Fine Fall Weather!

Looking north along the Atlantic Ocean.  Notice the hotels?  Nope.

Finally the fall weather has arrived in central Florida!
Last Sunday it was 62 degrees when I got going.  There was a cool breeze and the sky was crystal clear.  It even sounded different, like it does when the weather first changes temperature.
I drove to meet my friend Walt who cooked both of us a delicious breakfast with lots of hot coffee. Then we headed east to New Smyrna Beach where we raised a drink to the surf before driving south to Canaveral National Seashore.  Walt had just turned 62 this year and got us into the park for free with his new pass.  We drove in free and cruised along the coastal dune to the turnaround at the end of 6 paved miles.

And looking south, no hotels here either!

The car windows were open and we sat enjoying the cool wind waiting on a parking space, listening to the waves crash below.  After a few minutes waiting we drove back north to the next available parking space and walked down to the beach on the boardwalk.  Just watching the waves rush in and out was fine for me.  We waved at the Park Rangers and the people walking by, watched the surf fishermen cast lines about and followed the gulls as they flew overhead in the breeze.  This was nice.  No bugs, no heat and actually the wind was a bit chilly without a second shirt on.  I could stand here all day, leaning against the dry wooden rails and just stare out to sea.

The State House

Comfortable rockers!

An explosion of plant life above with Resurrection Ferns in the Live Oaks

The view from the rocking chairs.

Coral Honeysuckle, a Florida variety.  It doesn't smell as strong as northern varieties.

We drove up to the restored State House where we sat in the porch rockers watching the boat traffic and fishing people along the Intracoastal Waterway in Mosquito Lagoon.  Crowds came and went.  More birds flew by.  I noticed our conversation had gone quiet as we contemplated life's details.  I could also sit here, rocking all day, quietly.  It was nice to get peaceful.   One of the neatest things about using the free entrance pass is you don't feel you have to spend your every moment living to the fullest anymore.  You don't have to hike all the trails or get a line in the water to fish or see all the museums and displays.  You can slow down and just enjoy a short drive in a cool place that you probably wouldn't take before.

Intracoastal Waterway looking north from JB's

After a couple hours, a couple conversations and talking about a couple of dreams, we left and drove north to have lunch at JB's, a favorite eating stop along the barrier island. We waited a while after lunch on the dock, again just watching and listening.  There are some days I need to do just that and nothing else and today was that day.  I celebrated the end of summer's heat and bugs by leaning back and doing very little.  To end today with a quote, that made all the difference.

Rain, Rain, Rain

Thanks to Weather Underground for this forecast

It has rained in central Florida almost every day the past 2 weeks, and is forecast to pour off and on for another week or two.  Some of this rain comes down in a deluge, flooding streets, homes and businesses.  The winds are strong, the lightning is fierce and you get soaked just stepping out of the carport to get into your car.  The weather is reminiscent of a hurricane, although it is not tropical in nature.
It looks like we may get a (short) reprieve this Friday, Sunday and Monday.  If so, I'll be out there somewhere.
So hiking and bicycling during these mini-monsoons is not going to be very dry, much less very safe.
The wet weather has also affected trail maintenance of the Florida Trail, forcing cancellations of some of the (very needed) annual trail clearing work due to too much water still on the ground.
However the main difference is with the temperatures.  The daily highs have dropped by 10 - 15 degrees, even 20 degrees before and after a heavy rainfall.  It is now warm, instead of hot, with some lows in the (gasp) mid-50's!  I can do warm, all day.
For those who like to hike in a gentle rain, please be safe and avoid the daily thunderstorms.
As soon as this rainy spell ends, I'll be hiking again.  And I will be writing about it and the wonderful Florida fall weather.  I hope to see you out there!

Planning for Florida's Hunting Season

Florida Trail near Pat's Island, Ocala National Forest

In Florida, hiking and hunting seasons share the same time period due to the weather.  This can make some backpacking and hiking interesting, at least in scheduling times to quietly and safely pass through most trails in Florida without spooking game, angering hunters or spoiling their shots.

Florida Trail Hiking Vest

Blaze orange is the "in" color during this time of the year, and when hiking or backpacking, it should be worn where it can be seen from ALL directions around you.  An orange hat is also a good idea.  All Florida National Forests and most state lands are open for hunting.
There are some areas in the Sunshine state where you can hike or backpack during hunting season without hearing gunshots.  I reviewed them in this blog in 2013, and to my knowledge, these areas are still hunt-free.
My opinion is to avoid backpacking during hunting season weekends, to camp only in designated campsites then and to wear blaze orange.  Typically, during weekdays most trail areas are safe and clear of hunting parties.
The 2014 Hunting Season dates for Florida are:
General Gun Season Zones B & C (Central Florida) for deer run from 12/06/14 to 02/22/15.
Muzzle-loader, Bow or Crossbow for deer run from 09/13/14 to 12/05/14.
Turkey hunters hunt from 9/13/14 to 02/01/15 for bows through guns.
Quail & Squirrel run from now through 03/01/15.
Spring Turkey season runs from 02/28/15 to 05/26/15.
The online dates are posted online at http://myfla.com/hunting/season-dates for details.

