We made it in two nights ago at about 11pm. We crossed through a panther preserve on the way in, and our headlights highlighted 10 foot tall fences topped with razor wire all along the highway. Large signs read "Caution! Panther Crossing". It may seem intimidating to think of 150lb wild cats lurking beyond the low beams, but to me it was wonderful to see such a conservation effort for these incredibly endangered cats. The Florida Panther is a cousin of our Washington native, the cougar. There are less than 160 of them left in the wild.
We ended up on the worst road we've seen, stuck going 15 MPH for over 30 miles of washboard gravel. On the positive side, we have definitely shook loose any rust, dirt, or spare parts that might have been clinging on.
We ended up finding a campsite in the remote backwoods called Bear Island Campground. It was a beautiful spot with well maintained grass and private campsites, so we decided to stay for a couple days. I personally have had it up to the eyeballs with rude retirees in super-busses and massive idling diesel truck engines shaking our bed all night. At this campground, the night was quiet and we slept like babies.
The next morning I unloaded the bike my best friend bought me in San Diego, which has affectionately been named "The Pedal Pickle", after an old green motorcycle my dad had named "The Flying Pickle". I hopped on my trusty steed and took off for a bikeride to explore the area.
Florida has the most abundant and visible wildlife of anywhere I've been! I got to a gated road that let hunters and campers reach the wilderness areas of the reserve on foot. Once through, things got wild. The surroundings were flat marshes of brown grass and tangled greenery, interspersed with pools of crystal clear water. At the bottom of one pool I saw a big 5' alligator napping in the mud, totally still and silent but for the occasional bubble. In a neighboring pool little black ducks whistled and peeped curiously at me before flying away in a huff. Not much farther down the road I saw a thick, black shape in the road and I slowed to a stop at a safe distance. It was a big snake napping in the sun with a bulge in his gut that said he had just had a good meal. I got off the bike and cautiously sidestepped him.
After a while I started to head back when a Park Ranger in a big SUV passed me and waved. I saw him stop where the snake was, and he motioned for me to stay back.
"Hang on!" he hollered "There's a cottonmouth here in the road, didn't want you to step on it!" I thought back to how close I had passed the deadly snake and gulped.
Luckily, neither the snakes or the gators got me, and I made it back to camp in one piece. Dave and I had some awesome vegetable soup for dinner, then layed back and watched the stars come out one at a time.
The next day the sun rose early and hot, and I sat outside the van taking it all in. Suddenly Jax yipped and I saw he was staring intently up at the pine tree with both ears pricked up. I looked up to see a huge black turkey vulture perched not 15 feet up, cocking his head and watching us intently. He decided we weren't going to feed him or run him off, so he spread his wings open to the sun and made like a solar panel. The rest of the time we were there he was perched, driving Jax to distraction. He dropped a wing feather at one point and it was as long as my forearm.
The cypress trees that give the park it's name are everywhere. Their wandering branches all have miniature gardens on top of fern and orchids. I've yet to catch a glimpse of the Ghost Orchid, but I'm looking!
We left after the second night to try to get into somewhere that didn't charge. Apparently our campground used to be free, but now has a $10 charge per night. Being the broke adventure purists we are, we're off to seek greener pastures...or swamps.
On the way out a slough followed the road, and through breaks in the vegetation we saw more alligators than I could possibly count. Their ancient reptilian forms line every bank, from 5' to 8' long, black as sin and scaled in a way that makes me shiver. It's no exaggeration to say there must be millions in the state.
We went to Everglade City to use the wireless internet to scope out new campsites and get in touch with family back home. I've had some sad news about a family member that has hit pretty hard, and it's difficult to be so far away. I'm acutely aware of the fact I'm literally on the opposite end of the country, but I'm thankful to be able to keep in touch with modern technology. Despite the sadness, there is always humour to be found, even in the hardest of times. I've never seen a carving that looked so blissfully happy to be a saltshaker.
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| "Oh, you!" |
I hope this brings a smile to my loved ones back home. I miss you all so much, and I love you more than words can say.
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