For those trying to figure out where I am, I got off the trail there at I-75 and took a zero day (no official hiking miles!) in Plantation with DebBee. I have to skip the next section of trail for the time being since them darned Indians won't let me through their reservation, so I'm jumping up to the southern end of Lake Okeechobee this afternoon and continuing north from there, heading around the west side of the lake. I'll have to go back and do the section between I-75 and Lake Okeechobee at some point--hopefully in early February.
Not very convenient from a logistical point of view, but shrug. *shrug* That's the way the cookie crumbles. So look for me along Lake Okeechobee now. =)
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13 comments:
:-(
It's a shame they won't let you go through, but so far, it's been a great trek, at least for us who are following you online.
Speaking of which; can somebody post the link to the google map that is following Ryan's progress? I can't find it.
thanks, Jaxx
Okay, I google-mapped Lake Okeechobee and looked at the satellite view. It's much more rural than I expected (I've never been to Florida, and in my head I've always thought of 75% of the state's landscape being a cross between Miami and Disney World, and the other 25% 'gator-infested swamps).
Anyway, my question is, what is growing in all those fields south of Lake Okeechobee? Clearly it's not citrus groves — it's some kind of grain. Some looked like they could be soybean fields, but others I couldn't tell. Enlighten me, someone! :]
-AG
Wyzarrd - Go to the home page of Ryan's blog by clicking on "Another Long Walk" at the top of any post. You'll always find a link to the trek map in the links section on the homepage.
I think it is Sugar Cane. I think.
The Everglades Agricultural Area is a large area south of Lake Okeechobee. The cane harvest begins in October when the fields are set fire to burn away weeds. Mechanical harvesters then cut the thick cane stalks just above the root. Then in many cane fields, the sugarcane waste is burned after the harvest. When I drive through Clewiston at Thanksgiving, the air is full of smoke from the fires.
I drove through the area in 1982, some of the worst overgrown countryside I've ever seen...especially near Key West.
I remember driving north through there some place and seeing some type of smoke burning factory miles away. It took what seemed like hours to finally pass that place along the blackened sugar cane fields.
Huh. I'd always thought that sugar cane was a water-based crop, like rice. Learn something new every day — cool!
We now have water, fire and earth...I predict air very soon just so all four elements are represented...
pre
*who is enjoying the great reads*
They must be burning the waste now, then, because it was pretty smoky when we drove through. :::coff coff:::
Most of those fields are sugar cane, but some also grow sod for our lawns.
I also got stopped for about 15 minutes due to blasting (so they say, I didn't hear anything) on the way back!
DebBee
Thanks Mike
Don't go Payless in Plantation.
Treat those dogs right and they will treat you right.....
DC Stones
Did you offer them money? Or Liquor?
That might have gotten your permits approved...
Hike on!
~Twinville Trekkers
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