Riverbanks Adventure Forum

Withlacoochee Forest “Citrus A” Loop – My First Panther Track! – Week 5

// December 21st, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida, Hiking

Fern covered Oak by 5 mile pond by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

For my ninth Trailwalker hike, I challenged myself by choosing a moderately long trek through hilly terrain.  I hiked Citrus Loop “A” Trail in the Withlacoochee State Forest on Saturday September 9th. Beginning in the Mine Holder Recreation area of the Withlacoochee State Forest, I set out for my longest trek yet as a solo hiker.  The trail is estimated to be 8.5 miles of sand hill forest.  As I enter the trail I immediately notice the rare endangered sand square flowers.  I am already delighted as I snatch a few photos.  I turn and to my surprise there is a giant Florida Rosemary Bush almost 15 feet across!  “That has to be at least 100 years old!”  I tell myself.  What an extraordinary feat  for a bush that is extremely susceptible to the Florida Wildfires.  That tells me this area has evaded a wild fire for over 100 years!  Amazing!  I take a few more photos and mosey on my way.  I notice another slightly smaller Rosemary bush a few more feet into the trail.  What do you know a Rosemary Scrub….One of the rarest of the Florida Habitats.  I am excited!  I cannot wait to see what else this forest has in store for me.

Red Basil Wildflower

I stroll along up and down the hills from sand hills to pine forests.  The fall wildflowers add vibrant color to the underbrush.  Between the pine forests patches of Blazing Star, Paintbrush, Golden Rod, and dog tongue are loaded with butterflies.  Spicebush Swallowtails, Longtail Skippers, Yellow Sulfers, Satyrs, and Gulf Fritillaries flutter about.  I spend several minutes shooting these flying flowers as they skip from one plant to the next gathering nectar.

I look down in the sand trail.  A set of large paw print stays on the trail for a few steps and leaves again.   That looks like a cat track.  Could it be?….Yes I see my first panther track.  I later verify with fellow hikers that there have been Panther sightings in these parts.  What an exciting place!  I wonder if I will get to see him while I am here……

As I reach the 5 mile pond, which happens to be dry today, the trail takes me into a mature Live Oak Hammock.  Here I take a brake on a log as I savor the cool shady air.   I notice the live oak arms are high, forming a cathedral like canopy with a carpet of dried oak leaves covering the forest floor.  What a wonderful place!  I spot a primitive campsite.  Obviously others have felt the same way.  I now feel I have bonded with others that have previously entered this space.   Unfortunately the Oak Hammock was short lived and the trail soon puts you back out into the sand hills and into the sunshine again. 

As I trek up and down the pine ridges, it starts to take a toll on my calves.  I rest once more, as I finish the trail just before dusk.  I can’t help but feel a sense of pride that by completing 8.5 miles on my own and my ninth Trailwalker hike.  This was one of my favorite hikes to date….One more hike to go to achieve my Trailwalker badge……the journey continues…..

View more photos of Citrus Loop A 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)

Oxbow Nature Trail – Spectacular views along the Withlacoochee River Floodplain – Trailwalker Journey Week 3

// November 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

Paddling the Withlacoochee River by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

After warming up at Johnson Pond, we drove down US 41 to the Oxbow Nature Trail for its shape as the meandering Withlacoochee River creates an oxbow loop as it makes its way to the Gulf. This trail has a reputation for its relentless mosquitoes and we were escalating our mosquito protection in preparation for this battle. With our mosquito nets tucked under our hats and our bodies doused in mosquito repellent we set out on our trek.

We entered the trail off a short narrow spur that intersects a forest road with a sign stating “Oxbow Nature Trail – Eagle Scout Project Troop 415″ and a list of local business sponsors listed below.  The sign indicates that you could turn either left or right indicating the trail is indeed a loop. From here we turn left heading north passing through a lowland hammock.  The highlight is a Carolina Jasmine vine growing in the wild with several Skippers hovering about the yellow trumpet shaped flowers for pollen.  The trail eventually leads us into the river floodplane in a more open cypress forest with fields of cypress knees protruding from the ground in all shapes and sizes.  Eventually the trail leads us to banks of the Withlacoochee River South for some scenic views of large bald cypress trees and Florida Alligators.  We follow the trail along the bank eventhough sometimes it is disguised by the summer overgrowth.

