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Posts Tagged ‘OTLTrail’

A Waterlogged Trek Along the OTL Trail–Corbett WMA–Powerline Road Eastward (07/11/2024)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2024| Leave a Comment »

With all the heavy rains we had this summer, I expected a wet trail. However, I did not expect a day of water aerobics!

A Very Wet Hike Through Corbett

With two sections of the Ocean to Lake (OTL) Trail left to hike, I did not want to let a little rain get in my way. I began my hike on Powerline Road just south of where the OTL crosses it. I walked along the road, turned east onto the trail, stepped over a gate, and began my hike. The dry trail gave me hope, as I entered the pine forest.

However, very shortly after I began my hike, I came to water—and not the kind that I could walk around. So, I began sloshing, my snake radar on high alert for snakes and any other water-loving creatures.

Hopeful for a Dry Hike

Other than the noise I was making, my hike was quiet. Bromeliads and air plants clung to the cypress. Birds flew from tree to tree. I emerged from a cypress strand onto a short section of somewhat dry trail and completed a bug and critter check on my legs, trail runners, and arms. Clear so far!

I continued on the now narrow trail into a pine forest, (a bit overgrown, so don’t forget to spray your clothes). I crossed a buggy road or two and then I was back in the water. The tea-stained water was difficult to see through at times, and after a while, I stopped trying. I was making enough noise to scare away anything lurking beneath the surface (I hoped!).

Hopes for a Dry Trail–Dashed

I stepped onto dry trail the last half mile to the canal. I passed a couple medium sized hogs as I made a turn—one black, one brown. They scurried away when they saw me. I stopped under some pines just past the Little Gopher Canal for lunch and a break before heading back.

My four-mile hike back was hot, but I managed to find a couple shady dry spots to stop and rest. My average time was considerably longer than normal but the water aerobics had slowed me down. The trail was about 80% wet and the water rose anywhere between my ankles to my knees.

I have nearly completed my section hikes of the OTL. I have one section remaining—about six miles one way, so a twelve mile hike total.

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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 Grade Road to Lake Okeechobee-OTL Trail (03/20/2024)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

In retrospect. It would have been smart to park at Lake Okeechobee and hike to Dupuis WEA, but being so familiar with Dupuis, I didn’t even think of it until I was already on the trail, looking back at the smoke from the prescribed burn.

Prescribed Burn East of Dupuis WEA

I drove through Gate 1 at Dupuis WEA and shortly noted there was a controlled burn going on east of Dupuis. It appeared distant, so I parked on the west side of Dupuis Grade Road just south of where the OTL crosses over, and I headed to the trail.

With the prescribed burn to the east of me, I headed west and was on the trail by 11:30 a.m. I hiked 4.5 miles to the lake and back for a total of about 9 miles. The first mile took me through a lovely pine forest, and I expected (hoped) to see some wildlife that may have been fleeing from the burn. My hopes were dashed as the only wildlife I saw on the ground was one very large wild turkey.

About three quarters of the hike was along dirt roads—probably used mostly by the farmers.  The last mile was a somewhat busy and very sandy/dusty road frequented by large trucks that sent clouds of dust and sand into the air and all over me.

OTL Ends Here–Lake Okeechobee

Although I did not enjoy the dust, I did enjoy hiking past the freshly plowed fields and new crops sprouting up; it felt very springlike. And the cows—I enjoyed our chat. (I love cows.) I arrived at Lake Okeechobee a bit dusty, but happy. I found a piece of shade next to the kiosk to sit (a bench or picnic table would be very nice here!) and have lunch before heading back.

By the time I returned to my car, the burn had moved westward. Driving the six to seven miles out on Dupuis Grade Road, parts of east side of the road were sizzling and swirls of smoke rose from the bushes. At one spot, a hot wind tunnel crossed the road in front of me.

Although this was not my favorite section of the trail, there were parts that were beautiful and certainly worth the hike.

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Ocean to Lake Trail, 3rd Section, Corbett Wildlife Management Area to Beeline Highway (05/18/2023)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on May 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Having learned (the hard way) that Uber will not drop off or pick up in these remote areas, the logistics of my next hike became my priority. In the end, my daughter dropped me at the South Gate to the Corbett Wildlife Management Area at 2:45 PM—yes, a late start, but it stays light until after 8:00 now. I thought I might get some late afternoon clouds and see some wildlife.

Hot Open Hiking Path

I hiked north to connect to the Beeline Highway where I had ended my previous hike on the OTL—a five-mile hike—and then an additional one and a half miles to the parking lot at the Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area by way of the Loxahatchee Loop Trail where I had left my car.  

I didn’t know what to expect and wore my usual long pants and long-sleeved SPF top to protect me from sun, sand, bushes, and critters. The trail, which appeared to be a service road for the wildlife area, was wide open with little or no shade—with the exception of one mile along Beeline Highway and the short distance to get to the Loxahatchee Loop Trail to the parking lot. It was a HOT hike.

New Growth After Controlled Burn

My first stop was just over three miles into my hike, and with not a bench or log in site, I sat on the ground in a tiny piece of shade under a sand pine. No doubt I would have appreciated this trail much more on a cool, fall day. I had forgotten the pair of shorts I typically pack “just in case,” and I came very close to using my knife to cut the legs off my pants. It was that hot.

Complaints aside, the beauty of my surroundings awed me—saw palmetto, sand pine, cocoplum, flowers, and tall grasses. Ahead of me, three dark animals hurried across the trail—perhaps wild boar, as there was some evidence. Scrub jays, woodpeckers, herons, cardinals, swallow tailed kite, red shoulder hawk flew from tree to tree.

