Postcards from Torreya State Park

Greetings from Torreya State Park!

Hello!

It took me awhile to figure out how to find the best local hiking and trail-running trails in Northwest Florida. Unlike in southern California, there's no Jerry Schad publishing detailed field guides of every mile of fire road and singletrack.

Fortunately a few resources are filling in the many gaps* in my local knowledge. I will forever be thankful to the Florida Trail Association, Northwest Florida Outdoor Adventure, Florida State Parks, and Florida Adventurer (among others) for their efforts in documenting local parks and trails.

One of the names that appears over and over again in local hiking reviews is Torreya State Park.

Torreya State Park

So when Hubby and I were driving home from Tallahassee, we decided to take a detour through the park.

The park has well-maintained picnic areas with running water and flush toilets. Trails are well marked with blue or orange blazes. (Orange is the outer loop trail. Blue denotes the connector trails between the loop and various parking, picnic, and camping areas. See map below.) And there are plenty of guidepost signs along the route, as well.

Guideposts on the trail at Torreya SP

The trails range from wide and well-worn paths to narrow and slightly overgrown trails. I did some trail running on the wider, flatter paths, but some sections of the trail were tree-rooted ankle-twisters, so this was more of a hike than a run.

Trail at Torreya SP

We startled some wildlife...

Can you spot the deer in this photo?

... but once they realized we were harmless hikers, they went right back to grazing.

The trail skirts a section of the Apalachicola River, but the bluffs are too steep to make riverbank hiking an option.

Apalachicola River

Another key feature of the park is preservation of Confederate history. I'll be honest when I say that I'm not at all comfortable with seeing signs of the nation's bloodiest war and it's slave-owning past.

Marker explaining the Confederate history of the park

Prior to our visit, I did not know about the historical significance of the park, so the signs came as a bit of a shock to me.

Confederate Gun Emplacement

That said, those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Perhaps it's better to remember our unpleasant history than to pretend it never happened...

Either way, Gregory House, partway through the hike, makes a nice place to stop for lunch or refill a water bottle.

Gregory House

The views from Gregory House are pretty, too.

Apalachicola River, view from Gregory House

I can see why Torreya is on every hiker's must-see list.

One final note about hiking in northwest Florida...
Every Florida State Park I've been to stocks trail maps in kiosks within the park. Unfortunately the maps are generally not available for download from the state park website, which makes pre-hike planning a bit problematic.

So, here's my contribution to local hiking information: The Torreya State Park Trail Map.

Torreya State Park Trail Map

What's your favorite hiking trail?
How do you find out about places to hike or trail run?

*Full disclosure: I still don't feel as confident in the woods here as I did in Southern California, but it's only been two years. I trekked my way through the Southern California backcountry for a decade. After 10 years anything becomes routine.

Postcards from deep underground

Hello friends!
Greetings from 50 feet under!

This weekend Hubby and I packed up the car and headed about 130 miles northeast to Florida Caverns State Park.

(Yes, folks, there are caves in Florida. Who knew?)

We arrived mid-morning. A ranger told us that we'd be able to join the 12:30 tour, so that left us with some time to explore the hiking trails in the park.


Floodplain Trail at Florida Caverns State Park

We covered ourselves liberally in DEET. (After 2 years in Florida, my beliefs about eco-friendly insect repellent have gone the way of the tyrannosaurus.)

Properly lubed up with bug-killing juice, Hubby and I hiked the Bluff Trail and Floodplain Trail near the Visitor Center.


Entrance to the Tunnel Cave

The Floodplain Trail leads hikers right through a tunnel cave. The tunnel seemed pretty innocuous - you could see the light at the end (no proverb/pun intended).


Exit (or far-side entrance) of the Tunnel Cave

But mid-tunnel was dark enough that the muddy puddle I stepped into came as a complete surprise. (Glad I was wearing my shiggy shoes!)


Mid-tunnel view back to Hubby waving at the entrance...

Back outside the cave, the trails were slippery, tree-root-riddled, ankle-twisters. Hiking required constant attention to the trail underfoot. The Bluff and Floodplain trails are definitely not trail-running trails.

Tree roots and slippery mud cover the Floodplain Trail

The Floodplain trail follows along the edge of limestone bluffs over the Chipola River floodplain. The swampy land is prehistoric-looking and fascinating. The entire hike felt like a 1,000-year step back in time, complete with giant spiders and (what we're pretty sure were) snapping alligators.

Swamp formed in the floodplain of the Chipola River, for which the trail is named

After our brief hike, we headed back to the Visitor Center to wait for our tour guide. Then we descended into the deep, dark underground.

Path to the Visitor Center and entrance to the cave tour

(Seriously, the tour guide turned off the lights for a moment while we were down there and it was - quite literally - pitch black. Not a bit of light seeps in through the solid limestone walls of the cave.)