A winter backpacking trip in Florida

Sandra Friends awesome trail guide

One of Florida's best kept secrets is backpacking in the wintertime.  When cold and snow drives everyone up north indoors, the Florida skies turn clear and blue, and the trails beckon.  Mosquitos and the other bugs also die down.
The section of the Florida Trail I plan to backpack runs through the Ocala National Forest, from Clearwater Lake to Salt Springs.  This 46.5 mile trail covers much of the varied Florida landscapes and provides many good camping and scenic opportunities along the way.
The original blazes along the Florida Trail were first painted at Clearwater Lake in 1966 by FTA Founder Jim Kerns and his hardy friends.  Of the 72 miles of non-stop backpacking within the Ocala National Forest, these southerly 46 miles are well marked, well maintained and well worn.  There are numerous bail-out points if needed along the route.  You will walk through thick palm trees in hydric hammocks, through the desert-like Juniper Prairie Wilderness, through open under story in tall pines and along the winding hills of the Hopkins Prairie.
Temperatures would be mild and cool at nights with little rain forecast.  By travelling ultralight, my pack would weigh around 25 pounds for the trip.
I will use the excellent Florida Trail Official Hiking Guide by Sandra Friend as my bible to plan and follow the route.  I plan to hike through this section (section 16) of forest in 4-5 days.  My expectation is to travel about 15 miles daily and to camp at specific sites along the trail.  I will check with my friends to see if we can create a trip together at that time, and if not I may hike solo.
Wish me luck in planning my trip over the next few weeks.  Some hunting dates may present scheduling problems as I would prefer not to backpack when people are hunting.  I am hoping to schedule my trip sometime during early December.  I'll post Florida hunting dates next week.

Florida Trail Pioneer

Jim Kern

The Florida Trail is just one organization started by Jim Kern, a Florida resident, a photographer & filmmaker and real estate developer.  Jim came up with the idea of the Florida Trail after hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  "Why doesn't Florida have a trail like this?" was his question.  Aside from the high elevations which the mountainous states all have, Florida has a lot of scenic wonder, sometimes whole ecosystems pop up in only one inch or two of elevation.
So Jim went around, and asked his question and didn't take no for an answer.  He created the Florida Trail Association and served as its president the first dozen years.  Those orange blazes were first painted on trees marking the Florida Trail at Clearwater Lake campground in the Ocala National Forest in 1966.  Part of these trails you hike today were first surveyed and cut through the woods by Jim's friends and partners in the Florida Trail.  His organization has grown over the years to include many members, volunteers and supporters (yes, even trail angels) all over the state.  Nearly 150 people attempt a through-hike annually, hiking during the winter months, moving north with spring.
Jim's first Florida backpack trip was a 12-day slog through unmarked wilderness from the Tamiami Trail to Highlands Hammock near Sebring.  His publicized trip heightened the real need for a Florida Trail, hiking through waist-deep water, swatting flies and mosquitos just like the rest of us.
Jim Kern also created the American Hiking Society giving a national voice to hikers and backpackers in 1976, and Big City Mountaineers to mentor urban youth in the outdoors, and his newest development, the Hiker's Grand Slam.
What I like about Jim Kern is that he followed through with an idea he had until it actually happened. An Eagle Scout, Jim showed the courage to create what he felt was important.  He lived his dream and in doing so created so many other dreams for the rest of us.  That's a character trait I truly admire.

Rocks in my Backpack review

Rocks in my Backpack - Tom Sholes

My friends Nick and Mary from Colorado recently presented me with a small gift, the book by Scoutmaster-extraordinaire, Tom Sholes, Rocks in my Backpack.
Aside from the pranks with rocks the Boy Scouts played on their Scoutmaster, this book is hilarious, and was a fun and quick read.
Tom Sholes, an Eagle Scout from a small-town in Minnesota, moved to Colorado in the early 1960's and was asked (tricked?) into leading a small troop of Boy Scouts. Something about leading a previously experienced Scoutmaster into a 'Troop that has no Scoutmaster' was the catalyst.
This Troop 117 became a powerhouse of great scouts with high adventure trips monthly into the Rocky Mountains for almost 3 decades.  If you made Eagle Scout here, you sincerely earned it.  Even First Class rank had a test (not one in the Scouting manual) that was difficult, yet it challenged generations of boys to do better instead of slipping by half-involved.  As a Boy Scout, you actually felt pride from earning rank as opposed to getting rank advancement without working for it.
This Troop 117 actually climbed 14-ers to the peak, backpacked serious back country and wilderness area trails, canoed white water, followed the ancients in the canyons of the southwest, survived and thrived in snow/ice/cold Klonderees in Colorado's winter mountains.  If you were a backpacker, this was the troop to be in.
The boys Indian-danced with authentic costumes and face paint throughout the state with their prize-winning group the Wasechie Dancers, honoring and respecting the Lakota and Plains Indian history and culture with dance and ceremony.  The boys made their own costumes after careful study.
They also held backcountry and cross country skiing trips with girl scouts, which was unheard of in the 1970's.
On many backwoods trips, someone would get cut, caught, stuck or hurt in some way (as they always do), and the Boy Scouts would just take over, manage the emergency, heal the wounded, rescue the trapped, and would pitch in to help anyone needing help.  Now THAT was what was intended by Boy Scouting, to transform boys into leaders, who didn't really need any adult supervision or yelling at them to do something.
And that is what made Tom Sholes such an awesome leader in Scouting, and what makes a fine book for ex-Scouters, backpackers, river-runners, and outdoors people of all walks of life.  You will laugh, cry, become excited during the trail descriptions and canoeing, and find again that great love of the outdoors.  Thank you Tom!

