tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89209815067334944742024-03-13T10:38:20.317-07:00The Tampa Bay HikerA blog about places in the Tampa Bay Area where you can walk in the wildJDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-8349063103143118462013-03-12T19:19:00.001-07:002013-03-13T07:41:17.786-07:00Croom: More Hog Island<a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2013/02/croom-hog-island.html" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: yellow;">The last weekend of February</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;"> felt
like Spring, but the first weekend of March did not. Back-to-back cold fronts plunged
temperatures far below normal for a full week, and more than once my front
porch delighted me with greetings like this:</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-392Gs55g5nI/UT_hzFEYrRI/AAAAAAAACbU/Lg4AqnhaHZk/s1600/IMAG3293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-392Gs55g5nI/UT_hzFEYrRI/AAAAAAAACbU/Lg4AqnhaHZk/s320/IMAG3293.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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Invigorated by the chill, I put
Parker in my car, pointed us back in the direction of Hog Island Recreation
Area, and proceeded to enjoy the low temps every bit as much as the prior
weekend’s warmth. The forest’s bright green foliage stood out on photographs,
which is one never-gets-old benefit we get from cloudy skies letting only a
small amount of light get through:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wdpdvLUIG-Y/UT_gpO6fhHI/AAAAAAAACbM/GP2nJqTKj0w/s1600/hog+isl+loop+cypress+forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wdpdvLUIG-Y/UT_gpO6fhHI/AAAAAAAACbM/GP2nJqTKj0w/s320/hog+isl+loop+cypress+forest.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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Soon after starting our hike we came
to the following spot, beyond which the path forks with the yellow-blazed Hog
Island Nature Trail (HINT) going left and the orange-blazed River Trail going
right:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7KKU5wzdrFE/UT_gQXrvT2I/AAAAAAAACbE/SR2wzla7LRk/s1600/hog+isl+loop+trail+junction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7KKU5wzdrFE/UT_gQXrvT2I/AAAAAAAACbE/SR2wzla7LRk/s320/hog+isl+loop+trail+junction.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I went left for the simple reason
that I had gone right the time before. I was eager to see what the HINT’s
two-mile loop has to offer, and almost immediately it turned up this:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o05iTYJBkTc/UT_gAKpBbPI/AAAAAAAACa8/DlPo3Lxbizs/s1600/hog+isl+cam+cool+funky+trees.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o05iTYJBkTc/UT_gAKpBbPI/AAAAAAAACa8/DlPo3Lxbizs/s320/hog+isl+cam+cool+funky+trees.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Taking you northeastward then west, it is
not long before the trail crosses the recreation area’s dirt road. We saw an
armadillo scurrying around shortly before the crossing and four does bounding
through the woods shortly after it. Interestingly, the armadillo made much more
noise than all of the deer combined.</div>
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A double-blaze is the universally
recognized signal that a trail’s route is about to turn. If you walk the HINT
counter-clockwise like I did, you will find that it forks immediately after the
first double-blaze you encounter, and that it seems as if you should take the
right fork (which actually goes straight) because it is so much wider. Ignore that
instinct, however, and instead follow the blazes down the narrow, nondescript
fork on the left. Eventually it takes you to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
which looked especially handsome when we trod down to its bank:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8umXMqEAyUA/UT_fxfMtFxI/AAAAAAAACa0/Wh_kbxN5aQQ/s1600/hog+isl+loop+down+river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8umXMqEAyUA/UT_fxfMtFxI/AAAAAAAACa0/Wh_kbxN5aQQ/s320/hog+isl+loop+down+river.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The trail passes several old
sinkholes that now hold water and are ringed by botany. It feels wrong to call sinkholes attractive so soon after one right
here in our area caused <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/sinkhole-swallowed-man-continues-grow-article-1.1277698"><span style="color: yellow;">a tragic death</span></a> that generated international news – but
there is no denying that they <i>do</i> look
attractive after being reclaimed by the forest:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2a4LMPsDTK4/UT_fYuxa0ZI/AAAAAAAACas/Cq513xH9eXA/s1600/hog+isl+loop+sinkhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2a4LMPsDTK4/UT_fYuxa0ZI/AAAAAAAACas/Cq513xH9eXA/s320/hog+isl+loop+sinkhole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It is important to pay close
attention to the blazes while walking the HINT, for there are several places where
its path is not particularly distinct from the rest of the forest floor. And
there is a place where one 90-degree turn is followed very quickly by another.</div>
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Although this trail is usually
called a loop, it should be noted that it is really a horseshoe. When you reach
the spot where it ends, you will find yourself needing to walk a short ways
down the dirt road to return to the spot where your hike began. It’s probably
best to start from the trailhead at the canoe launch, which means going in the
opposite direction than I did. That will allow you to pick up a key that tells
you what is identified by the 27 numbered signposts along the way:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LxE52v9iGZY/UT_fFk3hMBI/AAAAAAAACak/W9ib4i-1H8k/s1600/hog+isl+loop+signpost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LxE52v9iGZY/UT_fFk3hMBI/AAAAAAAACak/W9ib4i-1H8k/s320/hog+isl+loop+signpost.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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For directions to the trailhead I
used, please visit the post to which I linked in the first sentence of this
one. To reach my recommended trailhead at the canoe launch, just keep driving
past the one I used and it will soon be obvious on your right. Happy Trails!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yt6G5CS9xPY/UT_el6OnwfI/AAAAAAAACac/Dop7LO3LvuM/s1600/hog+isl+loop+trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yt6G5CS9xPY/UT_el6OnwfI/AAAAAAAACac/Dop7LO3LvuM/s320/hog+isl+loop+trail.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-47339895821776918132013-02-28T20:22:00.001-08:002013-03-13T07:41:41.413-07:00Croom: Hog Island<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I knew I had chosen the right
place for a hike when the following scene greeted me through
my windshield:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jZf4EVycQq4/UTAqtqh5S0I/AAAAAAAACZ4/DQB9l5fvoXg/s1600/hog+isl+cell+view+through+windshield.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jZf4EVycQq4/UTAqtqh5S0I/AAAAAAAACZ4/DQB9l5fvoXg/s320/hog+isl+cell+view+through+windshield.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had just driven into Hog Island Recreation Area, which is located in the northern reaches of the Croom
Tract of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
<st1:placename w:st="on">Hog</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype>
itself is created by the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> forking as it flows
north, with the two forks rejoining downstream.</div>
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Because the Withlacoochee ain’t
exactly the Mississippi when it comes to width <span style="font-size: 12pt;">–</span> and Hog Island is long enough
that you can not see either of its ends unless you are right next to one <span style="font-size: 12pt;">–</span> it
does not appear to be an island when you look at it from one of the river’s
“mainland banks.” Instead it seems like you are simply looking across an ordinary <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>
stream, as you can tell from this picture that was taken at the canoe launch:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xgdjFQQGIuM/UTAqeMI1_QI/AAAAAAAACZw/x6w4KztDYtc/s1600/hog+isl+cell+river.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xgdjFQQGIuM/UTAqeMI1_QI/AAAAAAAACZw/x6w4KztDYtc/s320/hog+isl+cell+river.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are two hiking trails, both
of which traverse the forestlands east of the river. Marked by orange blazes,
the River Trail is part of the <a href="http://www.floridatrail.org/html/the_trail.cfm"><span style="color: yellow;">Florida National Scenic Trail</span></a> and parallels the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place> for seven miles from north to south. The
Hog Island Nature Trail is a two-mile loop marked by yellow blazes. After
parking my car, I strapped my 20-month-old hiking partner in place before
hoisting him onto my back to start our little adventure:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bmMOGEHCSvY/UTAp0HkrOMI/AAAAAAAACZo/1j294CSelgo/s1600/hog+isl+cell+parker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bmMOGEHCSvY/UTAp0HkrOMI/AAAAAAAACZo/1j294CSelgo/s320/hog+isl+cell+parker.JPG" width="191" /></a></div>
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I was soon reminded that walking
parallel to a river does not automatically equate to walking beside a river,
for at no point did the River Trail offer us a view of the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place>.
It did, however, take us beside a few wetlands:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PuPgD_lzqG8/UTApl6fzRTI/AAAAAAAACZg/1A91D6t7Ui8/s1600/hog+isl+cell+wetland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PuPgD_lzqG8/UTApl6fzRTI/AAAAAAAACZg/1A91D6t7Ui8/s320/hog+isl+cell+wetland.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the outset, the trails share
the same path that is buried beneath a carpet of leaves, making it especially
important to pay attention to the blazes. Shortly after starting out, we came
to a spot where the River Trail branches off to the right and the Hog Island
Nature Trail branches off to the left. While I have no doubt that the latter is
good, seeing as how it passes by large sinkholes and is part of the <a href="http://www.floridaforestservice.com/forest_recreation/trailwalker_index.html"><span style="color: yellow;">State Forest Trailwalker Program,</span></a> I opted to save it for a later date since it was
already afternoon.</div>
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Our hike took place last
Saturday, and featured everything that makes Florida a wonderful place to be in
late February: The temperature was a warm 82 degrees, but due to the lack of
humidity I did not break a sweat even though I had a load on my back…Many of
the trees, especially the maples, were erupting with new leaves bright and
green...A hawk flew chest-high across the path no more than 15 feet in front
me, followed moments later by a pileated woodpecker who did the same…If not for
the calendar, you would have sworn it was Spring:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuvZnt3bpoY/UTApGeYySOI/AAAAAAAACZY/qtw2XWnzamw/s1600/hog+isl+cell+trail+tunnel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuvZnt3bpoY/UTApGeYySOI/AAAAAAAACZY/qtw2XWnzamw/s320/hog+isl+cell+trail+tunnel.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In a few places I had to navigate
over or around fallen trees that presented barriers worthy of being mentioned. Here
is the final and most cumbersome one we encountered:</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dcT8Bm0DcGM/UTAoqidQYrI/AAAAAAAACZQ/UGs9ywYVwKA/s1600/hog+isl+cell+trail+blockage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dcT8Bm0DcGM/UTAoqidQYrI/AAAAAAAACZQ/UGs9ywYVwKA/s320/hog+isl+cell+trail+blockage.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Soon after clearing that barrier
and following the trail past a boggy lowland, I discovered that this
place comes by its name honestly. Spread out in front of us across a low
hillside was a group of wild boars, including youths as well as adults and no
doubt males as well as females. The young ones began running around, their hooves
creating a noisy ruckus in the leaf carpet. The adults moved more slowly and
warily, with the biggest of the bunch standing still and staring directly at me.</div>
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Deciding without a moment’s
hesitation to cut our trip short, I took a few steps backward then turned on my
heels and started moving swiftly in the direction whence we came. In the
process, a hair trigger expletive escaped my mouth and I told Parker not to
repeat it. Glancing back to make sure the boars were staying on the hill, I thought
of how this was the second <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/03/cypress-creek-north.html"><span style="color: yellow;">time</span></a> in less than a year that a porcine presence hastened
the end of one of my hikes. But oh well…there was plenty of woodland scenery to
keep us happy on our return to the car, and that was an undoubtedly good thing:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOcWsNhhyrY/UTAoS0ihBsI/AAAAAAAACZI/F7Lf5Bx9My4/s1600/hog+isl+cam+hollow+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOcWsNhhyrY/UTAoS0ihBsI/AAAAAAAACZI/F7Lf5Bx9My4/s320/hog+isl+cam+hollow+tree.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Hog Island Recreation Area is
located in the northernmost reaches of what can fairly be called the
Tampa Bay Area. To get here, take I-75 to exit 309 (48 miles north of the I-4
junction) and turn west on County Road 476. When that road reaches a T intersection,
turn left and continue 2.3 miles to County Road 635, where you will turn left
and continue one mile before seeing the recreation area’s entrance on the
right. After traveling a fairly short distance on the recreation area’s dirt
road, you will see the trailhead’s parking area on the left, signed as the “Florida
Trail.”</div>
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Interestingly enough, the
seven-mile section of path on which we hiked last Saturday is not the only one in Croom
that goes by the name River Trail. The other, which I have written about <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/11/croom-river-trail.html"><span style="color: yellow;">here</span></a>
and <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2013/01/croom-windmillriver-loop.html"><span style="color: yellow;">here,</span></a> is in Croom’s far south where the preserve ends at the river instead of straddling it like it does up here.</div>
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The sprawling wilderness of this
recreation area is not one you want to miss. Happy Trails!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQ9CUnunSe8/UTAoAquNjGI/AAAAAAAACZA/xdxjf7J1S-A/s1600/hog+isl+cell+vertical+trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQ9CUnunSe8/UTAoAquNjGI/AAAAAAAACZA/xdxjf7J1S-A/s320/hog+isl+cell+vertical+trail.JPG" width="191" /></a></div>
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<i><u>Note</u>: One paragraph has been removed from this post since it was originally published, because contrary to what I believed at the time, the Iron Bridge Day Use Area does not provide access to the Hog Island Nature Trail. - JDS, 3/5/13</i></div>
JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-84153746441175750622013-02-18T19:55:00.001-08:002013-08-24T12:06:26.753-07:00Upper Tampa Bay<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-txEZ2AXcsbI/USL0FiesK9I/AAAAAAAACYk/lSdFTM2r4sQ/s1600/UTB+Otter+Trail+palms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-txEZ2AXcsbI/USL0FiesK9I/AAAAAAAACYk/lSdFTM2r4sQ/s320/UTB+Otter+Trail+palms.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Having already written <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2011/12/manatee-center.html"><span style="color: yellow;">one post</span></a>
about a place on <st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype>’s eastern shore and <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/10/weedon-island.html"><span style="color: yellow;">another</span></a> about a place on its
western shore, I have had it in mind to write about one on its northern shore, so
recently I made my way to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Upper</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Located a couple
miles east of Oldsmar, it is just on the Hillsborough side of the Hillsborough-Pinellas
county line.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I arrived on a cool morning with
the sky alternating between gray and blue, and the breeze whipping up ripples
on the water -- which is notable because northern parts of the bay tend to be
smooth even when whitecaps are brewing elsewhere on its surface. This picture was
taken at the end of the Eagle Trail:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fE5p6bcRbBc/USLzUKtfVlI/AAAAAAAACYc/l7oGEb6Ih-w/s1600/UTB+Eagle+Trail+mangrove+shore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fE5p6bcRbBc/USLzUKtfVlI/AAAAAAAACYc/l7oGEb6Ih-w/s320/UTB+Eagle+Trail+mangrove+shore.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Upper</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>
has three trails, all named after animals you might encounter here.
And while, yes, you should look up to see if any bald eagles are wheeling
overhead, you should not forget to look down as well, for you are almost
guaranteed to see fiddler crabs wherever it gets damp. In the first photo below
you can see holes made by the crabs; in the second you can make out some of them
swimming in the tidal creek, looking like scattered specks. Both photos were taken on the Bobcat Trail.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wg49qjwZdlQ/USLy1OaQbfI/AAAAAAAACYU/bKJfVyyMpB0/s1600/UTB+Bobcat+Trail+fiddler+crab+holes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wg49qjwZdlQ/USLy1OaQbfI/AAAAAAAACYU/bKJfVyyMpB0/s320/UTB+Bobcat+Trail+fiddler+crab+holes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ualnqDeX8WU/USLyamfoOLI/AAAAAAAACYM/u4sE7RGPAW4/s1600/UTB+Bobcat+Trail+fiddle+crab+creek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ualnqDeX8WU/USLyamfoOLI/AAAAAAAACYM/u4sE7RGPAW4/s320/UTB+Bobcat+Trail+fiddle+crab+creek.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Meanwhile, the Otter Trail begins
by using a short boardwalk to cross a saltwater marsh where cordgrass and
needlerush grow. Then it takes you along a wide leisurely path beneath palm
trees and stunted oaks, next to the shore. Though you can not tell from the next picture, sea water is nearby on your right and meadows sit just beyond the palmettos on your left.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BURjX9mAqJc/USLx2Au-M2I/AAAAAAAACYE/95m8dFh4w4Q/s1600/UTB+Otter+Trail+trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BURjX9mAqJc/USLx2Au-M2I/AAAAAAAACYE/95m8dFh4w4Q/s320/UTB+Otter+Trail+trail.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Eagle Trail is the first one you
will come to after entering the park, with the Bobcat and Otter Trails both beginning at the end of the mile-long park road. The Bobcat is the only one of the three
that is a loop, and when I was there, part of it was closed for repairs due to
having gotten washed out.</div>
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None of the trails are
particularly long, but if you walk them all you will spend a substantial amount
of time in the outdoors. You will have a good chance to see wildlife such as
corn snakes and diamondback terrapins; and in addition to seeing coastal sights
like those above, you will walk through inland forests like this one:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r8vYzgkUUF4/USLxRvPd_OI/AAAAAAAACX8/TmxejxHZhVI/s1600/UTB+Eagle+Trail+field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r8vYzgkUUF4/USLxRvPd_OI/AAAAAAAACX8/TmxejxHZhVI/s320/UTB+Eagle+Trail+field.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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While <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Upper</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>
is a fine place for adults, it is an excellent one for introducing kids to the
outdoors. In addition to walking the paths, you can paddle a canoe over the
bay’s open water, and among its mangroves, and inland by going upstream on Double Branch Creek. The
park has a handful of smallish picnic shelters, plus a beach volleyball court and
playground. And finally, it has a nature center where native fish reside in
aquariums and bees reside in a glass-sided observational hive. Here is a
picture of the center’s tin roof in the distance, taken from the Otter Trail:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFwsK_F20AY/USLwyRVdUMI/AAAAAAAACX0/6FYZNe8WXmA/s1600/UTB+Otter+Trail+nature+center.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VFwsK_F20AY/USLwyRVdUMI/AAAAAAAACX0/6FYZNe8WXmA/s320/UTB+Otter+Trail+nature+center.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because this is a county park, there is a $2
entry free that you are expected to pay at the unmanned “iron ranger” when you
arrive. Canoes may be rented near the nature center at a rate of $25 for four
hours. To get here, turn south onto <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Double
Branch Road</st1:address></st1:street> from <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Hillsborough Avenue, east</st1:address></st1:street> of (and within
sight of) <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Race Track Road</st1:address></st1:street>.
