// November 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking
Tall Pines – Goethe State Forest by Riverbanksoutdoorstore
I have always been a lover of the outdoors enjoying kayaking and off-road bike riding for years. This past May I had decided I was going to relax and explore the leisurely sport of hiking in Florida. After all there are places I cannot see without hiking. I “stumbled upon” hiking guru Sandra Friend on twitter and she recommended I join My Florida Hikes and Florida Hikes to help get me started. How hard could this be?…after all, it is just walking. After reading discussions of thru hiking; strange terms like swamp walking, hydric hammocks, piney flatlands, and cypress domes, I felt really green to this leisurely sport. I desperately needed to get some experience under my belt!
One day I came upon the Trailwalker Program while on the Florida State Forests website. This program encourages people to get outside to hike and then rewards them with a badge after they have completed the requirements. Simply complete 10 hikes in 5 differenct state forests. Perfect! Just enough structure and purpose to get me started and keep me going! Just like scouts.
I began to strategize, plotting locations, and length of trails. To my surprise, I have lived in Florida for over 20 years and have never heard of some of these forests. It will involve some travel but that will only add to the adventure. I am game! I was excited to get started!
For my first week, I set out to hike two trails in Goethe State Forest. I had passed the sign many times and was always curious as to what this forest had to offer. My very first trek was 3 miles on the Black Prong Trail and was my most miserable hike of the ten. There was an isolated rain shower over this particular piece of the forest. Having experienced Florida weather, I was prepared to wait out the rain shower while reading sitting dry in my truck. Sure enough the rain shower did pass after 20 minutes and I set out on the trail. The Black Prong Trail is a forest road through Oak Hammock that is also a multiuse trail for hikers, horses, and bicyclists. The trail was wide and the sand was soft. Had it not been for the rain somewhat hardening the sand, this certainly would have been a hikers challenge. Two miles into the hike the skies opened up again. I was drenched and disappointed. This also had me wondering if all of the trails of the Florida State Forests were going to be passive like this.
Well the rain stopped once again, my boots full of water, but I had plenty of daylight. Being a spirited trooper, I decided to try the Tidewater Trail on the South end of Goethe. After all I drove all this way, I might as well put get another hike under my belt. Much to my surprise the trail led me through a beautiful pine forest! The sun was out and the rain cleansed sky was now blue. The hike was on a forest road but grass had grown in to give a hiker good footing. I finished the two mile loop in almost no time at all. The stroll amongst the towering pines was breath taking. White tale deer and several butterflies crossed my path along the way. Tidewater Trail gave me a change of heart. I think I am going to enjoy this Trailwalker journey after all.
On the brochure at the trailhead, there was a trail to an ancient giant cypress tree. I will have to come back to find that botanical wonder another time. With five miles and two trails under my belt, I felt satisfied but with a yearning for more. I was hooked! I decided to call it a day……
Stay tuned for week 2….the journey only gets better!
See more photos of Goethe on Flickr
About the Author: Barbara is the owner of an on-line store Riverbanks Outdoor Store for several years and has frequently engaged in outdoor sports for years including camping, mountain biking, whitewater rating, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking. Barbara also hosts a blog Riverbanks Adventure Forum that focuses on product reviews and adventure vacations. You can also follow Riverbanks Outdoor Store on twitter, flickr, youtube, and facebook.
