Riverbanks Adventure Forum

Blessed with a Trail Angel while hiking the Croom River Trail

// August 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Adventures, Backpacking, Florida Trail Adventures, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

Trail Angel

It was Saturday, a typical sweltering Florida summer day, and I was heading to the Withlacoochee State Forest to hike my 26th Trailwalker hike.  With only four  more hikes to achieve Trailmaster, I am also looking to begin another journey.  To hike the Florida Trail in its entirity, in segements, from the midst of the Everglades to the Alabama State Line.   The Croom River Trail was helping me accomplish both of these tasks.

As I arrived at the Iron Bridge Trailhead, I quickly exited my truck to capture a photo of the Iron Bridge sign. As I removed my camera from my eye, I saw a hunting dog wagging his tail and smiling up at me. To put him and myself as ease, I patted him on the head and said “Hi, buddy.” in a comforting tone. I climbed back into my truck and proceeded to drive down to the official parking area. As I readied myself by stuffing my pack with water and snacks, my new found friend had followed me and was waiting patiently. For fear of someone looking for this handsome hound, I commanded “Stay! Go Home! Go Back! Go Away”..but he did not adhere to any of my commands. I did not want him to follow me. I took my time at the river taking photos, hoping he his curiosity with something else would hold his attention long enough for me so sneak away. Finally, he went into the water for a drink and to cool off on this sweltering Florida summer day and a I stepped up my pace to the trail. I had not made my way a few hundred feet into the forest and I heard the …padump..padump.. padump…..of his paws as he tracked me down. Not sure that I would have enough water for both of us, but I saw no choice but to give into his persistence. “C’mon buddy. Lets go hiking!” I gave him a pat and he licked my face. We were bonded. For the next five mile we trekked through the hardwood forests and river floodplains. Along the way, I was taking photos and Buddy was finding new scents to keep self entertained. He proved to be the perfect hiking companion as he would jump into seasonal ponds to keep cool and hydrated and nary a complaint about the distance, the spiders, or the heat. As we reached the parking area, I knew I could not take him home. He was a beauty, in great shape and well cared-for. I was certain that he had just gotten lost. I headed for the picnic table for a quick snack before my long drive home. He went to cool off in the River again and socialize with some people fishing. He came over to me as I was packing up. I gave him my peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich hoping this would occupy him as I tried to depart in my truck. I wasn’t quick enough. As I started the engine he was sitting outside my door looking at me. I had to give him one last pat on the head. “Thanks Buddy. You were a great trail angel for me today!” I pushed him back to close the door. My eyes welled up with tears as I watched him try to chase the truck as I drove down the dusty forest road. Sorry Buddy, you are a hunting dog and this is where you needed to stay….

Hike the Ravine Trail for a glimpse of Floridas endangered Flowers in Bloom!

// April 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Adventure Vacations, Adventures, Florida, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking, Nature Photography

The Ravine Trail is a 1.8 mile interpretive hiking trail located in Lake Talquin State Forest that loops around a vivacious pond. It leads you through up moderately strenuous slopes and steep-heads and through an upland hardwood forest with a wide diversity of trees. The aboretum signs are helpful in identifying the various trees including rare Florida finds such as Basswood, Cherry, Musclewood, and Sourwood. This terrain also hosts a large variety of Oaks including White Oak, Live Oak, Turkey Oak, and Laurel Oaks to name a few. The lowlands host tupelo, cedar, and pond cypress. The dense hardwood canopy keep the climate cool and moist making this a perfect place for the Mountain Laurels, Rhododendron, and Flame Azalea’s to thrive and bloom.

The Chapman’s Rhododendron (above) is a rare beauty in the coolness of the Ravine Trail in Lake Talquin State Forest.
There are three species of this endangered flower growing in Florida. This species was captured in Gadsen County and also appears in Liberty County. Gulf County has a second species and Clay County has the third species.

Lake Wales Ridge State Forest: An Enchanting Land of Cuthroat Grass and Rare Seepage Bogs!

// February 16th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Adventures, Florida, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

Pink Sundew by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

Laura, my out of town guest and partner-in-crime, and I headed to Lake Wales Ridge State Forest to continue on our Trailwalker Journey this past weekend. After missing the Schoolhouse Road street sign twice, we finally honed in on the McClean Cabin Nature Trail. This one mile interpretive loop sits in the middle of the 22 mile Reedy Creek trail maintained by the Florida Trail Association and is a beautiful hike! From the interpretive kiosks along the path, we learned about cutthroat grass and seepage bogs. These seepage bogs are protected areas in Florida State Parks and Forests and can only be seen in a few places throughout the state. While in these areas we were lucky to come upon the Pink Sundew, a carnivorous bog plant, sprouting up in the middle of the trail (see above photo)! The rare cutthroat grass was also growing in abundance along the trail.

