Talking About Adventure In Small Boats
I'll be interested to hear if anyone has any local intel on conditions in the nightmare and upper broad creek. There was a Facebook thread in which some tribers discussed a scouting expedition. I wonder if there will be a gator tooth option for EC 2018?
Lauren and I have always gone for the bonus tooth, but if the wilderness waterway is not passable, then I guess it could be a chance to try the outside route for a change.
Dorsalis
Member
This last week, between Wednesday 12/27 and 12/30, I did a modified Wilderness Waterway from Chokoloskee to Flamingo. The Nightmare and Harny Creek are still considered impassable and Parks Service will not issue permits for any backcountry campsites. I went up Lopez Creek to Sunday-Upper Oyster-Huston Bay and down the Chatham to Mormon Key. From there to Shark Point and bivouaced at Graveyard Creek. From there, I went through Oyster Bay to Jo River and stayed at the South Jo River Chickee. The next day I concluded at Flamingo.
I found that there are a few markers down, particularly the Red and Greed Coast Guard daymarkers, bouys. However most of the NPS markers were still up. I followed from 110 to 105 and picked them up again in South Whitewater Bay. The Parks service people at both Flamingo and Gulf Coast told me that there are crews with chain saws and barges working to clear the Nightmare and Harney River. They are all aware of the EC 300 2018 and expect to have the entire back country waterway cleared by the first week in March. Their main concern now is that the Gulf Coast station "honey bucket" boat was sunk during Hurricane Irma, so they have no way to empty the portajohns in the Northern back country sites. This is the main concern they have about reopening the Northern backcountry campsites.
I found Graveyard Creek to be a disaster. It looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off on the tip of Shark Point. I am surprised they issued me a permit to camp there. I arrived after a long day of paddleing from Mormon Key, about 2130 hours and spent another hour and a half trying to find 10 square yards of open earth in which to pitch a tent. Overall, it was otherwise a good trip, with winds at 5-10 from North to Northeasat the entire time.
The overall impression I got from NPS is that if they can get the honeybucket barge issue resolved, we should be good to go come the 1st week in March for pursuing the Gator tooth!
Thanks for the reports, especially the details from Dorsalis. I hope they get that honeybucket barge re-floated. Maybe they need to get Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs in to work on that one. I recall being visited by that barge at Hell's Bay Chickee first thing in the morning on new year's day 2003.
Keep the updates coming from those of you who are down there!
SandyBottom
Member
I too plan to check things out in early Feb, hoping to do the full loop Everglades City to Flamingo and back. I also am friends with John Buckley, one of the volunteer Rangers who is often the one (with his wife) who cleans up the Nightmare before each EC. I'm hoping he'll have some good news soon. NC has platform camping on our Roanoke River. They do not have portajohns. When registering, one must either show them a portable camping potty, or other means like Wag Bags that will be used. Hoping something like that will suffice if they aren't all up and running.
Dawn
I just called the Gulf Coast visitor center. The ranger said that the nightmare and upper broad creek are passable. Chickees and ground sites north of the nightmare are still closed; this might change by the first week of March, but might not. Beach sites are open. Potable water is not available at the Gulf Coast visitor center, but is available at Flamingo. Chickees are open south of the nightmare.
So, I suppose it would be possible to do the wilderness waterway, but would require passing a night in the boat. Presumably water is available at Choko.
LuckyMe
Member
BoatBum and I just returned from a trip out of Choko headed South for a couple of days and back. The Rangers in Gulf Coast (Everglades City) are operating out of a temporary office with porta johns right outside the trailer as facilities. Not real nice. All of the beach campsites South to Highlands Beach are in relatively good shape, many trees down but they all looked pretty good.
I spoke with the Ranger about Flamingo and that's a tough story. He said water flooded the store to the top of the door with everything ruined. The Park Service has contracted with a new vendor that will reopen the store and restaurant along with 40 or so new cabin accomodations when built, but he said right now the store is full of mud and rotting food until the vendor starts work in a few months. If he's right, no burgers or any other goodies will be available in Flamingo.
One final note, the guy in the RV store at Choko was very nice and accomodating as usual. He had waters, ice creams, and a few other goodies and drinks, and he pointed to a stack of gallon water cases when I asked about picking up water at Checkpoint 2. Looks like we'll have to stock up in Choko to last through KL.
Flamingo info from https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/flamdirections.htm
Clean up and repairs are ongoing in the Flamingo area. The boat ramps are open. The marina store remains closed. Fuel remains unavailable. The nearest restrooms are by the fish cleaning station near the boat ramp. A very limited supply of drinks and snacks is being offered for sale by the concession in the kayak and canoe rental building.
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