Sea America Expedition Part Two

Summary of the Gulf Coast 

by Mike Falconeri 

I was portaged across the lower part of the United States and headed into Corpus Cristi, Texas. I had tailed in behind two tropical storms that dumped heavy rain and brought strong windstorms. October 10th was later than I wanted to start but it didn't make any sense to start the Gulf Coast in a downpour. I wanted to start out dry for the second leg of the "Sea America Expedition".

The rain started to let up and I was beginning to get a bit restless. It was time to leave. The sky looked as though it was clearing.

The western side of the Gulf Coast was somewhat of a gruesome picture. A picture that wouldn't change for quite sometime, but eventually would change some things inside of me.

I was surprised and amused to have had a pod of dolphins follow me out of the area...especially after having seen a large number of dead fish washed ashore. The number of dead fish astonished me. I paddled out of this area with a "bad taste" in my mouth. It took distance and time before anything changed.

The cliffs of the West Coast had been useful for judging time and distance, as well as, pinpointing location. I was now in an area where everything was just about at sea level. Picking out land features and separating inlets and waterways took time. There really wasn't a lot to worry about when it came to sea conditions. The roughest days on the Gulf Coast were nothing like the rough days on the West Coast.

Landings were a breeze and to stay out of the winds I had the option of using the intracoastal waterway. I learned about hot weather and the importance of keeping my water replenished.

The wild life that I camped with was very different from my previous encounters on the West Coast. The sight of wild boar and the sound of rattlesnakes shaking warnings right outside my tent made for long, sleepless nights. If I wasn't in my tent by sundown, mosquitoes would cover me like a second skin.

Texas was hot and dry just like I figured it would be. When things got wet, they dried out in no time.

Navigating between the outer water and the intracoastal was not quite as easy as I thought it would be. I had to back track more than once to get out of the shallows.

The shorelines of Texas and Louisiana were totally disgusting. There were countless numbers of dead fish, cow manure and garbage strewn over long distances. This wasn't occasional litter, it was everywhere....a dumping ground. It was so bad that in order to pitch my tent, I had to clear the area with my hockey stick.

I wasn't sure anyone "saw" these areas....but these areas needed to be "addressed"....soon. (Please check www.americanoceans.org  .)

The Delta area was very interesting. I chose to stay on the outside of the Delta area and found a section to cut through to Gulfport. This wasn't an easy task and I had to ask for some ground support for the three day crossing of the Delta.

Gulfport was like stepping on to a different planet. The beaches were clean and manicured. The water had good visibility and the sand was white. This was a relief to see. (I still had visions in my head of the West Gulf) There was no evidence of poverty within the sight of the shoreline. I had some trouble camping in this area.

I had started making a good steady pace again. Paddling through Mississippi and Alabama took very little time. North Florida was nice to paddle. Pensacola presented white sandy beaches (great places to camp) and "The Blue Angels" provided entertainment for a few days.

Panama City was memorable. Once passed the city there were miles of untouched white felt beaches. It was good to get on a beach that wasn't littered with trash and didn't have footprints in the sand. I felt like an intruder....there weren't many places like this place.

A lot of sections I had passed were resort areas. It was "off-season" and the cold temps kept people off the beaches. This made camping possible.

After rounding the corner of Port St. Joe, the landscape changed dramatically. Beaches became scarce and private homes now lined the shore.

Paddling the "Big Bend" area, (Lighthouse Point to Cedar Keys) gave a whole new meaning to "ninja" camping. Even though there were no resorts or houses, there weren't any places to land or camp either. The water was so shallow that three to four miles off shore it was less than a foot deep. I had paddled from Lighthouse Point to Keaton Beach (that was a one day - forty five mile paddle) without ever being in water over three feet deep.

The day I paddled forty five miles was the day I got frostbite on my feet and a severe case of hypothermia. I was nauseous and shook uncontrollably. It was 1:00 a.m.. I had a very hard time trying to slide the tent poles into the sleeves of the tent. It was seventeen degrees and dark - that was a night I would love to forget.

I made it through the hard freeze of Florida and spent Christmas with a friend from "up North" who had come to Florida to celebrate the holiday with his mother. After Christmas I was back on the water.

Paddling down the West Coast of Florida was one big headache. I couldn't land or camp in most places. My friend from "up North" paddled with me for a couple of weeks and he taught me a few tips on the fine art of high class resort camping. In a way, I hated to see him leave.

The Everglades was the next section I paddled. To get away from the concrete shorelines of Western Florida, I traveled the outside edges figuring there would be more campsites than what was offered by the park services. I also hoped that the wind from the ocean would keep the mosquitoes at bay.

The Everglades was as beautiful as I had expected. I was treated to fantastic sunsets for the seven days it took me to paddle from Fort Meyers to Key Largo.

