Biking Florida's Flatwood Park -- Wilderness Park Off Road Trails

Six separate area parks make up the county owned Wilderness Park conglomerate: Morris Bridge, Flatwoods, Sargeant, Dead River, Trout Creek and Veterans Memorial Park. The area is composed mainly of pine flatwoods, hardwood flood plain forest, upland hardwood hammocks, saw palmetto, oak scrub, and cypress swamps.

The three largest parks are Morris Bridge at 106 acres, Trout Creek at 42 acres, and Flatwoods at 5,400 acres. The northern-most park, Flatwoods, is best known for its seven-mile paved loop for bikers, walkers, and roller-bladers. They even provide cold water in coolers in several locations around the loop. The access trails from Flatwoods and Downs Blvd. are also paved and can be biked to add five more miles to your ride.



The paved sections are in excellent repair and are very scenic. The one creek crossing has an alternate bridge as seen here for when the water is high as it was today...



"Flatwoods" or "Flatwoods Loop Trail" is generally used in reference to the most prominent feature of this park, its paved 7 mile multi-use loop trail seen above. However, "Wilderness Park" or "Morris Bridge" refer to the large number of off-road trails in the lower Morris Bridge area across from Trout Creek Park's entrance. We ventured off the pavement on sections of the 15 mile mountain bike loop which also delivers magnificent scenery and a more interesting ride. Next time we will bike the entire off-pavement loop and also explore some of the many side trails branching from it.



In summary, this venue is outstanding, and the mountain bike trails seem to be suitable for all levels of bikers.



Government website info

• Main entrance about 5 miles northeast of I-75 on Morris Bridge Road (CR 579) at Flatwoods Park Trail. Flatwoods Visitor Center located 0.5 miles inside entrance. Additional parking available 0.5 miles further west where the loop trail begins.
  
  
• Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (CR 581) entrance 1 mile northeast of I-75.
  
  
• Admission fee.
  
  
• Tampa area
  

Costa Rica's Cahuita National Park - Snorkeling and Hiking

Cahuita, Costa Rica, is a small Caribbean beach village and the first major tourist destination south of Limon. It is reached by gravel road off the main highway, and though its main street is paved...



... all of its other streets are dirt and gravel.



Afro-Caribbean fishermen and laborers settled here in the mid-1800s, and today the population is still primarily English-speaking blacks whose culture and language set them apart from other regions. The boom going on in the country has missed Cahuita.

A must visit is Cahuita National Park, created in 1970, an ecological area of 2,600 land acres and 55 marine acres composed of forest and swamps. The protected marine area contains the Coralline Reefs as well as being a nesting ground for sea turtles. This is also one of the nicest and least developed beaches in Costa Rica.

The reef is known to have at least 35 species of coral, 140 species of mollusks, 44 species of crustaceans, and 123 species of fish. On land they have tamanduas, pacas, coatis, raccoons, sloths, agoutis, howler monkeys, and capuchins. The bird population includes the Ibis, Kingfisher, and Toucan.

We snorkeled the reef for over an hour and saw a number of fish...







...including this stingray.



...and this sea urchin...

Then we hiked the 2 miles back to Cahuita on the jungle trail, led by our naturalist guide, Pops. He found and pointed out numerous animals high in the tree tops or on bushes, and his Jamaican grandmother, who had been a medicine woman, had taught Pops her craft, and he had a story about many of the jungle plants we passed. He'd pick a specimen, crumble it up, have us smell or taste it, and inform us what ailment the plant would heal or what body part it would strengthen or clean out...



Here's one of several two-toed sloths Pops pointed out to us...



...and here's one of many howler monkeys we spotted in trees -- and yes, they do deserve that name and we did hear dozens of them howling throughout the jungle --

,

After arriving back in Cahuita, our tour concluded with a delicious typical Costa Rican meal of fish and pinto (rice and beans) in a local restaurant. A wonderful day!

Here's a movie with camcorder footage of our snorkel and hike.

Mountain Biking Florida's Alafia River State Park

This 6,260 acre park offers some of the most challenging off-road bicycling trails in Florida. It is reclaimed from a former phosphate mining site and therefore has unique topography, namely some of Florida’s most radical elevation changes. Since this mine was abandoned before remediation laws took effect, the area where mountain biking exists is an erratic mixture of pond depressions and abrupt hills jutting out from the surface. The "jungle" has grown back over the surface, and is home to 14 miles of bike trails, ranging from beginner to advanced, with 2 green loop/easy trails, 3 blue loop/intermediate trails, 2 black loop/difficult trails, and 2 double black diamond/very difficult trails.

Alafia also offers equestrians and hikers the opportunity to explore mixed hardwood forests, pine flatwoods and rolling hills with 20 miles of hiking and horse trails. There are also picnic pavilions, a playground, and horseshoe pit and volleyball courts available. For overnight stays, the park has a full-facility campground for both primitive and RV camping, as well as equestrian friendly campsites.