Then follow the signs. Happy Trails!</div>
<br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8HrA-sjp2qo/USLwVT9dRLI/AAAAAAAACXs/XqNURb2AnNk/s1600/UTB+Eagle+Trail+pine+cones+on+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8HrA-sjp2qo/USLwVT9dRLI/AAAAAAAACXs/XqNURb2AnNk/s320/UTB+Eagle+Trail+pine+cones+on+sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-2088040929676906902013-02-09T18:48:00.000-08:002013-02-11T05:23:58.331-08:00Hillsborough River State Park<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xIjXtvfkxDQ/URcJc0shHRI/AAAAAAAACXA/cvBg_tkJtB4/s1600/hillsborough+palm+forest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xIjXtvfkxDQ/URcJc0shHRI/AAAAAAAACXA/cvBg_tkJtB4/s320/hillsborough+palm+forest.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After 35 posts, I figure it’s
about time to write one about the place that most often comes to mind when
people are asked to name a wild destination in the Tampa Bay Area.</div>
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Set aside in 1938, <st1:placename w:st="on">Hillsborough</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State Park</st1:placetype> is one of the oldest state
parks in <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>
and remains one of the most popular, due mostly to its large campground and
excellent paddling opportunities:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vVSrSbtkOMk/URcIZJPproI/AAAAAAAACW0/9zVhTWLUtYU/s1600/hillsborough+punkin+in+canoe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vVSrSbtkOMk/URcIZJPproI/AAAAAAAACW0/9zVhTWLUtYU/s320/hillsborough+punkin+in+canoe.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unbeknownst to most people, its hiking
trails are fine enough to have been mentioned in <i>Backpacker</i> magazine, which chose
to go succinct by summing them up in three sentences: “Walk beneath a crown of
live oaks, palms, and magnolias so thick they can block the sun. Best time for
wildlife: March through May. Look riverside for fallen trees and rotting logs
-- they make ideal gator-sunning spots.”</div>
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I can personally attest that the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hillsborough</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> is teeming with alligators, for although
my visits have always been in autumn rather than the March-to-May period cited
by the magazine, I have never left without seeing some of the prehistoric-looking reptiles. And I’m talkin’ bout big ’uns:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B19R5C2uVeo/URcFrBnhJCI/AAAAAAAACWI/8B5ZlDKYeW4/s1600/hillsborough+big+gator.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B19R5C2uVeo/URcFrBnhJCI/AAAAAAAACWI/8B5ZlDKYeW4/s320/hillsborough+big+gator.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The park contains a variety of
habitats that are all accessible on foot. There are moist areas with riverine
forests and cypress heads, plus dry areas where longleaf pines rise above
fields of palmetto. There are spacious oak hammocks that look beautiful when
dappled by the morning sun -- for an example, check out the photo just above
the “About Me” section at the top of this blog, which I took during a
visit here in 2008.</div>
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While trails reach most sections of the park’s 4,000 acres, it seems they all lead back to the river, and that
is probably as it should be. The Hillsborough is a fine waterway that flows
steadily yet seems laconic, perhaps because many of the things you see along it
lend a tropical feel -- things like wading <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.greglasley.net/Images/White-Ibis-F2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.greglasley.net/whiteibis.html&usg=__VkFmf5wDklzQItey5fXRWKZgOS8=&h=542&w=720&sz=58&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=4mDu9q5MZYLGWM:&tbnh=105&tbnw="><span style="color: yellow;">ibis,</span></a> basking turtles, and a handful
of overhanging palms:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SyGEDqx2GWo/URcEjf7ZPaI/AAAAAAAACV8/kYbKPS_0VxM/s1600/hillsborough+laconic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SyGEDqx2GWo/URcEjf7ZPaI/AAAAAAAACV8/kYbKPS_0VxM/s320/hillsborough+laconic.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
However, there is one spot where the river courses over limestone outcrops to create something rarely seen in Florida -- rapids! -- and in that spot it definitely does not seem laconic. The following sight awaits
you at the end of the 1.2-mile Rapids Trail:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vXk8DoToFzA/URb-7gmSGoI/AAAAAAAACVg/KO3o-v9-qvE/s1600/hillsborough+rapids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vXk8DoToFzA/URb-7gmSGoI/AAAAAAAACVg/KO3o-v9-qvE/s320/hillsborough+rapids.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Because this is a state park,
there is an entry fee of $4 for single-occupant cars and $6 for multiple-occupant
cars. In my opinion, a better option is to book a campsite for a night or two,
which will run you $24 per night and ensure that you have more than enough time to to hike every mile
of trail without feeling the least bit rushed, and then go canoeing as well. Every one of the campground’s 112 sites has electricity, running water, a picnic table, and a fire ring with a foldover grate that allows it to double as a grill.</div>
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As you may have gathered from
the park’s appearance in the aforementioned magazine, backpacking is also
available here, at a primitive campsite located along a 3½-mile section of the <a href="http://www.floridatrail.org/html/the_trail.cfm"><span style="color: yellow;">Florida Trail.</span></a> There is no cost to book this site, but unlike those at the full service campground, it will not get you out of paying the entry fee when you arrive at
the park.</div>
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Camping, regardless
of whether you choose to drive to your site or hike to it, allows you the
priceless chance to sit beside a campfire under the stars
while sipping your beverage of choice. Coyote sightings by campers have
increased in recent years but are far from guaranteed -- contrary to sightings
of raccoons and squirrels, which you are almost guaranteed to see around your
site no matter if it’s day or night:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyozWncB0Yg/URb-ULUkUJI/AAAAAAAACVY/bliL8Uo20rM/s1600/hillsborough+squirrel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyozWncB0Yg/URb-ULUkUJI/AAAAAAAACVY/bliL8Uo20rM/s320/hillsborough+squirrel.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hillsborough</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> is located on
U.S. 301 east of Thonotosassa. It is less than 25 miles from downtown <st1:city w:st="on">Tampa</st1:city>, which is impressive
given how much of a wilderness it is. Happy Trails!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3iH4JdSOiw/URb95ccMB_I/AAAAAAAACVQ/UgfNN9-llUo/s1600/hillsborough+me+and+sar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3iH4JdSOiw/URb95ccMB_I/AAAAAAAACVQ/UgfNN9-llUo/s320/hillsborough+me+and+sar.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-52059397559410292062013-01-30T20:12:00.000-08:002013-01-31T09:51:10.977-08:00Jefferson<span style="text-align: justify;">The last thing I expected to see
was a tall, steep-sided rise giving a Wyomingish appearance to a spot barely
outside of </span><st1:city style="text-align: justify;" w:st="on">Tampa</st1:city><span style="text-align: justify;">.
But there it was:</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4n8fM4_dI-0/UQnsleuzscI/AAAAAAAACUk/biyMWjFdJ7M/s1600/IMAG3095-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4n8fM4_dI-0/UQnsleuzscI/AAAAAAAACUk/biyMWjFdJ7M/s320/IMAG3095-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
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Later, when looking at it from
the opposite direction on the return leg of our hike, I saw something that made
the Western resemblance even stronger: A trio of riderless horses walking along
its ridge. Although two of them promptly vanished down the other side when my
sister called out to them, I managed to capture a photo of the third before he
too walked out of sight. Unfortunately, given the distance from which I shot
and the fact I was shooting with a cell phone camera, in the next view it’s not real easy to make him out (just to the left of the high point) and it’s hard to tell he’s an
equine:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KBRxktJs-V4/UQnr_Rw7V3I/AAAAAAAACUY/pGbbLEJ7iGA/s1600/IMAG3107-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KBRxktJs-V4/UQnr_Rw7V3I/AAAAAAAACUY/pGbbLEJ7iGA/s320/IMAG3107-1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am not naïve enough to believe I
was looking at a natural feature created by tectonics. The rise is almost
certainly the remains of an abandoned landfill that Nature has since beautified
with growing grass -- which is fine by me, since it is now part of Nature’s
canvas no matter how it came to exist.</div>
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At the end of the day, however,
that rise is a microscopic cell compared to the total acreage of Lower
Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve. We were walking on a 10-mile trail network
located south of Cow House Creek in the preserve’s western reaches; for a point
of reference, back in December 2011 I <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2011/12/lhw-hole-in-fence.html"><span style="color: yellow;">wrote</span> </a>about another trail
network that is also in the western reaches but <i>north</i> of Cow House Creek.</div>
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The fact that these 10 miles of
trail pass by the rise does not change the fact that they are, as a whole, just as level as the network I previously wrote about. For much of their distance
they pass through lush oak hammocks like this one:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vRtFEEYO2hw/UQnruZyRL7I/AAAAAAAACUQ/9bJeRWW4NWQ/s1600/IMAG3105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vRtFEEYO2hw/UQnruZyRL7I/AAAAAAAACUQ/9bJeRWW4NWQ/s320/IMAG3105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In many places the hammocks are
draped by very old vines:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-Z2i330THY/UQnrZV5BFNI/AAAAAAAACUI/WAKHLIOb1Bo/s1600/IMAG3103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-Z2i330THY/UQnrZV5BFNI/AAAAAAAACUI/WAKHLIOb1Bo/s320/IMAG3103.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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This network is best
described as a single trail that happens to fork in a few places and circles
back on itself so as to contain its own loops. It travels generally from
west to east, or parallel to the preserve’s southern boundary, though its
westernmost expanse consists of a loop that is elongated from south to north. The
west flank of that loop travels atop a grassy berm overlooking the <st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Bypass</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Canal, </st1:placetype>a 14-mile waterway which connects the <st1:placename w:st="on">Hillsborough</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype> to <st1:placename w:st="on">McKay</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype> and serves the defined purposes of diverting
floodwaters from the river and providing drinking water to the city of <st1:city w:st="on">Tampa. I</st1:city>ncidentally, the
canal has also proven to be a fine canoeing and fishing spot popular with
humans and waterfowl alike.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oL3ho1fazI4/UQnrOwRIunI/AAAAAAAACUA/ceeWtJzktcA/s1600/IMAG3113-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oL3ho1fazI4/UQnrOwRIunI/AAAAAAAACUA/ceeWtJzktcA/s320/IMAG3113-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I previously wrote that some
sections of Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve have their own names and
signage. Well, this trail network counts as one of those sections because the
sign at the trailhead identifies it as Jefferson Equestrian Area. The name
does not mean that it is for horses only, however. Instead it means
that horses are allowed on the trail as well as hikers, which is not the case
in most of the preserve.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SNmdOIVvyns/UQnq5dAmEfI/AAAAAAAACT4/FOjGGqEcF24/s1600/IMAG3108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SNmdOIVvyns/UQnq5dAmEfI/AAAAAAAACT4/FOjGGqEcF24/s320/IMAG3108.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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There is only one point from which to access <st1:place w:st="on">Jefferson</st1:place>, and it is located off <st1:street w:st="on">Fowler Avenue</st1:street> just east of I-75. Turn north from Fowler onto <st1:street w:st="on">Jefferson Road</st1:street>, which passes between <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Terrace</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Community</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Middle School</st1:placetype></st1:place>
and the Big Top Flea Market and ends at the trailhead after a distance of about one block. You will be pleasantly surprised to find that this location has a gateway to such fine
wilderness.</div>
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Go <a href="http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/maps/lh-jefferson.pdf"><span style="color: yellow;">here</span></a> for a printable copy of the trail map. Happy Trails!<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMqqX3ymViY/UQnqtqJczMI/AAAAAAAACTw/L0TmZAm9G8I/s1600/IMAG3084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMqqX3ymViY/UQnqtqJczMI/AAAAAAAACTw/L0TmZAm9G8I/s320/IMAG3084.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-73161618834926282922013-01-21T19:04:00.000-08:002013-01-23T17:07:56.877-08:00Croom: The Windmill/River Loop<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T1qADaEaz3I/UP3--ZO7IKI/AAAAAAAACTU/eauFCRmeLqs/s1600/IMAG3046-2-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T1qADaEaz3I/UP3--ZO7IKI/AAAAAAAACTU/eauFCRmeLqs/s320/IMAG3046-2-1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My after-Thanksgiving post
described my aborted attempt to hike the River Trail while pushing Parker in
our jogging stroller. I mentioned seeing a blue-blazed side trail called the
Windmill Loop, and wrote that according to the map it is “a straight-line short-cut
rather than an actual loop. From the spot where it and the River Trail diverge,
it tracks east-northeast while the River Trail tracks south before curving east
to meet the river. At some point after the River Trail begins its northward
route, the Windmill comes to an end by emptying back onto it, and therefore the
two paths can be used to create a loop I estimate would be about 3½ miles
long.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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Two Saturdays ago I set out to
explore that loop and see what it has to offer. The problem of Parker constantly
wanting out of the stroller was solved by letting him ride in our kid
carrier backpack. And he must have liked the view from up high, because not
once did he agitate to get down and do his own walking:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TG4e7j2EhLE/UP3-TI2mX7I/AAAAAAAACTE/9HNTZqD-Tlk/s1600/Windmill+me+and+P.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TG4e7j2EhLE/UP3-TI2mX7I/AAAAAAAACTE/9HNTZqD-Tlk/s320/Windmill+me+and+P.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I decided to do the loop
clockwise by walking the Windmill from its beginning to end, not from its end
to beginning, if that makes any sense. You will reach that beginning at a
well-marked junction several minutes after starting out on the River Trail:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NJRiX6s32PE/UP3-tLfS_vI/AAAAAAAACTM/Amep01ueIII/s1600/IMAG2669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NJRiX6s32PE/UP3-tLfS_vI/AAAAAAAACTM/Amep01ueIII/s320/IMAG2669.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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From there the Windmill travels
1.2 miles over often hilly terrain before meeting back up with the River. It
takes you through upland woods whose canopies let through lots of sunshine. You
will see quite a few red cedars, which many people think of as <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>’s native
Christmas tree:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HBop-88iZF4/UP3-FjmBXRI/AAAAAAAACS8/1s7rK9bizKc/s1600/IMAG3055-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HBop-88iZF4/UP3-FjmBXRI/AAAAAAAACS8/1s7rK9bizKc/s320/IMAG3055-2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Although mostly an upland path,
the Windmill drops to the edge of cypress swamps in a few spots:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MXf4ftf6sA/UP39su1JkhI/AAAAAAAACS0/22A6_sDx_rg/s1600/Windmill+cypress+swamp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MXf4ftf6sA/UP39su1JkhI/AAAAAAAACS0/22A6_sDx_rg/s320/Windmill+cypress+swamp.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Eventually you reemerge on the
River Trail at a sand bluff overlooking the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
From there, a right turn completes the loop by leading about 1¾ miles back to
the trailhead, mostly under the shade of an oak canopy that is much denser
than the canopy back on the Windmill. For almost a mile the trail travels along
the top of the bluff offering fine views of the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place>:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PnHtzivvTIE/UP39gEFYtOI/AAAAAAAACSs/W5Ms4E01CXU/s1600/Windmill+river+bend.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PnHtzivvTIE/UP39gEFYtOI/AAAAAAAACSs/W5Ms4E01CXU/s320/Windmill+river+bend.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Because the river marks the boundary
of the state forest, the woods on its opposite bank are private property and a
few homes are visible over there. However, you can rest assured that they are
not of the cut-everything-down, subdivision variety, for they are owned by
river lovers and most of them are well-hidden in the trees. The home in the
following photo is practically invisible in the upper right hand quarter, while
the dock shows that its owners prefer spending their time outside:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POepuCqtgvU/UP39V-Kr_2I/AAAAAAAACSk/PxkbxRAqZlw/s1600/Windmill+river+dock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POepuCqtgvU/UP39V-Kr_2I/AAAAAAAACSk/PxkbxRAqZlw/s320/Windmill+river+dock.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Since you must walk both the
Windmill and the River Trail to complete this loop, you should know that there are
qualitative differences between them, starting with the fact that the Windmill
is not as well maintained as the River. Its route is incredibly circuitous and
the woods through which it passes are more open than most <st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place> woods. This makes it especially
important to keep your eyes out for its blue blazes, in order to keep from
straying off course.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Unfortunately the blazing leaves
a lot to be desired, because there are many places where you reach a blaze and
find that the next one is not visible until you go a ways further. Even more
concerning, there are many places where double blazes, the universally
recognized signal that a trail’s route is about to turn, should be used but are
not. Conversely, the River Trail’s orange blazes are always readily visible,
and its double blazes are more numerous than the Windmill’s -- even though it
is harder to lose sight of it in the first place since its pathway is wider,
straighter, and better defined than the Windmill’s.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uzfdfnjZ8Y/UP39EL8GahI/AAAAAAAACSc/ldEIIx8ZTOY/s1600/Windmill+orange+blazed+under+oak+canopy+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uzfdfnjZ8Y/UP39EL8GahI/AAAAAAAACSc/ldEIIx8ZTOY/s320/Windmill+orange+blazed+under+oak+canopy+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Having said all that, this loop
is definitely worth the visit. You can complete the Windmill without incident
simply by being aware and keeping your eyes out. Just be sure to use
appropriate care when clearing obstacles like the following tree, which had
fallen across the trail when I visited. It happened to do so in the middle of
prime rattlesnake habitat, and a large portion of rattlesnake bites occur when
people head across barriers without looking to see if serpents are on the other
side.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s1lxFN93gjk/UP38o5brDfI/AAAAAAAACSU/vJcus_VAolQ/s1600/Windmill+tree+across+trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s1lxFN93gjk/UP38o5brDfI/AAAAAAAACSU/vJcus_VAolQ/s320/Windmill+tree+across+trail.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Check out my <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/11/croom-river-trail.html"><span style="color: yellow;">after-Thanksgiving post</span></a> for directions to the trailhead. Happy Trails!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DrBibstEWDI/UP38aOxteiI/AAAAAAAACSM/QcRrHQtJsZ8/s1600/Windmill+river+vertical.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DrBibstEWDI/UP38aOxteiI/AAAAAAAACSM/QcRrHQtJsZ8/s320/Windmill+river+vertical.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><u>Note</u>: State forest literature is what told me the blue-blazed
side trail is 1.2 miles. Because I did not bring my Garmin on this hike, all
the other mileage mentioned in this post is estimated based on my walking pace
and the time it took me to complete the side trail. On those same bases, I
would now estimate this loop to be a total of 3.2 miles, rather than the 3½ I
guessed before walking it.</i></div>
JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-74255988769316045862013-01-10T19:43:00.000-08:002013-01-15T04:28:51.696-08:00Croom: The HighLow<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Sunday morning had already turned up proof that in some places, those rectangular blazes painted on trees really are needed to help keep people from wandering off a trail:</span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZNMhnWx_6s/UO-JGqMZLdI/AAAAAAAACR0/FxGE-oAGjxk/s1600/IMAG2999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZNMhnWx_6s/UO-JGqMZLdI/AAAAAAAACR0/FxGE-oAGjxk/s320/IMAG2999.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
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Now it was turning up proof that there
is no time of year you can truly count on avoiding standing water in one of <st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place>’s riverside forests.
