The most enduring impression the Everglades supplied was one of neglect. It begins with the smallish sign marking the entrance which is almost hidden by an overgrowth of vegetation; continues with the roughly over-paved roads; and is brought home by the ruined Flamingo Lodge which remains un-repaired half a decade after it was destroyed by hurricanes. It is also demonstrated in the fact that the single source of power to the entire park plunged it into darkness for an entire 24 hour period when a transformer blew up. There is no backup.
Everywhere the effects of man's intervention are evident. To justify the expenditure to preserve natural areas large portions of them are made accessible to the taxpayers who footed the bill. The access road that bisects the park for 42 miles is a major impact on the landscape. Indeed many of the ponds that are visitor's sites were created when fill for the road was dug to create the roadbed. Virtually all valuable wood species are second growth as their virgin forebears were cut for market. The flamingos that gave Flamingo Lodge its name were hunted for their plumes and have never returned to the area. Farming operations and intense urban development have deprived the Everglades of much of the moisture that once sustained it. Natural occurrences such as wildfires, drought, and hurricanes serve to augment manmade impacts. The Everglades we see today is a fraction of its former size and is vastly changed. For its own protection it were best that large portions remain inaccessible to human attentions. The panther crossing signs seem more hopeful than real when you realize that park staff rarely make a sighting.
Being unable to pick up any park guides as a result of the bookstore being closed was a real downer. The fact that water levels in the park are still relatively high meant that wildlife were not concentrated at the traditional waterholes but I did eventually see most of the birds I expected along with crocodiles and alligators on the pontoon tour.
While I was driving the Skyline Dr I meditated on the fact that it would be best viewed in a horse and wagon but the posted speed limit is 35 and at 25 I was an obstruction to traffic. Just what people expect driving through the Everglades at 60 is more than I can fathom. Even at 25 I felt I was driving too fast but that's the lowest speed at which cruise control works. Most striking is the difference even a few inches in elevation can mean here. Vastly different habitats co-exist mere feet from one another. Hardwood hammocks are surrounded by Everglades prairie. The fact that an area is 3 or 4 feet above sea level is significant is a novel idea for one who recently drove down from 5000 ft.
At Flamingo Campground I spent the coolest night to that point I'd had in Florida. The power came back on just in time to deprive me of an unobstructed view of the stars though a full moon obscured the Milky Way in any case.
The Everglades are a place of myth and lore. The modern reality of the areas developed for tourists along the main park highway presents a rather "tame" version of the real thing. To get a true feel for the Everglades as it survives today I believe one would need to take an overnight trip in an unmotorized craft such as a kayak or canoe. Motorized craft and airboats might get you there faster but the wildlife can hear you coming from miles away.
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