Andy's First Trip

Lost in Hell’s Bay, My First Trip to the Everglades
by Andy Alcosser

Down Hell's Bay in Florida’s Everglades floated 16 Mountain Workshop canoes, a mix of clanging metal and fiberglass as the participants tried to draw and rudder amongst the mangroves.  Those who worked Mountain Workshop trips became proficient at overloading our rig - with Cork-like precision and knot tying, we learned, as a vital part of training, how to load an 8-boat trailer with 11 boats and a van roof rack maxed out at 4 with 5 boats!  Who is going for 6!  Cork will!  That is the Mountain Workshop spirit— but I digress..  Back to the day’s trip on Hell’s Bay.

Our Participants on this outing were Japanese students on an annual trip to America with Mountain Workshop acting as international guide — and they were seeing an America that I am sure they never saw in the brochures.  No Empire State Building here.  Instead the view was the orange life jacket in front of them, the dark water below and the thick swamp on each side.  The occasional opening made us all stop as Sue would point out a possible area for a sunning gator.  Then a loud “All Here - Let’s Go” from Corky and the snake-like line of canoes was paddling again.  Further and further through the maze we went—this was Mountain Workshop of course, and you had to go beyond where stopping seemed natural.  And on we went….

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With their limited English capability and our total lack of Japanese ability, (we did learn the word for Hot—Achi, Achi) who ever knew what their view of America was!  Were they enjoying this?  Were they as fascinated seeing unspoiled wilderness?  Would they re-tell this experience when they returned home? What would they say? 

Just keep paddling; just keep paddling - we’ll get there.  Where are we going to get?  This waterway leads out to the Florida Straits and then…. Everglades City --
The Everglades is a big place.

Somehow Corky decided we had paddled enough to end our day.  We were there!   Time to take a quick look around and then with a Cork whistle, the back of our snake of canoes  becomes the front and back to the start we go—16 canoes, 32 people and paddle, paddle, swat mosquito, swat mosquito. 

An uneventful trip back, winding through where we had just come, thoughts turned to the pack up for what was this group’s final night.  

Back to shore and the standard Mountain Workshop canoe pack up begins.  Life jackets and paddles first then a bailer bucketful  of water to clean the inside of the canoe, tie up  the painter lines, grab stern and bow and put the boat in the rack.  Boat after boat the loading goes, one rack full then the other.  Pull those bungees tight and load another.  Wait - now the rack is full - what to do say the first timers —“they go up there” say the experienced.  And up they go, bottom to bottom, to fill the top rack until it strains.

Now a standard Mountain Workshop “Idiot check.”  Collect all garbage, water bottles, random shoes - throw those in the rack and head out— Leave nothing but footprints - take nothing but memories
--- but wait— let’s do the head count.

And the head count begins and when you don’t get to the number you need to --  you can count and recount but if everyone is not there — re-counting even 10 times won’t change the number.  Two short!

Where are Ashi and Sahee? Says one Mr. Oto?  “Mr. Corky — we are missing 2 boys.” 

“Well… well… let’s do that count again Mr. Oto” says a semi-confident Cork.  Cork starts by re-counting the canoes - not the kids, and yes in fact one missing canoe.  

“The boys they are not here” “Where are they”?

Of course there is no answer to Mr. Oto, only a mini conference with Cork and Sue and an “I’ll bring the rig and kids back to camp and start dinner -  you go and find the boys.”

So Cork grabs me and a boat off the rack and with a quick “oh my” to Sue - we are gone,  back down winding mangroves of Hell’s Bay.  The pace was quicker — intense in fact — as the reason for the trip was no longer about wildlife and untouched wilderness, but now about 2 lost Japanese boys and a general WTF situation. Their plane leaves Miami at 9am the next morning, so that sets the timetable.  We need to find them and bring them back to Mr. Oto.

Paddle, paddle – paddle paddle— past our stopping points, past our lunch spot, past our unmarked end point— still no boys!

Hell’s Bay does open up into Whitewater Bay and we got there —  and still no boys.

“What do you think Cork, ever been to this part before” I ask.

“Well, this does eventually lead to Everglades City but it is far away. Never been here in a canoe before”.

“What time is their flight”?

Paddle, paddle- but now in the open river they could have gone in any direction.  This is not looking good.  We have a brief discussion about consequences: 1) Loosing this contract for next year 2) A very upset Mr. Oto 3)  A quiet trip back in the van to Miami Airport 4) A call with the Park Ranger  5) Mounting a full search party …. But wait - a noise!

We scream their names — we hear the clink of paddles on a metal gunwale.  In the distance we spot the canoe and the 2 boys.  Padding over to them we can see they are shaken, tired, hot and confused.
And we are far from anywhere.  Unable to ask questions about what happened or how they got separated, we simply gave them hugs from our boat — Cork took one boy in his boat and I took one in mine. We had found our catch; they were safe and we were back in business!

Turn around we go—paddle, paddle across the river and back down the winding path of Hell’s Bay. 

As we arrived back to the beginning, it was dark and cars sped down the un-lit road. We on the side - canoe, lifejackets and two starving Japanese boys in tow — all needing a lift back to camp.

Thumbs-up we start hitch hiking and Welcome to the Mountain Workshop! 

A bit of fun in camp, the Trust Dive, with students from Eisugakkan Senior High School, Fukuyama, Japan
                                              P.S. They did get to see the Empire State Building!

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