We biked 2 green and 1 blue trail and loved it. It is more intense than the easy and mid-difficulty trails of both the Santos area in the Ocala National Forest and Munson Hills in the Apalachicola NF, due to tight turns and far more tree roots. We also encountered some lengthy mud areas.



Sand was never a big problem here, and you never tire of the drop-dead gorgeous scenery around every bend. Helmets are required on all trails, and a $5 entry fee was charged in 2010. The trailhead has nice washrooms for you, and there is a bike washing station which you will probably need to use after your ride.



The former mining pits and the hills created from the excavated material give the rider some uphill/downhill excitement, even on the easier trails.



...and we encountered at least one creek crossing, though the worst ones had bridges over them. These trails are built and maintained by the SWAMP Mountain Bike Club and they have done/are doing a great job. Thanks guys!



The State of Florida page is here.

Park Information

14326 South County Road 39
Lithia, Florida 33547

(813) 672-5320

GETTING THERE

• Alafia River State Park is located 10 miles southeast of Tampa on County Road 39.
• From I-75 South take exit 240 and go east on State Road 674. Continue on State Road 674 for approximately 15 miles and turn left at the flashing light onto County Road 39. Continue for approximately five miles, the main park entrance will be on the right.
• From I-75 North take exit 257 and go east on State Road 60. Continue to County Road 640 and go right. Go 11 miles and turn right at County Road 39. Continue to the park entrance on left.
• From I-4 take exit 22 onto Park Road. Follow Park Road for approximately 2.5 miles. Bear right onto 39B and turn left onto State Road 39 (James Redman Parkway). Continue on state for approximately 15.2 miles to the main park entrance on the left.

My Idea of A Diversified Portfolio...

I have quite a few of the clever "Life Is Good" shirts, but this is my favorite because it incorporates all three of my primary outdoor passions -- and is the title another of my blogs, Bike, Hike, and Paddle.



For the next 3 weeks, we'll be pursuing all 3 of these passions as we travel southern Florida, and I'll continue to gradually create pages for the activities we just concluded in Costa Rica, so check back each day.

Ziplining in Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest

Selvatura Park is an 850 acre conservation area located in the Primary Forest of Monteverde (altitude 4000 feet) and includes an outstanding canopy tour giving participants a feel of being within the canopy and part of the forest. The tour consists of 13 cables from 16 platforms and ends with a Tarzan Swing. There is a total of 2 miles of total cable length, with several over 1000 feet in length and the longest being over 3000 feet long! It is suitable for people of all ages. First you don your safety gear, including hard hat, harness, and pulley assembly...


Speeds in excess of 50 mph can be reached on the steeper runs and you get a real feel of freedom and soaring as you zoom through the forest canopy. Here comes Len...



...and here's Ellen on another cable...



You are instructed how to wrap your gloved hand behind your head and around the cable without touching it, prepared to tighten your grip if you need to brake at the end. You don't want to brake unless the guide at the landing platform tells you to brake or you'll lose momentum and have to pull yourself hand-over-hand backwards back up the cable to the platform. Or the guide will pull himself over to you and help you get to the platform. The next person won't be allowed to leave the sending platform until you are clear of the wire.


It's all a very safe and efficient system and makes you feel secure, letting the exhilaration of the ride be your dominant emotion as you zoom hundreds of feet above the jungle floor.

And here's some HD video footage I took...

Biking LOST - The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail

Lake Okeechobee has a surface area of 730 square miles and is ringed by the Herbert Hoover Dike which has a multi-use trail atop it with a total distance of 110 miles. At its capacity, the lake holds 1 trillion gallons of water and is the headwaters of the Everglades.

Parts of trail are paved and others are gravel. We biked out of the town of Okeechobee on a windy day, with steady winds of 20 mph and gusts over 30 mph, making for easy biking with it and a hearty workout against it.



Recreation areas with parking areas are located around the lake for those who wish to fish, walk, rollerblade, or bike. The Army Corps of Engineers was called to build the dike following a devastating flood in 1947 and still manages the facilities. Here are a couple of denizens I found along the lake...





Official page

Rafting Costa Rica's Pacuare River

I've whitewater rafted 13 places in the USA, but Costa Rica's Pacuare River is classified by National Geographic as one of the top 10 river trips in the world and I have to agree. Only the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon has been more exciting to me. Here we are -- Chuck, Marlene, Ellen, and Len -- as we prepare to put-in...



They raft the lower section of the river which features 50+ rapids over an 18 mile stretch, several dozen of which are class III and IV on a scale of 5. The river drops 1000 feet in those 18 miles we rafted. I had my waterproof still camera and waterproof camcorder, but the paddling was so intense so often, I couldn't take many shots because we mostly were paddling for our lives. Fortunately, they had a photographer kayaking with us, and he got some great photos of us...




