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Warm and Dog Friendly in February

Zac

Joined
Sep 5, 2017
Messages
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Location
Duluth MN / Wausau WI
Started planning this trip about an hour ago. I have an unexpected two weeks off from work and want to go camp and paddle someplace warm. Looking to leave Wisco tuesday morning at the latest. My job does this to me on occasion and when it does I like to get up and go. Yes, I am a bachelor. Only thing I have to worry about is the dog, who comes with most of the time.

I will be joined by one or two buddies for whom fishing is a priority. Plan is to leave Wisconsin Tuesday morning at the latest with a canoe or two and a dog or two, along with fishing and camping gear of course.

The last time I took a last-minute trip in February I went trout fishing throughout Colorado and had a blast. Stayed in motels with a little couch surfing. This time, however, we will be sleeping in three season tents and making our own food to keep the expenses to a minimum.

I have researched and know a bit about Everglades NP and 10k Islands NWR, which would be my first choices... if my dog didn't want to go someplace warm, too.

I am taking a break from researching other destinations in FL, AZ, NM and the pacific coast to write this post. I'm sure I will know more by the time anyone replies; I am actually pretty embarrassed that I know so little about southerly canoe tripping destinations. Limiting my search to areas where it will not be freezing overnight. Current front runners are coastal Oregon and central Louisiana, both of which will probably involve more car camping and less canoe tripping, which is, of course, why I came here.

I know there are plenty of rivers in the southwest, but how many of them have enough water to paddle right now? Portages are OK, probably not going to want to run anything over class 1.

Looking for destination suggestions, as well as any knowledge of how the current government shutdown affects access and permitting.

Thanks
Zac
 
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Govt shutdown the next ought to be after your travel window.

Much of FL which is the sort of canoeing we like to do ( camping) is NP or NWR and dogs are not allowed as you found. Everglades Big Cypress and 10000 Islands out.

There are two Floridas.. South of Tampa and North of Tampa.. North is apt to be frosty next week.. I see temps in the 20s for some locations like Ocala.

A shame Juniper Run is delight of a day trip but dogs not allowed.

Suwanee River is something you might want to look at.. Bring fleece.. It well may be below freezing at night.. It is dog friendly ( as long as they do not chase wild pigs)

I am sure there are other rivers dog friendly but the Hillsborough is not one. Lovely river but lots of gators..

The Big Bend paddling trail is over a hundred miles long but I can't find info on dogs or no.. I suspect no as FL Fish and WIldlife runs it.

The Withlacoochee RIver is over a hundred miles long.. It too has some gators, but it does have campsites.

I am leaving tomorrow for dropping my pooch off in CT before continuing on to FL for a month of paddling.. I have found that no dog is way easier especially when there is sometimes little dry ground and we spend six hours straight in the canoe. I don;t want to subject Buddy to that.
 
Hey zac, Yellowcanoe is right. By and large a dog is a bad idea in Florida. My granddaughter still blames me for the loss of her beloved pomeranian. We stopped for lunch and unfortunately some gators had the same idea. We had bologna sandwiches but you can guess what the gator had in mind ! Happened so fast!!!! This was on the alafia river. I used to live in Florida and paddled everywhere I could . By the way the Alafia is not noted for wildlife. If you don't take dogs then the Big Cypress area is one of my favorites. Good luck, I envy you the warmth.

Jackpine Jerry
 
SE Arizona is my winter getaway. Lots of public land and warm temps. Lots of good backpacking. Not much for canoe tripping or fishing though.

Chiricahua mountains. Huachuca Mountains. Gila Box. Coronado National Forest. To name a few. Higher elevations are dog friendly. Lower elevations you have sticky things to worry about. I've taken my dog hiking in the prickly low lands without much trouble but she'll stick close if I ask her. She did get some cholla in her foot once and tried to remove it with her mouth. Which did get it out of her foot but then it was stuck to her face. I always carry forceps with me and she was only 10' away so the removal was quick and uneventful.

The old Safford Morinci trail around Gila Box is a really neat area to backpack. It takes you to a nice creek that flows through a beautiful riparian area in the middle of the desert complete with a large beaver dam complex. Lots of other side canyons to explore once you get there.

Alan
 
zac, I just spoke with a buddy from Fl. this morning. We both agree on the dog thing. As much as I love dogs it can be a pain ! The ten thousand islands area is really cool and the rangers will sometimes spot your vehicle for you. Camping on a chickee is interesting as well if you have not done it before. Have a great time wherever you decide to go.

