Calusa Blueway awaits paddlers on Estero Bay
Are you looking for something new to do this summer, but don’t have the cash to take an out-of-state vacation nor the time to drive around Florida (or the extra money due to high gas prices)?
Then check out your neighborhood waterways on a paddling expedition.
The Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail –a 190-mile marked canoe and kayak trail that meanders through the coastal waters and inland tributaries of Lee County– offers three distinct regions of the Gulf of Mexico coast: Estero Bay; Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass; and the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries.
The Calusa Blueway was developed by Lee County Parks & Recreation and funded with tourist development tax dollars. Within its scope, natural and historic highlights can be found along these protected waterways.
The first phase of the Calusa Blueway is the Estero Bay leg. It is along the Back Bay waters of Bonita Beach and Fort Myers Beach, begins within the Imperial River (where Marker 1 lies) and continues through a winding course some 50 miles to Marker 48 at Bunche Beach.
Due to the summer heat and vast territory to cover (and unless you have the drive of a Calusa Indian), it is recommended to break the trip into different stages to enjoy the adventure. Recommendations include leaving earlier in the morning because of the intense sun and warmth; sunscreen because of that exposure; packing a GPS device in a dry bag for orienteering; and paddling at a preferably higher tide so as not to paddle against the incoming tide.
You can locate Marker 1 if you launch at the Imperial River Boat Ramp off of US 41 and paddle west toward the Back Bay. If you start there, expect to paddle about three miles before reaching that first designated marker.
Markers 1-8 stretch through an inner trail in the mangroves then hug along the mangrove coastline of Bonita. Don’t fret. Some distances are shorter, while some are longer.
Marker 8 is visible just to the right of the Bonita Springs water tower. Note that there is a channel crossing close to Marker 8 and, from there, another inner trail that harbors Markers 8b and Marker 9.
The trail continues and reaches New Pass Bridge, Dog Beach (Marker 10) and Big Carlos Pass (Marker 13). Even Mound Key (Marker 24) lies on the southwest side of the historic burial ground.
But, before you can get to Mound Key, you must paddle back to the mainland to the coast near the city of Estero boundaries if you want to keep the chronological path going. Marker 14 is near the mouth of Spring Creek across the bay from New Pass.
Markers 15, 15a, 16 and 17 can be reached by paddling along the mangrove coastline of Estero, and Marker 16 has a channel crossing sign attached to the post to warn you of boat traffic.
You can see Big Carlos Pass from markers 18 and 19, but the circle is not yet complete. Marker 18 is at a point and marker 19 is tucked inside a smaller bay inlet toward the mainland. Markers 20 and 21, which are to the east side of Mound Key, are inside the same inlet.
Marker 22 is on a counter-clockwise course around Mound Key and around another island that faces Big Carlos Pass. From there, continue on a southwest course through a path inside a set of mangroves islands where marker 23 is hiding. Paddle out into the Back Bay and counter-clockwise again to complete the circle back to marker 24 for continued adventure.
Keep paddling by other markers passing the channel that leads to Estero River and towards Fort Myers Beach where many markers line up for the straight course in to Hell Peckney Bay, Hurricane Bay and under Hurricane Pass Bridge where The Nauti Turtle Restaurant is situated. When you reach the north end of San Carlos Island, paddle into the Gulf and set a northern course to Bunche Beach where markers 45, 46, 47 and 48 run parallel to the beach’s coastline.
While at Bunche Beach, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor with a leg-stretching walk on the beachfront or a swim in the water.
You have completed the first leg of the Great Calusa Blueway. The next time you are so inclined, try the other two legs. Navigational adventure awaits you.
Below is event information about the sixth annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival scheduled for November:
Calusa Blueway officials launch photo contest
Lee County Parks & Recreation has launched its fourth annual Calusa Blueway Photo Contest for boaters, kayakers and nature enthusiasts. Entries can be submitted from now until October, with prizes awarded at the annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival presented by Canoe & Kayak magazine in November.
A fourth category has been added this year, allowing photographers to be even more creative. It’s called “Reflections” and is open to the photographer’s interpretation. Other categories include: paddlers on the trail (people enjoying the waterways), nature photography (flora, fauna and landscapes) and signs on the blueway (Calusa Blueway markers and others that water-lovers encounter).
Prizes for top category winners will come from ABC Framing, a Lehigh Acres-based mobile-framing business that is the contest’s sponsor. Winners will receive an enlarged, matted and framed version of their photos. Winning entries also will be published in magazines, newspapers and online products.
Selected entries may be featured on several websites, including the blueway site, www.calusablueway.com, the festival site, www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com and on the festival’s Facebook site.
Fishing tourney awards chance to win new hobie kayak
The winner of the Calusa Blueway Kayak Fishing Tournament will nab a Hobie Pro Angler fishing kayak from Hobie and Estero River Outfitters at the annual event scheduled this year for Nov. 5. Cash prizes also will be awarded.
Fast becoming the premier kayak-fishing tournament in Florida, the catch-and-release event is expected to draw 75 anglers to Pine Island Sound as part of the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival along the shores of Southwest Florida.
