Florida Day Hiking

In Florida we get days that the sky is so blue it hurts your eyes.  Not a cloud in the sky and the sun just seems to bring out the blueness or the sky.

These days are best when they occur in the fall or winter.  By the spring or summer, days without clouds can be very hot.  The Florida heat can be unbearable and the brief moments of respite offered by a cloud passing in front of the sun is always welcome.

On a cool winter morning like today, the blue sky was beautiful – blue – a deep dark blue – so blue it made me squint even with my sunglasses on.

I was hiking the Baseline Trail portion of the Florida Trail.  Not my favorite part of the Trail.  A good portion of the trail in that area is paved.  Hiking on a paved trail feels more like walking than hiking.  (I will address the difference between hiking and walking a different blog.  Your comments on that topic are welcomed.)

The advantage to hiking Baseline is that there is no shade.  On a winter morning that can feel good.  The sun beats down and warms you, especially if the temperatures are in the 30’s or 40’s.  On the other hand, in the summer Baseline can be brutal, hot, hot, hot.

This morning it was perfect.  Temperatures were leaving the 30’s and heading for the 40’s.  A long sleeved flannel shirt was more than enough to keep off the chill and the bright unobstructed sun warmed both body and soul.

These are some of the best hiking mornings in Florida, crisp and clear.  We get many mornings like this, but of course we do not always take advantage of them.  A word of advice, take advantage of the beautiful hiking mornings and afternoons while you can.  As many of them as we get, there are never really enough.

But this morning was special.  The temperature was just right.  The trail was quiet; there were not too many fellow hikers.  And of course, the sky was wonderful.

Enjoy the Florida sunshine, especially when it is not too hot.  Hike on those days when the air is crisp and cool.

And of course – May you hike in peace.

Maggie And I

Since September of 2012 I have been hiking with my service dog.  She is my constant companion both on and off the trail.  Maggie is a 3 year old black lab and works as a medical alert dog.  As many of you know, I suffered a stroke in March of 2012.  Maggie will alert me to stress, hypertension and high blood pressure in an attempt to avoid another stroke.

From a practical stand point, Maggie is a companion and her presence has a very calming effect on me.  I also enjoy her company when we hike.

On the trail I have encountered other people hiking with their pets.  Some trail etiquette should be observed when hiking with a pet or service animal.  Most of them are just common sense.

Maggie does not want to do her business on the trail.  Like a good pet owner I always have doggie scooper bags with me to clean up after her.  However, when we are out on the trail and away from traffic (both human and automobile) I allow her to be off -leash.

I believe that common courtesy would dictate that if you dog goes in the middle of the trail, you should clean it up.  Beside the doggie bags I also typically carry a small trowel that attaches in a case to a belt.

If your dog goes on or even near the trail it would make sense to bury and cover the dog pooh.  I do not think that most hikers want to step in it or even have to smell it as they pass by.

Maggie has the habit of going 10 to 15 feet off trail and doing her business.  I hope that this is far enough from the trail so that it should not offend anyone.  I am, however, prepared if she should go on the trail.

Leashing your pet when approaching or passing other hikers also makes good sense.  Not every one is dog friendly.  Not all dogs are people friendly.  I believe that when approaching or passing another hiker you should put your animal back on leash, at least until you have passed them.

As I have said, Maggie is typically off leash when we hike.  She is never out of eye sight and returns when called.  I have been on the trail when a dog will appear with no owner in sight.  The animal has gotten so far ahead of their owner that the owner has no control what so ever.  This is not good trail etiquette.

On the trail your dog should be within sight and under control at all times.  Coming upon a strange dog in the woods with no owner around does not give most people a good safe feeling.

Put your pet back on leash when approaching other hikers.  Keep your dog in sight and under control at all times.  That is just good common sense.

I love hiking with Maggie.  I know that others enjoy hiking with their pets as well.  Dogs really seem to enjoy the trail.  Good doggie trail etiquette is essential.

Keep on hiking and may you hike in peace.

Sorry it has been so long since my last hiking post.  As most of you know I suffered a stroke in March of 2012.  I have recovered most of my mobility and am back taking short hikes.  However, until recently I was still unable to put my words down on paper – I was unable to write.

Although the words do not flow as easily or as quickly as they have done in the past, I am able to put down my thoughts.

