Team Kayak Lake Mead - Everglades Challenge 2020

Light winds from the north, final 6 miles to Key Largo 

This was a good year, it would be a year with plenty of challenge for everyone. There were over one hundred craft of various types on the start beach. Four did not start. Fifty-six started but did not finish. Forty-three out of a one hundred and three boats made it to the finish beach in Key Largo. You can see types of boats, crews, and results below (1).

Druce and I had entered Class 2 Sail, our tribal names; IronBob and TheJuice. This would be our 11th Everglades Challenge. See our boat and gear below (2).

Regardless class or boat type, if you're racing, you're racing everyone. This is true for the paddle craft particularly. We had our eyes on; JustKeepPaddling aka Bobby Johnson, KayakVagobond aka Greg Stamer, and the crew of BeaV and MAKK aka Bob Vollhaber and Kendra Leibel.

Course for IronBob and TheJuice, Everglades Challenge 2020

Saturday 7 March
Saturday morning on the start beach, the wind was cranking, the start would be delayed. Flags and sails were whipping, crews and family and friends were pacing, emotions and adrenaline were boiling. Massive waves were being thrown twenty feet into the air from the bows of ships entering the bay. Our assessment of winds cranking and massive waves on the bay? We wanted to start!

On the beach, we were on the far right flank of the entire field, paddles in hand, pacing next to our Black Boat, a Stellar ST21, our Challenge 12 sail folded across the front deck. To our left was Chaos and SewSew, aka Ralph Cole and Randy Smyth. Their boat was Coastal Chaos, a Nacra C20. They were pacing as well, you could tell they were itching. They would finish 1st, we would finish 8th.

At 1010 hrs Saturday 7 March, the start command was given, we charged into the bay. Now unleashed, our first mile or so, we were paddling and we were hyperventilating. We needed to slow down and find our pace.

Our Course Across Tamp Bay

The bay was perfect! Sea kayaking can be very boring. Today was not boring. Our favorite paddling; early morning, no breeze, the canyon walls where we paddle, mirrored on the glass. But, if sublime moments aren't there, the next best thing is ferocious. On the bay, we were having the time of our lives. Near the end of our crossing, turning SSW to gain the ICW, we had short bursts of surfing at 8 to 9 mph. We did the 7 mile crossing in an hour.

Course to CP1 Cape Haze

Finishing the bay with us were the solid Hobie TI crews of HeavilyLaden and SonofaSonofaSailor aka Daniel and Daniel MacElrevey and MisterMoon and Lawless aka John Bell and Shawn Payment.

As we passed the Anna Maria Bridge, we ran into Uroy aka Brian Sheridan. His is a good write up of  his experience in this year's EC. Tough stuff paddling this challenge by yourself. I've always had the luxury of being part of a good tandem crew.

Our time down Sarasota Bay was not exciting. At Sarasota Bridge we beached for about 20 minutes to fix issues with our sail. While doing repairs, up runs Pauline Besson aka MyFavoriteFrenchSpy. We weren't kayak sailors yet, but by challenge end we would better. As we were about to set off again, up paddles KayakVagabond, Busted Rudder, and Uroy, it seems the whole gang was here.

The rest of our time down the ICW was marked by occasional sailing and inopportune tide timings. We entered the Ditch at last light and entered Lemon Bay in pitch black. The winds had laid down for the last bit of paddling down Lemon Bay.

A weird encounter on north Lemon Bay; we were closing on something, couldn't tell in the dark, it was approaching, it turns out it was a woman on a paddle board, heading north, and paddling with some obvious determination. I thought, "what madness, someone standing up and paddling furiously into the dark". So I asked her what she was up to and she replied she was doing the Ultra Marathon. I thought again, "this is madness" there must be other organizations putting on ultra marathons other than ours. I thought, that obviously she couldn't be doing our ultra marathon since she's heading north. On late reflection, this must have been Flamingo aka Whitney Sanford who had been given the option of starting at Cape Haze, circumnavigating Snake Island and returning to Cape Haze.   

