Re: [Paddlewise] Everglades Trip

Hi Mark,
I have house guests at the moment and past couple of weeks so haven't
answered your e-mail re: S-FL.

Do call and make reservations if you haven't already done so as every
snow-bird imaginable is in S-FL right now. I have been having a lot of
trouble the last 6 weeks getting camp sites. Also, I have found pockets of
mosquitoes during January (which is odd, as they are usually gone after the
first cold snap.) so bring a good mosquito netting hat, the best I've found
fit over your regular hat and have a couple of circular battens to keep the
screen from your face. Mosquito repellant will help, but not with the
no-see-ums as Skin-So-Soft is the only thing I've found to discourage them.

Re: Raccoons can be a nuisance, my hatch covers are fg so I don't have that
problem, however they will chew the soft parts of rubber hatches. If you
keep the roll the kayak upside down and keep it near your tent, where you
can scare them off if they get to rambunctious you should be OK.

If you fish, Snook and redfish seem to be running in the West Coast-
Everglades area. Last week near Everglades City a guy in a canoe had caught
2 redfish and one snook in an hour. If you don't know how to fish forget it
as casting around the mangroves will be frustrating.

You will really appreciate your GPS and tide charts. Cell phones are not
always be reliable in most remote areas like Everglades and Big Cypress and
even some areas of the Keys. Your VHF can be of some use, even in remote
areas as you can usually have emergency message relayed by a boat that has a
taller antenna. I don't know your age or skill level but the Wilderness
Waterway is right in the area you are talking about, you might check it out
as this is the best month of the year to do it. But not with out a lot of
preparation as it is REALLY over 100 miles of primitive paddling/camping.
Anyway have loads of fun.
Pat Moss
Subject: [Paddlewise] Everglades Trip


> I am heading over to Southern Florida in about 2 weeks.  I plan to spend
> 15-17 days paddling and site-seeing in the Ten Thousand Islands Area (4-5
> days), Flamingo area (5-6) days, Biscayne Bay N.P. (4 days) and upper Keys
(2
> days).  I need a little information to help in my planning.
>
> What water temps can I expect in these areas?
> (I could not access my usual marine bouy info site)
>
> What prevailing winds or wind patterns (if any) can I expect?
>
> Are 4 day weather forecasts very dependable at this time of year?
>
> Will Raccoons rip/chew VCP hatch covers (rubber) to get to food and water?
> If so how should I go about storing food and water in camp?
>
 > thing would make a difference in making this a more enjoyable trip.
>
>> Mark J
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>


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