Beautiful and Scenic Hike

Around mile four, my hope for clouds arrived along with strong winds and a downpour of rain. Be careful what you wish for. However, there is something mysterious and beautiful about rain in nature. I found a little protection from the wind and rain on the side of a large saw palmetto. I arrived at Beeline a soggy hiker, trying to avoid the splash of the cars and trucks as I crossed the small bridge. On the other side, God rewarded me for my patience with a gorgeous rainbow.

This was my third section of OTL and my least favorite so far—although I had a beautiful and scenic hike for the first four miles. I arrived at the parking lot about 6:15 PM—about 3.5 hours—soaking wet and happy I had thought to throw a sweatshirt and pair of sandals in my car (reminder: next time, add sweat pants!).

Rainbow on the Beeline Highway

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Ocean to Lake Trail, 1st Section, Hobe Sound Beach to Riverbend Park (01/25/2023)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Several months ago, I created a list of fun goals to achieve in my retirement. Fourth on the list is “Hike the Florida Trail.”  To accomplish this and to help prepare me for overnight hiking, I chose to day hike a section of one of the off-shutes/secondary trails of the Florida Trail system, the first (or last, depending on perspective) section of the Ocean to Lake Trail which runs about sixty-one miles from the Hobe Sound Beach to Lake Okeechobee.

Sugar Sand Trails at Jonathan Dickinson State Park

This would be my longest day hike thus far, and I knew that during the week, I would most likely be the only person on the trail. My backpack was a bit heavy for a day hike—16.4 pounds—but this would help get me use to carrying more weight for overnight camping trips. I felt prepared with plenty of food, water, sunscreen, and an extra pair of socks and trail runners.

I parked at Riverbend Park shortly after they opened and took an Uber to the Hobe Sound Beach, pretty simple. At 9:17 a.m., I walked to the water; I wanted to make certain I didn’t miss a step. I began my walk west and loved the beginning of this trail. I walked under beautiful Banyan trees and over the bridge in Hobe Sound. However, the next section on Dixie Highway made me glad I started north and hiked south so to get this section out of the way. At 10:07 a.m., I entered the Jonathan Dickinson State Park just off US 1 and started my trek across the sugar sand trail.

Tall Grasses in the Breeze on the OTL Trail

It was quiet, and hot, and I was grateful for the breeze, overcast sky, and the beautiful scenery as I hiked through the various ecosystems—sugar sand trail decorated with sand pines, prairies of tall golden grasses moving with the breeze and contrasting beautifully with the palmetto scrub, pine forests, and cypress swamps.  After walking through several wet areas, I became even more grateful when I came upon the occasional wood bridge over the deeper waters. Thank you, Boy Scouts.

On this Wednesday morning, I saw no one until I crossed paths with a park biologist, checking her hog traps, a few miles in. I had noticed areas where the hogs had dug up the ground around the trail. We chatted for a bit before I moved on. I had miles yet to go! 

By the time I hiked out of Jonathan Dickinson State Park at 2:45, I had been hiking for 5.5 hours and over 10 miles, and my body had begun to protest. As I crossed Cypress Creek, the waters called to me, “Jump in! Jump in!” If the water was clearer, and I knew what the heck lurked below, I may have done just that to cool off. Instead, I sat on the wooden bridge and enjoyed a rare moment in the shade. I met only one other person at 3.88 miles from Riverbend Park, a young man, Brian, who had parked at Riverbend for an out-and-back.  I had passed two campsites—Scrub Jay and Kitching Creek—with no sign of life. Other than that, I saw a few hawks and scrub jays.

A Pause at Scrub Jay Campsite

I turned into Riverbend Park at East Slough Trail at 5:50 p.m., close to sixteen miles from the start with about a half mile to my car. My weary legs had slowed me down at the end, and if they would have allowed it, I would have jumped for joy when I saw the exit sign! It was already getting dark when I got to my car.

I have begun planning for my next hike—East Slough Trail at Riverbend to BeeLine Highway.

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Riverbend Park (01/21/2023)

Posted in Hiking, Southeast, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I have explored Riverbend Park many times over the years—mostly to kayak. I love this park. It’s close by and has several great paddle trails as well as easy walking trails. The purpose of my visit on this day was to find the trail that connected with the Ocean to Lake Trail (OTL), part of the Florida Trail System. I wanted to hike the 9.4-mile section that starts just east of Jonathan Dickinson State Park at Hobe Sound Beach and needed an end point where I could park my car. However, there is not a car park at 9.4 miles, and Riverbend appeared to be my only option.

Trail at Riverbend Park

Riverbend rocks trail signage, and in addition to the cross trails being labeled, each cross trail includes an Exit sign. I love that being lost is never really lost. So, I can’t really blame the Riverbend folks for ending up at the wrong end of the park when searching for the OTL. I just got caught up in enjoying the journey and wasn’t paying attention.

In the end, I walked nearly three miles to find the OTL Trail which turned out to be less than a mile from the parking lot. However, getting a bit lost now and then certainly has its “ups.” This park has great trails for walking, hiking, biking, and paddling. Its website brags 680 acres and 10 miles of interconnected trails as well as 7 miles of equestrian trails and 5 miles of canoeing/kayaking trails. As I searched for the OTL Trail, I enjoyed the gorgeous afternoon and beautiful scenery, and, with the exception of the man who walked behind me with his earbuds in and talking to someone on his phone as if he was in a New York deli, I enjoyed the sweet serenity of the park and did not mind getting sidetracked at all.

Beautiful Views at Riverbend Park

The good news is the OTL trail is very close to the Riverbend parking lot, but the not so good news is that ending my hike at Riverbend adds five or six miles to my trip from Hobe Sound Beach making it closer to 16-miles. However, I accomplished what I set out to do, and I have set plans for my next hike!

(Riverbend Park. 9060 Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL 33478. (561) 741-1359. Website: https://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/pages/riverbend.aspx)

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