From here we headed over to the Walk-N-the-Water tract to hike the 2.8 mile Scrub Jay Loop and the 3.6 mile Bay Loop Trail, which turned out to not actually be a loop. The Bay-Loop Trail takes you through beautiful scrub with spots of Oak Hammock back to a lake. Then we spotted an end-of-trail sign. Your options are to complete a loop on a plow-up forest road/firebreak or return the way you came. We opted for the scenic return route back on the trail.
The Scrub Jay Loop is a pretty hike throughout a classic Florida Scrub habitat lined with low growing Lyonia bushes, young scrub oaks, and spots of young Florida Rosemary bushes sprouting up as if to someday claim their own scrub. Although we did not see a Scrub Jay on this hike, there was an abundance of small birds including warblers, wrens, and robins flying about. Both trails were well marked and very scenic and an enjoyable hike on such a cool sunny day!

For more photos on Lake Wales State Forest visit flickr.

More about Lake Wales Ridge State Forest….

Within Lake Wales Ridge State Forest lies the endangered ecosystems of ancient scrub, sandhills, and cutthroat grass seeps.  This protected lands of Lake Wales Ridge has the highest concentration of endangered plants on the continental United States.  
The ancient Scrub consists of long isolated islands that were actually shorelines.  The deposits were made when the rest of Florida was covered by rising seas.  The scrub is “Florida’s Desert” and consists of white open sand areas and low growing vegetation such as lyonia, oak, and Florida rosemary bushes. 
The sandhills on the ridge consist of long leaf pine, turkey oaks and wiregrass.  Both the scrub and the sandhills share some of the same wildlife including scrub-jays, gopher tortoise, Florida mouse and the scrub lizard.
The most exotic ecosystem is the cutthroat seeps characterized by the rare endangered cutthroat grasses.  These seeps occur only in Central Florida at a slightly lower elevation that scrub.  Scientists estimate that only one percent of these seeps still exist.

Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest: Experience Florida’s Wilds!

// February 5th, 2010 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

My attempt to expose my friend Laura to the wilds of Florida in her visit to Florida proved more than successful at Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest. The slough is a wildlife haven and certainly worth the trip.
We started off on this 2.6 mile trek and found it well marked but not well maintained. The overgrowth at times can mislead you into thinking there is no trail there at all. Only the metal orange trail marker posted on a tree encourages you to forage ahead. We have come to realize a hiking stick and previous bushwhacking experience is a definite PLUS on this trail! The first two miles leads you into a jungle-like forest of cabbage palms and hardwoods full of a variety of Epiphytes and ferns.

Giant Airplant along the trail

Just before you enter the Pine Forest we noticed a large hill resembling an Indian mound. As I climbed to the top, I noticed the soil underfoot was spongy. It is a large mound of sawdust left over from the Old Twin Mills lumber mill that operated here during the logging days in the early 1900′s. Amazed by our historical encounter, we head into the pine forest where we both encountered our first Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. Preoccupied with birds up high, I caught myself as I almost stepped on a four foot rattler as he coiled poised ready to strike. My friend Laura yelled “SNAKE” as I abruptly stopped midstride! I jumped back to take a few photos before leaving the trail to avoid escalating this confrontation.
The Pine forest led us out back onto the forest road for the last mile to finish the loop. Although this road appears civilized and out in the open, this part of the hike was not without excitement. The road is surrounded by water with a slough on one side and wet

Coiled Eastern Diamond Back Rattler

prairie on the other. We saw an abundance of Woodstorks, Little Blue Heron, Louisiana Heron, Egrets (Great and small), Ibis, and a pair of Sandhill Cranes. We had to keep our wits about us as we encountered several gators sunning on each side of the road. Finally we made our way back to the parking area.  As we drove off I couldn’t help but think ….”The slough is a wonderfully wild place!”

For more photos visit Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest on Flickr

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

// January 29th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // 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.

Florida Black Bear gathering food

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.

Rare Celestial Lily

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.

Longtailed Skipper hovering over Deer Tongue Wildflower

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)