This year’s event features a one-day competition for anglers who catch and release snook, redfish, sea trout and other species. All fishing must take place on Lee County, Fla., waterways. Captains’ meeting, weigh-in and awards take place in Matlacha.
The first place winner will receive a Hobie Pro Angler kayak complete with accessories, which has a retail value exceeding $3,000. The Hobie Pro Angler offers stability, an adjustable seat and plenty of space for tackle boxes and gear for a day of fishing. The second-place winner will receive $500, based on 50 participants. The third-place finisher gets $300; the fourth-place angler earns $150; and the fifth-place finisher wins $50.
“It’s incredible to have such an amazing kayak donated as our grand prize this year,” said Josh Harvel, tournament director who also is a Hobie Fishing Team Member. “The Pro Angler is one of the best fishing kayaks available today. I’m very excited that Hobie and Estero River Outfitters have come together with the Calusa Blueway to help promote the great sport of kayak fishing.”
The Nov. 4 captains’ meeting will include a reception sponsored by returning sponsors Angler’s Inn and Bert’s Bar. The digital weigh-in and the awards presentation will be Nov. 5 at Matlacha Park. Anglers can enjoy live music and local food, thanks to the annual event called Taste of Matlacha and Bluegrass for a Blueway, which will coincide with the tournament this year.
Tournament proceeds benefit the Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism, which is hosting the event with assistance from Lee County Parks & Recreation and Calusa Blueway volunteers. “Florida SEE is excited to be hosting this tournament for the fourth year running. It gets bigger and better every year,” said Joy Hazell, tournament coordinator and Florida SEE board member.
The 2011 Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival has partnered up with Canoe & Kayak magazine, which will be instrumental in providing demo boats, seminars and evening entertainment throughout the weekend in nearby Fort Myers. The festival has been condensed from its usual 10-day format to four days, offering seminars, on-water instruction, races, guided trips, a photo contest and social events for paddling enthusiasts.
Registration form and rules are coming soon to www.CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com. For more information, contact Harvel at 233-0655 or yaknitup@embarqmail.com or co-chair Joy Hazell at hazellje@leegov.com or 533-7518.
Blueway Festival hosts Southwest Florida races
A new competition for paddlers announced by Canoe & Kayak magazine is expected to draw Olympic-caliber athletes and other skilled competitors to Southwest Florida waters this fall.
The competition will include two races – one also designed for recreational paddlers – during the annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival, which is Nov. 3-6 on the Sanibel Causeway. More than 150 kayakers, outriggers and Stand-Up Paddlers are expected to participate.
“Fifteen-hundred paddlers already travel from all over North America to attend the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival. We found this to be the perfect spectator location to bring in some of the world’s fastest racers,” said Canoe & Kayak Publisher Jim Marsh.
The race Nov. 5 will be called the Calusa Classic and will feature a 10-mile course in the waters of San Carlos Bay around the Causeway using the Sound Rowers classification for all paddle craft. Categories for this race include Sea Kayaks, Fast Sea Kayaks and Surf Skis. Outriggers will also have winners in the OC-6, OC-2 and OC-1 divisions. Racers will be broken into two groups: Open (18-45) and Masters Division (46-plus).
The Nov. 6 race is titled the Calusa Dash and is a four-mile competition for Stand-Up Paddlers. Recreational kayakers with boats 18 feet and under also can enter. Organizers expect the Calusa Dash to draw at least 50 SUP racers based on attendance at Southwest Florida’s first SUP event this year, The Bay-to-Gulf SUP Race.
Both the fastest kayak and the fastest SUP will be awarded a $500 first-place prize.
The race director for both the Calusa Classic and the Calusa Dash is Brian Houston, who is well known in paddlecraft racing for his tenure as director of the Captiva Sea Kayak Classic, which ran nine years in the waters off ‘Tween Waters Inn on Captiva. He’s been a mainstay in the Florida kayak scene for more than 20 years as a kayak instructor, Epic Kayaks representative, Southwest Florida-based naturalist and guide.
“Getting Brian involved was the key to putting together the race,” Marsh said. “He’s got the connections, the know-how and the attitude to turn this into one of the world’s great kayak races. And that’s our goal.”
For Houston, the new race event offers a chance to collaborate with Canoe & Kayak and Lee County Parks & Recreation, which coordinates the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival and is assisting with the races.
“The Calusa Classic and Calusa Dash will be a celebration of paddle sports because it includes not only kayaks and surf skis but outrigger canoes and SUPs,” Houston said.
Registration for the Calusa Classic and Calusa Dash will be handled by the non-profit Florida Paddling Trails Association, which is assisting with the 2011 festival. Online registration will be available in July. Entry fees for the Calusa Classic are $70 per racer or $200 per OC-6 team. Entry in the Calusa Dash is $45 per racer.
Since 2006, the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival has offered seminars, guided trips, demonstrations, local races, a photo contest, a fishing tournament and social events for paddling enthusiasts. This year’s event will include a film festival, on-water instruction and Stand-Up Paddleboard activities. The festival serves to highlight public parks along the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, a 190-mile marked-and-meandering saltwater trial that spans the coast and inland rivers along The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel.
For more information on the races, visit www.CalusaClassic.com. For information on the festival, visit www.CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com.
–event information provided by Betsy Clayton