We know they are swampy during the wet season, but this is not the wet season, and
that distant blue blaze on the left side of the next photo said I would need to
slog to stay on course:</div>
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<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1VlJcyUeEoU/UO-HP16FoZI/AAAAAAAACRc/7Fm847ZknkM/s1600/IMAG3012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1VlJcyUeEoU/UO-HP16FoZI/AAAAAAAACRc/7Fm847ZknkM/s320/IMAG3012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I looked left and right and noticed
a spot where I might be able to keep my boots dry, for some broken logs were
lying over the water at its narrowest point. After closely scrutinizing the
area and becoming comfortable that there were no water moccasins lurking there,
I headed across. Unlike logs that lie across mountain streams with each end sitting
on solid ground, these relied unsuccessfully on mud to keep them steady. As they
bobbed under my weight I hunched over and grabbed the tops of cypress knees for
balance.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On the opposite side, the trail
made its way to the western bank of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>
and continued southward. It reached a bench land several feet above the water’s
surface, which is where I saw a pair of vultures take flight from the ground. As
I approached where they had been, I was struck by the smell of death and found
myself looking at the still-uneaten carcass of one very large fish. I think it
was an alligator gar based on its snout, teeth, and lack of spots, no matter
what <a href="http://myfwc.com/"><span style="color: yellow;">FWC</span></a> says about that species not living this far south in the state. Because
of the way the fish was turned, its head was reminiscent of a predatory bird
from prehistory:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMGPQqf4np8/UO-GgVgT8DI/AAAAAAAACRM/8aBHVtNemWw/s1600/IMAG3019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TMGPQqf4np8/UO-GgVgT8DI/AAAAAAAACRM/8aBHVtNemWw/s320/IMAG3019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was in Croom, walking on a
3½-mile loop where it is obvious that Nature’s wildness can not be stymied.
Although the trail is one continuous loop, the powers-that-be have given a
different name and differently colored blazes to the 2.4-mile segment which
comprises its eastern and northern flanks. That segment is marked by blue
blazes and known as the Low Water Trail, while for most of the trail’s western
flank it is marked by orange blazes and known as the High Water Trail.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Those segment names do little for
clarity because the words “high” and “low” refer to the level of the land, not
the level of the water. Therefore, the Low Water Trail is the one where you are
more likely to encounter high water, while the High Water Trail comes close to
lacking any water whatsoever.</div>
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<br /></div>
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All of the woods through which
you pass on this hike are pretty, but it is the ones right beside the river whose
sights are most fantastical, for lack of a better phrase. One of the cypress
trees is literally gigantic, as you can tell from its girth at the bottom of
the trunk:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7FwWFFiVrWI/UO-Fjb4zhTI/AAAAAAAACQ8/PtT29zcyrjE/s1600/IMAG3001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7FwWFFiVrWI/UO-Fjb4zhTI/AAAAAAAACQ8/PtT29zcyrjE/s320/IMAG3001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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After snapping the above photo, I
decided to give context by taking another one with my backpack hanging:</div>
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<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIZTZztqcjk/UO-FVV_ABZI/AAAAAAAACQ0/7f66ySDNX_0/s1600/IMAG3002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIZTZztqcjk/UO-FVV_ABZI/AAAAAAAACQ0/7f66ySDNX_0/s320/IMAG3002.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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Not only does the Withlacoochee’s
methodic flow create low bluffs by scouring sand away from its banks -- it also
exposes the gnarled roots of trees like this oak:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KSAaHUADwLk/UO-FGUwLpVI/AAAAAAAACQs/ZgSP71USKh4/s1600/IMAG3006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KSAaHUADwLk/UO-FGUwLpVI/AAAAAAAACQs/ZgSP71USKh4/s320/IMAG3006.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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Away from the river, the trail
passes through a classic mixed hardwood forest typical of the lower South. I
encountered a woodpecker-riddled tree while walking through this forest on
Sunday, and if the trunk itself does not convince you that the woodpecker’s visit
had just occurred, the shavings at its base will:</div>
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<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bivAtMoPna8/UO-Ed16w5xI/AAAAAAAACQc/9N7EQYo3-AI/s1600/IMAG2993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bivAtMoPna8/UO-Ed16w5xI/AAAAAAAACQc/9N7EQYo3-AI/s320/IMAG2993.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
There are two trailheads from
which the loop may be accessed. One is near its southernmost point and the
other along its northern curve, and at first glance, neither of them appears to
be a gateway to such a fine trail.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The southern trailhead is at
Silver Lake Recreation Area, which has a $2 entry fee and is known for its
canoe launch and trio of campgrounds. Take I-75 to exit 301, drive east for a
mile, then turn left on <st1:street w:st="on">Croom
Rital Road</st1:street> and continue for almost four miles until you see
the entrance on your right. After parking your car, simply walk down to the
canoe launch, turn left and follow the orange blazes, which lead under the interstate
at the spot where it crosses the river. The trail begins in earnest after
entering the woods on the other side, when the orange- and blue-blazed sections
fork to commence the loop.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To reach the northern trailhead,
skip the entrance to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Silver</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> and keep driving on
Croom Rital until you reach the point where it is crossed by the paved
<a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/11/withlacoochee-state-trail.html"><span style="color: yellow;">Withlacoochee State Trail.</span></a> There is parking for a few vehicles on each side of
the crossing, and a picnic table and clean outhouse right beside the paved
trail make it obvious that biking is meant to be had from here. However, if you
look you will also see the hiking trail departing in both directions; and if
you head out going west from the paved trail, be sure to follow the <i>rectangular</i> blazes because the circular ones
denote a path that is specifically for mountain bikes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6XTPupqaQCs/UO-B1RKgLDI/AAAAAAAACQE/LV7U47h2GCU/s1600/IMAG2804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6XTPupqaQCs/UO-B1RKgLDI/AAAAAAAACQE/LV7U47h2GCU/s320/IMAG2804.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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I figure that after mentioning
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> so many times, it’s
only fair I show you what it looked like when I hiked the loop on Sunday:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ObuOr59Dw8/UO-BdKsGAVI/AAAAAAAACP8/q2S4LNmqnXU/s1600/IMAG2998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ObuOr59Dw8/UO-BdKsGAVI/AAAAAAAACP8/q2S4LNmqnXU/s320/IMAG2998.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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The loop’s western flank connects
with a well-marked side path, which leads westward for a half-mile before depositing
hikers on the 14.7-mile loop I <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2013/01/croom-highlow.html"><span style="color: yellow;">wrote about</span></a> last month. Since that one has two
primitive, hike-in campsites…while this one (the one I’m writing about today) passes
right through a primitive, paddle-in campsite on the Withlacoochee…and Silver
Lake has those three developed campgrounds alluded to above…this is a place
where you can not only get away from the crowd, but stay away for quite some
time. Happy Trails!</div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LwcQv-Lo-bE/UO-AIwOIfRI/AAAAAAAACPk/jQFr-UQRiL4/s1600/IMAG3009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LwcQv-Lo-bE/UO-AIwOIfRI/AAAAAAAACPk/jQFr-UQRiL4/s320/IMAG3009.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-68154474293552441092012-12-31T07:25:00.000-08:002012-12-31T09:57:53.985-08:00Again to CCN<span style="text-align: justify;">Christmas was bookended by a pair
of cold snaps that dusted parts of the Bay Area with frost:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0p5nCpnH_Hs/UOGtst7damI/AAAAAAAACPM/N88u9870_Ao/s1600/IMAG2881-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0p5nCpnH_Hs/UOGtst7damI/AAAAAAAACPM/N88u9870_Ao/s320/IMAG2881-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The low temps seemed to
invigorate wild animals rather than discourage them, as evidenced by the cries
of hawks that frequently pierced the air and the large numbers of sandhill
cranes seen milling about:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gmt72QMhus0/UOGtf0frrEI/AAAAAAAACPE/uJKq0LHy9yM/s1600/IMAG2933-1-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gmt72QMhus0/UOGtf0frrEI/AAAAAAAACPE/uJKq0LHy9yM/s320/IMAG2933-1-1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With that kind of atmosphere greasing
the skids into 2012’s final weekend, there was no way I could let the weekend
pass without exploring some woods, even if our calendar showed things
scheduled. So yesterday morning I made my way to the Cypress Creek North Trail
Network for the first time in nine months.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In March I wrote two posts about this
network that can be read <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/03/cypress-creek-north.html"><span style="color: yellow;">here</span></a> and <span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/03/back-to-cypress-creek-north_20.html">here.</a></span> The second post mentions a 1½-mile
section of side trail that “is crossed by several other trails that lead
to…well, right now I don’t know, but hey, that gives me a reason to come back!”
Those other trails were my destination yesterday.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Because we are entering rather
than exiting winter, the foliage is more scant right now than it was the last
time I was here, a fact to which these bald cypress can testify:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CVocESrRw5w/UOGtS34jpjI/AAAAAAAACO8/neBgqSjCvlQ/s1600/IMAG2941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CVocESrRw5w/UOGtS34jpjI/AAAAAAAACO8/neBgqSjCvlQ/s320/IMAG2941.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To reach the trails I had in my
mind, it was first necessary to head east for 1.3 miles on the paved
path that serves as Cypress Creek North’s main artery. Almost immediately after
using a culvert to pass over the creek itself, the paved path is crossed by an
earthen trail onto which I turned right and trod into a forest of mixed hardwoods.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Just under a half-mile later, as
that trail begins to emerge into a more open landscape, it encounters a pair of
side trails marked by signposts 4 and 8. The first is on the right and plunges
into moist-looking woods dominated by oaks. The trail itself consists of deep,
lumpy dirt that has the appearance of never being dry anywhere there is shade:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G56reu5pJzU/UOGtAYgAiHI/AAAAAAAACO0/IxuFAH1HGNc/s1600/IMAG2937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G56reu5pJzU/UOGtAYgAiHI/AAAAAAAACO0/IxuFAH1HGNc/s320/IMAG2937.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Several steps beyond that, the
second side trail turns left and heads into a pine flatwood that is slightly
higher and considerably drier:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xlrb56DjyEA/UOGszWNnSEI/AAAAAAAACOs/F3jywaKuCyI/s1600/IMAG2938-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xlrb56DjyEA/UOGszWNnSEI/AAAAAAAACOs/F3jywaKuCyI/s320/IMAG2938-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A quick glance at the two photos
above shows just how abruptly one <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>
ecosystem gives way to another. As far as beauty and adventure are concerned,
the first trail looks more promising; however, I opted to walk the second one because
I was wearing tennis shoes instead of my hiking boots and didn’t want to find
myself sinking ankle-deep in mud.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The flatwood through which the
second trail passes is thick with hip-high palmettos, but it has no canopy because
the pines are so spread out. You will find two decision points soon after
stepping onto this trail: first at an unsigned side trail branching off to the
left, then at an intersection with another unsigned side trail, which goes off
in both directions. I kept moving straight, wanting to see how long this particular
trail is and hoping it would go far. I learned it does not,
however, for it ends at a T intersection after little more than a
third of a mile.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While you can choose to go either
right or left at the T intersection, it was hard not to notice the barbed wire
fence on the other side of the intersecting trail, which told me that any
further travel in <i>that</i> direction was
probably verboten. Although the intersecting trail is composed of the same sort
of deep, lumpy dirt I skipped back at signpost 4, I chose not to skip it this
time. Because these woods are sunnier than the ones at signpost 4, I figured
the dirt here at least wouldn’t be wet from the prior morning’s rain -- plus there is a wooden observation tower to the left and I wanted to find out if it is
accessible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It turned out the dirt was dry
like I hoped, and soft and deep like I expected. Covered with abnormally deep
deer tracks, it gave under my weight with a sensation reminiscent of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Rocky</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></st1:place>
snow. Unfortunately, when I got to the tower I found that access to it is denied by the barbed wire, but at least it makes for a nice photo in its own right:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CXdLkfqaBLQ/UOGsd3Zjt3I/AAAAAAAACOk/SHA2A4r_SB8/s1600/IMAG2939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CXdLkfqaBLQ/UOGsd3Zjt3I/AAAAAAAACOk/SHA2A4r_SB8/s320/IMAG2939.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As for the earlier decision
points I mentioned, I did go back and check them out, discovering that one-fifth of a
mile is a recurring theme. At the first decision point, the unsigned trail on
the left travels one-fifth of a mile before petering out at a spot where the
flatwood gives way to a mixed forest that is thicker with trees. It was there
that I saw these young maples holding on stubbornly to their autumnal leaves:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ydZsvMeqvKE/UOGsRUq0cEI/AAAAAAAACOc/mN4LNQOWXFA/s1600/IMAG2942-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ydZsvMeqvKE/UOGsRUq0cEI/AAAAAAAACOc/mN4LNQOWXFA/s320/IMAG2942-1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
At the second decision point, you
will walk approximately one-fifth of a mile regardless of whether you turn left
or right. A left turn takes you to a T intersection with the same deep dirt
trail that passes the observation tower, while a right turn empties you back
onto the same side trail that brought you here from the main artery. Interestingly
enough, the spot where you empty back onto that side trail is one-fifth of a
mile past the spot where you left it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I can not lie: I wish this network
of side trails off a side trail would delve farther into the preserve than
it does. Even if the barbed wire marks a property line, I could not detect any reason why the trail from “decision point one” has to stop at the maples instead of probing past them into the forest beyond. But it is still
worth your time to come to these paths, especially when you consider that they are a decent ways into the preserve, and are but one piece of an extensive network of connected trails that you can explore while here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For directions to the trailhead,
please visit the first of the links I included earlier in this post. Happy
Trails!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktNQH32cfDU/UOGsEbypu_I/AAAAAAAACOU/GtNxPO4BsfE/s1600/IMAG2940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktNQH32cfDU/UOGsEbypu_I/AAAAAAAACOU/GtNxPO4BsfE/s320/IMAG2940.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-90389176750499817252012-12-19T18:04:00.000-08:002012-12-27T04:33:06.720-08:00Croom: The Loop(s)<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8JmzbPS_6s/UNI2J0-RzJI/AAAAAAAACN8/JjiIsm3MA6E/s1600/IMAG2860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8JmzbPS_6s/UNI2J0-RzJI/AAAAAAAACN8/JjiIsm3MA6E/s320/IMAG2860.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With Tucker Hill Fire Tower
looming behind me, the sign at the trailhead presented two options: Turn right
to head south or left, across the limestone road, to head north. I chose the former,
and saw a rabbit sitting in the middle of the trail as soon as I turned onto it.
