Big Cypress - gojo and sarabelle

“I've been eying Big Cypress Preserve for several years. The two times I've stopped, it was simply too wet (winter).

5/30/02
Arrived at the Aligator Alley (I-75) rest area to locate the Florida National Trail crossing. Found it about 500 yds. down the fence East of the parking area. It was about 2 p.m. It was HOT. I opted to delay the start until late afternoon so's to let things cool off a bit.

We drove West to the next exit (probably 25 miles), then turned South to the Tamiami Trail (US 41). We continued South to the Everglades Visitors Center in Florida City in search of Big Cypress patches. They had none, so we drove 30 minutes to the Big Cypress Visitors Center on Tamiami Trail. They had patches. The patch is pretty simple: a panther head with "Big Cypress Preserve" printed circularly. From the BCVC, I could see gathering clouds to the North (one can see FOREVER across the flattest land in America), so we headed back to the rest area - toward the weather.

It was raining like mad back at the rest area. It felt great! I spent an hour doing last minute packing, unpacking, and re-packing. We finally hit the trail at 6:30 p.m. in a light drizzle. Sarabelle did not wear her pack since she has yet to have her knee surgery, so I was packing everything. I brought only ready to eat food, and left the stove, fuel, and pot in the truck. I was packing 2-1/2 gallons of water, too.

It's only the beginning of the rainy (hurricane) season, and The Big is very, very dry. The landscape is awesome - flat, grassy priarie interspersed with patches of palms and brush, all of which seems to be incircled by innumeral cypress hammocks. The soil is black and spongy, and surprisingly dry - even after the lengthy downpour. It's hard to imagine that these hundreds of thousands of acres are submerged for much of the year.

Okay, confession time. Soon after crawling under the fence, I lost the "trail". The only indication of the trail I had seen was a sign at the fence warning about the lack of potable water - the sign features a FNT logo. I assumed that the "trail" on the other side was the main trail. It turned out to be a sorta spur. I did not see the real entrance until the next day. It's farther down the fence... about 100 yds. up the I-75 onramp. Losing the trail was not a problem. I spent the rest of the afternoon hiking cross country with compass in hand.

I was wearing shorts and gaiters, which left my knees exposed to the waiste-high grasses. It was not a problem, tho.

Not 200 yds. from the fence we saw our first wildlife: twin whitetail bucks with small, velvety antlers. Sarabelle was, as usual, captivated by their presence. The four of us stood 100 yds. apart until the deer finally trotted off with the swagger characteristic of a couple of teenage boys.

All the while there was a rainbow stretching from horizon to horizon.

As we followed the "trail" (in retrospect, I realize I was actually following where a swamp buggy had passed through), we ended up at a brushy dead end. I decided to double back and try another route. As we were moving along, I spied what I thought was a creek bank. Upon arrival, I realized it was a swimming pool sized pond. A swimming pool teeming with (two or three) gators! Whoa! What a rush! They made the God awfullest commotion when we arrived. Sarabelle and I stood on the bank and watched the bubble trails move around. One was moving toward us, so we moved on. Within 200 yards, we came across another "gator sink". This one was bigger, and hosted even more gators. We kept going. At least I had found water, and would fight the gators over it if it came down to that...

It was getting late, and I knew we needed to make camp soon. I found a small cypress hammock that I figured was pretty lightning savvy. It had some tall trees, but not too many. I pitched the tent about 50' from the nearest tall tree - in a spot sheltered by smaller ones. I had made several wide sweeps around the area to make sure there were no gator sinks nearby. I believe mating season is over, but I didn't want to chance a nighttime encounter with Wally, et al. Plus, being the major predator they are, I wouldn't put it past them to track Sarabelle to camp...

That night I slept half naked (shorts only) atop my 3/4 Thermarest. I left the sleeping bag in the stuff sack, and used it as a pillow. There were no mosquitos. We both slept like rocks.

5/31
Belle woke me at about 8 a.m. - the sun had risen, and it was getting pretty hot in the tent. Sissy wanted out. I got up, too, and began drinking water and eating oatmeal and fruit bars. I was jonesin' for coffee. I had fashioned a bowl in the peat-like sod with the heel of my boot, and lined it with a baggie. This was Sarabelle's water bowl. She used it. Man, did she use it! We drank like fish...

I wanted to be on the road by mid afternoon, so our time was limited. I decided to do some exploring. I packed lunch and water - lots of water - and left everything else stashed in the tent. I struck out cross country heading South. We came across a large cypress hammock, and decided to check it out. Hammocks look like hills - the older, taller trees are in the center, and they get progressively younger and shorter toward the edges. They are, however, "anti-hills". As we penetrated farther into the hammock, I realized that the ground sloped downward toward the center. The peat is moist, and the shade cool. It was quite comfortable in there. As we neared the center, the ground got wetter, and the vegetation began to change. The hammocks actually have an inner clearing that feature cat tails, willows, pitcher (?) plants, and large-leafed somethings. Kewl.