Finally, I arrived in Key Largo. I was met by Frank and Monica Woll, owners of Florida Bay Outfitters. I was scheduled to talk about my trip at their "Demo Day". I had gotten there a little early and was immediately put to work. It actually felt good to shovel sand for a few days instead of paddling.

I ended the second leg of the journey at Key Largo and was geared up for my third and final leg of the Sea America Expedition - the Atlantic Coast. I was happy to get the Gulf Coast behind me. It was tougher than I anticipated. It was a different type of difficulty than the West Coast. This Coast left me with many lessons and scars to grow by.

Gear and Equipment

The gear and equipment had taken on harsh conditions and it was definitely showing. The kayak was still floating but had been patched about a dozen times. I tried to do a major workover on the hull when I took a few days off. It was also taking on water through the deck. I didn't know if it was leaking through the pump or the compass fitting, although, it hadn't leaked into the storage compartments... yet.

I had some concerns of it's future, especially since my other kayak was supposed to be used on the Gulf Coast and it wasn't quite ready to go. My main concern was losing 7 1/2 months of journal entries, film and gear should the compartments flood because of leaks.

The rest of the gear seemed to be doing alright. My tent poles had started to break. I repaired them with epoxy and cloth tape. I tried to get them replaced by the manufacturer so I could get through the trip without them actually breaking. The company's policy was: to send the broken poles, then they would send the replacements. I explained to them that I was paddling the coastal United States, however, it didn't matter. I hung up the phone and proceeded to tape all of the connections on the tent poles.

"I Just Dropped By To See What Condition My Condition Was In"

Once again, a song I had always loved. Physically, I was doing well. I could paddle a 20 mile day fairly easily and could get a few more miles in if the conditions were right.

Since the frostbite, the skin on my feet had grown back. The numbness, however, still plagued an area of one foot.

My strength and flexibility remained good. I had gotten into a routine that conserved energy and was productive in miles.

I had dealt with a wide range of climates throughout the Gulf Coast and had been effected only mildly.

Mentally I had crossed different kinds of leaps and bounds. Staying motivated was the hardest part of the trip. Every day was a mental process to get psyched up to paddle. Rain, wind, cold and storms...I still had to do it. I never quite figured out the "how" or "why" it worked. I wasn't going to question it.

Somewhere along the line I had a total change in attitude and sense of time. They were connected but I didn't know how. I felt a little more pumped up knowing I had only one more coast to go. One thing I had learned - if I thought it was going to be an easy day, I had already made my first mistake.

People, Places and Things

The Gulf Coast offered a wide variety of friendly people. There was Clint and Tony, the cowboys from Gelquist, Texas, jet pilots and hunters, to my buddy's Mom, who had invited me to stay and celebrate Christmas. Most of my experiences were positive.

It was a sad thing to have had access to the shoreline controlled by the resort and hotel conglomerates. The people who enforced these restrictions were limiting their own freedoms...not just the freedom of a person like me.

Weather Conditions

The conditions I encountered from my starting point of Corpus Cristi varied from hot and dry to hot and humid. The rain and wind was usually in my face. The winds were generally light (10 - 15 knots) so it didn't present a big factor. The seas were annoying because the swells weren't uniform. It was 2 - 3 foot chop and it kept me wet. The weight of the kayak (225 - 250 lbs.) was more of a problem than the water.

Weather that produced a line of tornadoes and waterspouts had missed me. Luckily it had shifted a 1/2 mile to my east before it hit land and caused some major problems in that area. The result of the front opened the door for a 2 - 3 week long cold snap. The longest cold snap in Florida for over twenty years. The temps had dropped below 30 degrees consistently; 17 degrees was the coldest I had encountered. (That was the night I got frostbite and was hypothermic.)

I carried clothing for late fall conditions, (based on the climate of the Northeast) and was prepared for colder temperatures. However, with the temps dropping below 30 degrees consistently, it got a little uncomfortable. All in all, I made it through the ordeal with minimum damage.

For the most part, nature provided me with safe passage to this point. The sun shined most of the time. I was treated to some of the most spectacular sunsets and full moon nights. I wanted to share these wonderful natural events with everyone.

Closing Thoughts

When I left on this expedition, I knew I was going to see some disturbing things. I never expected some of the things I saw on the Western Gulf. It was environmental abuse to the highest degree. The abuse was not only industrial. Residential garbage was washed ashore and it felt and looked like a huge dumping ground. The number of dead fish in the area made me wonder, " If this was going on here - what was going on in the rest of the world?" I felt that people were turning their backs on their local environments. The problem of waste and dead fish was (is) big and very real.

It's important for people to focus their attention first locally - then globally. We are the ones that have to start making changes. We have to be the ones to take charge and make things happen....NOW, while we can still make a difference. Our heaven is right here on earth. We need to become involved with saving and cleaning up the environment or it is doomed to become our living hell.

Mike Falconeri, Sea America Expedition Urban Eskimo Kayaking