Swamp Walk
Well, I've returned safe and sound from my Swamp Walk in Ochopee, Big Cypress National Preserve, about halfway between Miami and Naples.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!
Walking through the murky swamp in knee to waist deep water over hundreds and hundreds of gnarled and slippery roots you couldn't see was quite an ordeal. ONE THAT I WOULD NOT WANT TO DO AGAIN, EVEN IF YOU PAID ME!
The Everglades were beautiful, raw, untouched nature, and I liked that part very much. I would definitely go back to see that again, but not to walk in the swamp. The uncertainty of where I was walking was very unnerving. The walk was two hours long, and every muscle in my body was tense and tight the entire time.
There were 14 in our group with two guides, Rick and John. In the group, there were two little short ladies who were probably in their 70s, so I wasn’t the oldest one, and everyone else was younger, agile, slim and trim. I was the slowest of them all. My fear of falling was the worst part, so every single step I took was slow and calculated. The guide at the back, his name was John, was very kind and understanding of my fear of falling and slowness, and helped me several times.
Before we began, we were each given a walking stick and told how to use it to help feel our way and for balance. With each and every step, you had to push the stick forward, dragging it on the bottom, then follow it with your feet, also dragging them to feel what was there. You had to be completely aware of everything, and not let your guard down or relax for a second. The guide told us every time there was a root, there would most likely be a hole on the other side of it. And there was. Once I stepped up over a high root and my left foot went down in a deep hole and got wedged tight between two roots. John came around, reached down in the water and wiggled my foot back and forth several times and finally got it free.
At the beginning of the walk the guides told us that there would be trees on either side of us, but to try and resist the temptation to touch them or hold on to them for balance. He showed us how to use our walking sticks and our two feet, positioning them like a tripod to keep our balance with each step. He said we shouldn’t touch the trees because of three things. The first two for our safety: spiders (at waterline) and snakes (overhead), and the third one, Lichen, so as not to disturb or destroy it.
Well, who can resist grabbing onto something when it’s right there if they think they are going to fall? I, and everyone else, tried to do as we were told. But in some spots when things got really rough, I saw some ahead of me hold on to a tree or two, and after a while, as much as I wanted to obey the rules, I didn’t give a darn about disturbing the Lichen anymore!
The little waterproof camera I had bought left much to be desired. I haven’t gotten those pictures developed yet, and didn’t even use the whole roll of film-27 exposures. I only used my good camera on dry land, before and after the swamp walk. I didn’t get to take many pictures while walking in the swamp, or even have a lot of time to look around. I did see many alligators, and I’m sure the snakes and spiders were there, too, but I was so busy trying to save myself from falling, so if they were there, I really didn’t notice them. There were bromeliads and other air plants by the thousands in the trees everywhere you looked, and orchids and other flowers galore.
Here are some
This first little group of pictures was taken in sequence.
We were on a boardwalk over a canal. There were probably about 10 alligators in the water or sunning themselves on the banks. There was a Great Blue Heron, just minding its own business standing below me on the bank. I saw an alligator slide off the opposite bank and glide through the water almost motionless towards the bird. When the gator was about 10 feet from the bird, I could tell the bird had seen him and was going to take off. Closer and closer the ‘gator came. Now he was five feet away. The bird bent his knees, ready for take off, when suddenly he saw a fish in the water, and at lightening speed stabbed at the fish, got it, and took flight to the other side of the canal with the fish in his mouth. It all happened so quickly, I was not able to get his actual flight across the water.
Here he is on the other side enjoying his catch.
Cypress Knees:
Since the root system of the Cypress tree is underwater part or all of its life, I was told the knees are part of the root system and grow upward to supply oxygen to the trees and also to help anchor and support the trees. Knees vary in height, some grow as tall as 12 feet!
Wherever there were asphalt roads, there were these cypress knees that looked like they pushed their way through the asphalt and were level with the road.
