Paddling and sailing on a sea of grass in the Everglades!
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Every fall in South Florida there comes a point when water levels remain high in the Everglades, while temperatures, humidity and bugs markedly drop. This usually happens sometime in October and the winds also pick up as a result of frequent cold fronts that sweep down over us. When the good and very helpful folks of the Everglades Exploration Network organized a run of the Taylor Slough, I was eager to go. The Taylor Slough, is the smaller of the two main sloughs (drainages) of the Everglades (Shark River Slough is the main one). It’s an important hydrological feature of South Florida, and a significant part of the Everglades Restoration Plan currently under way.
Paddling down almost it’s entire length makes for a very unique and unusual trip – a trip through ecosystems and everglades history!
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The plan was to meet well before dawn near the park entrance so we could launch into the upper end of the slough on a section of the original Ingraham Highway. Then we could run down most of it, veer off to join up with the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail, and ultimately with Nine Mile Pond to the takeout. We would be facing an all day paddle of about 22 to 24 miles, so every minute of daylight was valuable. Knowing this I pre-camped at the Long Pine Key campground.
Since it was a beautiful clear night, I didn’t put up my rain fly. I was comfortable, and in the bug-free comfort of my tent, got some really good sleep.
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In the canoe, there would be plenty of room for a cooler or two and assorted camping and survival gear as well as creature comforts. Helping me push, pull and paddle this big old Coleman 17 canoe was Esther Luft of the Virginia Key Outdoor Center (VKOC). Truth is that the canoe could probably accommodate a refrigerator, so it easily swallowed everything we put in. This lead some of the others to jokingly ask how many weeks we were going out for, yet I did have the cold beverages to the finish! 🙂
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After launching we immediately paddled S-SE through a water logged wildreness of grass and cypress trees. Using an old airboat trail, we pass within shouting distance of the well known and traveled Royal Palm Anhinga trail, and later the Ernest Coe backcountry ground campsite. I could hear people’s voices in the distance.
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Kind of like Running Down a Dream!
This landscape quickly gave way to a more open flooded grassland prairie. With welcome northerly winds, some of the group sailed their canoes down this river of grass, which was an awesome sight, and worked very well! Made us wish we had a sail too!
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After a few more miles, the landscape openened up even more, and mixed hammocks gave way more to mangroves and Marl Prairie. The sky was very large!
Some tough spots included thick sawgrass and gator holes while we searched for the trail!
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At this point our next challenge was to link up with the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail, which lead us towards an abandoned research platform where we took a welcome break to stretch our legs. With just a bit of work, this could be made into an inexpensive awesome backcountry camping platform/chickee!
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Water level indicator on the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail.
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Navigating on the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail.
CLICK for story!
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This lower section of Taylor Slough is a rich biological zone, full of “Everglades Cheese” (Periphyton algae). It’s the last open space, as immediately to the south is the thick and impenetrable mangrove wall which separates us from the salt water of Florida Bay less than 5 miles away!
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Everglades explorer Keith Wasserman stands proud on the Craihead Pond research platform on the edge of the Taylor Slough.
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Stretching out on an old research platform on the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail.
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My Santa-Sombrero provides the ultimate in shade!!
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At the southern part of the slough from another trip: “Halloween on the Taylor Slough”.
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Somewhere between Nine Mile Pond and Craighead Pond Canoe Trail.
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Just a few miles to the west, the trail joins with a section of the Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail, which was take us out to the main Park road.
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Esther Luft of VKOC says: “Are we there yet?”
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I Spy Santa-Sombrero in the mangroves!
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We made it with about 45 mins of daylight left – good going for a 23 mile run.
A BIG thanks to Keith and Terry, ENP and all my fellow adventurers on this great trip!
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© 2012-2016 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!
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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!
🙂
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Great read, throughly enjoyed the narrative.
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