Paddle Day 57-144: Expedition completed!

Made it over 2,500 miles!

Had to wait two days for the wind to lay down, but found a perfect day to glide onto the beach after over 2,503 miles of the Kayak for Safe Passage Kids expedition.

Paddle Day 56-143: Fabulous paddling in the backcountry

Paddling into the wind

Wonderful kayaking in skinny water with skinny paddle.  Rivals Maine as a kayaking mecca.  Lovely scenery, challenging navigation, and heart pounding paddling all in one day.  Seventh day in a row on the go, as I race for the end of the expedition

Completed Florida National Parks Centennial Paddle Challenge

Ranger Yelitza Sepulveda giving Deb the 100 mile patch

I finally finished the Florida's National Parks Centennial Paddle Challenge with a total of 105.8 miles on January 30th, 2016.  It included paddling in Biscayne National Park, Everglades National Park, Big Cypress Preserve and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge.  Ranger Yelitza wanted me to be the first to complete the challenge.  I wonder if I was?  This is a great way to celebrate the National Parks Centennial!

Paddle Day 55-142: Paddling the "Skinny Water"

What kind of sponge is this?

Finally the winds lay down enough to kayak.  A few crossings and much twisting and turning in uncharted channels marked only by fishermen's informal poles and stakes.  So much fun to glide over the many sponges growing in the shallow water.  Six days in a row of pushing forward, with the end in sight.

Paddle day 54-141: Biking the bridges and contemplating community

Signpost beside our campsite.  Let's bike to Cuba!

Yet another windy day.  Too hazardous to make the seven mile crossing by kayaking, so resorted to biking over the Seven Mile Bridge.  Lots of time to think about the meaning of community here in Florida, and at the Guatemala City garbage dump.

Paddle Day 53-140: Hazardous high winds, can't paddle, can't bike, resort to walking

Magnificent frigatebird flying above me as I walk two miles out to sea.

Marine forecast of hazardous winds, so couldn't kayak.  It was even too windy to bike across all the long bridges between the keys along my route.  With a strong itch to finish the expedition, I felt I had to keep moving.  I resorted to scouting the route by walking two miles out an abandoned railroad bridge to the next key.

Paddle Day 52-139: High Winds and Downpours Biking

Dourpours!

Thought I would take a rest day today.  We wanted to take the boat tour to the Lingumvitae State Botanical Park, but the trails through the mangrove tunnels were closed because of the rain causing the sap of the Poisenwood trees to drip down onto people and cause serious skin irritations.  Decided to bike two sections of the expedition in the rain instead.