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!