A few minutes later we were approaching another weird sighting in the dark. This time we were overtaking an SUP'er. Again, someone standing up and paddling with stunning determination. It turns out it was ChesapeakeTJAM aka Michael Dunlap. I asked what he was doing and he told me the EC. It hadn't dawned on me yet that we were seeing paddlers who had started south of Tampa Bay. We wished each other luck and separated in the dark. His write up of this year's EC is very inspiring. SUP people have chosen the toughest way possible to engage this challenge. By comparison, Druce and I are paddling a Cadillac.

We arrive at Cape Haze CP1 at 1137 hrs Saturday 7 March, 12 h 27 min into the race, our speed made good from the start, or SMG 4.8 mph. We were the first paddle craft, that had started north of Tampa Bay, to arrive at CP1.

We signed in, filled water bladders, took a hot shower, prepared hot meals, one to eat and one for the road, and then set bivy for an 80 min rest. It was midnight, why not sleep?

Course to Sanibel Causeway

Sunday 8 March
When we got up, JustKeepPaddling had left a few minutes earlier, KayakVagabond was just leaving, and BeaV and MAKK were setting up to leave. As we picked up our boat to re-enter the water, BeaV and MAKK apologized for being in our way. People from Minnesota are sure polite. We told them that they weren't in our way. Trust me, we were not in that much of a hurry for another 12 hours of hard work, in the dark, in the wind, on the cold water. We got underway at 0200 hrs Sunday 8 March.

On Placida Harbor, we passed BeaV and MAKK. Later, we saw KayakVagabond turning into Bull Bay. On the open waters of Charlotte Harbor we saw JustKeepPaddling. 

We had a good run under sail down Gasparilla Sound making speeds of over 6 mph. We made our east turn to Charlotte Harbor by 0345 hrs.

It was a long next few hours across Charlotte Harbor, against the tide, hard wind on our port bow, waves 3 feet, 4, sometimes 5. We think we even pushed over some stacked waves of 6 feet. All good stuff, but slow going with speeds of only 3 mph and working steady just to get that.

In the early morning twilight we gained Matlache Pass; with the wind channeling the pass, we were sailing and surfing with the wind, hitting an occasional 7, 8 and even 9 mph! Here's a short video.

Just short of Matlache Bridge we came across JustKeepPaddling. We paddled with Bobby for about an hour, chit-chatting about one thing or another. He related how during one EC a shark swam up to to his kayak and they stared into each others' eyes. Good story, after that we started calling him the Shark Whisperer. We related the two times on the Highland Coast where we witnessed the solar pillar over our shoulders in the northwest sky. The solar pillar an extremely rare phenomenon, yet twice we've witnessed it, both times during the Everglades Challenge, the first time was 2013. See image of Solar Pillar at end of article.

We made Sanibel Causeway by 1100 hrs. We beached at a public restroom to rinse the salt out of our clothes, replenish our water, and get some rest. We slept in the lee of a restroom, in the sun and got 2 hours of solid REM sleep.

Course to Big Marco River

When I woke up I saw a fleet of Triber TI's making for the northern end of the causeway, the SE wind was up and they were having a time of it.

We were underway at 1400 hrs having had a good rest. We passed these same TI's now held up on the south beach of Punta Rassa near the causeway's approach. As we paddled by, we exchanged 'thumbs ups' with Pelican and crew.

Now we were the ones having a time of it making the northern point of Estero Island. It took us 90 minutes to make those 5 miles from our rest beach.

Once we had the lee of Estero Island, we were sailing a close reach, making at times 5 to 5.5 mph all the way down to Gordon Pass. This was our most fun time ever down this hideous coast of high rise after high rise.       

At 2300 hrs we made Gordon Pass, entering with a little tide, and proceeding down the east side of Keewaydin Island. At 0030 hrs Monday 9 March, we made a short 1 hour bivy on the east side of the island. This was a haggard little stop on just a 3' wide strand of sand, but this stop allowed us to recover enough to make Marco Island.

