The still air allowed the temperature to fall into the mid-fifties overnight. The dew was heavy on our boats the next morning, and my tent was so wet that it looked like there had been a rainstorm during the night, but there hadn't been: Heavy dew is common in the Everglades. After we had breakfast and packed up the boats, Bill and I left the Sweetwater chickee and backtracked down the creek to return to the Wilderness Waterway. The morning sun was at our backs as we paddled northwest on the Last Huston Bay Route. Park service signs made our course fairly easy to follow, as we paddled past a series of shallow bays. Dense mangroves lined the bays, many of which were bisected by small creeks. While tidal influence is minimal here, some of these bays are large, and can kick up some big waves of their own.

By mid-afternoon we had paddled nine miles, and arrived at the Sunday Bay chickee, another double chickee. After setting up camp, I explored the creeks northeast of Sunday Bay while Bill fished. Returning to camp, I found that Bill had caught and released a couple of Jack Crevalle, known more for their fighting prowess than their edibility. Later, as we relaxed after dinner, a gentle night breeze tapped the boats against the chickee. I thought about those who live in northern states, facing the ravages of winter, while I lounged in shorts.