The weather the last few weeks of 2012 was off and on cold.  Not always the best for early morning hikes.  I love to do my hiking at 7 or 7:30 am.  Today, however, was a great morning for a hike.

Back on the Vortex Trailhead with my service dog Maggie.  She will be my constant companion on my hikes for years to come (or at least that is the plan).

This morning was perfect for a hike, clear, cool but not cold and almost no wind.   The trail was lonely just the way I like it.  I passed one jogger on my way back to the trailhead.  The silence is just beautiful.

This time of year the trail is covered with pine needles on this part of the Florida Trail.  That makes it easy to walk.  The birds were out as were the squirrels.

I should tell you a bit about Maggie.  She is a 3 year old black Labrador.  A great disposition, as all service dogs have.  She is a medical alert dog and will or should alert me to high stress or hypertension situations.  Her job is to help prevent a second stroke.

Maggie loves to be out on the trail.  I can let her off leash and she roams the trail and off trail at times.  She does not usually stray more than 10 to 15 feet from me.

This morning was just the first of many hikes for 2013.  I will try to keep you updated and posted on trail conditions in and around the Ocala/Marion County area as I hike.

Your comments, as always, are welcome and appreciated.

May you hike in peace.

As many of you may know, I suffered a stroke earlier this year. Although it has resulted in some disability – my left side is now weak. I am not letting this keep me off of thee trails.

Having said that, I have noticed that the act of walking or hiking does not come as easily as it once did. I find that I have to concentrate very hard on walking naturally. This presents a problem, especially since I am male and can really only do one thing at a time.

When I am walking or hiking I can either concentrate on moving my leg properly or I can concentrate on swinging my arm naturally. I have not yet mastered doing both at the same time.

As I hike I have to constantly think. – Lift the knee. Keep my toe up. Do not swing the leg around in a circle. Up, down, up, down. Knee up. Toe up.

However, at the same time I have to also concentrate on my arm. – Palm facing in. Swing the arm naturally. Do not hold the arm stiff.

As I walk I concentrate on arms and legs, arms and legs.

One of the problems is that there is so much to see when you hike. So much of nature to enjoy. One of the reasons to hike is to experience and enjoy nature.

Just when I am moving along and enjoying, I notice my arm is hanging limp; or my leg is swinging in a small circle; or my knee is not lifting.

So my mind must move from enjoying the hike to the simple act of walking.

Even so, the hike is still the thing. Getting out, walking, enjoying the trail no matter how difficult or what the obstacles.

So I constantly think – lift the knee, swing the arm, palm turned in, raise the toe. It is all good. Keep hiking, keep walking, darn where did that root come from.

May you always hike in peace.

This sounds like an interesting Florida Travel Book - http://tinyurl.com/bm3lg2j

Hiking the Land Bridge Trailhead is always fun and exciting.  This is such a beautiful area and a great part of the Florida Trail System.  The trailhead is located on CR 475A, about 2 miles north of SR 484 in Marion County.

The trailhead has plenty of parking, restrooms, picnic tables and water.  It also provides a starting point for hikers, bikes and horses.

There are two trails.  One is approximately 1.1 miles.  This is the Orange Trail.  The other is the Blue Trail and is approximately 2.2 miles.  Taking one trail out and the other back is a nice easy hike of just over 3 miles.

I call the Land Bridge Trailhead the land of the giants.  Now I have been to California and walked among the redwood trees.  The trees here in Florida are not nearly that size.  However, everything is relative.

The live oaks at the trailhead are magnificent.  They tower above the water oaks and other scrub trees.  More importantly, these live oaks have spread out as live oaks often do.  Their branches are like the outstretched arms of giants.

The branches of the live oaks twist and turn among the other trees.  Some reach and stretch to the sky.  Others almost crawl along the ground.  That is what makes the live oak such an interesting and majestic tree.  The live oak does not act like a normal tree.  It acts like a vine at times, literally crawling along the ground, then shooting back up among the other trees reaching for the sky.

Of all the trees, I believe the live oak has the most personality.  Each one is different.  No two are alike.  It is as if they look at one another and decide, “I am going to be different. I am going to be unique.”

At one point the trail goes through a live oak that has been split.  It was probably split by lightening.  However, knowing live oaks, it may have split just to be different.

Someone has carved a seat out of the trunk of the tree.  You can sit iIn the middle of the split tree.  It is a great photo opportunity.  My grandsons love to pose in the tree, sitting or standing on the bench carved out of the living wood.

