Everglades - Snake Bight Trail

Tuesday, March 15, 2020

Hi Blog!

No, we were not hiking with snakes.  The term Snake Bight itself is something of a play on words; a “bight” is a bay within a bay. Before modern settlers ventured down this way the Calusa Indians lived in and around Snake Bight. Later the residents of Flamingo and visiting fishermen and hunters set up camps in the area. After several kayak adventures, we were looking for a good stretch of our legs. The four mile Snake Bight Trail was just the ticket.  It led out to a view of Snake Bight.

Here we are at the trailhead armed with our best mosquito spray:

In the early 1900’s, a canal was dug out from the bight up to the main road, with the soil used to create a road leading down to the bight, as well. While the canal is still filled with water, it suffers so many fallen trees and snags that it would be difficult to paddle.

Around 1940 the E. T. Knight Fish Company established a base at Snake Bight along the coastal edge of the canal. It had a fish processing plant and many huts and buildings for the men who lived and worked there. The fishing was done mostly with airboats as the flats were very shallow. Hurricanes and heavy storms have taken their toll on Snake Bight over the years, reducing the former road to a narrow overgrown trail and washing away almost all evidence to suggest anything other than mosquitoes ever lived there.

While long straight hikes are not our most favorite, this trail did provide lots of distractions along the way. At one point, a raccoon scurried across our path. He or she was too quick for the camera. However, this lovely purple plant was more than happy to pose for us.

We learned a lot about epiphytes. The term epiphyte is translated from the Greek (epi = on top of; phyte = plant) or 'air plants' are plants that grow on top of other plants (typically trees), co-existing in the most harmonious, harmless way. They derive their nutrients and other vitals from the air, water, dust, and debris around them. Epiphytes are not parasitic. They usually do not cause any damage to their substrate. The canopy over the trail is filled with these lovely gardens.

Here is a closer look:

We were surprised to learn that cacti do very well in the Everglades. Though often associated with deserts, cacti and succulents are common and quite diverse in the Everglades. Species that are native to the Everglades thrive with abundant rainfall, though they do require a sunny, well-drained site because they can handle wet conditions for only short periods of time. Cacti and succulents are tolerant of sandy, alkaline soils and are well adapted to the rocky locations that are common throughout the Everglades. The road bed provided the perfect nursery for this little cactus.

We came across these spiny seed pods. They looked too dangerous to touch. Turns out, the plant is the nickernut. Inside the spiny shells are smooth, shiny seeds. The word nicker probably derives from the Dutch word "knikker", meaning marble. The nickernut seed is marble-like and is used for making jewelry. The seeds are often found on the beach and are also known as sea pearls. Too bad we were afraid to touch them. We could have come home with some sea pearls.

After almost two miles, we emerged from the woods and found the boardwalk which would lead us out to Snake Bight.

The tide was out when we arrived. The bay was just a mud flat. The tri-colored heron finds the fishing easy in the shallow water.

The plover is also using the low tide to its advantage.

Unfortunately, the flamingos and roseate spoonbills were further out in the mud flats. Our camera was just not able to zoom in far enough to capture a good image.

The bench at the end of the boardwalk gave us the opportunity to relax and take in the cool ocean breezes.

As we headed back to the trail, we could see the remnants of the old canal. The mud flats give way to the buttonwood mangrove. The buttonwood mangrove is not a true mangrove but is generally found in areas where mangroves grow. They grow further inland than all three true species of mangroves and because of this, they are excellent buffer systems for winds, pollution, and storm surge.

A number of butterflies joined us on our hike. Try as we might, they were most shy and refused to be photographed. It wasn't until this common buckeye landed on the trail ahead of us that we got the chance to score a photo.

Named for its conspicuous target-shaped eyespots, the common buckeye is one of the most distinctive and readily-identifiable North American butterflies. It inhabits a wide variety of open, sunny landscapes including old fields, roadsides, utility corridors, gardens, parks, yards, fallow agricultural land, scrubs, pine savannas, and weedlots.

The common buckeye butterfly regularly expands its range northward each year to temporarily colonize much of the U.S., occasionally reaching southern Canada. Starting in late summer, huge numbers of adults migrate southward into Florida, where the adults overwinter. Just like a lot of RVers we know.

We were curious about these bright red air plants. We learned they are Vernicosa Tillandsia  The name “vernicosa” means “polished” which refers to its floral bracts. The Tillandsia vernicosa is a medium sized plant that can grow up to 10-12 inches in diameter. In the wild you might see stunning clumps of vernicosa growing up in trees. The examples we saw were impressive.

Our grandson would be disappointed if we didn't include at least one "fun guy" in our blog. Here is a little white and orange combo. Two for the price of one doesn't get much more fun.

We leave you with a lizard on a log.

 On Wednesday, we begin to head north. We enjoyed our week paddling about the Everglades.