Everglades Canoe Trip January 2004

Shark River to Harney River

We started day three by paddling upstream a short distance to get into the northern branch of the Shark River. As we rounded the first bend we encountered a large craft anchored in the channel. It had a large outrigger on one side making it look like half a trimaran sailboat without a mast. We spoke with the occupants as we drifted by, and they told us "we are a mother ship for kayaks." The did indeed have several kayaks on racks over the stern, but none in the water. We thought they might be aliens waiting for a comet to pick them up.

This was our second chance to boomerang down to the gulf and back. The plan was to enter the gulf on the outgoing tide and then eat lunch at Graveyard Creek while waiting for the tide to turn. We were a bit apprehensive about the wind and waves, but they turned out to be manageable. We took a break as we exited the river, and were soon entertained by a pair of dolphins gathering fish in the mud flats. At one point they were less than ten feet from our stern. We found Graveyard Creek with no problem, but the site was occupied by a large party, so we decided to continue on.

We found a shell beach on Shark Point and took our siesta there. The day was sunny and warm, with a steady breeze. In other words, near perfect! Al got a nap in and I read a book in the shade. We put a stick in the sand to gauge the tide, and once we saw it rising, we headed on to the Harney River. This year we avoided the shallow southern inlet and paddled a few hundred yards further to the main channel. The tide being low, we walked the canoe over a shoal to the deeper water and then preceded up the Harney with a slight current in our favor. We opted (for the third time) to paddle the last few miles on the smaller winding side channel ("the back way") to the chickee. We saw a large gator on the bank along the way.

The Harney River Chickee is one of our favorites, and it did not disappoint us. We used the rope ladder for the first time and went swimming. The current was moving briskly up stream at that point, so we had to swim hard not to drift away. It felt good to be clean, warm, and dry afterward. We had a leisurely dinner and after cleaning up, pitched the tent without the fly and headed to bed when it was fully dark.