Mid-February is usually a great time to be on the Florida Trail in the central part of the state. This year, Judy and I were looking forward to 8 days of a condition we call “forest drunk.” Forest-drunkenness is a state of deep relaxation, a sense of oneness with all that surrounds us, and a general feeling of joy. When we first decided to hike the Florida Trail from south to north through the Ocala National Forest, we knew we wanted a week in February, because it’s generally cool, dry, and beautifully clear. Here are a few posts about planning this trip:
You may be wondering what the heck is going on in this image, and honestly, so am I. It’s a pretty good representation of my emotional state right now: ready to get an adventure underway, but worried enough that I am having trouble actually packing what I need to make it happen.
Summer temperatures have arrived, and neither of us wanted to spend a sweaty afternoon trying to stay hydrated in blazing sun. We got an early start and chose a short trail. Even though Salt Springs Observation Trail is a short two miles, we still found ourselves exhausted and soaked with sweat as we left the trail. But we agreed that we’d do it again!
We are making progress with our plans to hike northbound through the Ocala National Forest! We’ve recently completed our first backpack camping trip and spent two nights sleeping in our hammocks, and we have learned a lot.
First, the Ocala National Forest continues to surprise us in unexpected ways. It is simply beautiful. It is complexly beautiful. You can visit the same area many times and see it in a new way each time. Sometimes the scenery does not change, but all of a sudden you turn a corner or reach the top of a hill and voila — an entirely new landscape opens up.
This is the first in a series of articles about planning a multi-day hike through the Ocala National Forest, following the gorgeous Florida National Scenic Trail from south to north. In this first installment, I’ll just describe our planning process. Subsequent installments will update plans, describe our equipment, share what we’ve learned, and explain some of the decisions we’ve made.
Ever since I fell in love with The Yearling Trail, I’ve wanted to hike in more areas of the Ocala National Forest. This treasure is practically in my back yard. Taking friends into the forest to enjoy the peace and quiet and to appreciate the value of the Florida scrub is easily done. When I realized that the hike from Juniper Springs through the Juniper Wilderness to the Hopkins Prairie campground is only about 10 miles from end to end, well within the limits of what I can comfortably cover in a day, I got a small group together and we headed out.
A Chilly Morning
Every adventure I’ve had this year has involved an extra layer of clothing! This cold day was no different. A long sleeved t-shirt made a warm enough layer and was easy to peel off later in the day. We met at Juniper Springs and parked, comparing jackets and gloves, watching our breath condense in the air, and marveling at the chill, which we don’t often get here in central Florida.
This little bunny captured our hearts. So cute!
Springhead at morning . . . always a beautiful sight.
Some of us stopped to use the restroom (because, you know, COFFEE) while others walked down to the spring. At the springhead, we were treated to a primeval scene of mist moving like the spirit of God over the face of the water. We also captured a bit of sweet wildlife that none of us had seen before. We hope the little bunny gets safely home!
I only noticed that Judy is giving me Bunny Ears after I uploaded this photo. Photo credit: Lisa Kinsinger DuRant
Sue and Lisa ready to get serious about hiking,
From the trailhead, we set out into the morning chill. The sun was fully up and our hands stiff from cold. Soon, however, the peace of the forest and the beauty of the trail took our mind off of the possibility of frostbite. By the time we reached the Juniper Wilderness, we had shaken off the cold and felt comfortable.
The Viking
Almost immediately after the above photos were taken, we met with what we collectively call The Viking. This guy wore a horned helmet, was enormous and shirtless, and carried an ax and a spear. His heavy guyliner looked, well, frankly he just looked dirty. Seriously, I was glad to be part of a group when we crossed his path. He was perfectly polite, though, stepped well off the trail to let us pass him and wished us a good morning. Fascinated by his ax, which was covered in fur where the blade met the handle, I asked him what he was chopping. He said it was for protection, so I smiled nervously, and walked past. Lisa, the selfie queen of our group, later said she couldn’t believe she didn’t ask him to take a selfie with her. I wish we had photographic evidence of the encounter!