Our tour group "oohing" and "ahhing" over the stactites and stalgmites




Word hint: Stalactites hang from the ceiling (thing "hang tite" so you don't fall)
Stalagmites - with a "g" are on the ground



Spelunking!



Narrow passageway between chambers in the cave

I should note that we were definitely not alone in the cave. The guide explained that there are dozens of creatures that call the limestone caves home. On this tour we saw cave crickets and an Eastern Pipistrelle bat. (I am a bat-lover by nature. Most bats eat mosquitos and other nuisance bugs. Therefore they are my friends.)


Eastern pipistrelle bat hanging from the cave ceiling

The caves are still actively forming new features, with water dripping from the stalactites and pooling on the floor. The pace of change is glacial, but the touch of a single human fingertip can deposit oils on the stone fomations that will stop their growth forever.


Pools of water in the cave



Stalactites and stalagmites (tour group in the background for perspective)




The final chamber on the cave tour (I'm hiding in this photo - middle right.)

Coming back out of the caves an hour later, the sunlight stung my eyes, even with sunglasses on. The ranger said that after about a month in pitch-black conditions, human eyes completely cease to function. (Skeptic's note: I heartily doubt that claim. Eye muscles may atrophy, but I suspect total "cave blindness" is a myth.)

The tour took about an hour, and left us with plenty of daylight to keep exploring the park.

In the far northwest corner of Florida Caverns State Park, another 2 miles along the park road, there is a swimming area known as the "Blue Hole."

Having read the park literature before our trip, Hubby and I packed our swimsuits in anticipation of a refreshing cool-down after our hike.

Unfortunately, we discovered that the name "Blue Hole" is somebody's idea of a cruel joke. The water was so brown, so murky that images of alligator attacks flashed in my mind.

The pond, formed by a natural spring, is great for wildlife watching. We spotted turtles, birds, fish, and dragonflies... But you'll notice (photo above) that despite the equipment, no one is swimming in the water.

I didn't either.

The river that runs out from the Blue Hole is picturesque, and wide, flat multi-use (horse/bike/hike) trails fan out from this location.

We hiked part of a horse trail until I was bitten by a horse fly. (Those little bastards sting! And they apparently bite straight through DEET. Damnit!)

So, having accomplished far more than we originally planned, we decided to call it a day. (Read: I wasn't sticking around to become fodder for more horseflies.) I would, however, strongly recommend a winter trip to Florida Caverns to run the multi-use trails.

On the drive home, we realized we'd also be passing Falling Waters State Park. So we stopped to check that park out, too.

I'll tell you all about that next week...

Have you ever been spelunking?
What's the most extreme place you've ever hiked or run?

Postcards from Jacksonville

Greetings from Jacksonville, Florida!

Jacksonville Beach, FL

Last week I flew into Jacksonville, spent a day there, then headed on to St. Augustine (postcard from The Ancient City to follow next week).

Hubby and I both had work to do while we were in JAX, so our touristing was limited. We carved out some time to go running and to go out to eat. Dinner at Clark's Fish Camp was by far the most noteworthy experience of this trip.

Clark's Fish Camp, Jacksonville, FL

Located on the edge of a riverside swamp, Clark's is the only restaurant I've ever been to with alligator on the menu, alligators swimming in the water outside, and a 5-foot long "pet" gator lounging in a tank in the lobby.

Clark's Fish Camp

Clark's is also notorious for an amazing array of taxidermy. I'll admit that it was a little creepy being watched by a herd of antelope while I was eating an antelope appetizer (but not creepy enough to go vegetarian).

Despite the list of unique dishes, the food was surprisingly boring. The hush puppies and black eyed peas were excellent, but the boudin was bland. That said, dinner at Clark's is one I will not soon forget.

Clark's Fish Camp

I did sneak in a couple of quick runs while I was in Jacksonville, but given that I was mostly in the suburbs, the routes were nothing to write home about.

My best run-while-traveling photo was from a boardwalk through the swamps. Under the boardwalk hundreds of fiddler crabs skittered along in the mud. The crabs were an incredible sight - one that I'm glad I witnessed - but I have never been so happy to be on an elevated walkway.

Boardwalk through swamp in Jacksonville

For other travel posts, see Places to Run.

Where did you run last weekend?

Happy trails - literally

I am floating on a post-race endorphin cloud right now.
I was intensely anxious about this morning's trail race, but now - having finished successfully - my feeling of contentment is impossible to put into words.

Resting in the parking lot after the Blackwater Trail 10k

Why so worried?
I have run hundreds of miles of trails in my running life. Before moving to Florida, I used to lead a weekly 5-mile trail run in San Diego. But to say southern California trails are different from Florida Panhandle trails would be an... ahem... understatement.

Southern California trails are often (although not always) wide fire roads or bridle paths. Their difficulty lies primarily in the topography. Hills do not "roll" so much as they present walls that you must climb. The trails are tough. But the shrubbery only reaches waist-high, so while sun exposure is an issue on So Cal trail runs, generally you can see the path ahead.

