Stage Two--Big Cypress, the Everglades

Stage Two will be the infamous Big Cypress section of the Everglades. Supposedly, water levels will be lower at this time of year, and the mosquitoes not as bad. But mostly, the heat should be less oppressive--roughly like summer here in Virginia, and hopefully a little cooler. But I'm looking forward to it, and especially I think I'll be more than ready to leave behind roadwalks, paid campgrounds, and stealth camping.

From the Florida Trail site:

"One of the wildest places for a backpacking trip east of the Mississippi, the Florida Trail through Big Cypress National Preserve is not your typical hiking destination. It weaves through the heart of the rain-fed Big Cypress Swamp, a vast shallow river also known as the Western Everglades. Within the Big Cypress Swamp, hikers experience broad, open sawgrass prairies, underlain by slippery marl mud and periphyton (the primary biomass of the Everglades forest floor) a goopy glop that is a complex mix of algae, bacteria, and fungi. There are linear cypress strands – rivers within a river – with deeper water flowing northeast to southwest through corridors flanked by cypress trees, some tiny and wizened, others tall and stately, most decked out in bromeliads and orchids. And then there are the dry spots, the islands of slash pine that rise just a little above the river’s flow, just enough to offer a tiny speck of relief from the swamp.
Crossing the Big Cypress is both a physical and mental challenge. It is a hike best done with a group. Expect to average 1 MPH when wading through the swamp. It can be tough to scout blazes ahead of you when you are alone, and there are ankle-turning holes in the limestone bedrock and hidden logs beneath the swamp’s waters. It’s smart to use a hiking stick – a wooden one, not your extendable poles, which could snap and break in this environment – to feel the placement of your feet as you wade, since there are many underwater obstructions. Your feet will be wet for several days. Water may be as deep as waist-deep in places. Your tent will not dry out. Despite the water – where alligators look for the deep spots – this is the home of the Florida panther, the Florida black bear, and the Florida bobcat. Cottonmouths are common and should be treated with the utmost respect. Python and anaconda sightings are possible, but more rare – dumped into the Everglades over the past two decades by irresponsible pet owners, these invasive snakes have exploded in population."