A couple minutes later I encountered two deer who were also in the middle of
the trail, and after eyeing me for a few seconds, they sauntered away without displaying
any distress about my presence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My southward course was chosen only
because I wanted to be alone and had seen a group of people start walking north
when I parked my car. However, I was inexplicably more curious about what lie
to the north than what lie to the south, so after 30 minutes or so I turned
around and backtracked -- and found myself on topographically appealing terrain immediately after crossing the road. The trail descended
through hardwood forest and passed through dense undergrowth before emerging
in a relatively open forest of pine:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-93P6mGBiSa4/UNI0vn86kcI/AAAAAAAACNg/8gHS8iJeo9Y/s1600/IMAG2281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-93P6mGBiSa4/UNI0vn86kcI/AAAAAAAACNg/8gHS8iJeo9Y/s320/IMAG2281.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So went my introduction, in April
2006, to the interwoven A-B-C loop trails in the Croom Tract of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
I have returned many times in the years since, and trust me when I say that
whatever they lack in the way of imaginative naming, they more than make up for
by leading into some of the wildest backcountry in Central Florida.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Totaling 14.7 miles, the Exterior
Loop resembles an immense cookie whose edges are irregular and southeastern
quarter is bitten off. Roughly one-third of the way “up the cookie,” at is
narrowest point, a 1¼-mile trail called the B-C Connector bisects it from one
end to the other. At another relatively narrow point, roughly two-thirds of the
way up, it is bisected once more by a 2¾-mile path called the A-B Connector. These trails subdivide the Exterior Loop into three interior ones, and you can
get a sense of the layout by looking at the trail map:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-syY-_vWvtFA/UNIzjIxrUqI/AAAAAAAACM8/Fvd5baFV9Uw/s1600/DSCF8937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-syY-_vWvtFA/UNIzjIxrUqI/AAAAAAAACM8/Fvd5baFV9Uw/s320/DSCF8937.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The so-called A Loop encompasses
the entire A-B Connector, plus the northern arc of the Exterior Loop above it,
for a total of seven miles not including the 0.2-mile approach hike…Meanwhile, the
C Loop encompasses the B-C Connector plus the southern arc below, for a total
of six miles not including the mile-long approach…And lastly, across the middle
of it all is the 9.9-mile B Loop. It incorporates the A-B Connector as its northern
border and B-C as its southern, linked together by part of the Exterior Loop’s western
flank and a goodly chunk of its eastern one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With mileage that allows you to
log many hours on the trail and geology that allows you to see many habitats,
it is hard to imagine a better trail existing in the Tampa Bay Area. Spend time
here and you will witness the gamut from tall hills to low bogs, like the one pictured
below. There are even a few modest ravines and reforested quarries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gd-UeMFLXBY/UNIyd5KzhmI/AAAAAAAACMw/SBN9-PMKAOg/s1600/IMAG2863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gd-UeMFLXBY/UNIyd5KzhmI/AAAAAAAACMw/SBN9-PMKAOg/s320/IMAG2863.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Trees include everything from
water-loving cypress to dryland pines, from long-boughed oaks to cone-shaped
cedars. A few orange trees grow in scattered places throughout the woods, so if
you hike here when they are bearing fruit (usually from November to February) you
might be able to pluck a snack right from their limbs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The understory teems as if refusing
to be overshadowed by the canopy. One Labor Day weekend I walked into a thicket
filled with blossoms that resembled wild orchids. Lantana blooms almost all year
and is a favorite food source of the hummingbirds that reside here in spring
and summer. And it seems like every songbird on earth enjoys feasting on the
forest’s endless bounty of beautyberries:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bqw6JBNTUws/UNIxKiriWqI/AAAAAAAACMY/7x6dr2Dh8t0/s1600/IMAG2825-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bqw6JBNTUws/UNIxKiriWqI/AAAAAAAACMY/7x6dr2Dh8t0/s320/IMAG2825-1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Though there are rises and
falls all throughout the loop, there is no denying that its northern half is the
hilliest and its southern half provides the longest stretches of level land. You
will find the tallest hills along the Exterior Loop’s northernmost stretch, and
while hiking there you are sure to notice that the hills on the approach are
continuous even if they’re not very high or steep. Spending time on this half
of the loop, whether on the exterior or the A-B Connector, means you are always
on or surrounded by some level of vertical relief:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-izClUBX787Q/UNIvS-COzvI/AAAAAAAACLw/hOltmTjBGGc/s1600/IMAG2298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-izClUBX787Q/UNIvS-COzvI/AAAAAAAACLw/hOltmTjBGGc/s320/IMAG2298.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The exterior route is marked by rectangular
orange blazes and the connectors by rectangular blue blazes. These serve as
important navigational aids since the loop is intersected multiple times by
slender bike trails and also by dirt roads, a.k.a. “forest roads,” which I assume are there so rangers can access the backwoods without having to do
so on foot. It is tempting to use the forest roads as alternate hiking trails, but if you
do so, be aware that they are not quite as straight as they appear on the trail
map, and therefore it is easier than you might think to become marginally lost.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There are two trailheads from
which the loop can be accessed directly, both of which are on <st1:street w:st="on">Croom Road</st1:street>. The western
one, Tucker Hill Trailhead, is also the most conspicuous because of its large
parking area, picnic tables, full-service restrooms, and fire tower:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EUXSzcFOmZE/UNIuVnn3_6I/AAAAAAAACLk/r8zDUs9UySc/s1600/IMAG2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EUXSzcFOmZE/UNIuVnn3_6I/AAAAAAAACLk/r8zDUs9UySc/s320/IMAG2525.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To reach Tucker Hill from
Brooksville, drive north on U.S. 41, turn right on <st1:street w:st="on">Croom Road</st1:street> and continue for two miles. To
reach it from practically everywhere else in the Bay Area, drive north on I-75
to exit 301, go east on State Road 50 for approximately one mile, then turn
left on Croom Rital Road; four miles later you will pass the entrance to Silver
Lake Recreation Area on your right, and eventually you will come to the
trailhead several miles beyond <i>that</i>,
after the road has turned west and changed from pavement to limestone and switched its
name to just Croom. There is an unmanned pay station where you are expected to
deposit a $2 day use fee, or $10 overnight fee if you plan on going backpacking
and staying at one of the trail’s two primitive camping zones.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
On the other hand, the eastern
trailhead is located shortly after <st1:street w:st="on">Croom
Rital Road</st1:street> turns west and changes its name. There
are no facilities there, but then again, there is also no pay station. Because
this trailhead is not specifically marked, be sure to keep an eye out for the
small <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/riverbk/5168856755/"><span style="color: yellow;">Florida Trail signs</span></a> that appear on each side of the road where the path
crosses.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aqopUmPv9qk/UNItzteXU9I/AAAAAAAACLc/Rp_iv2Djwjo/s1600/IMAG2803-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aqopUmPv9qk/UNItzteXU9I/AAAAAAAACLc/Rp_iv2Djwjo/s320/IMAG2803-1-1.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I have enjoyed these loops many
times by myself, and twice in the past few months have brought Sarah out to
introduce her to them as well -- so obviously, I encourage everyone to do the
same whether alone or with friends and family. Go <a href="http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/westcentral/trails/pdfs/with_croom_hik.pdf"><span style="color: yellow;">here</span></a> for a downloadable copy
of the map. Happy Trails!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MxBEGIBeLOc/UNIsp-SLmoI/AAAAAAAACLE/2eysR8nnCJ8/s1600/IMAG2808-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MxBEGIBeLOc/UNIsp-SLmoI/AAAAAAAACLE/2eysR8nnCJ8/s320/IMAG2808-1.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-81218757315351973842012-12-09T19:57:00.000-08:002012-12-19T13:02:02.484-08:00Sawgrass Lake<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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In <st1:place w:st="on">New
England</st1:place>, maples grow on lakesides that are home to moose. In <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>, they grow in
swamps that are home to alligators, including this young one I happened upon
yesterday:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iL-CYkkG1zQ/UMVcfVBdnXI/AAAAAAAACKo/vMFd3pBzOmM/s1600/IMAG2779-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iL-CYkkG1zQ/UMVcfVBdnXI/AAAAAAAACKo/vMFd3pBzOmM/s320/IMAG2779-1-1.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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We are fortunate that one of the
largest maple swamps on <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>’s <st1:placetype w:st="on">Gulf</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Coast</st1:placetype>
is found in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Sawgrass</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Given its location, and the 1.1-mile boardwalk that winds through it, this
maple swamp also ranks as one of the state’s most accessible for people on
foot:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kwkXONj4vgs/UMVcLyYOmuI/AAAAAAAACKg/SOInPUghRWw/s1600/IMAG2776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kwkXONj4vgs/UMVcLyYOmuI/AAAAAAAACKg/SOInPUghRWw/s320/IMAG2776.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But there is more to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Sawgrass</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>
than swamp, as proven by the hammock forest that covers the higher land of its
northern segment. A trail loops through the hammock under a canopy that is
lovely as can be:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-goMY5pqsioI/UMVb78fZolI/AAAAAAAACKY/hgRaR9zTQL4/s1600/IMAG2782-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-goMY5pqsioI/UMVb78fZolI/AAAAAAAACKY/hgRaR9zTQL4/s320/IMAG2782-1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Meanwhile, the westernmost
boardwalk ends at an observation tower overlooking <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Sawgrass</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place>
itself (which, admittedly, is more pond than lake):</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xE48ou47aZM/UMVbWW19Z9I/AAAAAAAACKQ/KCp1nhRIWss/s1600/IMAG2778-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xE48ou47aZM/UMVbWW19Z9I/AAAAAAAACKQ/KCp1nhRIWss/s320/IMAG2778-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In addition to abundant
populations of reptiles and amphibians, all variety of waterfowl can be seen in
this preserve. Birds of prey are also plentiful, from fish-eating ospreys to
mammal-eating owls. Described as “one of the premier birding sites in <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>” by
makinghealtheasier.org, this is a designated stop on the <a href="http://www.floridabirdingtrail.com/"><span style="color: yellow;">Great Florida Birding Trail.</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Botany buffs are sure to enjoy <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Sawgrass</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> just as much as birdwatchers, for in
addition to multiple species of maple and oak, you are able to get close-up
views of aquatic plants like duckweed and spatterdock. In many places the
forest is lush with ferns:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Baq3-osDNn4/UMVbCLvKjyI/AAAAAAAACKE/KTAwOzworhI/s1600/IMAG2788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Baq3-osDNn4/UMVbCLvKjyI/AAAAAAAACKE/KTAwOzworhI/s320/IMAG2788.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You have probably seen this place
even if you’ve never paid a visit, because its eastern boundary abuts I-275 as
you enter <st1:city w:st="on">St. Petersburg</st1:city>
from the north. You would recognize it as that big spread of woods, fronted by
tall cypress trees, that sits on the west side of the interstate immediately
south of the <st1:street w:st="on">Gandy Boulevard</st1:street>
exit.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I have long felt that <st1:placename w:st="on">Pinellas</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype>
maintains one of the best county-run park systems in the nation, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Sawgrass</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> solidifies that opinion. For
starters, the park preserves a wild oasis in the middle of the state’s most
densely populated county…On top of that, its wetlands serve both man and beast by
functioning as a natural cleaning system for water flowing to Tampa Bay…Plus, they
act as flood protection for the surrounding city…And most importantly, the park
provides people of all ages and abilities with convenient access to a place of
natural beauty.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Establishment of the park came to
fruition in the bicentennial year of 1976, when a cooperative management
agreement was reached between the Southwest Florida Water Management District,
Pinellas County Parks & Conservation Resources Department, and Pinellas
County School Board. The reason for the latter to have a seat at the table becomes
clear when you see the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">John</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Anderson</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Environmental</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Education</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
which is located here and includes a laboratory, classroom, and taxidermy
displays of local wildlife; it hosts a myriad of educational programs for
elementary school students, plus some for grades six through twelve:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IutNYzcyujc/UMVZ29m2QKI/AAAAAAAACJ8/eL8dZfMhHiU/s1600/IMAG2772-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IutNYzcyujc/UMVZ29m2QKI/AAAAAAAACJ8/eL8dZfMhHiU/s320/IMAG2772-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pACXmoxuv_E/UMVWvxBuy6I/AAAAAAAACJo/JN_dpg-vsvg/s1600/IMAG2774-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pACXmoxuv_E/UMVWvxBuy6I/AAAAAAAACJo/JN_dpg-vsvg/s320/IMAG2774-1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To get here, turn north on <st1:street w:st="on">25th Street</st1:street> from <st1:street w:st="on">62nd Avenue North</st1:street> and
continue to the end. Admission is free. Happy Trails!</div>
JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-60469851492969685302012-11-30T18:39:00.000-08:002012-11-30T18:48:19.831-08:00Croom: The River Trail<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If the Bay Area’s weather is like
a broken record, with heat and storms dragging it down rather than skips and scratches,
then Thanksgiving weekend was that spot where the needle drops right into the
groove and generates glorious music.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With overnight lows in the forties
and fifties…and even some thirties in the usual cold spots around Brooksville…and
daytime highs in the seventies…and the sky a cloudless arc of robin’s egg blue…it
would have felt criminal not to be outside:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SceuNmX61P4/ULlmhjrXHhI/AAAAAAAACI4/1BKVkirmUzA/s1600/IMAG2657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SceuNmX61P4/ULlmhjrXHhI/AAAAAAAACI4/1BKVkirmUzA/s320/IMAG2657.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So on Sunday I rounded out the
weekend by putting Parker in the car and driving us to Croom. Parker is 17 months
old and with Erika and Sarah enjoying a Mommy-Daughter Day, it seemed right to
take him hiking for a Daddy-Son Day. He is usually happiest when he is
outdoors, and Sunday was no exception:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v51KbDqVK2I/ULlmIDN2YJI/AAAAAAAACIw/9kGZ1s97AuI/s1600/pmanoaks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v51KbDqVK2I/ULlmIDN2YJI/AAAAAAAACIw/9kGZ1s97AuI/s320/pmanoaks.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When I closed my <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/11/croom.html"><span style="color: yellow;">November 19th piece</span></a> by saying I expected to post my first review “of specific hikes in Croom…by
the end of this month,” what I had in mind was for the first review to be about
the massive loop that is accessed by a few trailheads in the northwestern
quarter of the preserve. After all, I have walked on that loop about 15 times and
could probably write about it in my sleep. It’s just that those visits were all
before I started this blog, so I never bothered to take many pictures during them, and therefore I wanted to go back and snap some more before publishing
anything.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
However, during a Saturday bike
ride I saw something in Croom’s far south that captured my attention. While
standing near the restrooms at the Withlacoochee State Trail’s Ridge Manor
Trailhead, I looked across a meadow strewn with pine straw and noticed a
signboard on the opposite side. It is easy to miss because it does not face the
trailhead directly. With my curiosity piqued, I walked across the meadow and
when I got there found an opening in a fence next to the following sign:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MPkMBGlljVk/ULllxkf-SoI/AAAAAAAACIk/CgDODVYFH8M/s1600/rtsign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MPkMBGlljVk/ULllxkf-SoI/AAAAAAAACIk/CgDODVYFH8M/s320/rtsign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
That piqued my curiosity even
more, so it is where I went with Parker on Sunday. Based on my general
knowledge of the area, I figured that the trail would reach the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> in a not-too-long distance and perhaps
follow it north along its western bank. Since toddlers slow down any hike on which they themselves are walking, I placed Parker in our jogging stroller and off we
went.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The River Trail’s opening stretch
slips through a stand of young longleaf pines. Their presence tells me that a
tree farm once stood here, and that these trees were its final planting:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5gKfV0bKrgk/ULllZzsOC7I/AAAAAAAACIc/zxT17JKUDlo/s1600/IMAG2666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5gKfV0bKrgk/ULllZzsOC7I/AAAAAAAACIc/zxT17JKUDlo/s320/IMAG2666.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Before long the pines thin out
and are joined by other flora, with a more natural appearance taking over. The
terrain in this section of Croom is nowhere near as hilly as it is to the north
and west, but it is also not pancake-flat. It is obvious you are at a <st1:city w:st="on">high point</st1:city> when you
emerge into this big field that is dotted with scrubby oaks and mature longleafs:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L3J7p1wkpts/ULllBejtsUI/AAAAAAAACIU/ClJkfJgwZJg/s1600/IMAG2668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L3J7p1wkpts/ULllBejtsUI/AAAAAAAACIU/ClJkfJgwZJg/s320/IMAG2668.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As I entered the field, I thought
to myself that it was perfect habitat for gopher tortoises and wondered if one
would show himself. No more than two minutes later, this fella obliged:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EZlvJF6Q54Q/ULlkT9q-TvI/AAAAAAAACIM/CLjNKZnQ_WI/s1600/IMAG2670-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EZlvJF6Q54Q/ULlkT9q-TvI/AAAAAAAACIM/CLjNKZnQ_WI/s320/IMAG2670-1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In the middle, a blue-blazed side
