PHOTOBLOG: Gold Head Branch State Park

"The worst day on the trail is better than the best day in the office."

Photoblog: Family time at Juniper Springs

Wandering the trails at Jonathan Dickinson State Park

I had wanted to go on a hike at Jonathan Dickinson State Park for a long time. It just never seemed to be the right time to do it; I once started a hike there with my younger sister, but the weather was hot and unforgiving out there in the open pine flatwood habitat, so we bailed.

One chilly December morning, a few years back, I finally got my chance to get out there and do a proper hike with the dog. I'm glad I did: there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the temperatures never rose above 55 degrees. The ranger at the main station -- a native Floridian -- even laughed and wondered why I wanted to go out there when it was "so cold." I smiled and shrugged; it's generally no use trying to explain hiking to non-hikers, as some of you probably know all too well.

We started out by following the park's equestrian trails, grabbing a few connecting trails in order to reach the section of Florida Trail that wound through the park. Hiking through the pine flatwood was delightful this time around, and Duchess enjoyed the new sights and smells.

At one point, she became hyper-alert; this is not something she does during hikes, so I knew that there was something out there in the palmettos. Her hackles went up and she became oddly defensive of me, standing between me and whatever "it" was that was causing her such offense. 

Then that oily-dirty-musky scent hit me like a truck and I realized we had wandered too close to a black bear. It was in that moment that I heard a sort of huffing growl, and I slowly backed away, pulling firmly on Duchess's leash and calmly calling her off the scent. I continued backing away for a few more yards, and then finally turned around and we continued our hike without incident. I never even saw the bear. But it was definitely aware of us.

We continued along the equestrian trails until we reached the Florida Trail. The photo you see of that bridge was Duchess's first ever trail bridge crossing! She handled the rickety bridge like a pro. I was proud of her that day; she obeyed me while in a stressful situation with the bear, and she tackled new problems, like the bridge, without hesitation. She's a good girl.

Foggy morning on the Florida Trail: White Springs

If I am not mistaken, this is the Little Shoals section of the Florida Trail at White Springs. It was nice and cool, and the river took on a mysterious quality under a veil of morning mist. 

When the fog lifted, we were left in a world of bright, springtime green. There was new growth everywhere to be seen. I love the flowers of spring as much as the next person, but this 'newly-spring' look really speaks to me -- it speaks of the promise of all good things to come. It's altogether enchanting to behold a season in its infancy.

My hiking companions and I were chatting, laughing, and making a general ruckus, so we didn't see much in the way of larger wildlife, but I managed to scout a couple of brightly-accented insects; just look at those colors! Bugs are awesome.

Thus ends the saga of my visit to White Springs. I'll update the blog if I ever do return to that area, but with so many other places to see, who knows where my feet and wheels will take me?

Playing on the Florida Trail at River Bend Park

As an outdoor enthusiast and member of the Florida Trail Association, I do a lot of hiking on the Florida Trail. It is a designated National Scenic Trail, spanning over 1,000 miles all over the state of Florida. It is an unfinished work, with many unconnected segments, so it is essentially a section hiker's dream. There are so many wildly different ecosystems in Florida, and the trail does a great job of showcasing them.

I'm a sucker for old cars, and this one -- laid out to rest under the shade of an even older oak tree -- caught my eye.

This particular hike took me through some pine and palmetto scrub, as well as a floodplain forest. I did this hike with my mother and my dog on a gorgeous mid-March morning in 2012. 

That's my dog, Duchess. Look at that balance! She zoomed across that narrow log like it was nothing.

I couldn't believe the coloring on this insect. It's camouflaged coloring was impressive, but do you see the flash of blue and orange on the inside of its leg? Incredible! Nature is full of happy surprises.

The trail also took us through a few rural backyards; we were greeted by a couple of friendly horses at one point:

We were a few hours into the hike when we came across this water crossing. As common as water crossings are in the southern parts of the Florida Trail, we just didn't feel like getting wet that day, so we decided to turn back. All in all, it was a fantastic hike; great weather, good company, and a couple of interesting ecosystems.

A morning on the Florida Trail

I went on a Sunday morning hike with my mother and my dog at a local wildlife management area. It wasn't too hot when we started out at 7:00 AM, but it was 83 degrees Fahrenheit by 11:30 AM, so it was a short and sweet hike; probably around 5 miles round-trip.

As you can see, spring was in full swing that morning. Plants were blooming, birds were singing, it was a nice hike, even though we were wading through knee-deep water half the time!

The next two photos provide excellent examples of what we were hiking through that morning. It was a great workout. The dog had a blast, galloping through the water and wading through the muck like a champ. She's a great trail dog. I think I'll make a post about her one day; her story is an interesting one.