As you can see, our extraordinary guide, Ivan, kept us out of trouble most of the time while still giving us great rides through the roiling water. Once he lost it and we high-sided up on a boulder, allowing water to get under the left side of the boat and tipping us precariously sideways, tossing me into the river - the only time I've been thrown out while rafting.



Twice more I swam, though voluntarily while we were in calm sections. The perspective looking up from the water is level is interesting...

Yet another rapid...

The lower section goes through narrow gorges like this, but the entire river is magnificent. We even saw a Toucan fly in front of us as we paddled.


Each successful rapid was celebrated with a paddle "high five."




Here's a video I made of our trip down the river...



I strongly suggest all who visit Costa Rica and enjoy adventure to raft this river, and the Exploradores Company has a wonderful trip.

Hi from Costa Rica!

We're 6 days into our 13 day adventure trip and have snorkeled the coral reef and


hiked the jungle on the Carribean side, whitewater rafted, ziplined, hiked, and horsebacked in the central mountains, and just got to the Pacific side. Tomorrow we horseback again in another national park. Photos and detailed trip report after we return to our computers in a week. We have lots of photos and even camcorder footage. The above photo is our hotel pool in Manuel Antonio.

Sent from Chuck's iPhone


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Costa Rica Bound

We fly today to Costa Rica for 12 days of adventure, including snorkeling, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, hiking, zip-lining, canopy walkway tour on suspension bridges, swimming, jeep and boat tours, 2 volcanoes, several national parks, and a coffee plantation tour. No laptop on this trip and at best, sketchy Internet access, but check back in 2 weeks and see photos of our adventures. I hope to have shots and camcorder footage of amazing flora and fauna, waterfalls, rain forests, and more.

Chuck's Backpacking Bonanza...

...celebrated its 14th birthday a few weeks ago. I began it on January 10, 1996 when the Internet was its infancy. Pages had to be laboriously built on rudimentary software and the pages and photos uploaded via slow phone modem. We've sure come a long way!

A couple years ago, my host, AOL, stopped hosting web sites, so I had to redo everything, and upload hundreds of pages and well over 500 photos to new hosts. And since I had been adding over a hundred venues re: biking and paddling, I renamed the site "Bike, Hike and Paddle."

Check it out and wish it a happy birthday!

Bike, Hike, and Paddle

Hiking Cedar Key State Scrub Reserve

Len, Marlene, Ellen, and I hiked 2+ hours through the trails of the scrub today. "Scrub" is not a derogatory term. Rather, sand pine scrub is one of the oldest ecosystem types in Florida. In ancient times when sea levels rose and inundated much of what is now Florida, these upland habitats were isolated by water, forming desert-like hilltop islands. During this period of isolation many species of plants and animals developed unique adaptations to the harsh, dry environment of the scrub lands. These rare and unusual species, called endemics, are found nowhere else in the world. The scrub is dominated by species such as sand live oak, myrtle oak, Chapman's oak, along with rusty lyonia and saw palmetto.



The trails were flooded in numerous sections, necessitating detouring and balancing and sometimes getting wet up to our ankles...



...but the pleaseant 60 degree temperature made it less onerous, especially compared to what we just left back in Chicago!

Sunrise and Sunset seen from Cedar Key

We made it to our condo in Cedar Key, Florida, and after a sumptuous seafood dinner, we enjoyed the sunset from the fishing pier...



Cedar Key is one of a few places where you can observe both the sunset (seen in photo above last night) and the sunrise (seen below from our condo this morning) over the ocean...



Two more great reasons to visit this marvelous locale!

Biking Munson Hills

The Munson Hills mountain bike loops in the Apalachicola National Forest just south of Tallahassee is a venue we discovered last year and returned to this year because we loved it so much...



Having just escaped the snow and frigid temps in Chicago, we reveled as much in the 60 degree temperature as we did the marvelous scenery and mildly challenging terrain. We'll be back again on our way home in 6 weeks!

Worthy Quotes #29

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.
-- John Barrymore

Ordering a man to write a poem is like commanding a pregnant woman to give birth to a red-headed child.
--Carl Sandburg

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.
-- Lyndon B. Johnson

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.
--Helen Keller

It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.
--Abe Lincoln

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Faith enables us to move through the storms carrying our calm with us.
-- J. Holmes

Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

An expert is someone who brings confusion to simplicity.
--Gregory Nunn

Video Tour of Mexico's Copper Canyon

Mexico's Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) is a succession of six inter-connected canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara, the eastern extension of the Sierra Madres, in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua. Together, this canyon system is larger and deeper than Arizona's Grand Canyon and was created by six rivers which eventually merge into the Rio Fuerte and empty into the Sea of Cortez. The name derives from the walls which are copper-green in color.