Course to Rabbit Pass

Monday 9 March
At 0300 hrs, we beach and make bivy on Marco Island. Our plan was to get maximum rest and leave with the best tide at 1000 hrs.

Staying on this beach for seven hours was our greatest strategical error. We should have left at slack, say around 0700 hrs. This would have given us plenty of rest and more hours of lead over the other paddlers, and more importantly, it would reduced our exposure to the afternoon winds on Gullivan Bay while making for West Pass. At 0700 our competition was lined up on the gulf side of Keewaydin. A 0700 departure would have been opportune, but at 7 AM we were casually enjoying our Florida vacation.   

We broke bivy in a leisurely manner. At 0950 we are underway and we spot KayakVagabond entering Big Marco River.

With the tide, and under occasional sail, we are passing Goodland 90 minutes later, giving us an average of 6 mph to Coon Key.

Leaving Coon Key we are sailing a light winds reach. But, halfway between Coon and Turtle Keys the SE wind comes up hard. We make for the lee of Turtle Key, then the lee of Gullivan, then Whitehorse, then Panther. Leaving Panther Key, we make a 1 hour nav error, don't ask, just kidding, you can ask if you want, it was just some fuzzy thinking.

By 1800 hrs we are at the top of West Pass when we spot KayakVagabond. An hour and a half  later we catch him as he waits for us in the lee of a key just before entering Chokoloskee Bay, 3.3 miles from CP2. We cross Chokoloskee Bay together, chatting and paddling all the way in to the checkpoint. I took this opportunity to pick up some pro forward stroke tips from KayakVagabond, pretty amazing stuff actually. You can never, ever, stop learning. This paddle across the bay was pleasant, the winds were finally laying down, and the moonrise was indescribably gorgeous, so I created this image from memory...

Moonrise Over Chokoloskee Bay

We arrive at the CP2 with Greg around 2030 hrs. Our two boats are the first paddle craft to arrive. Druce and I sign in, water up, rinse our paddle clothes with fresh water, and in the midst of these preparations to leave, Greg brings over a hamburger with chips for Druce and I to share! Fifty minutes on this beach and we're underway heading for an exit of the 10,000 Islands through Rabbit Pass. We exit the pass, find a place to bivy, make a hot meal, and get some REM.

Course to Snake River

Tuesday 10 March
By 0400 hrs we're underway. Our course for Ponce de Leon Bay is roughly along the Everglades Park boundary, keeping us in deeper water 2 to 3 miles offshore. Passing Pavilion Key, we're happy to find ourselves with a light NE wind. With the sail up, at times we are making up to 6 mph until the wind clocks to the E and SE later in the morning. SE winds are starting to pick up significantly once we pass Shark Point. 3.5 to 4.0 mph is all we can do across Ponce de Leon Bay. We make Shark River by noon for a 4 mph average down the Highland Coast.

Course to Flamingo

Entering Shark River, we are a little early for the best tide, but a least we're not fighting tide. The wind is really up now as we look to our crossing of Oyster Bay. In these winds, we probably could have made 2.5 to 3.0 mph with just our paddles. But, we raise the sail and cross the bay at about 30 degrees to the wind, most of our crossing is in the 4's.

The waters are calmer now as we enter Joe River. I'm in a bad way actually, so we stop for an hour on Joe River Chickee to tend wounds. Since Charlotte Harbor skin all over my upper body has been abrading and its steadily gotten worse despite our best efforts to keep it at bay. This has happened to me before. I don't know what I did wrong this time, the wrong lube, not enough lube? Since Sanibel, the lube we've been applying has been copious amounts of Neosporin. Coming down the Highland Coast this morning, I've noticed the abrasion under my left elbow is starting to look and feel like cellulitis. All my abrasions are inflamed. Druce pours some fresh water on my wounds, I feel a little faint, we apply Neosporin all over, and do some bandaging. We then lay down for 20 minutes in the sun. My mind has been processing pain for the last few hours. I needed to rest and chill out. My only thoughts for 20 minutes was the pleasure of the warm sun on my eyelids.

