Riverbanks Adventure Forum

Seminole State Forest – My First Black Bear Sighting! – Trailwalker Week 6

// January 29th, 2010 // Adventures, Backpacking, Camping, Florida, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

 

Florida trail near dusk by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

I needed one more hike and one more forest to earn my Trailwalker Badge.  I decided to travel to Lake County and hike the 10 mile Wekiva Loop in the Seminole State Forest.  I knew nothing about this hike except that it was partially along the Wekiva River and having paddled the Wekiva a few years ago, I was hoping it was just as scenic. The hike starts at the Bear Pond Trailhead which is the South entrance into this forest. The trail follows the scenic Florida Trail the trail through a young pine scrub that was exploding with purple blooms of deer tongue and other late summer wildflowers. As the trail then leads you into the Wekiva River floodplain, the cooler air from the spring run along with the new flora was a refreshing change.  I slowed my pace taking in the flora to allow more time to hide in the shade.  The trail then leads you back out into the Sand Pine Scrub and into the Sun.  Eventually I came upon a small section of Oak Scrub and that was where I saw the Florida Black Bear!  I was awestruck as I watched him for several moments while he gathered food from the Oak Tree in which he was sitting. He spotted me as I was taking his photo. He gingerly climbed down and disappeared into the thicket of Saw Palmetto.  I was elated as I could not help to think “How special of a day to see my first Black Bear on my final hike to earn my Trailwalker badge!”  I pick up my pace with my renewed energy.

From here the trail takes you back into the Blackwater Creek floodplain. It follows a forest road that looks more like an Old Tram trail for logging.  I pause for a moment to imagine the giant cypress forest before our ancestors logged them away for profit. In the middle of this Tram Road is where I spotted the rare Celestial Lily’s in their afternoon open bloom. I am intrigued by this delicate flower that is scattered about and only has a single flower per stem.  Again I am reminded that this hike and this day are indeed special.

I continue along over a  foot bridge into a forest full of tall pines and Cabbage Palms that are stretching to grow just as tall. Some sightings of resurrection fern, wild pine, and other epiphytes can be spotted. Once you leave the Blackwater Creek area, the trail is back out into the Sand Pine Scrub that is also a shared use trail for horses. After a mile and a half of this scenic scrub, the Trail joins the Florida Trail that you can take south to loop back to the Trailhead. If you have had enough adventure for the day, you can also follow the forest road south and save yourself some steps.

I chose to take the Florida Trail route back south to finish the loop.  This shorter fall days caught me by surprise as I had started to run out of daylight with 1.5 miles to finish.  I finished the last mile by moonlight. Had I not experienced the Moonlight hike at Goldhead State Park four weeks prior, I would not have remained near as calm as I made my way back to Bear Pond trailhead. But watching the sun set from the Florida Trail was a truly satisfying way to end a long day hike.

My two hour drive home just flew by as I reminisced about the hike I had today and my of the other nine Trailwalker Hikes  before.  For a moment, I smiled and proudly thought “I am officially a Trailwalker and what a wonderful journey it was!”

For more photos see Seminole State Forest on Flickr

Other related Trailwalker posts: Goethe (Week 1), Lake McKethan (week 2), Holly Hammock (week 2), Johnsons Pond (week 3), Oxbow Nature Trail (week 3), Etoniah State Forest (wk 3),  Buck Island Pond (wk 4)