We have some open water in n. Michigan if you want...of course you wouldn't get warmed up much since it is -20 degrees !!!!!!!

Jackpine Jerry
 
Thank you all for the fast responses!

I made it about 200 miles the wrong way so far. I'm in Minnesota to pick up canoe and camping gear... with clogged sinuses and a fever. All plans are on hold until the fever subsides, which may or may not torpedo this trip as we have a limited window to work with.

I found a very limited number of river stretches with enough water to paddle in Arizona. Mostly between dams, but at least there should be fish. I do imagine there will be plenty of powerboats on the reservoirs in AZ this time of year. Backpacking is off the table according to my one fisherman friend however I would love to check out the areas you mentioned, Alan, by myself sometime. I had no idea there were so many navigable rivers in Arizona. Most with rapids above our limit and I haven't found much information on portages around them, especially in the canyons. I have not found any good fishing reports in Arizona outside of the impoundments.

The Suwanee and Apalachicola rivers are so much closer to here than the Everglades. Guy #3 and his dog dropped out so there is no longer a dog requirement. Current plan is to leave the dog with family in Minnesota and leave Wisco Wednesday morning heading for south Florida but it all depends on how I feel. Phooey.

Zac
 
I went to Arkansas one winter for a week long trip and that might have some possibilities. It was unseasonably cool and overcast when I was there and it looks like similar weather there now but Sunday has a forecast high in the 60's. I did a day trip in the big woods over towards the Mississippi border, which was a really neat spot. Should be lots of fishing in the rivers and reservoirs. Might be a good backup plan if time gets too short for the drive all the way to Florida and back.

I remember there being quite a bit of duck hunting but don't remember for sure which month I was there. That might make some places less appealing. I don't recall any hunters when paddling through the big woods. Perhaps it was a protected area or maybe where we were just wasn't good hunting.

https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-in...ig-woods-ecological-significance-and-threats/

https://medium.com/@uarkpress/exploring-the-big-woods-96bfd64425a4

Alan
 
Zac if you want a bit of winter but still a dosble trip in Feb consider the Current River in Missouri
 
I live in north Florida and love camping on the upper Suwanne River. Here is how I plan my trips leaving from Fargo Georgia. First I check the USGS river gauge for Fargo Georgia. This is important because White Springs might have water while Fargo doesn't. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv/?site_no=02314500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00062,00010
Water flow levels for paddling and or camping.
Below 200 CFPS: Forget it, water level too low, will spend as much time dragging your canoe as paddling it. On the plus side there is sandbar camping galore.
200 to 400 CFPS: This is the water flow level that I find is idea for my paddling/camping trips. You have a gentle current and plenty of places to camp. Under 300 CFPS you might have a couple places you have to get out of your canoe to get thru.
400 to 600 CFPS: The current really starts to flow which makes paddling the first 15 to 20 miles go by quick, which is good because places to camp now are hard to find.
600 CFPS: Now the current is really flowing. I have clocked myself floating down the Suwanne River without paddling between 5 to 10 mph when it is near flood stage. Great for big mileage days for experienced paddlers but very few places to camp now. Recommend going somewhere else.​
My friend and I usually do our own shuttle. Last time we used the outfitter at White Springs. For two boats, two people and our gear from White Springs to Fargo Georgia was $100. www.aca1.com

Lately we have been getting a lot of rain. Right now the Suwannee River is too high for river camping on the upper Suwannee.

Guess I should give you some more bad news. All the rain has also closed Juniper Spings for a day or two. https://m.facebook.com/JuniperSprings/

The Big Bend Florida Paddling Trail doesn’t allow canoes or single kayakers due to safety matters.

Kayak_Ken (in a canoe)
 
But daytrippers can go on the Big Bend. Have done it before and will go next week
we'll camo at Goose Pasture and explore the Ecofina toward the Gulf.
 
YC, the public area of goose pasture is closed for camping until further notice. If you have 6 or more people you can still use the group area. http://www.mysuwanneeriver.com/index.aspx?NID=64 (bottom of page under Important Notices)

Flooding was bad in late Dec. I was hunting several of the WMA's between xmas and NY's and the flooding was almost all the way back to the split in the road after the marque there at the aucilla sinks. You could have literally paddled the last 3 miles down the road to the camping area. You can drive in there now, but I doubt much will have changed by next week in terms of SRWMD opening it up. If you're going to camp you may want to look at Econfina State Park, the county campground at St Marks or Rocky's outside of Perry.
 