trail called the Windmill Loop branches off to the left, but Parker and I
stayed on the River Trail, which is marked by orange blazes. After taking you
across the field, the River Trail penetrates the tree line and heads downhill, which
is where things got dicey for us because wild boar had recently scoured this section
of woods and left behind wallows that covered the trail off and on for some
distance. Pushing the stroller through those wallows felt like mogul skiing
because we were greeted at each step by a jarring bump -- and on top of that,
instead of continuing to move after each bump, we were often brought to a stop
because the stroller’s tires kept getting mired in the tossed earth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So I decided to abandon the
stroller and soldier on by carrying my little guy. However, after we made it
beyond the wallows he started squirming in my arms and insisting on being let
down to handle his own ambulation. When I consented, he engaged in a little bit
of true forward progress:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgRZuogqgsM/ULlj5NK0TmI/AAAAAAAACIE/9E6k674kIg4/s1600/IMAG2677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgRZuogqgsM/ULlj5NK0TmI/AAAAAAAACIE/9E6k674kIg4/s320/IMAG2677.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And a whole lot of stopping and
turning around. Plus, he kept pausing to lift and inspect whatever he found on
the forest floor:</div>
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It became apparent that Parker
and I would not reach the river in good time, nor would we reach it with
anything resembling mutual satisfaction, so finally I scooped him up and
sprinted back to the stroller. Once he was strapped in, I pushed him back to
the beginning of the trail and let him run around in that original meadow.</div>
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Therefore, I can not give you a
blow-by-blow account of everything that awaits you on the River Trail. However,
I can tell you that according to the map posted on the signboard, the trail is
more than five miles one-way and ends near the campgrounds in Croom’s Silver
Lake Recreation Area. I can also tell you that it does come to the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place> River like I expected, then follows it north like
I hoped.</div>
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And regarding that blue-blazed
side trail called the Windmill Loop, the map on the signboard shows it being a straight-line
short-cut rather than an actual loop. From the spot where it and the River
Trail diverge, it tracks east-northeast while the River Trail tracks south before curving east to meet the river. At some point after the River Trail begins
its northward route, the Windmill comes to an end by emptying back onto it, and
therefore the two paths can be used to create a loop I estimate would be about
3½ miles long.</div>
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To get here, take exit 301 from I-75, drive east for one mile, and turn left on Croom Rital Road. The Ridge Manor Trailhead is obvious. Simply walk across the meadow that lies beyond the restrooms and picnic tables, and you will find the start of the River Trail waiting for you. Happy Trails!</div>
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JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-62129181306481889592012-11-19T18:44:00.000-08:002012-11-20T20:02:52.191-08:00Croom<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I don’t take it lightly when I
say that the Croom Tract of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype></st1:place>
is arguably the <i>crème dela crème</i> of
our area’s wilderness.</div>
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Sprawling mostly across the eastern
reaches of <st1:placename w:st="on">Hernando</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype>, it sits within a microclimate that is notably
colder than the rest of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place> area. Winter
temperatures frequently drop into the thirties and sometimes the twenties. The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> flows through Croom and takes on a
spectral appearance when vapor drifts over its surface on those freezing winter
morns:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XdmhiPXIGVo/UKmiAmKSCLI/AAAAAAAACEs/pR3wymOxszg/s1600/foggy+withlacoochee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XdmhiPXIGVo/UKmiAmKSCLI/AAAAAAAACEs/pR3wymOxszg/s320/foggy+withlacoochee.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But the cold does not stop the
land from erupting with wildflowers in February:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kgNR3yKRwcQ/UKmhFBr4_cI/AAAAAAAACEk/lOKlGx3Dmn8/s1600/croom+flowers.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kgNR3yKRwcQ/UKmhFBr4_cI/AAAAAAAACEk/lOKlGx3Dmn8/s320/croom+flowers.PNG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Croom encompasses a smorgasbord of
landscapes, from flat cypress heads beside the river to hilly uplands away from
it. Marshes fill some of the "non-cypress lowlands" while a mixture of hard- and softwood forests covers
the hills.</div>
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These landscapes offer a stunning
variety of recreational opportunities from which to choose, including more than
30 miles of hiking trails and 50 miles of mountain biking trails -- and that
does <i>not</i> include the multi-use <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/11/withlacoochee-state-trail.html"><span style="color: yellow;">Withlacoochee State Trail,</span></a> a portion of which passes through Croom. Within the tract you will
find two named recreation areas; four developed campgrounds; two backcountry
campsites you must hike to; and two more you must paddle
to. Plus, there is a 2,600-acre area set aside for ATV’s and motorized dirt
bikes, and at least three designated spots from which to launch a canoe or
kayak into the river.</div>
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No matter what recreational
endeavors you pursue, be on the lookout for scenes of nature both big and
small. You are sure to be impressed by how tall the magnolias grow here, but
don’t let that stop you from noticing the small bunches of grapes that ripen in
late summer:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjcgLFKEy64/UKmg5bhmPeI/AAAAAAAACEc/Q2zG5T7wbyI/s1600/wst+grapes.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjcgLFKEy64/UKmg5bhmPeI/AAAAAAAACEc/Q2zG5T7wbyI/s320/wst+grapes.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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All manner of wildlife can be
viewed in Croom. Although I have hiked in many states across <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>, this
is the only place I have ever seen a bobcat in the wild. When it comes to
birds I have seen everything from the heftiest to the tiniest, since bald
eagles make themselves visible year-round and ruby-throated hummingbirds make themselves
visible in spring and summer. Canoers should keep their eyes
peeled for otters frolicking in the river.</div>
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What really stands out, however, are the woodpeckers. I have never come here without seeing some, and over my
years of hiking here I have encountered every single species known to live in <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>. Even the rare
<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=711&tbm=isch&tbnid=PzCQ6m9Xaq-rIM:&imgrefurl=http://magazine.nature.org/features/knock-on-wood.xml&docid=tnD8oNEYW13BlM&imgurl=http://magazine.nature.org/idc/groups/webcontent/%2540web/%2540magazine/documents/media/red-cockaded-woodpecker-700x45.jpg&w=700&h=450&ei=JfymUPH5G-jsiQLAtYHIBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=516&vpy=127&dur=273&hovh=180&hovw=280&tx=97&ty=100&sig=102166048888111149152&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=215&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:0,i:158"><span style="color: yellow;">red cockaded woodpecker</span></a> has a stronghold in the tract’s pinelands.</div>
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Like I alluded <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/09/some-time-outside.html"><span style="color: yellow;">back in September,</span></a>
as this hiking season unfolds I will intermittently post reviews of specific
hikes in Croom. The first of those reviews should be up by the
end of this month, so please say tuned. However, if you can’t wait until then
to check out the tract, just make your way to <st1:street w:st="on">Croom Rital Road</st1:street>, which is the most conveniently located
place for entering the tract. Turning north from State Road 50 about a mile east of I-75, it leads to main trailheads at
Silver Lake Recreation Area, which is almost four miles from State Road 50, and
Tucker Hill Fire Tower, almost six miles past that. And between them are several well-marked spots where paths cross the road. Happy
Trails!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qGFSFiFFTsk/UKmglh_3JyI/AAAAAAAACEU/x69L6CVMOvI/s1600/Crooked+river+Dec06+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qGFSFiFFTsk/UKmglh_3JyI/AAAAAAAACEU/x69L6CVMOvI/s320/Crooked+river+Dec06+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-13531094144955733112012-11-09T18:34:00.001-08:002012-11-19T19:10:03.984-08:00Withlacoochee State Trail<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fAM82nPV2FA/UJyDwL0J1JI/AAAAAAAACDs/oBL_2mLlNNM/s1600/IMAG2557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fAM82nPV2FA/UJyDwL0J1JI/AAAAAAAACDs/oBL_2mLlNNM/s320/IMAG2557.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
For those who love spending time
outside, the rails-to-trails movement is one of the most positive developments
of the last quarter century. And fortunately for us, our region is home to one
of that movement’s crowning achievements.<br />
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The Withlacoochee State Trail starts in <st1:placename w:st="on">Pasco</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype> and runs north all the way through <st1:placename w:st="on">Hernando</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype>, continuing into <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Citrus</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place> before coming to an end after 46 miles. Bicyclists are its most common users, seeing as how it is twelve feet wide and paved with a mixture of asphalt and recycled tire rubber, but hikers should also make a point to get out and enjoy it. One of the trail’s main assets is that it takes you through every aspect of rural <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state> -- not just deep woods, but also the open, rolling countryside that is home to cattle ranches and small towns:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6WMFuG4sYkE/UJyDlBguIOI/AAAAAAAACDk/YDmz6dTHuQQ/s1600/IMAG2591-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6WMFuG4sYkE/UJyDlBguIOI/AAAAAAAACDk/YDmz6dTHuQQ/s320/IMAG2591-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The beginning is in Trilby, a
Faulkneresque dot on the map (population 419) where the trail passes beside
this quaint post office:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nNibI0AEZ14/UJyDIIKGlcI/AAAAAAAACDc/cpeA0kD-VSc/s1600/IMAG2566-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nNibI0AEZ14/UJyDIIKGlcI/AAAAAAAACDc/cpeA0kD-VSc/s320/IMAG2566-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After about five miles the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place> utilizes the bridge pictured below to cross over State Road 50. On the opposite side sits the extremely popular Ridge Manor Trailhead.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S5Fnz2dM8GE/UJyB1R_IM-I/AAAAAAAACDA/9qPyv1eqqCs/s1600/wst+flowery+gully.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S5Fnz2dM8GE/UJyB1R_IM-I/AAAAAAAACDA/9qPyv1eqqCs/s320/wst+flowery+gully.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Three miles further north, the
trail passes the entrance to Silver Lake Recreation Area and proceeds to enter
the Croom Tract of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Many users consider Croom to be the prettiest and most tranquil section of
the entire trail. Here are a couple pictures I took while walking there last
Sunday:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cUdLhhIxXzY/UJyAZcMYWeI/AAAAAAAACC4/r8HnlHeDW7M/s1600/IMAG2562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cUdLhhIxXzY/UJyAZcMYWeI/AAAAAAAACC4/r8HnlHeDW7M/s320/IMAG2562.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-534KJcJbnR0/UJyANyCQ9WI/AAAAAAAACCw/h9TJ_4FoJLg/s1600/IMAG2535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-534KJcJbnR0/UJyANyCQ9WI/AAAAAAAACCw/h9TJ_4FoJLg/s320/IMAG2535.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wildlife viewing can be very
productive on the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place>. In the
morning, late afternoon, and evening it is common to see deer munching on
trailside grass, and in spring and summer it is almost impossible to spend any
time here without seeing <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=swallow+tail+kite&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=711&tbm=isch&tbnid=36sKMc5PQmRYsM:&imgrefurl=http://orwfd.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/birds-of-chambers-county-swallow-tailed-kite-2/&docid=VdZ9vVMU9cuPtM&imgurl=http://orwfd.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/swallow-tailed-kite_t0b49332.jpg&w=600&h=400&ei=QXmcUL-gNtHpqAG504GwBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=328&vpy=163&dur=222&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=150&ty=73&sig=102166048888111149152&page=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=242&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:80"><span style="color: #f1c232;">swallow-tailed kites</span></a> soaring overhead. Back in 2003, I
incorporated <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place> walks into my
recovery from surgery, and on almost every visit during that time, I saw the
same barred owl perched in one tree or another just north of the Ridge Manor
Trailhead.</div>
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<span id="goog_193355589"></span></div>
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Trailside amenities, which
include covered picnic tables and clean restroom facilities, are another
positive feature of the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place>. Most
people will agree that relieving one’s self in the brush is much less ideal than doing so in here:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LSEQGWlZu7E/UJ2yozF5GyI/AAAAAAAACEA/Rc-gvdYX6UA/s1600/IMAG2529+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LSEQGWlZu7E/UJ2yozF5GyI/AAAAAAAACEA/Rc-gvdYX6UA/s320/IMAG2529+(1).jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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I have not walked the trail’s farthest
miles north of Hernando, i.e., the ones that extend beyond what most people
would consider the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place> area. Those miles are
surely worth experiencing, but from what I understand, some of them run fairly
close to U.S. 41 and therefore might not seem as wild as the <st1:city w:st="on">Pasco</st1:city> and Hernando sections. It is also worth
noting that the northernmost miles pass through the towns of Istachatta, <st1:placename w:st="on">Floral</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype>,
<st1:place w:st="on">Inverness</st1:place>, and Citrus Springs. An alluring
sign in the woods just south of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Floral</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> states: “Shamrock
Inn – Good Food – Cold Beer – Next Left.”</div>
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To reach the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place>’s
southernmost access points, take exit 293 from I-75 and drive east for 2.6
miles. Then, turn left onto Pasco County Road 575 and continue six miles to
Trilby. This route is so winding and hilly you might find yourself wondering if
you got transported to Northern Georgia or <st1:place w:st="on">Western
Maryland</st1:place> or some other non-Florida locale.</div>
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In Trilby, there is parking for a
few vehicles at the spot where the trail crosses the road next to the post
office pictured above, about a mile north of the trail’s actual beginning. If
you want to start from the actual beginning, keep driving past the post
office, turn right at the flashing light, and continue until you see the
trailhead on your right.</div>
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To reach the Ridge Manor
Trailhead, take exit 301 from I-75, drive east for a mile on State Road 50, and
turn left onto <st1:street w:st="on">Croom Rital Road</st1:street>.
The trailhead will be on your right and is very obvious because of its ample parking lot. FYI, its facilities are considerably more immaculate than those at
the first two trailheads.</div>
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For what it’s worth, however, my
personal favorite place to hop on the <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place>
is at a spot on <st1:street w:st="on">Croom Rital Road</st1:street>
several miles north of the Ridge Manor Trailhead. If you just keep driving, you
will enter the borders of the state forest and come to my preferred trailhead
at a spot where the road turns left and is crossed by the trail. There is
parking for a few cars both before and after the crossing.</div>
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Happy Trails!</div>
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<i><u>Update, 11/19/12</u>: Less than two weeks ago the "facilities" at the trailhead by the Trilby post office consisted of a port-a-let. But yesterday, when I walked from there to the Ridge Manor Trailhead, the port-a-let was gone...so while Ridge Manor continues to be kind of a lap of luxury with flush toilets, hot water sinks, and multiple picnic tables, the Trilby post office trailhead has gone from being one of modest facilities to one of no facilities. I will let you know if that ever changes.</i></div>
</div>
JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-90304321261086947742012-10-25T20:03:00.000-07:002012-10-27T07:53:58.284-07:00Weedon Island<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Everyone raised in <st1:city w:st="on">St. Petersburg</st1:city> has heard of this 3,700-acre expanse of
green along the western shore of <st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype>, and has seen at least that part of
its shoreline which is visible from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Gandy</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Bridge</st1:placetype></st1:place>. But most people
are not aware you can hike on it, and who can blame them? Since <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Weedon</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s
recreational reputation is built mostly on sea kayking and shallow-water
fishing -- and mangroves make up all of its plant life you can see from afar --
it would be logical to wonder if it even has any dry land.</div>
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For any non-Floridian readers out
there, mangroves are estuary trees which grow in areas that are, more often
than not, submerged in salt water anywhere from several inches to several feet
deep. They sit atop above-ground roots, as you can tell from this picture that was
taken when the water level was lower than normal:</div>
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The shallow aquatic world around
mangrove roots is home to crabs and crayfish and provides a steady food supply for droves of raccoons. Herons also come here to feed:</div>
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There is much more to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Weedon</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>
than mangroves, however, for its interior is home to upland fields and woods:</div>
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That interior is teeming with a
variety of wildlife, including endangered species like the gopher tortoise. 4½ miles
of hiking trails thread through <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Weedon</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Island, leading to two</st1:placetype></st1:place> inland ponds, three viewing platforms, and a 45-foot tall observation tower.