Bicycle Touring North Georgia

Bill Dion with north Georgia's War Woman Dell in the background

In the years I lived and worked in Chattanooga, TN, I discovered northern Georgia as my favorite destination for backpacking, canoeing, camping and bicycling.  The busy four-lane highways had not yet been built and the small towns and beautiful country was just waiting to be discovered.  It still retains a lot of that charm and I highly recommend you go see for yourself.  Check out the spring and fall festivals throughout the area.
A few years later my friend Bill Dion and I cooked up some bicycle tours of north Georgia and actually bicycle toured the area twice.  I still have some photos of those trips and nice memories.
Bill is a tall guy and bicycling behind him was awesome for me because he blocked any headwinds, making my ride much easier.  Life didn't work the same way when I rode in front, Bill could never get far enough out of the wind to have an easy ride.  We did get along well, though, and that makes for a good bicycle touring partnership.

Cheers!

Our routes started in Ellijay, GA and followed north to the town of Blue Ridge, then east across the mountains to Suches.  We would then drop down to camp at Vogel State Park and cross Richard Russell Scenic Highway and the AT before dropping downhill into Unicoi, making the big left turn toward Hiawassee.  Passing the road to Georgia's highest mountain, Brasstown Bald and back to Vogel again before the long downhill glide into Dahlonega.  We would stay at Amicolola Falls State Park and return to Ellijay.

The warm part of the ride

Except for that first time...  But I got ahead of my story.
While the routes changed a bit each time, we still followed highways 5 and 76 north from Ellijay to Blue Ridge before turning east toward Morgenton.  During our first trip they were building the four-lane highway which prompted several dead-end runs and lots of carrying the loaded bicycles across the mud to get back to the old road sections.  Our first trip we stayed at Two Wheels Only, a motorcycle campground at Suches who welcomed us in on our bicycles.  The food there was great that night and we slept awesomely, due to pedaling up and down mountain passes all day long.
We did camp at Vogel State Park twice and on the next trip used a walk-in campsite where the view from the tent platform was of halfway up the trees.
Richard Russell Scenic Highway is still beautifully scenic, but it was very steep and we had to use our lowest gears and stop lots to rest on the way up.  The weather was cold and cloudy with swirling clouds around us on the climb.  At our last stop before the top I remarked to Bill "You are on fire!", and from the clouds evaporating heat from us in the cold air, we both appeared to be on fire.  We took way too long a break at the top, and I put on my old yellow rain suit to keep warm during the descent.  Bill found that hilarious and called me "downhill man".

Downhill from here

At Unicoi we were welcome to camp but with packing light for bicycle touring, we didn't have the clothing required for dinner at the restaurant.  We rode in to Helen and bought some food, eating at the campsite, watching our clothes dry that night.
A highlight of the next day was the hill along Owl Creek Road.  The road is pleasant and very quiet until you reach the wall.  It went straight up about as steep as you can drive road paving gear down, for what seemed at the time like hours.  Maybe we had aged since the first tour, but the second time we rode Owl Creek Road we were astonished we had no recollection of the pain of the first trip's climb.
The drop off the mountains into Dahlonega the next day was just plain wonderful and we just missed the bad weather coming in.  A big thanks to the gentlemen who watched our bicycles for us while we viewed the historical film at the old courthouse.
Once again, we found ourselves climbing an amazingly steep hill into Amicalola State Park to get to the campsites.  That steep route has since been rebuilt to make it more safe and they have built an awesome lodge at the top, near the start of the Appalachian Trail.

Laundry at Unicoi

Here's where I left off with "that first time..."  In the morning, Bill's brakes gave out while going down the big hill on the last curve.  He crashed, taco-ing his front wheel and launching panniers and stuff everywhere.  I was behind Bill and got to witness everything.  Bill landed in the grass along the roadside and was mostly unhurt.  After finding his missing glasses lens, we walked his bicycle down the mountain to the welcome center.
I left my panniers there and got to pedal a most awesome bicycle ride into Ellijay that day by myself.  I was swooping past everything, riding fast and free, unencumbered by my loaded pannier weight.  It was an awesome experience I'll never forget.
I picked up my truck and drove back to get Bill.  We drove on south out of the mountains, making it to High Falls State Park where we slept for the night before getting home to central Florida the next day.