That was, other than the little green bunny outside the restrooms at the Spring, almost (but not quite!) the only wildlife we saw on this hike. But the Wilderness has more to offer than wildlife. The morning sky was a cold, crisp blue to match the temperature. While we roughly paralled S.R.19 for a long part of the hike, there were also stretches where we were surrounded by nothing but stillness and silence.
Photo Credit – Judy Holtz
Water, Water Everywhere
There were two small creeks that we crossed before the halfway point of our hike. The first, Whisper Creek, had two skinny logs that we carefully made our way across. Whiskey Creek had a board as a bridge. Neither of these should make you wary – the water is very shallow and a good jumper could clear either of these little streams.
Bridge over Whisper Creek. The water is very, very shallow and it’s not wide, but we loved the bridge!
We enjoyed being apparently the only people on the trail. Of course, there were others ahead of us and behind us, but not close enough that we were aware of them most of the time. We loved the evidence of other hikers, like this key left in a crevice of the bark of a tree. Was it a message? Simply found on the trail and left in a visible spot? Who knows? What do YOU think it means?
So many things could be happening with this key. We had fun making up scenarios to explain the colorful key tucked into the tree, but I’ve settled on someone leaving the key to happiness.
Hidden Pond
Hidden Pond is the approximate halfway point on the trail from Juniper Wilderness to Hopkins Prairie. I had read that the pond area is overused, with lots of garbage and rowdy campers. We did not observe this when we stopped to enjoy a raucous scrub jay’s welcome to this pretty spot. This was the first time Sue saw a scrub jay, and this one kept her entertained for several minutes before it moved on.
It is obvious that humans have made an impact here, but it was not covered in trash as I had expected. We enjoyed stopping for lunch and a thoroughly enjoyable rest. A Ranger visited with each group at the Pond to remind us to make sure all fires were put out completely. Once again, Lisa forgot to get a selfie. I wish she had, because that Ranger was pretty cute! He was also really nice and spoke with us at length about his experiences in other National Forests. I was disappointed that he did not recognize Ocala National Forest as the paradise it is. . .apparently he prefers mountains and year-round hiking opportunities. I must agree with him that summer hiking is nearly impossible in Florida.
First glimpse of Hidden Pond, a popular spot for breaks, lunch, and camping. Water can be filtered for drinking.
Steve and I love to take foot-selfies, to remind ourselves that we have traveled so many exciting roads together. Now I have a new group of friends with whom I can make fun memories and use feet as a reminder of travels.
These are half of the feet that carried us along the trail. Photo credit – Lisa Kinsinger DuRant
We finished our hike with a detour to the Long Family Cemetery and the Yearling Trail sinkhole. These beautiful spots are refreshing and soothing. If you hike the Juniper Wilderness Trail, I highly recommend making this short detour. We watched a pair of hikers playing at the bottom of the sinkhole, and they found a rope swing! As many times as I’ve looked into that gigantic hole, I’ve never noticed the swing before! There’s always something new and wonderful on these trails.
The Girl Scout in me loves to Make New Friends, and a forest trail is a great place to celebrate new friendships. Photo Credit – Lisa Kinsinger DuRant
Springheads are beautiful places that appear almost timeless. I am always awed by the thought of an apparently infinite supply of living water pouring forth from the earth. . .but even when the spring is emerging from a rocky cave, the immediate area is a fragile ecosystem. When faced with a beautiful pool of icy cold turquoise water on a blistering Florida summer afternoon, it is only natural to want to run to the shoreline and throw yourself into that water (until your body registers that cold, cold temperature!), but after generations of feet trampling on the plants and soil, there is a price that is paid by the spring.
Silver Glen Springs was experiencing problems with an eroding shoreline, and part of the solution is a system of rustic fencing to eliminate foot traffic and a series of planted berms to restore more natural conditions, preventing stormwater from pushing soil and sand into the spring.
Yesterday was the third Saturday of the month, and since my naturalist classes are done, I was finally able to paddle with GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies On the Water). GLOW is a group of friends who meet regularly to kayak, SUP, and otherwise enjoy the beautiful waters in our area. This day, we met early on an overcast morning at Wildcat Lake, located in the Big Scrub of the Ocala National Forest.