They are dirt in some areas, paved in others, and where necessary (i.e., mostly
around the perimeter) they use boardwalks to ensure you stay dry while
slipping through the mangroves:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d3FiiH9k8ps/UIn5KmC3iZI/AAAAAAAACAE/CZh1GpPemTM/s1600/IMAG2468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d3FiiH9k8ps/UIn5KmC3iZI/AAAAAAAACAE/CZh1GpPemTM/s320/IMAG2468.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Although it is called an island,
Weedon is actually a peninsula, tethered to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Pinellas</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s
mainland by a small isthmus of land south of <st1:street w:st="on">Gandy Boulevard</st1:street>. A two-lane road across
that isthmus is what takes you there. When I was a child, the road was dirt and
dead-ended near a dock. The bulk of Weedon was known as Weedon Island State
Preserve, but unless you had a kayak in tow, there was really nothing to do
here.</div>
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These days the land is leased to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Pinellas</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place> and known simply as Weedon Island
Preserve -- and man oh man, has the county ever upgraded things! In addition to
blazing the trails and paving the road, it has built a cultural and natural history
center to honor Weedon’s rich human history. Archaeological excavations on the island have
unearthed a plethora of tools and pottery, plus a canoe that has been carbon-dated to
be more than 1,000 years old. Many of these artifacts are now on display in the center.</div>
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To reach the preserve, turn south
onto <st1:street w:st="on">San Martin Boulevard</st1:street>
from <st1:street w:st="on">Gandy Boulevard</st1:street>,
or east onto <st1:street w:st="on">83rd Avenue</st1:street>
from <st1:street w:st="on">4th Street</st1:street>,
and follow the signs. Admission is free. Whether you live in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tampa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay</st1:placetype></st1:place>
area or are simply visiting, you will be doing yourself a disservice if you fail to visit this wild spot in the midst of a metropolis.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Happy Trails!</span></div>
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JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-41879673492379580412012-10-07T18:09:00.001-07:002012-10-27T07:55:54.897-07:00Moccasin Lake<div style="text-align: justify;">
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In the middle of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Clearwater</st1:city></st1:place>, right next to the commercial
corridor of U.S. 19, sits a woodland whose oak canopy stretches over magnolias
and shares space with a handful of oddly located slash pines.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qkkvWmcPv9Y/UHImUiCzmEI/AAAAAAAAB-c/ASx1b1wdB_M/s1600/DSCF8908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qkkvWmcPv9Y/UHImUiCzmEI/AAAAAAAAB-c/ASx1b1wdB_M/s320/DSCF8908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These woods are city property and
are preserved as <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Moccasin</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
They are home to a classroom where the Audubon Society meets every month, and as
you might expect, their bird-watching is very good. When I visited for the
first time on a Saturday last month, I saw a pair of red-shouldered hawks fly
through the trees within seconds of stepping onto the trail. Not long after
that, I was treated to the sight of a pileated woodpecker.</div>
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However, the most notable sighting was of the
non-native variety, when I stumbled upon a flock of peacocks. In <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> it is not
unusual to see an occasional, escaped specimen of these showy birds roaming about,
but when I rounded a bend in the park’s trail and found myself looking at about
twenty of them, including chicks, I realized I was in the presence of a wild,
established, and reproducing population.</div>
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The trail through <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Moccasin</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> is a mile long (one-way)
and easy to follow. It forks several times, and the resulting prongs always rejoin
even though the signs usually point you in only one direction. It has a few
boardwalk sections, one of which passes over a swiftly flowing stream.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-c97Di7O7Q/UHIl9BmPNMI/AAAAAAAAB-M/kRDTtRVI5L8/s1600/DSCF8914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-c97Di7O7Q/UHIl9BmPNMI/AAAAAAAAB-M/kRDTtRVI5L8/s320/DSCF8914.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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At one point the trail comes close to a couple
of homes, then plunges back into the woods and eventually reaches <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Moccasin</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> itself: a five-acre body of water
where you might see multiple species of wading birds. One of U.S. 19’s overpasses
is just beyond the lake’s western bank, but in a way that enhances rather than
detracts from the natural appearance by making you appreciate that such a
setting exists in an urban area. The two best spots for viewing the lake are
from a covered dock on its eastern shore and a bird blind on its northern one.
I took this photo from the latter:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y6rxZLzd7kw/UHIlub_1hfI/AAAAAAAAB-E/oRS8bH1s0ZU/s1600/IMAG2254-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y6rxZLzd7kw/UHIlub_1hfI/AAAAAAAAB-E/oRS8bH1s0ZU/s320/IMAG2254-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is quite a bit more to this place than what
I have already mentioned. Behind the visitor center are enclosures, mostly
aviaries, that injured animals call home; among their current residents are a
screech owl and fish crow. A path branching off of the primary hiking trail
leads to a wooden windmill and butterfly garden where the winged critters
flitter about and flower species are identified by signs:</div>
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Obviously, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Moccasin</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> is not for you if
you are looking to walk long miles through wilderness, but it is a fine place
to easily escape the congestion of the city. When daytime highs are hot, as
they often are around here even in fall and spring, a two-mile round-tripper in
the shade of oaks might be all you need.</div>
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To get to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Moccasin</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
turn east onto <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Drew Street</st1:address></st1:street>
from U.S. 19, then left onto <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Fairwood
Avenue</st1:address></st1:street>. Six-tenths of a mile later, just past the
train tracks, take another left onto <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Park
Trail Lane</st1:address></st1:street>, which dead-ends at the park. There is
a $3 entry fee, and if you intend to bring the family along, be aware that the
fee is per person. Happy Trails!</div>
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JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-7938203085261218482012-09-27T18:24:00.001-07:002013-08-24T12:19:57.535-07:00Some Time Outside<br />
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This
past Sunday morning, Sarah and I welcomed fall by walking a few miles on a
trail in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename></st1:place></st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on"></st1:placetype><st1:placetype w:st="on">Forest</st1:placetype></st1:placetype></st1:place>. It is <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state> and still September, so the temperatures
were not what I would call cool, but at least they were not hot.</div>
<br />
<span style="text-align: justify;">Some of our hike was spent passing through dense hardwood forest:</span><br />
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But most of it was spent in a drier, more open forest of slash pine and turkey oak:<br />
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Thanks to a plethora of wildflowers, there was plenty of color to be seen:</div>
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Much to my delight, all of our walking was done on hills -- sand hills, to be geologically precise. They were not extremely high or steep, but were quite continuous. We spent a couple hours on the trail and there was not a single moment when we weren’t either on or surrounded by some level of vertical relief:</div>
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When it came to animals, we were treated to the sight of a red-bellied woodpecker hammering away on a pine branch. The other creatures stayed hidden but left their marks nonetheless:</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I must say, it was a good way for a daddy and daughter to spend the morning!</span><br />
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The
Croom Tract is the specific part of <st1:place w:st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:place>
where we were. Located in eastern Hernando County, Croom is arguably the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>creme dela creme</i> of our area’s wilderness, and over the
coming months I will write detailed reviews of some of the many hikes that can
be taken within its broad borders. For the purposes of this post, however, I
will just say that the route Sarah and I took on Sunday went north from the
trailhead at Tucker Hill Fire Tower, and we stayed straight on the
orange-blazed path rather than turning off on the blue-blazed A-B Connector.</div>
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To reach the fire tower, take exit 301 on I-75 and go east about one mile. Turn left on <st1:street w:st="on">Croom
Rital Road</st1:street> and continue past the entrance to
Silver Lake Recreation Area, which you will see after four miles. <st1:street w:st="on">Croom Rital </st1:street>eventually
turns back to the west, changes its name to <st1:street w:st="on">Croom Road</st1:street>, and goes from being a paved
road to a dirt road before arriving at the tower several miles after the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Silver</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place>
entrance.</div>
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There is plenty of parking at the tower, along with
restrooms and a picnic table, along with an unmanned pay station where you are
expected to deposit a $2-per-person fee for visiting the forest. Trust me, it is
worth it.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Happy Trails!</div>
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</span>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-41964568546234737492012-09-16T16:26:00.001-07:002012-09-16T16:26:30.766-07:00Ready To Go<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Though it is not yet cool, our
weather has started to become different than it was at the height of summer. Early
mornings have recently been pleasant, and several days ago temperatures were in
the sixties when I left for work, so I am ready to resume hiking and blogging
about hiking.</div>
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My preferred method of satisfying
my outdoors appetite during the dog days is to head to the mountains, but obviously
I can not do that every weekend, and therefore I often resort to riding my bike.
At least pedaling creates your own wind to take some of the bite out of the <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state> heat.</div>
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Biking in these parts is good on many
of the same forest paths that are good for hiking…</div>
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And is also good on country roads...</div>
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Before I take to reviewing a new
slew of hiking options in the Tampa Bay area, I feel like dedicating this post
to those rural roads, since they are just as overlooked and underappreciated as
our hiking trails. And come to think of it, they are good for a certain kind of
hiking because there is nothing stopping you from walking down their shoulders
while chewing on a piece of grass (to borrow a line from that old song “Ventura
Highway”).</div>
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I am not here to recommend any
specific roads. I just want to point out that they are all over our region. If
you want to experience one, all you need to do is drive out into the country and
find what’s there. You will see all kinds of landscapes, from the flat tomato
fields of southern Hillsborough to the rolling hills of northern <st1:city w:st="on">Pasco</st1:city>. You will find that
man’s marks are integrated into the landscape rather than imposed upon it:</div>
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You will see large animals both
wild…</div>
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And domestic…</div>
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Even if you don’t get out of your
car, rolling down the windows (or taking down the top if you drive a
convertible) will have you feeling the wind in your hair and feeling eager to
spend more time outside in the coming months.</div>
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My first trail review of the new
hiking season will be coming soon. Until then: Happy Trails!</div>
JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-42392957328216135802012-04-18T18:52:00.015-07:002012-04-22T03:25:11.103-07:00Until Next Time...<div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pMycjN1htsY/T491anqBNpI/AAAAAAAABtk/pZEzw9n1bW0/s1600/IMAG1010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pMycjN1htsY/T491anqBNpI/AAAAAAAABtk/pZEzw9n1bW0/s320/IMAG1010.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732929950848202386" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">When I started this blog last August, I wrote that I would do “most of my writing during…the cooler months starting in late fall and running through the winter into early spring.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>Although our weather remains surprisingly pleasant given the mild winter we just experienced, there is no doubt that the hot season is right around the corner and that </span><st1:state st="on">Florida</st1:state><span>’s hiking season is nearing its end. Over the last month I have already switched my exploration from hiking to off-road biking. So, I will not be writing any more on this blog until the fall comes back around.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>Still, I want to end this season by publishing some pictures that I did not include on the posts I wrote. Pictures like this one from Cypress Creek Preserve, showing a section that looks so swampy it is easy to imagine Yoda toddling through it:</span></p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Zn7ysRuGig/T490fDiWDHI/AAAAAAAABtY/NMCKerUmWyA/s1600/IMAG0977.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Zn7ysRuGig/T490fDiWDHI/AAAAAAAABtY/NMCKerUmWyA/s320/IMAG0977.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732928927540055154" /></a><br /><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">And pictures like these, which show that you can see vivid signs of animals’ presence without seeing the animals themselves:</span></p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gjU0XanekhE/T49xGmXxPRI/AAAAAAAABso/RUFWczWGhZM/s1600/IMAG0879.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gjU0XanekhE/T49xGmXxPRI/AAAAAAAABso/RUFWczWGhZM/s320/IMAG0879.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732925208859327762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AvKoZkYXoak/T49w6hL63RI/AAAAAAAABsc/C3JOx3DoAZo/s1600/IMAG0547.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AvKoZkYXoak/T49w6hL63RI/AAAAAAAABsc/C3JOx3DoAZo/s320/IMAG0547.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732925001309019410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>And the next one, which shows that you don’t need to wait for the sun to rise before stepping on a trail. Those streaks are mist reflecting in the beam of my headlamp.</span></p></div></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2glBVdUiALU/T490DiRluBI/AAAAAAAABtM/svPfdiIDdm4/s1600/IMAG0899.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2glBVdUiALU/T490DiRluBI/AAAAAAAABtM/svPfdiIDdm4/s320/IMAG0899.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732928454754940946" /></a><br /><div><span style="text-align: justify; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: left; "><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">From September through March I wrote twenty posts covering trails in multiple areas. However, I did not review any of the eleven state parks in our region that have hiking trails. Nor did I write about the </span><st1:place st="on" style="font-size: 100%; "><st1:placename st="on">Withlacoochee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Forest</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-size: 100%; ">, which I consider to be our region’s greatest wilderness. Nor did I write about the </span><st1:placename st="on" style="font-size: 100%; ">Green</st1:placename><span style="font-size: 100%; "> </span><st1:placetype st="on" style="font-size: 100%; ">Swamp</st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 100%; ">, which lies at the edge of our region and has the kind of wilderness credentials that will cause some people to think it surpasses </span><st1:place st="on" style="font-size: 100%; ">Withlacoochee</st1:place><span style="font-size: 100%; ">. These facts make me even more impressed about our region’s hiking bona fides, and even more eager to start writing when next fall rolls around.</span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>Having already posted two pictures about animals leaving signs without showing themselves, I will leave you with two more showing that even animals with PR problems have their own kind of handsomeness. After all, who would have thought that a venomous snake and an insect associated with Biblical plagues could be so colorful?:</span></p></div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--zE3twxcPM4/T49yjIq4RfI/AAAAAAAABtA/etz_6k4M6Kg/s1600/IMAG1338-1-1.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--zE3twxcPM4/T49yjIq4RfI/AAAAAAAABtA/etz_6k4M6Kg/s320/IMAG1338-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732926798614250994" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 243px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aOWWfL91Drw/T49yPAj-syI/AAAAAAAABs0/O2IoVkOiqbE/s1600/IMAG0986.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aOWWfL91Drw/T49yPAj-syI/AAAAAAAABs0/O2IoVkOiqbE/s320/IMAG0986.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732926452840444706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><br style="text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">If you have liked what you read on this blog, you may want to visit my long-neglected <a href="http://thecontinuoustourist.blogspot.com/"><span>travel blog</span></a> over the next several months, for I will be using it to publish reviews of hikes in the </span><st1:place st="on" style="font-size: 100%; ">Southern Appalachians</st1:place><span style="font-size: 100%; ">.</span></p></div></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>But as always, and no matter what: Happy Trails!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>And finally, I leave you with a hiking partner for the ages: my seven-year-old daughter Sarah, proudly hovering over tracks she discovered in Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve:</span></p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x5vs07mFuqw/T49whP-az0I/AAAAAAAABsQ/N4Ptb32Wt78/s1600/IMAG0646.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x5vs07mFuqw/T49whP-az0I/AAAAAAAABsQ/N4Ptb32Wt78/s320/IMAG0646.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732924567192260418" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></div>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-48923420174372662472012-03-20T19:51:00.007-07:002012-04-01T16:55:04.001-07:00Back to Cypress Creek North<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>It was 58 degrees and clouds were few when I entered Cypress Creek Preserve on Sunday morning, eager to explore parts of its northern trail network that I skipped on my previous visit:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1aBHNnJ4nXE/T2lAaZm8wTI/AAAAAAAABr0/F2Wni5J5QK0/s320/IMAG1446.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722175623845953842" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>Birdsong filled the air from the very beginning. At one point, I could make out so many individual tunes within the cacophony that there had to be representatives from more than a half-dozen species singing at the same time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>If you read <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/03/cypress-creek-north.html"><span>last week’s post,</span></a> you may recall that on my previous visit I skipped the first side trail and took the second one -- and later consulted the trail map, at which time I noticed it portrays these not as separate trails but as a single one which “travels north from the paved path at milepost 0.7 and eventually curves back to the south, crossing the paved path again at milepost 1.3.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>Well, after Sunday morning’s visit I can confirm that the trail map is correct on this point. From 0.7, the trail’s horseshoe route totals about 1½ miles before its crossing at 1.3. For most of this route it travels through hardwood forests, parts of which are downright jungly. I will not claim that the girth of the following trunk equals the biggest ones I saw <a href="http://thecontinuoustourist.blogspot.com/2010/05/northwestward-hoh.html"><span>in the Northwest,</span></a> but when I say it brings those trunks to mind, I absolutely mean it:</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GgScDS-ZW-I/T2k__qSwiyI/AAAAAAAABro/Awo5X0e5VXI/s1600/IMAG1522-1.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GgScDS-ZW-I/T2k__qSwiyI/AAAAAAAABro/Awo5X0e5VXI/s320/IMAG1522-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722175164468202274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 320px; " /></a><br style="text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>One word of warning: Be aware that you may have to slog through standing water if you hike this trail during the wet season, because a third of a mile from 0.7 it crosses the </span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">creekbed of </span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Cypress Creek’s headwaters without benefit of a bridge. On Sunday the creekbed was dry, but it is sure to be flowing once the rains come; and as you know, you stand a strong chance of running into alligators and cottonmouths anywhere in this state you see water.