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Archive for the ‘Camping’ Category

Lake Kissimmee State Park (02/27/2024-02/28/2024)

Posted in Camping, Central, Hiking, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I arrived at Lake Kissimmee State Park shortly after noon, stopping at the office to check into my site and get recommendations for hiking trails. I drove away with the park map loaded into my Avenza app. A small winding road took me through the park and finally to my campsite—one of two small sites—about three miles in. I set up my tent under the shade of live oaks and slash pines and headed out for my hike on the Kristen Jacobs Trail, the North Loop.

Tall Pines Along Kristen Jacobs Trail

Kristen Jacobs Trail (02/27/2024)

The 6.5-mile Kristen Jacobs Trail appeared well traveled, maintained, and blazed. Surprisingly, this looped trail, covered with fallen oak leaves and pine needles and landscaped with saw palmetto, cabbage palms, and tall straight pines, showed no signs of boar activity. What an easy hike!

A Shady Rest Along Gobbler Ridge Trail

I loved the pine forest! Prescribed burns had left the forest transparent with smaller pines sprouting up, now easily competing for sunlight and nourishment. Standing on the trail, I could see through the trees and felt I could camp safely at the primitive site.

A Campfire to Keep Me Warm

Back at camp, I started a fire and watched as the sky turned dark and the stars came out. I woke up to birds singing around my campsite.

Starry Night at Lake Kissimmee

Gobbler Ridge Trail (02/28/2024)

My first day at Lake Kissimmee State Park was all about the tall slash pines and a beautiful transparent forest. Day two, on the Gobbler Ridge Trail, it was all about the ancient live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and the golden prairie surrounding it.

The 2.5-mile trail began on concrete as I walked through the playground and past the lookout tower to get onto the dirt trail bordered by a prairie on one side and gorgeous ancient Southern Live Oaks on the other. After a bit, the trail turned to sand and traveled along Lake Kissimmee. I came across some  water on the trail, but I easily walked around it.

This trail was great for walking/hiking, biking, and horses. I admit, I took longer than usual on this short trail, taking advantage of the brand-new benches to sit and reflect. Something about the beautiful golden grasses bending with a cool breeze invited me to linger. Back on the trail again, a bobcat ran across my path, in a hurry to get somewhere!

Departure

I stopped in the office when I left the park, and I chatted with Matthew, an inspiring biologist working on his second masters, about the trails. I asked him why the trails were so clear with no boar activity–this was unusual for any Florida trail. He explained that they do have a bad boar problem, but that they are on the trails daily keeping them clear. We talked about the pine trees and he explained the difference between long needle and slash pine, stepping outside to show me as well. What a great trip and wonderful state park! I would recommend this park to anyone and found the trails wide and safe enough (little or no water, no trail brush for ticks) to bring the kids.

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Collier-Seminole State Park (01/30/2024)

Posted in Camping, Hiking, Southwest, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I chose Collier-Seminole State Park as my next camping/hiking trip, as I have wanted to hike in the Everglades area for some time. The website boasts that it is “within one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world.” Well-known for the heat and bugs that summer brings, I felt early spring was a good time to visit.

View from the Trail

The small feeling of the park surprised me. I drove through the gate and checked in. My campground was close by, the smaller of the two. The park also had a grassy community area and as well as the river area where I had rented a kayak a couple of years ago.

I parked at my site and put my tent up quickly (Yay! I’m getting better!). The smaller campground allows only tents and smaller campers/RVs. The restrooms and laundry were a short walk away. The facilities were clean. The park felt comfortable.

I wanted to get a hike in before the sun set, so I headed out to the Prairie Hammock Trail, the trail recommended by the park staff. Access to all three hiking trails is outside the gate off of US 41. The other two trails, the Strand Swamp Trail (closed due to the hurricane) and the Flatwoods Trail (very wet and muddy) were not recommended, so Prairie Hammock Trail it was!

