We Made it!

 Ben and I completed the Everglades Challenge at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 7. We paddled at total of 298 miles from Tampa Bay to Key Largo. It was a marvelous journey.

We launched Saturday, March 2 from the beach of Ft. DeSoto Park on Tampa Bay. About 90 boats started. There were a great variety from larger sail boats to kayaks and even an 8 ft. pram (small rowboat) with a sail.   The requirement is that you have to launch the boat by yourself (or team) without any help.

 The first few days we had NW winds which made for rough seas but great sailing. Ben and I have 1 meter sails on our boats which can move it 4-5 mph without paddling. Since I do not have a rudder on my kayak I have to use my paddle for steering as well.  In Sarasota Bay we were surfing sometimes up to 9 mph down the face of waves. Pretty wild trying to say upright, but lots of fun. We got to the first check point (60 miles) at 10 p.m. Saturday night. Ben wanted to press on for a few hours to camp on an island which we got to as it started pouring.  We had paddle/sailed 65 miles the first day.Sunday morning we headed out (with lots of stuff all wet) n the way south toward Sanabele  Island. Again NW winds made for very rough seas but great sailing. We camped out Sunday night at Wiggins Pass (inlet). At this point there was no intercoastal waterway and we would have to paddle in the Gulf.  Monday was a beautiful day and after paddling through the breakers in Wiggins Pass had a great paddle/sail down the Gulf to Marco Island. Here we went back into the intercoastal waterway. We paddle/sailed all day and spent the night on a small island 8 miles from the National Park office where we would have to get camping permits the next day.

 Tuesday we were on the water at 5 am and had an amazing paddle under the stars and moon.  Our morning Psalm for the week was Psalm 8 and I would recite it each morning.

Lord our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth.

 You have set your glory above the heavens.

 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise,

 because of your enemies, 

to silence the foe and avenger.

When I think of your heavens the work of your fingers, 

the moon and stars that you have set in place, 

what is man that you are mindful of him,

or the son of man that your care for him. 

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings 

and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler of the works of your hands and you you have put everything  under his feet.

all the flocks and heads and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, and all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

Ben with legend Watertribers Kiwi Bird & Sandy Bottom

   It was so beautiful under the stars and moon and experiencing the majesty and glory of God in this way. And then we paddled into a beautiful sunrise in Chockolosky bay as you see above.   After getting our camping permits for Everglades National Park on the Wilderness Waterway we stopped at checkpoint 2 and headed out. The wilderness Waterway is a 99 miles watertrail through the Everglades. There are some ground camping sites and some “Chickees” which is like a little dock in the mille of a bay or river where you can camp.   We had about 45 miles to our campsite for the night and enjoyed dinner and a good sleep once there.  We only saw one alligator in Alligator Creek that day. I was reassured that they are more afraid of us then we are of them. I was also reassured by Psalm 8 that the Lord has placed us over all the “creatures that swim the paths of the sea”, including alligators. 

entering "The Nightmare"

sunset

 Wednesday morning we again were on the water at 5 am in order to get to a section called the “Nightmare” by high tide. This is an area that you can only get through on high tide.   It is very narrow and windy and only the smaller kayaks and canoes can make it through at all. But we did very well and didn’t encounter any boas or alligators just lots of birdlife.  We had a long day of paddling and finally arrived at our chickee for the night at 7 p.m. only to find it in the middle of a bay with a 20 mph cold wind blowing over it. I was so ready to stop and looking forward to a last special night with Ben when he said it was too cold to say on it. I protested and said I couldn’t go on. We had been on the water for 14 hours with only one ½ hour stop all day.  He said I would go hypothermic if I got up there but I did any way and yes, imminently began shivering. (since most of me was wet). So I changed clothes and we got back in the boats for a 3 hour paddle to check point 3 at Flamingo.   What I didn’t know yet at this point was what kind of paddle that was going to be.  Heres a clue. It was about 50 degrees, 20 mph winds blowing out of the NW and we had to cross the bottom of Whitewater Bay where the wind has had 10 miles to pick up the ways.   This was my most frightening time on the trip. It was dark, the water was wild and I was having all I could do to hold my own. We had over an hour of this. I was singing the gospel song…”The wind and the waves they obey his will, Peace be still, peace be still…” and although the wind and waves didn’t stop the Lord gave me peace inside. We finally made it into quieter water and go to Flamingo around11 p.m.  We were out of the wind, cooked supper, set up camp and got a good nights sleep.

 Thursday morning  we slept in to 6:30 and actually got a hot sandwich (microwaved) in the marina store. We had to portage our gear and boats over from the Wildnerness Waterway into Florida Bay and were back on the water by 8:30 a.m. Only 35 miles to go across Florida Bay.  We had a wonderful day of paddle sailing with a slight SW wind that built during the day.  We were welcomed into the finishing beach by all the Watertribe folks who had finished before us.

at the finish in Key Largo

Ben told me that we had exceeded all of his time projections.  Although we was often waiting up for me I did really well and felt good the whole trip.  The physical preparation was important but the mental and spiritual preparation is what really sustains one on a trip like this.  Although this was not as had as some other years there are many lessons of life that are lived out in the midst of difficult and stressful situations.   Probably on of the most important is a positive mental attitude of what is possible.

Joshua Luke liked getting held

David enjoyed throwing stones in the water

 This was a wonderful father-son expedition for Ben and I to do together and I'm so grateful for the time to do it. Emily, Sara, David and baby Joshua flew down from Michigan on Thursday night. It took Debra all day Friday to get out of Newark due to the snow but she finally made it. We had some good family time together.  The big aware ceremony  was on Saturday and here are Ben and I with our shark tooth, alligator tooth and Watertribe paddle awards.