‘gators and ‘gator parts:
I took this picture from the back seat of the car as we were driving home.
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!
Walking through the murky swamp in knee to waist deep water over hundreds and hundreds of gnarled and slippery roots you couldn't see was quite an ordeal. ONE THAT I WOULD NOT WANT TO DO AGAIN, EVEN IF YOU PAID ME!
The Everglades were beautiful, raw, untouched nature, and I liked that part very much. I would definitely go back to see that again, but not to walk in the swamp. The uncertainty of where I was walking was very unnerving. The walk was two hours long, and every muscle in my body was tense and tight the entire time.
There were 14 in our group with two guides, Rick and John. In the group, there were two little short ladies who were probably in their 70s, so I wasn’t the oldest one, and everyone else was younger, agile, slim and trim. I was the slowest of them all. My fear of falling was the worst part, so every single step I took was slow and calculated. The guide at the back, his name was John, was very kind and understanding of my fear of falling and slowness, and helped me several times.
Before we began, we were each given a walking stick and told how to use it to help feel our way and for balance. With each and every step, you had to push the stick forward, dragging it on the bottom, then follow it with your feet, also dragging them to feel what was there. You had to be completely aware of everything, and not let your guard down or relax for a second. The guide told us every time there was a root, there would most likely be a hole on the other side of it. And there was. Once I stepped up over a high root and my left foot went down in a deep hole and got wedged tight between two roots. John came around, reached down in the water and wiggled my foot back and forth several times and finally got it free.
At the beginning of the walk the guides told us that there would be trees on either side of us, but to try and resist the temptation to touch them or hold on to them for balance. He showed us how to use our walking sticks and our two feet, positioning them like a tripod to keep our balance with each step. He said we shouldn’t touch the trees because of three things. The first two for our safety: spiders (at waterline) and snakes (overhead), and the third one, Lichen, so as not to disturb or destroy it.
Well, who can resist grabbing onto something when it’s right there if they think they are going to fall? I, and everyone else, tried to do as we were told. But in some spots when things got really rough, I saw some ahead of me hold on to a tree or two, and after a while, as much as I wanted to obey the rules, I didn’t give a darn about disturbing the Lichen anymore!
The little waterproof camera I had bought left much to be desired. I haven’t gotten those pictures developed yet, and didn’t even use the whole roll of film-27 exposures. I only used my good camera on dry land, before and after the swamp walk. I didn’t get to take many pictures while walking in the swamp, or even have a lot of time to look around. I did see many alligators, and I’m sure the snakes and spiders were there, too, but I was so busy trying to save myself from falling, so if they were there, I really didn’t notice them. There were bromeliads and other air plants by the thousands in the trees everywhere you looked, and orchids and other flowers galore.
Here are some
This first little group of pictures was taken in sequence.
We were on a boardwalk over a canal. There were probably about 10 alligators in the water or sunning themselves on the banks. There was a Great Blue Heron, just minding its own business standing below me on the bank. I saw an alligator slide off the opposite bank and glide through the water almost motionless towards the bird. When the gator was about 10 feet from the bird, I could tell the bird had seen him and was going to take off. Closer and closer the ‘gator came. Now he was five feet away. The bird bent his knees, ready for take off, when suddenly he saw a fish in the water, and at lightening speed stabbed at the fish, got it, and took flight to the other side of the canal with the fish in his mouth. It all happened so quickly, I was not able to get his actual flight across the water.
Here he is on the other side enjoying his catch.
Cypress Knees:
Since the root system of the Cypress tree is underwater part or all of its life, I was told the knees are part of the root system and grow upward to supply oxygen to the trees and also to help anchor and support the trees. Knees vary in height, some grow as tall as 12 feet!
Wherever there were asphalt roads, there were these cypress knees that looked like they pushed their way through the asphalt and were level with the road.
‘gators and ‘gator parts:
I took this picture from the back seat of the car as we were driving home.