A Peak through the Ferns

The Prairie Hammock is a loop trail, my favorite kind! I hiked the grassy road, peaking through gorgeous tall ferns to look out across the prairie. Saw palmetto, cabbage palm, and tall slash pine added to the beautiful landscape around me. I read posted signs along the trail warning of panthers and bears in the area—and hoped to see something! I was not alone; many birds enjoyed the afternoon with me—red-winged blackbird, yellow-rumped warbler, and common yellowthroat. Bird watchers would love this trail.  

Ready for the Evening

As I made the turn back on the loop, the trail narrowed and became a bit muddy—but there was never  a lot of standing water, so the hiking was easy. I arrived back to my car after about a 4.5 mile hike, disappointed that I did not see any animals but happy, as always, to have the privilege to experience nature.

I returned to my campsite, and after a shower and a bite to eat, I built my campfire (nailed it this time!). What a great day and successful (but short) camping trip. 

(Collier-Seminole State Park. 20200 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34114. (239) 394-3397. Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/collier-seminole-state-park)

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Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park (01/23-01/24/2024)

Posted in Camping, Central, Hiking, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I knew as I drove along the long dirt road in the midst of a prairie grassland from the entrance of the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park to the office and campground that I was in for a peaceful experience with Nature. I stopped my car, rolled down my window, and listened. No sounds of traffic.  Perfect.

Where the Prairie Meets the Hammock

I arrived on Tuesday with a last minute reservation I was able to grab for just one night. My first stop was the park office where I checked in and checked out trails with a volunteer. My campground, the family campground, had only twenty sites, with several that looked out to the prairie. How beautiful!

After setting up my tent, I started on the Prairie Loop Trail—a recommendation for an afternoon hike from the park volunteer. This trail, about 4.5 miles, was surrounded by live oak covered with moss, saw palmetto, wax myrtle, and tall prairie grasses blowing in the breeze. I returned to the office area a couple hours later to see deer and wild turkeys grazing in the tall grasses.

Sunrise on the Prairie

Evening in the campground was quiet and friendly. In need of a shower, I walked to the bathhouse, and was surprised to see how dark the campground had become when I stepped back out. I had looked forward to some fabulous star gazing, but unfortunately, the clouds kept the stars away. Once I snuggled into my sleeping bag, the nearly full moon appeared and lit up my tent. At 2:00 in the morning, I took a brief stroll through the campground, happy to see the stars had finally made it to the party. At 6:30, I rose to see the sunrise, nearly running into a deer on my way to my viewing spot. I watched as beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow painted the sky while birds sang their morning songs.

Before leaving on day two, I hiked through the Hammock Trail to the Kilpatrick Prairie Trail and back—about six miles (another recommendation from a park staff member). Such beautiful prairies! With no one on the trail, I enjoyed the peace and serenity that Nature offered. There were some wet areas on the trail, but they were easy to walk around. I passed a couple deer on the side of the trail—no fear, they hardly moved. On my return through the hammock, a small white boar scurried away.

Mother Nature Paints a Beautiful Picture

 My goal for this trip was to test out my new tent and stove and make certain I could keep a fire going. I made progress! I’ll work on the fire on my next trip. 🙂

(Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. 33104 NW 192nd Ave, Okeechobee, FL 34972. (863) 462-5360. Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/kissimmee-prairie-preserve-state-park).

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Unicoi Gap to Deep Gap–the Georgia AT (10/09/2023)

Posted in Camping, Hiking, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

A year of waiting and it finally arrived! Last fall, my trail sister, Robyn, and I vowed to return in 2023 to complete the Georgia Appalachian Trail. We had completed the first 52.5 miles as a slackpacking trip in the fall of 2022. This fall, we would hike 32.5 miles–Unicoi Gap to Deep Gap–in four days and three nights taking us into North Carolina.

A Glorious Day 1 on the Trail

Sunday night, we stayed at Hostel Around the Bend in Hiawassee, Georgia. Such a sweet hostel with great hosts (Gordon and Lisa), comfortable rooms, and a yummy breakfast (thank you, Nimrod!). Monday morning, they shuttled us to Unicoi Gap, and we were off to our adventure!

