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Posts Tagged ‘lovingretirement’

Beautiful Savannah Views and Old Buggy Roads on the OTL-South Grade Road Westward (05/24/2024)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I stepped onto the narrow trail ready to enter the pine forest. The temperature in my car as I parked showed 82 degrees, and my weather app predicted it to reach 90—which of course means that it will feel like 100 plus. Another hot Florida spring day on the OTL.

Narrow Winding Trail

It was quiet as I hiked along the winding trail. Although I heard lots of birds, the animals had opted to stay somewhere cooler–smart. Saw palmetto reflected silver in the hot sun and bromeliads clung to tall cypress trees. Everything was still.

Hazy Day on the Savannah

I enjoyed this part of the OTL; there was something comfortable about the old buggy and forest roads I walked along. I hiked past the grassland/savannah which appeared hazy in heat. I came across very little water or hog destruction on the trail.

I made it as far as the canal, just past the Little Gopher Campsite. When I had problems finding the blazes to continue, I took it as a sign to turn around. I stopped at the campsite and lunched on the ground in the much-appreciated shade of the pines. The campsite had benches around the fire pit, but they were out in the hot sun–a much better choice on a cool day.

I returned to my car after an eight-mile hike, ready for the bumpy, dusty ride to the Corbett entrance. I’ve completed about 52 of the 62 miles of the OTL thus far, with about 10 left to go. I’m getting there!

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Dupuis WEA–Loop 4 (03/12/2024)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Determined to see some wildlife this time (other than birds), I began my hike in the afternoon and was on the trail at 1:20 pm. This time, I parked at the Cypress Boardwalk parking area, about seven miles inside Gate 1. I hiked just over a mile to loop 4 and the OTL Trail. (The OTL runs along the west side of loops 3 and 4 and then leaves the loops to head towards Corbett Wildlife Management Area.)

Tall Grasses Frame the Trail

The spring flowers were just beginning to bloom, and I found myself alone on the trail with the exception of the many birds, and towards the end, many wild boars! The sounder of boar I came upon were in various shades of brown, tan, and black and went about their business digging holes on the side of the trail as I passed.

I paused for a snack and a rest at a campsite at the southern end of the loop for about thirty minutes. The campsite had two picnic tables, two fire pits, several benches, and lots of room for tents. Tall pine shaded the area—a welcomed relief from the sun!

Dupuis Loop 4

My hike was over seven miles total, so the loop itself was about five miles. As I drove from the nature area and across the OTL trail, I was reminded how close I was to the lake. My next hike would be an out and back from Dupuis to Lake Okeechobee—about nine miles.

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Dupuis WEA–Loop 3 (02/14/2024)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , on March 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The third loop—Happy Valentine’s Day to me! I had hiked the first two loops of the Dupuis Wildlife Management Area during the summer and fall of 2023, and I wanted to hike the last two before the hot summer weather and daily rainstorms arrived.

Saw Palmetto and Slash Pines Along the Trail

With help from some Facebook folks (Florida Trail Lox Chapter), I knew where to park to access loop 3. I arrived at 9:15 a.m. and parked west of the loop on the Grade Road accessed through Gate 1—just past where the OTL Trail crosses over the road. I hiked one mile to connect with loop 3.

What a gorgeous day! About 60 degrees with a slight breeze and a few clouds when I started on the trail, the weather couldn’t have been nicer. I was thrilled to see maintenance had been completed on the trail and all was dry. With the exception of some wild boar activity, it was an easy hike.

Tall Pines Silhouette the Sky

Alone on the trail, I enjoyed my surroundings of tall slash pine, vivid green saw palmetto, and wax myrtle. The birds kept me company—red shouldered hawks, red bellied woodpeckers, and cardinals. I appreciated the benches along the way—if only to use for a stretch. When I exited the trail onto the OTL trail, it surprised me how close I was to the lake, only 5.5 miles from where the OTL connects to Loop 3.

Next stop—loop 4!

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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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Jonathan Dickinson State Park–White Loop (01/10/2024)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 6, 2024| 2 Comments »

Jonathan Dickinson State Park is my “go to” park, when I don’t have time to travel far. I returned to JD State Park to hike the 7.5 mile White Loop for my third state park in the new year. This is where I had spied the Florida Panther the previous New Year’s Day, and I hoped to see one again.

Saw Palmetto Among the Pines

I began my hike in a clockwise direction and made the same mistake I did the first time I hiked it. About one mile in, after going over the little bridge and around the water, I became overconfident being on the service road and missed the right turn onto a smaller trail. My AllTrails app gave me a “heads up” that I was off trail about a block later.

Sixty-five degrees with a slight breeze! Perfect hiking weather. For the remainder of the trail, I came upon water from time to time, but never to the point where it flowed into my shoes. I was thrilled to see they had built small boardwalks around the deeper water.

I love that this trail has a couple of rest spots with benches. The first is about 3.5 miles into the trail. I passed only a couple of hikers heading in the opposite direction as I, and I saw one hiker come off the OTL Trail in the distance (This distraction may have caused my missed trail.).

Loggerhead Shrike to Keep Me Company

The moist sand from a recent rain made for easy track identification—wild boar, raccoon, and then some I could not identify. The trail had very little boar activity until the last mile.

Only the birds kept me company—loggerhead shrike, red-shouldered hawk, yellow-rumped warbler. Alas, no panther to be seen.

Although there is next to no shade on this trail, it’s always a great trail to hike.

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Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park (01/04/2024)

Posted in Hiking, Northwest, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 29, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Among my goals for 2024, somewhere between “learning to cook a Mediterranean diet” and “complete the next thirty miles of the Appalachian Trail” is that to “visit at least ten Florida State Parks” this year.  So, after spending some time at Perdido Key State Park and to keep the momentum going, I drove to Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park in Pensacola. Access was easy with the parking lot just off the main road and an honor system entry fee.

Caramel Grasses on Tarkiln Bayou Trail

I began with the Tarkiln Bayou Trail, an out-and-back one-mile round trip with a scenic view of the Tarkiln Bayou bordered by beautiful tall grasses. This trail is ADA accessible with concrete walkways and long boardwalks leading to the bayou. Along the way, benches invited me to take an undeserved rest and scannable information signage filled me in on the surrounding flora.  

Autumn Colors Dress the Perdido Bay Trail

After completing the Tarkiln Bayou Trail, I increased my effort with the Perdido Bay Trail. This trail branches off at the beginning from Tarkiln Bayou Trail. My hike was about 6.5 miles, often shaded by oaks and pines. Although mostly a dirt trail, there were occasional portions filled in with large gravel, difficult to walk on. (On the return, I realized that thoughtful hikers had created small, grassy paths to bypass the gravel.) The loop portion of this trail borders along the Perdido Bay.

The cool weather made for perfect hiking. A very recent burn had caramelized the landscape in shades of orange, brown and black—perfect for a Halloween set. The lack of green vegetation did not keep the birds away. I spied many yellow wobblers, red belly woodpeckers, and even a bald eagle.

Map: https://www.floridastateparks.org/sites/default/files/media/file/tbp-brochure.pdf

(Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park. 2401 Bauer Road, Pensacola, FL 32507. Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/tarkiln-bayou-preserve-state-park. (850) 492-1595.)

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