Hiking the Three Sisters trail in San Diego:
There's no question which way the trail turns.

Florida trails are a completely different beast.

I have done some hiking and trail running since moving to Florida. But after only a year, I am not yet comfortable with these deep woods the way I was comfortable after a decade of running and hiking in San Diego's backcountry.

Still, I signed up for a trail 10k - the Blackwater Trail Race. (Six days after my most recent half marathon, too.)

Knowing my (local) inexperience, I had a restless night of sleep - scenes of trail wipeouts and snake bites dancing on the edges of my dreams. I had been on portions of the trail before, and I knew the markings, but a few steps down a false trail can get a person completely lost.

In this part of Florida, the forest continues, thickly wooded, for miles. (Cue "Deliverance" jokes.) To give you a sense of how thick the woods are here, for half of the race we were within a few dozen yards of the Blackwater River. I never saw the river.

Blackwater River State Park in a "clearing" near the finish line.

So, I worried.
I fretted.
I talked with Hubby about wanting to "run not race" this race.

I suggested, then dismissed, the idea of just sleeping in and skipping it.

We took the shuttle bus to the starting line.

During the pre-race talk, the gentleman who set our trail explained which markers to look for, assured us that the trail was well-marked, and warned us that most of the trail was windy, muddy, single-track that he (affectionately) referred to as a "rabbit trail." He also warned us about snakes. Oh, have I mentioned the poisonous, aggressive local wildlife?

This was not helping to calm any of my fears.

But, as soon as the deer-call sounded the start of our race, I learned a few things:

• I am incapable of "taking it easy" during a race. Call it ego. Call it a competitive streak. If I'm not having a major medical crisis, I can't "not race." I have suspected this before, but now I am certain.
• Despite all of my pre-race anxiety, once I'm on the trail, I am not nearly as timid as I worry I'll be. About a mile into the race, I took the lead for our pack, and held it until the finish. (Yes I did call back, out of courtesy, to see if anyone wanted to pass - the single-track was narrow. No one was interested.) I enjoyed being the one on lookout for the trail markers and calling back to the pack about patches of mud and other hazards.
• I might be a little lucky, too. About a dozen people got stung by bees, including poor Hubby. I breezed through the swarm - not even noticing until I heard a string of "ouch" shouts behind me.
• Hashing, oddly, is excellent training for trail running. A year of running by following hash clues (mostly chalk signs and dots of flour) has sharpened my skills at looking for trail markings.

Post-race happiness:
Maybe it was all of my pre-race nervousness wearing off, or maybe it was the thrill of crashing through the underbrush, sliding through muddy patches, and making it out alive, but I have never felt so giddy after a race.

I can see why trail racing is addictive.

Oh... And while I'm not sure of my exact finish time (60 minutes give or take 30 seconds), I do know that I came in 2nd out of women 30-39. (Maybe there were only 2 women age 30-39? Who knows. An AG place is an AG place. I'm thrilled!)

My detailed start/good/bad/finish race report will follow...

For now, I need a NAP!

What's your take on trail running - love it or hate it?
How do you deal with nervousness when you're taking on a new challenge?

Hiking - or "how I spent my Saturday"

Let's be honest, Northwest Florida is not known for its hiking.
What with the poisonous snakes, feral hogs, and 'gators (and not just the University of Florida kind), it's little wonder that most people who go into the woods here go with guns.

But I'm a hiking girl. I love to walk through the woods. So I keep trying to find new trails.

Today Hubby and I found a good one. We hiked the Sweetwater Trail (1.5 miles) from Krul Lake to Bear Lake, then did a 4 mile loop around Bear Lake, and back again. (See trail map.)

Krul Lake

I found the lake and trails when I volunteered at the Blackwater Trail Half Marathon. Today Hubby and I started off at Krul lake on an elevated wooden path. (Did they build the boardwalk to avoid alligators, I wonder?)

Boardwalk and bridge near Krul Lake

The boardwalk only lasted about a mile, then we were back on more traditional hiking trails. At 1.5 miles the Sweetwater Trail ends at the Bear Lake Loop trail. While the western side of the lake showed signs of fire damage (whether wildfire or controlled burn, I do not know), the eastern side was lush and green.

View from a cove on the east side of Bear Lake

Unfortunately, at this point the temperature started dropping and clouds started moving in. Rather than mosey back to the car (and take lots more photos), we picked up the pace. Our decision was a wise one, and our timing was perfect. The first raindrops hit the trunk of the car right after we put the camera in...

But before we left, I snapped one last photo...

Tree trunks that look like elephant feet.

And now we're home.

Safely.

No 'gator attacks!

Now I'm off to shower, change into a fluffy bathrobe, make a plate of nachos, and watch football with Hubby.

How did you spend your Saturday?
Are you a hiker? If so, what is your favorite hiking trail?