We got up really early, to be sure we would be at the scheduled 10 o'clock Fakahatchee tram tour in Copeland, which was about 15 km away from our camp. We stopped at the "famous" corner of 41 and 29, where there is a Subway. We picked up some extra sandwiches, since we expected to find nothing at all along 29, when we would head north on it to Immokalee. (Actually, there did turn out to be a gas station half way up).
Prescribed burn in the grasses and palmettos. The idea is to reduce the accumulation of fuel that could lead to an even bigger natural fire later.
At the tram tour we were a little surprised to find that they were fully booked. Presumably the proximity (by car) to so many urban centres makes for a lot of demand at the Parks. We were glad that we had opted for the tram, not only to have the benefit of the naturalist's commentary but also because the road through the park turned out to be dirt. It would not have been much fun on the loaded bikes.
Of course the main story of the tour lies in what flora and fauna we saw, and that is covered in the photos and captions. (These of course will already be there when you read this, or they will be coming soon). We learned that though in principle we could be brought to see a ghost orchid, they have given up on doing that since two were stolen by people who had been led to them. We had not realized that these things are so rare that each instance of one is a known and documented thing. That makes them more rare and endangered than even the panthers. We were shown two photos of a panther on the road where we were. Strangely it was during the day, and the panther did not immediately run away, allowing the naturalist to get the shots.
One other tidbit that we learned was that Susan Orlean was shown the location of a ghost orchid, prior to writing the book. There would not be much to see, since the orchid apparently has no leaves, and just blooms on a thin stem, appearing to hang in air ghost like. But the next year when the orchid bloomed, they offered Orlean a look at it. She declined, because the book was already written, so who cares.
The ghost orchid logo of the Friends of Fakahatchee, who organize the tram tours
Demonstration of the effects of acid on the limestone. The bubbling is the release of carbon dioxide from the calcium carbonate. Acid erosion causes holes where peat may accuulate and plant growth is encouraged.
This is the spot where they take you in for a wet walk through the Fakahatchee. To make sure the gators know not to bite, the naturalist jokingly produced a thermometer for showing the gator that it is too cold to effectively digest anything. The tape measure takes into account that a venomous snake needs to coil to strike, and then can strike only half its length. So you need to get your spouse to measure the snake, and divide by two. This will tell you where you can safely stand for the photo!
By 1 pm we set off straight north, along SR 29. Although there was a reasonable amount of traffic, including a lot of big trucks carrying orange crates, the road was good and the shoulder wide. The road initially has the Fakahatchee on the left and Big Cypress on the right. On the Big Cypress side, a ditch or canal followed the road, and this was filled with birds, turtles, and gators. The plants changed gradually as we went along, until finally the trees lining the canal were mainy pine and palm, not cypress. The road and the tree lined canal made for a very pleasant ride.
After we crossed I-75 we entered the Florida Panther Preserve. From our point of view this meant that the road was lined on either side by a 12 foot fence. They really do not want the panthers to be killed crossing the road. We in turn were locked in to the road. When the preserve ended, so did the Everglades, pretty much. We cycled through the first citrus orchards, and no longer could spot many birds, and no gators.
When a head wind developed, Dodie could really feel it, since it had already been a long day. So I took the front and Dodie drafted in to Immokalee. The main industrial base of Immokalee seems to be in agricultural shipping and distribution, but the main street also features a full complement of fast food restaurants, and not one (as we had thought) but two motels. Our room here at the Immokalee Inn is fine - easily large enough for us and the bikes and our tent that is drying out.
Today was quite long and tough, and Dodie is already fast asleep. Tomorrow will be an even longer day for us, so a good rest will be a good idea. It has all been worth it, though. Last year we both missed seeing the Fakahatchee, and when we headed for Immokalee (from Naples) we could not make it, and had to beg a place to sleep in the parking lot of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. This time we can say that we saw the Fakahatchee and made it to Immokalee. Right on!
The Fakahatchee area was the original home of the "Florida land scam". People would be flown over in winter and never realize that land they might buy is swamp and covered in water in summer.
