Great trip with Jack Cook and Rich Oftedal, from Coots Bay through Whitewater Bay to North River Chickee, then Lane Bay Chickee via Roberts River, then back via Hells Bay to Whitewater Bay and Coots Bay. 37 miles total paddle-mileage. Looks more impressive on a map! Wonderful weekend with all kinds of weather, difficulties, beautiful scenery and wildlife, and safe return of all hands and boats.
Date(s): 2-01-07 / 2-04-07. Album by John Phillips. Photos by John Phillips. 1 - 47 of 47 Total. 1603 Visits.
1 IMG 0156 Loaded to go at Rich's house "Nice looking boats! B..." View Comments...
2 2007-02-08 Loaded boats and Volvo
3 IMG 0158 Flamingo Ranger Station, Florida Bay
4 IMG 0161
5 IMG 0163 Tripod portrait of Fleet meeting at Flamingo campground "The photographer must..." View Comments...
8 IMG 0167 Fantastic full moon, pic doesn't do it justice.
9 Lynn's Window broke... Electric window wouldn't roll back up, just before we shoved off. We taped it with a garbage bag and hoped for the best while we were gone. Lynn may not loan me her car again.
10 IMG 0170 Put-in at Coots Pond. We loaded all this stuff into the boats for the three-day paddle
11 IMG 0172 The Commodore is first to float
12 IMG 0173
13 IMG 0174
14 IMG 0175
15 2007-02-08 JC Coot Pond mangrove tunnel
16 2007-02-08 JC Rich Coop Pond Mangrove tunnel
17 2007-02-08 JLP Rich Coot Pond mangrove tunnel
18 IMG 0177 The Fleet captains at lunch, no doubt making fun of the Commodore
19 IMG 0176 The Commodore considers the sorry performance of the Fleet thus far
20 IMG 0178 Rare piece of shallow hard bottom, good place to stretch the legs and take a rest
21 IMG 0179
22 IMG 0183
23 IMG 0184 North River Chickee, our destination first night out
24 IMG 0185
25 IMG 0186
26 IMG 0189
27 IMG 0190 Last hot supper, due to Oft's screwup re propane. Freeze-dry Lasagna and Ramen noodles, yummy
28 IMG 0193 Artsy-pic attempt, with clouds reflected in the smooth water,, boats floated away from chickee by the tide near sunset.
29 IMG 0199 Fogged-in sunrise, North River Chickee
30 IMG 0198 Rich muses about the irony of cooking our supper next to the porta-potty
31 IMG 0195
32 2007-02-08 JLP Rich leave N River chickee
33 IMG 0200 Visit to Roberts River chickee, site of our first Everglades NP overnight paddle 3+ years ago
34 IMG 0202 tripod portrait of the Fleet at Roberts River chickee lunch stop enroute to Lane Bay
35 IMG 0204 Lane Bay chickee, about the prettiest site we've used out here
36 IMG 0206
37 IMG 0207
38 IMG 0208
39 2007-02-08 JLP getting off kayak LAne BAy
40 2007-02-08 JC at LAne BAy Chickee
41 2007-02-08 JLP Rich lane bay chickee
42 IMG 0209 Rich and Jack head out on a SHORT 2-mile cruise, to reconnoiter "The Funnel" which leads to Hells Bay, critical to our trip tomorrow
43 IMG 0211 They made it back, after becoming lost during recon, note the lateness of the hour
44 IMG 0212
45 2007-02-08 Three take-out
46 2007-02-08 Three takeout close
47 IMG 0214 Garbage bag patch over disabled window held up at 75+ mph in the rain all the way home. Volvo should include one of these, and a roll of duct tape, with every car