Before we left, we knew the issues with finding water on the trail and that many of the water sources–especially for our first two days–had dried up. This meant carrying more water to be safe. My pack already weighed in at 32.5 pounds without water. Carrying three liters of water added six more pounds. Ugh! Much more weight than I had counted on.

Our schedule for the four days looked like this:

Monday, October 9, 2023Unicoi Gap to Tray Mountain Shelter (5.7 miles)
Tuesday, October 10, 2023Tray Mountain Shelter to Deep Gap Shelter  (7.4 miles)
Wednesday, October 11, 2023Deep Gap Shelter to Plumochard Gap Shelter  (8.1 miles)
Thursday, October 12, 2023Plumochard Gap Shelter to Deep Gap Campsite (11.3 miles)
Hiking/Camping Schedule
First Night on the Trail

Four days and three nights on the trail. We hiked in Nature’s glory, watching as each day, the leaves changed just a little bit more. This was not just a walk in the woods! On day two, the wicked Kelly Knob challenged me, and I cursed her the entire climb! We camped at Deep Gap that evening, falling asleep to a symphony of animal sounds in the woods.

On day three we stopped at Dick’s Gap in the morning–which is .6 miles from the hostel. With more water available on the trail for the remainder of our hike, I lightened my load as much as I could and finished the hike with closer to 32 pounds on my back. (The hostel folks picked up a bag for me.) We camped at Plumorchard that night, listening to the rain hit our tents and the wild animals in the woods. We woke early and packed our wet tents in dim light and light rain to begin the last, and longest, part of our hike.

Going Through the Tunnels on Day 2

I won’t lie, I considered taking an easier route that last day. I was concerned that I would slow us down given the wet conditions and the 11.3 miles and steep climbs remaining. However, Robyn would not hear of it. Truly, many good hikers would have been happy to be rid of the slow poke and finish in better time. Not Robyn. So, I finished the hike as planned. That day, we climbed the longest and highest mountain of our hike as we crossed into North Carolina (more curses). We started at 3008 feet elevation leaving the campsite that morning and climbed to over 4600 feet elevation before we finished.

So, what’s next? I plan to continue the trail in the spring after the bubble has passed. I’ll pick up at Deep Gap Campsite and hope to hike a combination of day hikes and overnight hikes and see where it leads!

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My First Camping Trip! (12/29/2022)

Posted in Camping, tagged , , , , , , , on January 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I have so much to be grateful for and excited about in this new year. I just retired, and adventures await! I have a lengthy list of places to go and things to do.

I had to start somewhere, but uppermost on my mind was ensuring that I could pitch my new tent (REI Quarter Dome SL2). Understand that I grew up in New England, on a farm, in the middle of nowhere, and yet, I have never been camping. I mean…pitch a tent and sleep outside kind of camping. So, this is a new concept for me, and it would not do me well to hike into the wilderness only to discover that I could not put up my tent in a reasonable amount of time and spend the night.

I decided that to test myself, I would stay close to home and camp at a site where I could park next to my tent–you know, just in case. The John Prince Park Campground in Lake Worth was the perfect location.

John Prince Park Wildlife

I arrived at 3:00 and had a beautiful spot near the water. I was one of only two tents in this RV-crowded campground. As I pulled out my supplies, wind gusts challenged me and turned my tent into a wind sock before I finally staked out two corners. Somehow, I still managed to raise my tent in less than an hour! (For me, this was an accomplishment.)

Morning Comes at John Prince Park

Because John Prince Park is so close to home, I often go there on walks, but I had never been to the campground area. I spent an hour discovering several small, dirt trails that took me through the peaceful Florida scrub before I returned to my tent for the evening. My family stopped by to ensure the iguanas and alligators had not gotten to me. That night, I snuggled into my sleeping bag in the quiet campground and fell asleep (eventually) listening to the distant traffic on I-95 and the wind slapping against my tent. I awoke early feeling confident that I could do this again and ready to tackle my retirement list!

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