past large fields of blooming and poisonous Water Dropworts (sometimes called Water Cowbane).
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Line paddling on the main NPS airboat trail through Taylor Slough.
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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.
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The ghost of a gator barks at “Amazon” Bill as he adopts a “Jesus Christ” rest pose.
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Poling, pushing, paddling is all good as long as you keep moving through the landscape!
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Making our way down the Taylor Slough.
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Charlie of www.BushPaddlers.org on the Taylor Slough.
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Group shot from another slough trip:
Running down the Taylor Slough.
CLICK for story!
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Satellite view of our line on the existing NPS airboat trail. Note the “zig-zag” rounding the remains of a tree island bisected by old farm irrigation and drainage canals!
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Aerial of approach leading up to a crossing of an old farming canal turned gator hole in the “zig-zag” section of the Taylor Slough.
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A morning traffic jam on the Taylor Slough!
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Crossing the old canal. Remnants of these (relatively) deep canals will turn into gator holes during the forthcoming dry season.
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Coming out the other side into some taller grass!
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Is this a passing lane in the Everglades grassy trails?
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Nothing but grass, water and sky on the Taylor Slough.
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The Taylor Slough is a very quiet place so the scraping of the boats through the grass can sometimes seem suddenly deafening!
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Poling a canoe through the grass in 2015 on the Taylor Slough.
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Grass paddling and poling in the Everglades Water Conservation Areas
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Poling a Glades Skiff or dugout canoe through the Everglades grassy rivers back in 1913!
Credit: floridamemory.com
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The hungry ghost of the gator snaps at paddlers, where is my lunch?
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Is it lunchtime, yet?
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Just as we were about to start lunch, one of the paddlers suddenly appeared to pass out in his kayak. Thanks to quick action by the group, he was quickly pulled out. Turns out that there is such a thing as having too much water to drink! All that water and sweating threw off his electrolyte balance, which when combined with the heat of the noonday sun gave him a mild heat stroke condition. A sports drink remedied this situation. I find coconut water another a good way to keep properly hydrated in the Florida heat.
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Some of our group attending to a momentarily disoriented paddler.
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Back to the regularly scheduled lunch program in the shade of a small tree island.
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The Cypress side of the small tree island.
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A beauty of a blue flower on the slough.
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Ghost of a gator on the Taylor Slough.
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I find the “Jesus Christ” pose an effective way to stretch and relax on the water. You should try it sometime!
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Aerial view paddling an airboat trail on the Taylor Slough.
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Toby aka “Whitecaps” of www.watertribe.org in his Kruger canoe.
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Grass paddling and sailing from another slough trip: Running down the Taylor Slough.
CLICK for story!
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Terry Helmers poses for a rare break on the Taylor Slough.
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Satellite view of our transition from the Taylor Slough to the Craighead Pond and Nine Mile Pond canoe trails.
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Dried husks of mangrove roots in the sun. Sometimes these collapse onto themselves leaving a distinctive “teepee” like shape!
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Vivian paddling past the many small mangrove heads.
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Ghost of a gator – “I’ve been waiting for you!”
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Taking a break on the old research platform on the south end of the Taylor Slough.
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Read about a previous trip:
Craighead Pond Canoe Trail
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This canoe gets around!
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Canoes on the Craighead Pond prairie.
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Late afternoon over the Craighead Pond in the Everglades.
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As we departed the derelict research platform just before sunset, we also departed from the Taylor Slough. From this point on we’d paddle on the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail, staying just north of the mangrove “reef” line that separates the interior Everglades from salty Florida Bay.
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The low setting sun turns the landscape into hues of magenta, brown and red!
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With the sunset, we knew there were at least two more hours to go!
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After we all paddled off into the sunset, it got dark, real dark. It really wouldn’t have been a proper Halloween without the darkness!
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We paddled most of the Craighead Pond in the dark under the stars. With no moon out, high power flashlights were essential for spotting the pvc marker posts as we made our way in a general north westerly direction. Thanks to the strong glow of (Miami) light pollution to the northeast it was easy to orient, but the markers were harder to find in the dark.
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Leah busts out her head netting protection for skeeters in the early evening!
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ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part II
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It was a dark, moonless night on Halloween, with the Milky Way straight overhead as in this shot.
CLICK for story!
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Also enjoy:
ART of Halloween kayaking – a Darkness in the Everglades!
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ART of Halloween kayaking – a Darkness in the Everglades!
CLICK for story!
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In the darkness somewhere in the Everglades!
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Looking for pvc marker posts and cross-checking with gps.
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Once we found the the number 72 marker on the Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail, the going was easy just following the numbers back to the official launch area for the trail.
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Paddling in the Everglades at night added a special dimension to the experience!
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This was the first time I’ve ever seen Terry wearing a bugshirt! 😉
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The ghost of a gator laughed wickedly as we pulled in to the parking area of Nine Mile Pond!
CLICK for animated version!
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Click for 2015 Invitational Paddle discussion and more pics and videos on the EEN forum!
Watch a video of the trip by canoeist Jay Thomas and Frank Fernandez.
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A BIG thanks to Terry Helmers and the Everglades Exploration Network crew for continuing to lead the way in contemporary Everglades exploration!
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Also enjoy:
ART of Dia de Muertos en los Everglades – the skeleton in my kayak!
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ART of Dia de Muertos en los Everglades – the skeleton in my kayak!
CLICK for story!
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Finish before dark on Halloween ? A ha ha ha ha .. ha!
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Want even more grass paddling?
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Kayaking at Shark Valley – A visit to Seagrape Hammock, aka Willoughby Key!
Kayaking at Shark Valley – A visit to Seagrape Hammock, aka Willoughby Key!
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Crossing paths of Gladesmen, Gator hunters, Outlaws & Moonshiners: An invitation to paddling forgotten trails of the Everglades!
Crossing paths of Gladesmen, Gator hunters, Outlaws & Moonshiners: An invitation to paddling forgotten trails of the Everglades!
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Pahayokee to Main Street – probing into the Shark River Slough
Pahayokee to Main Street – probing into the Shark River Slough.
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Running down the Taylor Slough!
Running down the Taylor Slough!
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Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area – History, Gladesmen & more Grass!
Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area – History, Gladesmen & more Grass!
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Kayaking the River of Grass – a Shark River Slough Expedition.
Kayaking the River of Grass – a Shark River Slough Expedition.
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Grass paddling and poling in the Everglades Water Conservation Areas.
Modes of travel in the Everglades: Yesterday, today & tomorrow!
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Everglades hiking with an Altitude – exploring the Slough and Sawgrass prairies of Shark Valley.
Everglades hiking with an Altitude – exploring the Slough and Sawgrass prairies of Shark Valley.
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© 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.
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With that said..
Blessings friends!
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kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i ) 