Taking the Orange trail, most of it is woodsy and shady.  It is a nice place to walk even in the heat of the day.  The ground cover is generations of leaves and the trail winds gently through the woods.  It is wide enough to accommodate two abreast at most times.

We typically take this trail on our trip up to the Land Bridge.  The Land Bridge itself is quite an engineering feat.  It is a bridge over the interstate.  The bridge is covered with packed earth and wide enough for a small Boy Scout troop to cross abreast.

Keep in mind when hiking, the trail accommodates, hikers, bikes and horses.  The presence of horses is apparent, especially on the land bridge where all three trails merge.  Horses are not potty trained.

On the land bridge there are large stone walls on each side, high enough to block your view of the cars that are whizzing by underneath.  In the middle of the bridge is an observation area.  Iron bars in the stone walls provide a safe viewing area to watch traffic.

It is fun to watch the traffic go by, especially a large tractor trailer truck.  Remember you are standing above it as it passes under the bridge.

The blue trail is longer than the orange trail and has a different feel and terrain.  On the return trip the blue trail slopes slightly down hill.  It is passes through woods in some areas, but also has areas where the brush grows close in on each side.  There are places on the blue trail where no matter how thin you are, you will brush against both sides of the trail.

The blue trail also passes though parts of the old Barge Canal or Greenway Land.  It is cleared of tall shade trees and planted with medium sized pines.  They offer little to no shade and this stretch can be hot especially in the heat of summer.

One benefit of the cleared land is wild blackberries.  There are a number of places near the end of the trail where wild blackberries fill the field.  Depending on the time of year and the level of rain fall, the blackberries may be ripe for the picking.  My grand children, of course, have to linger in that area and pick as many as they can eat and/or carry.

The 3 plus mile trail is an easy walk of between an hour to two hours depending on how fast you pace yourself.  The trip is worth it for a number of different reasons.  The live oaks on the orange trail are excellent and the land bridge is worth the trip by itself.

May you hike in peace.

My hiking usually ranges between the Marshall Swamp Trail Head to the east and the Land Bridge Trail Head or Marion Oaks on the west.  This stretch gives me plenty of good hiking and is diverse enough to keep it interesting.

Recently I ventured outside this comfort zone.  Although, it is not the first time I have done so.  I hiked east of the Marshall Swamp where the Florida Trail crosses highway 40.

I noticed that on the north side of 40, there was a warning sign that the trial was closed due to hazardous conditions.  As adventurous as I tend to be, I decided to save the forbidden trail for a different day and hiked south and west from 40 toward the Marshall Swamp.

This part of the trail appeared to be a bit wilder than the areas I am used to hiking.  There was an abundance of saw palms and brush.  Even though this is not a swampy area, it appears very swamp like.

The trail had recently been cleared.  It appeared the trail elves had gone through and cut the saw palm and other under brush back.  I know how quickly the trail can be over grown and if we get any rain it will have to be cleared again.

The trail wanders paralleling highway 40 for a while then heads away from the road.  It is a nice hike, level with a slightly rolling trail.  There are a couple of places where you have to step over some water or a small gulley where there may have been water when the season was wetter.

Now that I have expanded my range, I will be back and explore more of the Florida Trail as it makes its way through the Ocala National Forest.

Take a short hike with me on the Santos Portion of the Florida Trail in Ocala – Marion County Florida.

The trail never looks the same.  That is one of the things I love about hiking.  I can hike a part of the Florida Trail one week and if I hike it again a week or two weeks later, it looks different.

Each hike is a new experience.  It may be the time of day or the angle of the sun, but the trail always looks new.

There are always new things to see. Sometimes tress have fallen or have been cut up and removed.  The trees may have lost leaves or there may be more leaves than last time.

Something as simple as different ground cover can make the trail new.  Even a change in temperature makes a difference.

I do not believe I am the only hiker who notices and enjoys these changes.  Others that hike have shared similar feelings and experiences.  Nature just has a way of continually surprising us.  And if we are aware enough to recognize these surprises, then we can truly enjoy them and enjoy the outdoors.

If you have not experience the constant changing of the trail, then you need to get our and hike.

In the meantime, May You Hike In Peace.

The December edition of Marion County Parks and Recreation Outdoor Times is available.