We are underway at 1400 hrs. Joe River is not a free ride this time. Where there are open bodies of water, the wind we're paddling into is significant. We try to paddle in the lee as much as possible and where possible we're using our sail to good effect.

Using the Lee and Sailing Joe River 

We finally turn into the entrance to Coot bay at 1800 hrs. Buttonwood Canal does not disappoint, it's probably my favorite place on the course; serenity, wildlife, sounds of wildlife, primordial for a few miles and for a few minutes.

Buttonwood Canal in Fading Light 

We are the first paddle craft to arrive CP3 Flamingo at 1930 hrs. We go about our business are usual; we portage, we clean, we eat, we assess. We are tired and the E wind is up. We decide to sleep 3 hours and leave when we are rested and the wind has laid down.

JustKeepPaddling aka Bobby arrives around 2130 hrs. KayakVagabond aka Greg arrives around 2230 hrs. We are sleeping next to our boat not far from the boat ramp. I awaken for these arrivals, but I don't care. Bobby transitions and heads out. I'm happy for him! Super happy! I respect and I like to associate with competitors who are tough and determined.

I get up a few minutes before our planned wake up. I put on my wet silk first layers. Silk, like wool, is quite warm when wet. I walk around getting limber before waking Druce. The ache in my elbow, that icky ache from infection, is more than a bit uncomfortable. I'm ready to prepare the boat and paddle, but the warrior zeal which is usually on tap for me, just isn't there. I get Druce up, we prepare to leave. 

Course to Key Largo

Wednesday 11 March
We are underway at 0100 hrs. There is no wind, paddling seems easy. But, I can't bear to wear skirt or pfd, it's just too painful. Crossing Florida Bay, from waypoint to waypoint, I can not remember fighting to stay awake like this. My body must be telling me I need to shut it down. That we keep going and make any time or distance at all is due to Druce's leadership, I'm just not there.

The waypoints come and go. I'm in a daze. Now most of the way across The Croc, in the shallows of the little cove east of Madeira Point, we stick our paddles in the sand and sleep for 20 minutes. While sleeping, a light N breeze is coming up. This is good news! We continue paddling.

Making our right turn out of The Croc, we hoist our sail for the last few miles to Park and then to Shell Key and we enjoy the sunrise; a short video here.

A few hundred meters from Pelican Cove, we saw the monohull crew of GreyBeard and ChefRamen aka Michael and Brian Collins tacking to make the cove, so we upped our effort beaching in front of them by 2 minutes.

We hit the beach at Pelican Cove at 1017 hrs Wednesday 11 March. Note: The record book shows a 9:17 AM finish, but actually it was 10:17 AM or 4 days, 7 minutes from our start at Ft De Soto.

Bobby had finished about 3 hours earlier. Greg would finish about 4 hours later. The next paddle craft to finish would be Bob and Kendra aka BeaV and MAKK, finishing about 17 hours after us but having done the entire Wilderness Waterway from the Lopez River to Whitewater Bay, an arduous journey in itself.

The first four paddle craft to finish: JustKeepPaddling, IronBob and the Juice, KayakVagabond, BeaV and MAKK.

We finished 8th of the 103 boats that were on the start beach. It's hard to quite fathom that. That's why everyone's story is important.

See you on the beach next time,

IronBob 


(1) You can go here to see the list of craft/class of boat, their crews, and the results, use the scroll down menus for Everglades Challenge 2020 and then the scroll down menu for each Class.

(2) Our boat was a Stellar Kayak ST21 and our sail was a Challenge 12 by Falcon Sails. The paddles we swung were Odin S (small) by Gara Racing Paddles. Our eye protection were Sheepdogs by NUMA Eyewear. Our pfd's were Cascades by MTI and our spray decks were Aquatherm by Reed Chillcheater. Our tent was a Zpacks Duplex. 

Addendum: Image added 26 March 2020.

A created image of the Solar Pillar Druce and I saw March 4, 2013 from the waters off the Highland Coast.