OK I am feeling better, woke up this morning with no fever, just some congested sinuses still. Looking at forecasted temperatures the whole lower 48 is going to be cold this next week except for southern Florida. Dog is gonna stay in MN then if this works out. I'd say chances are about 50% at this point.

My buddy is reluctant to haul his royalex spirit II 4000 miles, so I'm checking out rentals to humor him. Any suggestions for a place to rent a ship that's not aluminium? Any reasons why a royalex Spirit II would not be suitable? I have a couple kevlar options too but I would rather leave them at home. Florida does not require canoes to be registered, so there's that at least.

Looking to do a loop out of Everglades City, idk how many days yet. Maps, compass, GPS, 1 gallon water per person per day, plenty of bug and sun protection, fishing gear, no live bait, tent, sleeping bags/pads, stove, kitchen kit, food, paddles, LJs, anchor, what am I forgetting? Going to bring a shovel for cat holes and a couple wag bags for TP and emergencies.

Is it worth bringing the hammocks? From what I have read Chickees are the only place to hang. I expect the chickees to be busy this time of year.

Will we need to purchase both saltwater and freshwater fishing licenses? Hoping to catch and eat a variety of species. I cannot find any information on how to properly dispose of the fish carcasses.

I have also been unable to find regulations regarding food storage. I assume hanging is not allowed and I cannot find any mention of approved containers or protocol. I am hoping to bring a soft sided cooler for mostly beer and then a bucket with lid for the dry goods and cookware.

I appreciate all of the help so far. Sorry I'm asking so many questions, I am getting excited.
 
i
Hammocks dont work well on chickees and not at all on other sites
Lopez has some big trees but the camp area is small and there arent two in the right position
You do NOT want to go into the mangroves to hang
Chickees have four corner poles. If you hang you have to watch where you step. Miss and you swim
Beaches are difficult to hang. again you dont want to be out of the breeze

A freestanding tent is the way to go. Bring plenty of guylines. Having you shelter blow away isn't fun

Mangroves are too flexible to allow food hanging
Pails with gamma lids work well
Not sure where you will find fresh water around EC
Have a variety of routes in your mind
You cant get permits till 24 hours ahead. You are not supposed to camp where you did not get a permit for
so its quite possible you will get a chickee
Aluminum canoes are fine except for the burniing yourself factor
Ivey House in Everglades City has a big fleet I don't know if they have anything other than alu canoes
 
Leaving the hammocks. Going to rent a boat from Ivey. Haven't even looked at the maps much yet for route planning. Are campsites reserve-only? I thought this was entry-permit only kind of thing, with certain campsites by reservation only.

EDIT: The visitor center IS OPEN. Between the visitor center that actually called me back and Dylan at the Ivey House I've had all of my questions answered. Going to rent one aluminum canoe (sad face) and it sounds like they'll throw in a couple hard sided water containers if I bring my own paddles, LJs and seat cushions. Every campsite must be reserved in advance so we will be figuring a couple possible itineraries on the way down.
 
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Ifind the backcountry campsite map on he NPS site
and find a tide table
The tidal currents can run 4 mph and its nice to have them not against you
I like Lopez Watson Rabbit Jewel. Sub Pavilion for Rabbit if the weather is favorable. Youll have to decide when you get a permit
 
Thanks for the advice, YC!

I've been checking out tide tables and how that affects our traveling for the last few hours. We just crossed into Kentucky.

Currently searching for a cheap place to stay Thursday night within a hundred miles of EC. Would love to stay at a state park closer to Naples but everything I've found so far is booked up. There are campsites available further inland.

We will walk into the visitor center when they open on Friday and hopefully be able to get Lopez. Would we be crazy/would they let us go for Watson on night one if Lopez and Crooked Creek are taken? My instinct is to put the extra miles on early instead of waiting for an afternoon falling tide to make a dash out to one of the keys. I'd rather not have my first mangrove navigating experience be through a 'pass' with a strong current on a tight schedule. The 10,000 Islands looks a lot trickier to navigate than the Wilderness Waterway.

It all depends on what cards we are dealt at the Visitor Center! Hopefully the permitting process will be a little smoother than my attempts to secure BWCA permits at recreation.gov this morning. What a disgrace! I managed to secure one permit which was better than most but I have since heard that it will be refunded.

Better post this: It's my turn to drive.

Zac
 
I have done one winter trip on the lower Colorado R in Feb. We went from Blythe to Yuma around 78 miles. The weather was unseasonably cold and it was tough to build a fire in the desert.
I planned a trip on the Rio Grande R in Big Bend one year, way ahead of time. And the prediction was for snow which is unusual so we cancelled our plans.
 
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