Skipper on a Wild Yellow Jasmine

We cross a small footbridge that spits us out into an open area that has a primitive campsite and canoe launch.  It is evident this area is frequently camped by paddlers exploring the River but can also be used by hikers.  From here it is only a few steps more before the Oxbow turns back west and we head back toward the lowland Hammock and back to the spur that leads us out into the parking lot reaching our 1 mile mark. 

It is a fairly short hike but worth the views along this slow moving river and the walk amongst the cypress trees.

Sandy and I  head to Dunnellon to share stories over a tastey meal at a restaurant named the Front Porch. Great food and in a charming country atmosphere!  Sandy and I part ways…and I head 2 hours northward up to another Trailwalker trail in the Entoniah State Forest.  Afterall …this is a Labor Day weekend and I was determined to enjoy myself hiking until I could not lift my legs another step!  The journey to become a Trailwalker continues….

 See more photos of Oxbow Nature Trail on Flickr

 Other Trailwalker Adventures Blogs: Goethe (Week 1), Lake McKethan (week 2), Holly Hammock (week 2), Johnsons Pond (week 3)

Johnsons Pond – Home of a Rare Ancient Florida Rosemary Scrub – Trailwalker Week 3

// November 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida, Hiking

Boardwalk to Johnsons Pond through the cypress forest. by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

On Saturday, September 5th I met up with my dear friend and the webmaster of  Florida Hikes , Sandra Friend, to hike the Johnson Pond/Oxbow Combination located in the Two-Mile Prairie Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest near the small town of Citrus Springs.  These trails will both be in the upcoming newest edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida. 

We began our trek in the early morn at Johnsons Pond.   The trail was well marked boasting Orange blazes as the eerie morning fog blanketed the ground. We followed the trail as it took us through Oak scrub and eventually to a boardwalk that lead us out to the view of a much receded pond surrounded by a vast wet prairie.  After we left the pond, Cypress trees lined the trail as it followed the edge of the pond eventually releasing us back into a sandy pine scrub. As we wind our way through the forest we saw and heard a family of scrub jays playfully flying in circles as they jump from tree to tree happy that the heavy morning fog was finally starting to lift. Eventually the trail led us into a rare scrub where Florida Rosemary and Deer Moss are found abundant. The Rosemary bushes are over 5 feet tall and spread equally as wide. Florida Rosemary bushes are slow growers and very susceptible to wildfire.  To see a bush reach this size is truely rare and this scrub has several.  This is truely a remarkable scrub and a place I will always remember!   As you look around the little grey puffs of deer moss cover the ground resembling a blanket of new fallen snow. We walked slowly through this area in awe of this fascinating habitat. It is a place like no other along the trail and one to be remembered. The trail then led us down hill and turned into an Oak Hammock with young sand oaks growing so closely that their winding branches appear entwined over the thicket of sand palmettos that filled in below. Gradually we see larger mature oaks more and more as the trail brings us back to end the loop.

Large Florida Rosemary bushes

After 2.2 miles, we were craving more trails….we headed across the highway to the Oxbow Trail and Recreation area to submerge ourselves in a whole different set of natural habitats.  The journey to become a Trailwalker continues….

 See more photos of Johnson Pond on Flickr

 Guide Books: 50 Hikes of Central Florida, Author Sandra Friend

Other Trailwalker Adventures Blogs: Goethe Week 1, Lake McKethan, Holly Hammock (week 2)

Lake McKethan – A Small Park with Large Forest Wonders – Trailwalker Journey Week 2

