Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve
I woke up a little before sunrise and on Aunt Martha’s advise decided to watch the sun rise over the lake. After breakfast, Alan, Manuel, and I drove the Cobalt to the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve. A sign said Jane’s Scenic Drive was closed so Alan fumed and called several people to bypass the system. Finally, he got the right contact and found that the person he wanted to talk to was inside the ranger’s office the whole time. Ranger’s Station, GPS: NAD27 255703.33 812137.33 +-13.
We learned that the sign meant the drive was closed further down the road. We piled back into the Cobalt and I did my best not to jostle and bump the car too much in the numerous potholes abounding throughout the drive. We pulled off and parked where a side trail forked to the right. I knew that my feet would get wet but decided against boots thinking I’d be in and out of water but mostly on land. I wore my sandals.
We hiked down the tram for about ½ a mile and plopped into the water. My sandals would only occasionally feel dry land for the next several hours as we plodded through the swamp. Despite improper footware, I did rather enjoy exploring the swamp on foot. We splashed over logs, pushed aside fronds, stumbled over submerged logs, and balanced uneasily at times barely avoiding a wet, splash-down into the tannic water.
Eventually, we reached the area called “The Cathedral.” Several lush-green, wild pineapple epiphytes decorated almost every tree in sight. The sky threatened to storm so we quickly took pictures and then sought out a nearby lake. The lake evaded us and I began to tire of stumbling through the water worrying that I’d twist an ankle. As soon as the mileage from the car began decreasing, my mood bettered.
We went through a great deal of ___ grass. I got a few paper-like cuts from it but it really slit Alan’s hand as he led. I could tell that we were heading toward the tram as we headed out. Midway out, I felt my tripod and my gut wrenched when I could only feel 2 legs. Sure enough, one of the carbon fiber ($$$) legs had fallen into the water never to be seen again. Oh well, maybe I’ll still get them to pay for it since the tripod must have been defective for a seemingly attached leg to completely fall off (2-24-07: after a 1 month and 3 weeks wait, Bogan Imaging assured me that I'd be getting a brand new tripod within a week. I love warranties!)
We finally trudged onto the tram and before I’d even had a chance to de-clothe as protection from the Urina’s, I was covered. I took off my polypro bottoms to prevent urina saturation. Back at the car, it took several minutes to rid my clothing of the clingy urinas. We’d spotted Grape Fruit along the way and after changing I munched on one.
Earlier, Alan had persuaded Manuel to act the part of a panther for a motion activated camera. Someone would be in for a laugh. I wasn’t looking forward to the tiresome maneuvering around potholes on the way out. Eventually, we reached blacktop again. On the way home we found a Chinese Buffet in Naples and feasted.
Fakahatchee Strand SP Gallery
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