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>But anyway, continuing southward after the 1.3 crossing, the trail drops several feet downhill and enters a much drier habitat where fields of bluestem are backed by treelines of maple and pine:</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6NZS3nkVApM/T2k-9PPWhRI/AAAAAAAABrc/R-w60E1UEvQ/s1600/IMAG1518-1.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6NZS3nkVApM/T2k-9PPWhRI/AAAAAAAABrc/R-w60E1UEvQ/s320/IMAG1518-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722174023334790418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><br style="text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>This section of trail continues for its own 1½ miles before dead-ending at a fence, and along the way it is crossed by several other trails that lead to…well, right now I don’t know, but hey, that gives me a reason to come back!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>In the meantime, I can tell you that another thing I learned on Sunday’s visit is that if you take the right fork where the paved trail splits (I took the left one last time) you will only go about a third of a mile before reaching its end and having to turn around.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>And, I can let you know that this trail network is a primo place for viewing wildlife. After seeing lots of creatures the weekend before, Sunday’s visit turned up two pileated woodpeckers, a pair of storks, and five whitetail deer -- four of whom darted across the path no more than 30 feet in front of me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span>I will leave you with a photo of a tree that my last post described as “the tallest live oak I have ever seen.” W</span><span>hile last week’s dim light resulted in a photo that was little more than a silhouette, Sunday’s brightness did a better job revealing contrast and showing Spanish moss hanging from the branches</span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">:</span></p></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VajZBnF_ei8/T2k-aAo-kbI/AAAAAAAABrE/vTfmbzaacWw/s1600/IMAG1521.jpg" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VajZBnF_ei8/T2k-aAo-kbI/AAAAAAAABrE/vTfmbzaacWw/s320/IMAG1521.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722173418120319410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><br style="text-align: left; "><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span>Happy Trails!</span></p></div></div>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-59268667058901127562012-03-12T18:35:00.025-07:002012-04-01T16:53:57.720-07:00Cypress Creek North<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUsQfPorNQk/T16s7bZXfQI/AAAAAAAABqs/bcNFOlVHL_I/s1600/IMAG1422.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUsQfPorNQk/T16s7bZXfQI/AAAAAAAABqs/bcNFOlVHL_I/s320/IMAG1422.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719198713773522178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Back in January I wrote about a trail network in the west central portion of Cypress Creek Preserve. Temperatures in the low sixties drew me back to Cypress Creek on Saturday, but this time I decided to check out the trail network in its northern section -- which, amazingly, I had yet to hike despite living only 20 minutes away.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">The network’s main artery is a paved trail that cuts across the property from west to east and is wide enough to be considered a road. It connects with a number of dirt trails that, needless to say, have a more “wildernessy” appearance:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wYv3hi4OKww/T16sM6M7utI/AAAAAAAABqg/F3c3yQn4LS8/s1600/IMAG1436.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wYv3hi4OKww/T16sM6M7utI/AAAAAAAABqg/F3c3yQn4LS8/s320/IMAG1436.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719197914589018834" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">However, the paved one was more productive for wildlife viewing when I was there, turning up nine deer and a big alligator. Although its size does not fully translate in this picture, judging by the distance between the gator’s forehead and nose as compared to the plant life, I would estimate him to be about eight feet long:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u2Cs48ZrdHQ/T16rwOjPnVI/AAAAAAAABqI/eKCXGdtxiHc/s1600/IMAG1454-1-1.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u2Cs48ZrdHQ/T16rwOjPnVI/AAAAAAAABqI/eKCXGdtxiHc/s320/IMAG1454-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719197421835099474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 309px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">I travelled more than three miles on the paved trail, passing four dirt trails that were signed and a few more that were not signed, before opting to turn around and try some of those side paths. Right before doing my about face I heard the loud rattling call of a sandhill crane and glanced up to see it flying in my direction. It landed nearby and I thought of how fascinating it is that this species, which I see almost every day in <st1:state st="on">Florida</st1:state>, lives as far away as <st1:place st="on">Siberia</st1:place>:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hC91E2I3rKk/T16rhIxGY-I/AAAAAAAABp8/rO0x-8zl4eY/s1600/IMAG1426-1-1.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hC91E2I3rKk/T16rhIxGY-I/AAAAAAAABp8/rO0x-8zl4eY/s320/IMAG1426-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719197162584564706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 290px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">From the preserve’s entrance it is 0.7 miles to the first signed side trail, which travels north from the paved path; and 1.3 miles to the second, which crosses the paved path just after a culvert through which Cypress Creek flows underfoot. Because those trails enter woods that appeared more lush than the woods entered by the more easterly trails, I skipped the easterly ones and backtracked all the way to the trail at the 1.3-mile mark.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Going north, the first ¾ mile on this trail travels alternately through hardwood forests and pine-ringed palmetto fields before the former finally prevails in a kind of battle of the ecosystems. At first the canopy is open but soon it closes up:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HRxeBDJp2NM/T16rHjwdFdI/AAAAAAAABpw/spEsuOHeF9M/s1600/IMAG1453.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HRxeBDJp2NM/T16rHjwdFdI/AAAAAAAABpw/spEsuOHeF9M/s320/IMAG1453.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719196723153016274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Td28tQAe5M/T16q2mWLKZI/AAAAAAAABpk/BkrkCGtu7iM/s1600/IMAG1449.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Td28tQAe5M/T16q2mWLKZI/AAAAAAAABpk/BkrkCGtu7iM/s320/IMAG1449.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719196431790320018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">At one point I gazed up at the tallest live oak I have ever seen, and it made me understand why Hollywood executives chose <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> as the place to film those old Tarzan movies starring Johnny Weissmuller:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IeKRpkPTduM/T16qjY-2O4I/AAAAAAAABpY/AGw9U__0Quk/s1600/IMAG1444-1.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IeKRpkPTduM/T16qjY-2O4I/AAAAAAAABpY/AGw9U__0Quk/s320/IMAG1444-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719196101785303938" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">A little more than a mile after turning onto this trail, I had my most heart-stopping wildlife encounter in over two years. I was minding my own business when a large mammal stepped onto the trail no more than 20 feet in front me, travelling right to left and totally oblivious to my presence. Its jet black fur made me wonder if I was looking at a bear, but then I noticed its snout and realized I was sharing space with a wild hog.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Aware of their not-so-friendly reputation, I stopped in my tracks and apparently was not quiet in doing so. The hog glanced in my direction and saw me, then he jumped sideways and hustled off into the underbrush, providing a glimpse of his side profile that looked impeccably like the Arkansas Razorback of football helmet fame. Not knowing whether hogs travel solo or in groups, I interpreted his presence as a message to get the hell out of there.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">I felt a few raindrops, and, knowing I was already on pace to log more than eight miles by the time I got back to the car, decided to wait until next weekend to try the first side trail. I can not wait to see what awaits me then, given how much new, here-comes-spring foliage I saw on Saturday:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gflixjq7Z54/T16qJhbhzjI/AAAAAAAABpM/mLjcIV5531w/s1600/IMAG1450-1.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gflixjq7Z54/T16qJhbhzjI/AAAAAAAABpM/mLjcIV5531w/s320/IMAG1450-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719195657376484914" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">There are a few things about the “Cypress Creek North” trail network you should know. For one, I am not convinced of how reliable <a href="http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/maps/cypresscreek.pdf"><span>the trail map</span></a> is. Assuming you hike west to east like I did, the map shows the paved trail forking near the preserve’s eastern boundary, with the left fork turning north and continuing to go north; however, I took the left fork and found that it soon shifted to an east-southeasterly direction. Where I turned around, it was heading in that direction in a straight line and I could not see the end, so until I explore more and write about what I find, take that for what you will.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Also, after consulting the trail map when I returned home, I noticed it shows that the first and second side trails are one and the same. According to the map, it travels north from the paved path at milepost 0.7 and eventually curves back to the south, crossing the paved path again at milepost 1.3. As soon as I confirm whether that is true or false, I will let you know.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">And lastly, you should know that accessing this network is not as easy as accessing the one I wrote about before. From Ehren Cutoff, turn onto <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Pump Station Road</st1:address></st1:street> and drive to its end, where you will be stopped by a security gate beyond which buildings can be seen. There are warning signs about needing to register before entering, but they are intended for visitors to the well houses, not visitors to the preserve, so feel free to park on the shoulder and use the walk-through opening in the fence. Then, continue walking 0.3 miles to the actual preserve entrance, which is visible the whole way:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzg3A5gmcRo/T16pqtPoUjI/AAAAAAAABpA/uyPqIMSeBIY/s1600/IMAG1420.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzg3A5gmcRo/T16pqtPoUjI/AAAAAAAABpA/uyPqIMSeBIY/s320/IMAG1420.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719195127971861042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; "><p class="MsoNormal">If you don’t like the idea of hiking on pavement, a good idea would be to bring your bike and pedal to the various trailheads. That would save a lot of time getting from one trail to the next, and give you more time to explore each one. Happy Trails!</p></div></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o-mdtO5pW6Q/T16w1ESsKdI/AAAAAAAABq4/4DOBhm8GVew/s1600/IMAG1452.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o-mdtO5pW6Q/T16w1ESsKdI/AAAAAAAABq4/4DOBhm8GVew/s320/IMAG1452.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719203002538797522" /></a><div><br /></div>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-87054516303490091522012-02-28T16:36:00.023-08:002012-02-29T18:11:12.748-08:00Misty Mornin' Hop, Part Two<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">After backtracking from <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2012/02/misty-mornin-hop-part-one.html"><span>the river and glade,</span></a> I stepped onto the road’s shoulder and walked across <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Morris</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Bridge</st1:placename></st1:place>. A couple cars zipped by, and, as often happens, I wondered if the drivers had any inkling of the natural beauty that sits just off road waiting to be explored:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WlWFiPiJtdE/T02RMZ_hqBI/AAAAAAAABo0/lpb5p0P-YcU/s1600/IMAG1276.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WlWFiPiJtdE/T02RMZ_hqBI/AAAAAAAABo0/lpb5p0P-YcU/s320/IMAG1276.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714383144524818450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other side of the bridge, I climbed down onto the boardwalk that passes underneath. A <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=668&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=5SmgvpYeD6fdLM:&imgrefurl=http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/Florida/pages/great%2520blue%2520heron.htm&docid=z6tqDgggIDyMuM&imgurl=http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/Florida/images/great%252520blue%252520heron.jpg&w=301&h=450&ei=N41NT625JY71sQLp2NAd&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=381&sig=108700244327638312702&page=1&tbnh=144&tbnw=95&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=45&ty=62"><span>great blue heron</span></a> was standing by the river no more than 15 feet away, but as soon as I reached for my camera it took flight and flapped upstream on its enormous wings. Thus began a one-minute stretch in which I found myself close to several photogenic birds but failed to get any photos.</div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Soon after emerging from the bridge, the boardwalk empties into a shaded parking lot where a <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=668&tbm=isch&tbnid=twtTfykdUeWdjM:&imgrefurl=https://secure.cazbah.net/store.asp%3Fpid%3D19729&docid=f8sbLRJeEcxmdM&imgurl=https://secure.cazbah.net/client_images/catalog19794/pages/images/Broad-Winged%252520Hawk%252520Large%2525201.jpg&w=400&h=360&ei=fY1NT9a9LsSKsQKwkeEC&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=599&vpy=181&dur=479&hovh=129&hovw=143&tx=135&ty=96&sig=108700244327638312702&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=129&tbnw=143&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0"><span>broad-winged hawk</span></a> was sitting on a low-hanging branch. He did not flinch as I approached holding my camera; however, when I lifted it to snap a picture, he went airborne in the beat of an eye and vanished into the trees.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">And when I made it to the trail on the opposite side of the parking lot, I saw a pair of <span><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=668&tbm=isch&tbnid=xJMqkBJgzqYzxM:&imgrefurl=http://home.earthlink.net/~forcreeks/&docid=aQ4Aqj_fwqaV3M&imgurl=http://home.earthlink.net/~forcreeks/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/wood-ducks-f2412web2.jpg&w=798&h=598&ei=sY1NT_TuHqiQsAK6npge&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=200&vpy=343&dur=414&hovh=151&hovw=214&tx=123&ty=98&sig=108700244327638312702&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=202&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0"><span>wood ducks</span></a> </span>swimming in a creek. That would seem to be the perfect place to take a picture, because shouldn’t water slow a creature down? However -- there’s that word again -- when they saw me they managed to go from floating to flying with stunning speed.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">With that, I decided to forge ahead and forget about trying to photograph the animals. A minute later I arrived at a live oak with thick, green resurrection ferns growing on its trunk. Knowing that our area’s resurrections had been brown just a week or two before, I interpreted this as a sign of impending spring:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5VeboNxHfAo/T02QlFNEARI/AAAAAAAABoo/uPOUeUJiUIM/s1600/IMAG1290.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5VeboNxHfAo/T02QlFNEARI/AAAAAAAABoo/uPOUeUJiUIM/s320/IMAG1290.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714382468929552658" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Back on December 6th I <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2011/12/lhw-morris-bridge.html"><span>wrote</span></a> about an intersection of trails “from which the Main Trail turns south; the Heartbreak Ridge Trail goes east; and an unnamed side trail goes north…” As I passed the ferns two Saturdays ago, I was walking on the Main Trail and heading for that intersection, eager to check out the Heartbreak Ridge since I skipped it on my prior visit.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">After travelling east through pine flatwoods, the Main Trail arrives at the intersection a half-mile from the parking lot, at a spot where the forest abruptly switches from a dry one dominated by softwoods to a damp one dominated by hardwoods. The mucky earth is scoured by the wallows of wild boars:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpGS2efLtGY/T02QRRSsSLI/AAAAAAAABoc/qmz9NzgSuU4/s1600/IMAG1291.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpGS2efLtGY/T02QRRSsSLI/AAAAAAAABoc/qmz9NzgSuU4/s320/IMAG1291.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714382128577005746" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">This forest becomes so dense you could be standing next to a large animal and not see it:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiSc4m55ogg/T02Pt36-xbI/AAAAAAAABoQ/Bby0dxwI90A/s1600/IMAG1292.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiSc4m55ogg/T02Pt36-xbI/AAAAAAAABoQ/Bby0dxwI90A/s320/IMAG1292.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714381520471246258" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">That morning, it was very obvious that some of its sights were early signs of spring:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-txWSWuzLhYk/T02OryP7P_I/AAAAAAAABoE/T6Wwm55ncuA/s1600/IMAG1295-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-txWSWuzLhYk/T02OryP7P_I/AAAAAAAABoE/T6Wwm55ncuA/s320/IMAG1295-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714380385077116914" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">If you hike the Heartbreak Ridge Trail, you will notice that the sign describes it as “extremely difficult.” This being <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state>, that description is clearly an exaggeration, but the trail does have lots of roots that warrant caution and could challenge a mountain biker. Also, you won’t see anything resembling a ridge, but don’t worry: The forest’s beauty makes up for its lack of elevation change.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Approximately five minutes after stepping onto the Heartbreak Ridge Trail you reach an unsigned intersection with another trail. Continuing straight, the Heartbreak Ridge crosses one of its two wooden footbridges before shifting its direction southward:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2yYzLqTikC4/T02OcQlkQ5I/AAAAAAAABn4/k6SkOCEYXpw/s1600/IMAG1298.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2yYzLqTikC4/T02OcQlkQ5I/AAAAAAAABn4/k6SkOCEYXpw/s320/IMAG1298.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714380118343041938" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">It took me twenty minutes to hike the entirety of the Heartbreak Ridge. It ends by emptying onto another trail, which I can only assume is the Main Trail because there was no sign to identify it.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">I would have kept going to determine whether this “new” trail was indeed the Main Trail, but I had promised to be home at an early hour, so I turned around and made my way back through the morning mist, listening to the insistent chatter of squirrels -- one of whom was kind enough to alleviate my earlier frustration by allowing me to take his picture:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gJRP6xbHXYE/T02OGk_KCGI/AAAAAAAABns/nv8UTW7p5Lk/s1600/IMAG1301-1-1-1-1-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 302px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gJRP6xbHXYE/T02OGk_KCGI/AAAAAAAABns/nv8UTW7p5Lk/s320/IMAG1301-1-1-1-1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714379745861961826" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal">Happy Trails!</p></div>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-78200653030419412032012-02-22T17:32:00.018-08:002012-02-28T17:14:54.151-08:00Misty Mornin' Hop, Part One<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GE5YRMhK8w/T0WadrF7K3I/AAAAAAAABnU/RD9dgLG0SvA/s1600/IMAG1252-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GE5YRMhK8w/T0WadrF7K3I/AAAAAAAABnU/RD9dgLG0SvA/s320/IMAG1252-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712141536963799922" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Fog wrapped itself around the forest shortly before seven a.m. on Saturday. After a two-month absence, I was happy to be back in Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve and checking out some trails I skipped during prior visits.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">I stepped onto the Main Trail from the same trailhead mentioned in my <span><a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2011/11/lhw-flatwoods-from-south.html">November 29th <span></span>post,</a> </span>and within seconds the scenery inverted the message of that old saying about missing the forest for the trees. This forest was foggy, all right, but now that I was seeing it up close, fog became the last thing I noticed. Instead I was struck by all the little things that usually get overlooked, like contours on bark and dew drops on leaves:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R3nQhYBBYmo/T0WfD1FbsAI/AAAAAAAABng/dRrnywknTME/s320/IMAG1269-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712146590527631362" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i9QBIIXWcCk/T0WaL61epLI/AAAAAAAABnI/yqd15F4aZ0g/s1600/IMAG1269.jpg"><span><br /></span></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">There were signs that spring is knocking on our door. While many of the deciduous trees remained leafless, some were sporting bright green leaf buds, and new maple leaves were especially abundant. A scattering of shed blossoms on the ground revealed that the Carolina jessamine, a tree-faring vine, has already <i>completed</i> its yearly bloom:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WqhM-YXbAwQ/T0WZZyDZezI/AAAAAAAABmw/zbX_Lo_67dI/s1600/IMAG1300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WqhM-YXbAwQ/T0WZZyDZezI/AAAAAAAABmw/zbX_Lo_67dI/s320/IMAG1300.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712140370601147186" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">A few minutes from the trailhead I came to a T intersection and turned left, onto a side trail that my November 29th<sup> </sup>post described as going “south to points that are unknown to me.” On this day I was going to find out what those points are.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">A chorus of birdsong lightened the mood as the trail traveled downhill into a glade. Although I am not typically given to thoughts of fantasy, the word “enchanting” is what came to mind when I saw the look of its emerald hue in the fog-softened light. Having heard Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On” the night before, I thought of that song’s allusions to Tolkien and lyrics about “days of old when magic filled the air.”