Sarabelle was dying, and I wasn't feeling so well myself. Hot. Damn hot. There had been a breeze ever since we hit the trail, but it was a hot breeze. I would stop in the shade and rest/cool every 1/2 hour or so. Sarabelle would promptly stretch out on the cool peet and pant pant pant. I would douse her with water, which she welcomed. My cotton tee shirt was just the ticket. The slow drying fabric retained my sweat, which provided coolant for the breeze. "Ahhhhhh... cotton!"

After a few hours of walking around the prairie, it was time to head out. Following my compass, I lead us back in the direction of the tent. Things started to look kinda familiar, and I said to myself "the tent oughtta be just the other side of that clump of trees". Sure nuff, as we rounded the trees, there, 385 yds (I paced it) away, was the blue dome. Man! I LOVE MY COMPASS!!!

Within 1-1/2 hours we were back at the truck with the AC running full blast.

That afternoon I picked up my dad's boat at Lake Okeechobee to bring back for him. Then took back roads back toward GA. We stayed the night in a dog friendly hotel in Dade City. I got drunk on Yuengling beer at the pub across the street as Belle laid across the bed in front of the AC...

Goooooood times!

God Bless America!”

“Gojo
You are a braver man than I. It's too hot to be wandering around the Everglades this time of year.

Your right about them Gators, they will get Belle if given a chance.

I can not believe the mosquitos were not out in force even if it is dry.

Oh yea, don't come through town without letting me know. I would have bought you a cold one. Since I stood you up last time.”

“Sorry flat...
I was very late arriving there Wed night, and early leaving Thursday morn. We swung thru BG only long enough to fetch the boat at Slims Fri. Everything was rush.

No skeeters - very surprising.
Hot - not surprising.
Little water - surprising.”

“Sounds exciting, although I am not a fan of extreme heat or alligators.”

“i love 'em both!”

“you came thru floriday on i-75 and did not stop to camp at my house 15 min off the interstate? on the river? with a cool refreshing swimming hole? and instead stayed in a motel?.......
maybe the sun did craze you man!!!

great trip report joe....no skeeters cuz no rain!...you are brave to go to the swamp in the summmer...”

“i ain't jokin' woman, i've got to ramble!
oh, yeah, baby, baby, i'm believin',
we really got to ramble.
i can hear OM callin' me the way she used to do,
i can hear OM callin' me back home!”

“You love both Rad? What is wrong w/ you?”

“Gogo you gotta be sum nuts. They say the heat fries us Southerners brains, but you and Rad are the only ones I know of who jump BACK into the pan for more fryin'”

“Sleeping with alligators? WOW!

Great trip report!”

“gojo - you have angered the entire Florida TT contingent by hiking in our backcountry without telling us! No note - no cryptic thread! We all wanted to see Sarabelle.

I am really itching to hike BC between the trail and I-75. Tough to find partners though. Thanks for the great trip report. Sounds like you got to see some of the best of what FL hiking has to offer. I'm thinking of trying it next February. Maybe flatlander will meet me out there.

I agree rad - bring on the heat and gators, they are both interesting parts of hikining in FL. At least, it gives you a reason to wear cotton t-shirts.”

“lol...rad=sidhartha......~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”

“Cool trip Gojo. Stop in anytime.

Yo Coop! Ya got a partner up here. I'll hike it.”

“Nice area and good trip report!See ya out west!”

“GoJo - that's cool. Maybe we can meet up some where this fall.

Big Coop - I will hit the Big Cypress with you. Just give me a call. It's only a couple hours drive for me. Feb will be a good time if it is dry enough.

Newgirl - The gators are neat to see while hiking. I was hiking Dupuis last year. I came around a big clump of palmettos and there was about a 7 footer in the trail. We saw each other about the same time. I am not sure who it scared the most. He had to run about 15 feet to get to the water. They do move fast on the land too. It was a small man-made water hole that must have been dug years ago when the area was a cattle ranch. It had steep slopping clean sand banks which made for a big splash. If it would have been a natural pond he would have just slipped away. Gators don't like it when your between them and the water.”

“I'll stick the trip on my calender for February and start chatting about it in the Fall. HPM or flatlander - have you hiked BC before? Looks like a couple of different ways to hike it - South Loop, North Trail etc. I'll do a little research...

I'll try to find the best month to hike it as well...I heard the water can get pretty deep here in the wet season.”

“...for the lack of a head's up. The trip was tentative, at best, until the last minute. The primary goal of the trip was to retrieve my dad's boat for him - he pulled a camper home. If I hadn't gotten the boat, he woulda done a quick turn-around to get it (500 miles one way). We couldn't have that...

Hey -
I gotta week in Sept AND Feb.
Hmmmmm...


I would like to do The Big during high water - that would surely be pretty cool. It would be like doing the Jacks River Trail... without the current. Heh!
...prolly be pretty skeetery, tho. The "high", dry spots are nigh impenetrable, too - so finding a dry place to camp could be a challenge.

(did somebody say "hammock"?)


Speaking of extreme heat...
I feel that summer hiking in the South puts one to the test as much as any hiking anywhere else, at anytime.

Gators are quite docile, IMO.
The scent of dog could prolly throw a wrench into that O, tho.”