// November 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

Orange Pumpkin Mushroom by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

After a delightful morning hike at Holly Hammock, I felt charged and was not ready to go home despite the large storm system that rolled in off the Gulf.  As I drove south towards Tampa, the rain began to fade into overcast skies.  As I was heading east toward the Gulf, I spotted a sign that said Park next right.  On an impulsive decision, I turned right not knowing what was in store but desperate to salvage my outing, I came upon a Recreational Park named Lake McKethan still within limits of the Withlacoochee State Forest.  As I drove around the paved circle drive,  grand live oaks with branches covered in resurrection fern near a small lake grabbed my attention.  I stopped the truck to take photos of these majestic oaks.  Several Tropical Checkered Skippers and Phaon Crescent butterlies fluttered in the wildflowers thriving in the boggy soils along the the bank.  After shooting photos,  a Nature Trail sign caught my eye.  I decided to get my daypack and set out to explore this trail. The trail was well marked and had simple interpretive posts identifying different trees and bushes of this habitat. I was greeted by a Tiger Swallowtail that kept landing three feet in front of me taunting me to take his photo. To my wonderment, the moist oak hammock was home to a diverse selection of fungi of many shapes, sizes, and colors. Bright orange pumpkin fungi, cupped Oyster Mushrooms, and the flat layered pancake mushrooms were three of several fungi amongst the oaks.  At my halfway point, the trail spit me out in front of a Kiosk on which the Trailwalker emblem was posted. My fourth Trailwalker hike was on the Nature Trail at Lake McKethan in the Withlacoochee State forest.  I was elated! I plunged back into the forest to finish the last mile with a spring in my step.  The next half of the trail winds through swampy lowlands with spots of wild coffee, a variety of  ferns, and oaks.   After a 2 mile trek, the trail led me to a bridge over the south part of the lake back to the Oaks under which I parked.  

What a delightful time I had on this overcast, rainy day!  With two more Trailwalker Trails under my belt I headed for home…pleasantly reminiscing the stories shared by my friend Sandra and the sites of  Holly Hammock and Lake McKethan I was fortunate enough to see today.

View more photos of Lake McKethan on flickr. 

Trailwalker Blog Posts: Goethe Week 1, Holly Hammock Week 2

Holly Hammock: The Hiker’s Delight – Trailwalker Journey Week 2

// November 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // Adventures, Florida Trailwalker, Hiking

Pretty Lily Pond by Riverbanksoutdoorstore

My second week and third Trailwalker hike was Holly Hammock in the Ross Prairie State Forest.  Hiking guru and author Sandra Friend was gracious enough to invite me up near Ocala on a summer Saturday to hike this with her for her new Edition of 50 Hikes of Central Florida. I was honored to lead clearing the path of giant banana spiders as Sandy trailed marking data points and taking video of the trail. A noble assignment indeed!
I found this trail cozy and inviting as it winds through the forest under fern covered oak branches. The forest floor covered with little gray fluffy spheres of deer moss. We were fortunate to see several Green fly Orchids still in bloom.

While we were enjoying the trek Sandy unveiled to me the history behind this hikers gem.   This trail was designed by master hikers for hikers and is truly an enjoyable trek. The Forest approached Kenneth Smith, Trail master for the Cross Florida Greenway trails, to see if he would mark out a hiking trail in the woods over at Ross Prairie State Forest. Ken was clever enough to enlist Florida Hikes webmaster and hiking guru, Sandra Friend, on his team to mark the proposed trail. With Ken’s acute trail sense and Sandra’s keene eyes, they set out to explore the forest. They flagged the route that deliberately leads you past tremendous sand oaks blanketed with resurrection fern and an occasional Green Fly Orchid, up a ridge into a pine forest, and out onto a wide open prairie. On the prairie, fresh deer and Florida panther prints in the moist packed sand are indicative of visitors who had roamed this path earlier. The trail twists and turns back through the forest under large oak arms and past spiny leafed holly bushes. One can only imagine the delightful scene of the holly festively laden with bright red berries during Christmas time.  This 2.8 mile trail is truly a hike for all seasons!

As we finished the trail, we could see a massive Florida thunderstorm quickly moving our way.  We decided reschedule our plans for other hikes to another time.

As I drove off with my yearning for adventure not completely satisfied, I took some backroads in hopes that I could fine another hike before calling it a day…..I found Lake McKethan my fourth Trailwalker hike…the adventure continues….

See more photos of Holly Hammock on Flickr

 Guide Books: 50 Hikes of Central Florida, Author Sandra Friend

Other Trailwalker Adventures Blogs: Goethe Week 1, Lake McKethan