</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SIVV1YEputw/T0WY-BVatFI/AAAAAAAABmk/pp0ptG_a0mU/s1600/IMAG1275.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SIVV1YEputw/T0WY-BVatFI/AAAAAAAABmk/pp0ptG_a0mU/s320/IMAG1275.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712139893666919506" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">About two-tenths of a mile after turning onto this trail I arrived at the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hillsborough</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place>, along whose bank the trail travels in both directions:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PP1ACwTyiLw/T0WYii5DfqI/AAAAAAAABmY/Iua33FRtPXo/s1600/IMAG1277-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PP1ACwTyiLw/T0WYii5DfqI/AAAAAAAABmY/Iua33FRtPXo/s320/IMAG1277-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712139421638426274" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">I opted to go right and head in the opposite direction from the road. A plump red cardinal flitted around a riverside bush and my attempts to photograph him were not successful. Fortunately, the trail’s faint route proved to be a good photo subject in its own right, with water to its left and open woods to its right:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nX0saL_jcvw/T0WXsU0glPI/AAAAAAAABmM/FLTQk4R446U/s1600/IMAG1280.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nX0saL_jcvw/T0WXsU0glPI/AAAAAAAABmM/FLTQk4R446U/s320/IMAG1280.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712138490148328690" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal">Eventually it petered out among a cluster of cypress knees. Navigation-wise, it would have been easy to keep walking since all the trail was doing was following the river; however, knowing this area is home to large numbers of alligators and cottonmouths, I did an about face after going only 50 or so steps beyond the blazed path.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After all, this was not the only trail I wanted to explore that morning. And with that in mind, I started heading east…</p></div>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-79872169473584016052012-02-15T19:07:00.003-08:002012-02-16T03:44:14.847-08:00Brooker Creek<div style="text-align: justify;"><div>Pinellas County is about the last place you would expect to find a big tract of undeveloped land. Surrounded by water on three sides and crowded with shoulder-to-shoulder municipalities, it has long been known as the most densely populated county in the state. When I was growing up in Pinellas, if you had told me it was home to a thriving wilderness of more than 15 square miles, I would have thought you were crazy...and thankfully, I would have been wrong:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HfIJBoOnbRY/Tzxysjz7m-I/AAAAAAAABls/GjtEyHZYyc0/s1600/IMAG1235-1.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HfIJBoOnbRY/Tzxysjz7m-I/AAAAAAAABls/GjtEyHZYyc0/s320/IMAG1235-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709564537451813858" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Located east of Tarpon Springs and Palm Harbor, that wilderness has since been set aside and today is managed by the county. It goes by the name Brooker Creek Preserve, and even more surprising than its presence is the fact that it is larger than any of the state parks in the five-county area that stretches from Manatee to Hernando.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">The preserve’s green tapestry is woven of bottomland hardwood swamps, cypress heads, oak hammocks, forests of longleaf pine, and some freshwater marshes. Enough trees shed their leaves for winter that the tapestry is not entirely green at this moment, but it is pretty nonetheless. On my visit yesterday I enjoyed the look of barren limbs against blue sky:</p></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P_TcCgecIsw/Tzxr97vos3I/AAAAAAAABlU/IVVq8quJ2IM/s1600/IMAG1224-1.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P_TcCgecIsw/Tzxr97vos3I/AAAAAAAABlU/IVVq8quJ2IM/s320/IMAG1224-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709557139352630130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px; " /></a><br style="text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Contrary to what you might expect, Brooker Creek itself is not a singular waterway. Rather, it crosses the preserve in a series of channels that eventually merge before flowing into <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placename st="on">Tarpon</st1:placename></st1:place> to the west. Some of them run dry during times of drought, only to get so full during the wet season that they spill over and flood the surrounding woods. Here is one of those channels as seen yesterday:</p></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jr1cr0F2Eog/TzxrpJQo7qI/AAAAAAAABlI/CEPYvlWoUVE/s1600/IMAG1233.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jr1cr0F2Eog/TzxrpJQo7qI/AAAAAAAABlI/CEPYvlWoUVE/s320/IMAG1233.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709556782203465378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><br style="text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Brooker Creek Preserve’s main entrance is on the south side of <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Tarpon Springs Road</st1:address></st1:street>, 2¼ miles east of <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">East Lake Boulevard</st1:address></st1:street>. Through that entrance is a 2.3-mile loop road with a parking lot at the 1.1-mile mark. That parking lot is where you will find access to a southward-spreading network of hiking trails, totaling just over 4¼ miles, plus an environmental education center constructed in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> Pioneer-style architecture. The education center is at the end of a scenic boardwalk that passes under a sculpture made by <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Colorado</st1:place></st1:state> artist Tim Upham:</p></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EHVrJ16onLQ/TzxrLNoYaTI/AAAAAAAABk8/AhaociNmtcM/s1600/IMAG1228.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EHVrJ16onLQ/TzxrLNoYaTI/AAAAAAAABk8/AhaociNmtcM/s320/IMAG1228.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709556267980712242" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><br style="text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">The trails may be accessed from the sign in the parking lot or from behind the education center. It makes no difference which you choose, because the trailheads represent opposite ends of the 0.7-mile Ed Center Trail, a semi-circular path that links up with the Wilderness Trail and Flatwoods Trail…In turn, both of those link up with the Blackwater Cutoff Trail, as the Flatwoods Trail intersects its northern terminus and the Wilderness Trail intersects its southern…At one point rather far afield, the Blackwater Cutoff intersects the Pine Needle Path, which stakes out to the south and meets up with the Wilderness Trail at the furthest spot you can reach without going illegally off-trail…Oh, and I have not even mentioned the Bird Path, a short side route off the Ed Center Trail all the way back near the beginning.</p></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhxoNju4f3U/Tzxq0R25cPI/AAAAAAAABkw/BgGtypMAKog/s1600/IMAG1246.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhxoNju4f3U/Tzxq0R25cPI/AAAAAAAABkw/BgGtypMAKog/s320/IMAG1246.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709555873978347762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><br style="text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: left; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Sound confusing? It probably does, but the good news is that it all makes sense when you look at the trail map and follow the numbered signs. Maps are free and can be picked up from dispensers at the trailheads.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">It is worth noting that while this trail network is the only one accessible from Brooker Creek Preserve’s main entrance, it is not the only one in the preserve. There is a second preserve entrance on <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Old Keystone Road</st1:address></st1:street>, which turns north from <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Tarpon Springs Road</st1:address></st1:street> about 1½ miles to the west. This second entrance provides access to a northward-spreading, 10-mile network of equestrian trails, and though I have not tried to hike them, I suppose there is nothing stopping you from doing so as long as you don’t mind always being on the lookout for “horse pies.”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Lastly, a third entrance to Brooker Creek Preserve can be found on Lora Lane, which turns south from Tarpon Springs Road about a half-mile west of the main entrance. The downside of the <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Lora Lane</st1:address></st1:street> access point is that there are no parking spaces, but the upside is that it leads you to a 1¾-mile path that is identified as Site W81 on the <a href="http://floridabirdingtrail.com/"><span>Great Florida Birding Trail.</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">I can not think of any reason not to visit Brooker Creek this time of year, so I encourage you to point your car in its direction as soon as you can. Happy Trails!</p></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1d8aUzmtfsM/TzxqX7DS7oI/AAAAAAAABkk/twqenI6Z6T8/s1600/IMAG1232.jpg" style="text-align: left; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1d8aUzmtfsM/TzxqX7DS7oI/AAAAAAAABkk/twqenI6Z6T8/s320/IMAG1232.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709555386819997314" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px; " /></a><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></div>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-47502196186351550612012-02-08T17:43:00.001-08:002012-02-09T16:07:00.163-08:00Lettuce Lake<div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2O9j_xM8hqk/TzM1aOQKCcI/AAAAAAAABkY/nbqvTFWO0y8/s1600/ll6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2O9j_xM8hqk/TzM1aOQKCcI/AAAAAAAABkY/nbqvTFWO0y8/s320/ll6.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706963877427284418" /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><u><br /></u></span></div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Lettuce</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> is one of those places that everybody knows about but nobody thinks of as a hiking destination.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">One reason for that might be the kneejerk tendency of some hikers to think that walking in the outdoors only counts as hiking when it is done in obscure places devoid of fellow humans. Another might be that some people have a kind of “wilderness snobbery” that looks down on places whose only walkways are a 0.7-mile boardwalk and 1.1-mile fitness trail. But look at what they would be missing by skipping such walkways!</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LFmvR-HQOYU/TzM0i8poTVI/AAAAAAAABkM/KcD-TIBC5Fg/s1600/ll8.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LFmvR-HQOYU/TzM0i8poTVI/AAAAAAAABkM/KcD-TIBC5Fg/s320/ll8.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706962927809482066" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PN0RAm5XODU/TzM0KqtVsII/AAAAAAAABkA/_RizQWdveNw/s1600/ll3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PN0RAm5XODU/TzM0KqtVsII/AAAAAAAABkA/_RizQWdveNw/s320/ll3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706962510676340866" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Yet another reason for the mental disconnect might be that some people assume a park can’t be very wild when it is close to office buildings and apartment complexes. However, I take the opposite view: What could better prove Nature’s power and omnipresence than the fact that a place this lush sits so close, and so seamlessly, next to civilization?</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rMokjysFk7Y/TzMzsGOcTXI/AAAAAAAABj0/m-GAIM7XwDo/s1600/ll7.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rMokjysFk7Y/TzMzsGOcTXI/AAAAAAAABj0/m-GAIM7XwDo/s320/ll7.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706961985486998898" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Lettuce Lake Park is a <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hillsborough</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">County</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>, so be prepared to pay the $2 entry fee when you arrive. Then prepare to <i>not</i> be disappointed. The boardwalk wends through a hardwood swamp along the side of <st1:placename st="on">Lettuce</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> -- which is not really a lake, but an offshoot of the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hillsborough</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> that hooks east then north from the river itself. Along the boardwalk is a five-level observation tower providing this bird’s eye view:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7dGFgjyJ7e0/TzMzLnCWcyI/AAAAAAAABjo/COKUbxZh66o/s1600/ll5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7dGFgjyJ7e0/TzMzLnCWcyI/AAAAAAAABjo/COKUbxZh66o/s320/ll5.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706961427358970658" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">If you enjoy looking for wildlife, you may find <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Lettuce</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> to be a kind of gold mine. Every time I come here I see multiple turtles basking on logs, and it seems like there are wading birds hanging out everywhere there is water. Some of them are easy to spot, like this white ibis:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AX7DDdPipy0/TzMyssT-rvI/AAAAAAAABjc/OwV9U_TqDpY/s1600/ll2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AX7DDdPipy0/TzMyssT-rvI/AAAAAAAABjc/OwV9U_TqDpY/s320/ll2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706960896199143154" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Others require you to walk more slowly and be more observant. What might at first appear to be nothing more than a piece of wood, might upon closer inspection prove to be a black-crowned night heron:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cWuPeXTgkQ8/TzMyUqA_o4I/AAAAAAAABjQ/TlRm2W1mWqA/s1600/ll9.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cWuPeXTgkQ8/TzMyUqA_o4I/AAAAAAAABjQ/TlRm2W1mWqA/s320/ll9.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706960483265782658" /></a><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnK0KWL2JI0/TzMyBcSkOiI/AAAAAAAABjE/mgr0Xpj4-20/s1600/ll10.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnK0KWL2JI0/TzMyBcSkOiI/AAAAAAAABjE/mgr0Xpj4-20/s320/ll10.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706960153163872802" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">And if you are partial to mammals, don’t worry. There are plenty of them here, including this squirrel who was more than happy to entertain me when I visited the park during my lunch hour this afternoon:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uHAQvAiEZu4/TzMxt00d9jI/AAAAAAAABi4/w9STqtM4giY/s1600/ll1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 289px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uHAQvAiEZu4/TzMxt00d9jI/AAAAAAAABi4/w9STqtM4giY/s320/ll1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706959816151135794" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">In addition to the boardwalk and fitness trail, <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Lettuce</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> has a playground, picnic tables, and several shelters that make for great places to host a kid’s birthday party. It also has an educational center.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Plus, it has a canoe launch in case you wish to experience the “lake” and river closer than you can from the boardwalk. You may bring your own boat, or rent one at a rate of $25 for every four hours. If you paddle south out of the park you will head toward the city of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tampa. I</st1:place></st1:city>f you paddle north, the river will turn east and lead you to its intricate passage through <a href="http://thetampabayhiker.blogspot.com/2011/11/lower-hillsborough-wilderness.html"><span>Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve.</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">The entrance to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Lettuce</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> is on the north side of <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Fletcher Avenue</st1:address></st1:street>, about one mile west of I-75. Trust me, this is a park you do not want to miss. Happy Trails!</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sfVlDf_TuSg/TzMxYC28JcI/AAAAAAAABis/Lg7_5sMEi40/s1600/ll4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sfVlDf_TuSg/TzMxYC28JcI/AAAAAAAABis/Lg7_5sMEi40/s320/ll4.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706959441962476994" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p></p></div></div></div>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8920981506733494474.post-75767817206910814512012-01-30T15:11:00.001-08:002012-01-31T03:15:54.809-08:00Serenova<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-25-dP6P1mq0/TydRiMcy2PI/AAAAAAAABiU/9zojtjE-rRE/s1600/ser4.JPG"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-25-dP6P1mq0/TydRiMcy2PI/AAAAAAAABiU/9zojtjE-rRE/s320/ser4.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703617100987422962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The 6,533-acre Serenova Tract is located in western Pasco County, with a single roadside entrance granting access to its 18 miles of trails. It borders Starkey Park to the south, which in turn borders the Anclote River Ranch Tract to <i>its</i> south, and together they form what is known as Starkey Wilderness Preserve.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Serenova’s entrance is on the south side of State Road 52 across from the end of <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Hayes Road</st1:address></st1:street>, two traffic lights west of the <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Suncoast Parkway</st1:address></st1:street>. From the parking area, hikers and mountain bikers enter through a walk-through opening in the fence while horseback riders enter through a cattle gate. The separate openings result in separate paths at the beginning, but they merge very soon and every mile of trail is open to hikers, bikers, and equestrians alike.</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yEGo2668Q4/TydRDtS99XI/AAAAAAAABiI/3nP87VEeohI/s1600/ser1.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yEGo2668Q4/TydRDtS99XI/AAAAAAAABiI/3nP87VEeohI/s320/ser1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703616577228633458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">About 1½ miles south of the entrance, the merged trail forks and proceeds to branch out into a series of far-reaching, interconnected loops. A power line travels the length of the preserve on a tight northeast-to-southwest angle, and the break beneath, which is crossed by several of the loops, can be used as an alternate hiking route. The <a href="http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/maps/starkey-serenova.pdf"><span>trail map</span></a> shows the power line and is quite reliable as long as you remain on paths that are signed.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Something I like is that Serenova contains numerous bodies of water despite not seeming all that watery. The <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Pithlachascotee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> bisects it from east to west and several lakes are visible from the trails. Given the length of the trail network, you can walk past the same lake at different times of day and see what it looks like in different light:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dcT66xZT-WE/TydQg6gq6UI/AAAAAAAABh8/2x_iVovTXRM/s1600/ser5.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dcT66xZT-WE/TydQg6gq6UI/AAAAAAAABh8/2x_iVovTXRM/s320/ser5.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703615979480344898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GKEZ6HhgUy0/TydQTxfEDLI/AAAAAAAABhw/S1ena_GDuEI/s1600/ser6.JPG"><br /><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GKEZ6HhgUy0/TydQTxfEDLI/AAAAAAAABhw/S1ena_GDuEI/s320/ser6.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703615753719385266" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Some 150 species of birds have been documented here, coming in all shapes and sizes. On a recent hike I watched a wood stork fly overhead and land in a tree, chasing away a white ibis that had been perched there. A minute later, when I held up my cell phone to snap a picture, the stork took flight and I was lucky to capture him in a full nose dive. It is hard to believe digital photography has come so far that I was able to capture this shot from a phone:</p></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rEdK7MSBG7E/TydPzXAhaxI/AAAAAAAABhk/GBU0-drFelY/s1600/ser7.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rEdK7MSBG7E/TydPzXAhaxI/AAAAAAAABhk/GBU0-drFelY/s320/ser7.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703615196856150802" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Other creatures in Serenova include scrub jays, gopher tortoises, and rattlesnakes. It may excite you to know that black bears have been documented here, though it is not known whether they are residents or simply pass through on occasion.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">And if you are a history buff, it may excite you to know that a decaying chimney deep in the woods has long been rumored to be the remains of a hideout used by Al Capone.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Less than a half-mile into the preserve is a camping area that offers a good option for experiencing it. You can pitch your tent after work on a Friday, then arise before dawn and have time to explore the entire trail network by nightfall, then bed down again on Saturday and be home well before lunch on Sunday.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">The camping area is comprised of an equestrian site on the east side of the trail and a non-equestrian site on the west, with a latrine in between. Each site is shaded by live oaks and is so spacious that it looks like it could accommodate a dozen tents with plenty of room to spare. Picnic tables and fire rings (which double as grills) are spread throughout. Serenova is owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and as is the case with practically every campsite on district property, these are immaculate despite not having electricity or running water.</p></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><p class="MsoNormal">You will be cheating yourself if you fail to check this place out. Happy Trails!</p></div></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-777gaSyWaNU/TydVqb-UFTI/AAAAAAAABig/PDt2vtGqOt8/s1600/ser8.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-777gaSyWaNU/TydVqb-UFTI/AAAAAAAABig/PDt2vtGqOt8/s320/ser8.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703621640640009522" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p></p></div>JDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05360470068860788678noreply@blogger.com5