The Chihuahua Al Pacifico Railroad runs along the main Canyon Urique between Chihuahua and Los Mochis on the Gulf of California. The railroad took over 60 years to complete and travels 408 miles with 37 bridges and 86 tunnels. The total trip takes approximately 15 hours.



This 2007 Elderhostel program rode the El Chepe's entire route round-trip from Chihuahua City to Gulf of Cortez, from 8000 feet elevation to sea level, with stops in various towns to experience the culture and hospitality of the Mexicans and the native Tarahumara tribe who inhabit the canyon. Along the way, we experienced many Tarahumara Indians plying their food, crafts, and other wares, and part 1 of the video includes our two day visit down in the town of Cerocahui deep in the canyon, including a hike, horseback ride, and tour of the town.



The Spanish named the Indians they encountered Tarahumara which is derived from the word Raramuri meaning foot runners. During the 17th century, silver was discovered by the Spaniards in the land of the Tarahumara Indians. They were immediately kept as laborers for mining efforts. There were small uprisings by the Tarahumara, but to little avail. They were eventually forced off of the more desirable lands and up into the canyon cliffs. They remained in these remote reaches of the canyon which protected them during Mexico's various occupations and revolutions and helped them sustain their culture uncontaminated by outside influences.

Part 2 of the video visits a Tarahumara home on a ledge and features Tarahumara natives demonstrating their running/throwing games. The population of the Tarahumara people is estimated at 35,000 to 70,000. Also in this video is a visit to a Mayo village (not Maya) including bits of their traditional dances, and finally several traditional Mexican folk dance performance.






==================================================
As a sidenote -- Ellen and I met on this Elderhostel program inspiring this poem:

Copper Canyon Connection

Radiant Polaris and Sirius beckoned
and two searching souls responded,
connecting in magical Mexico.
Souls similarly aslumber
awakened afire
and forged a bond of steel
amid Copper Canyon’s
soaring peaks and plunging valleys,


savored from train and bus
afoot and upon horseback,




two souls savoring
the mountaintop experience,
awakening
linked and healed.

Against the daunting darkness
of ancient mountains,
smiles brightened
two connecting hearts
as whispered words penetrated
the ancient canyon’s ageless silence.



Racing hearts melded
into unison tempo
and nascent flowering Manzanitas
and Chandelier cactus

mirrored the blossoming connection,
applauding as nature
took its inevitable course
amid Nature’s incomparable awesome majesty.

Patrick Henry Hughes

Born without eyes and unable to walk, this musical virtuoso amazes everyone. He is a student at the University of Louisville and is in the marching band, with dad pushing his son in the wheelchair. You have to watch this...

Ozark National Forest hike

The ice storm of 2009 wreaked much havoc in the national forest. They've cleaned up the downfall in the recreation area/campground but the trails still evince the magnitude of the destruction. Many areas of the trail have obstructions to be climbed over, snuck under, or detoured around.



The scenery is magnificent and the ups and downs yield a good workout. We hiked 2.5 hours, about 6 miles round-trip, and enjoyed seeing blue birds, deer...



...and this cute armadillo...


Then we rewarded ourselves with a sumptuous meal at Red Lobster!

Hike around Lake Fayetteville

After yesterday's day-long drive to Fayetteville, it felt good to get outside and hike the 6 mile loop around Lake Fayetteville.

It was the first time I'd seen snow on the ground and the effect was very scenic. Normally we shun the pavement, preferring to hike or bike the rocks and roots and single track of the natural trail, but this time we checked out the new 1.6 mile paved extension to the existing 2.7 paved segment. Here's the new 140 foot bridge over the creek and to the right you see the old Copperhead bridge built years ago by the Scouts. In most places, you can't see the paved trail from the nature trail, but the 2 trails briefly converge here...


The new trail beyond the Botanical Garden grounds traverses this lovely conifer grove...




The final mile or so of the paved trail is yet to be built, so hiking the rolling hills on the narrow nature trail is the only option...

...but an option we prefer. We were surprised to see numerous bikers out despite the treacherous ice and snow, and also surprised to find so many hikers and runners enjoying the 30+ degree sunny day following several days closer to zero!

Snowshoeing Lakewood Forest Preserve

The recent heavy snowfall delayed my departure to southern climes, so I took full advantage of the new snow and joined Len and Marlene and Dave and Patti for a 90 minute snowshoe adventure in magnificent Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda, Illinois. We always see deer here, today's count being about 20 sightings. Our highest count for one hike is 55 deer. Here's some video footage of our hike today...



As we were leaving, a professional wildlife photographer from Montana arrived and we saw his huge tripod and gigantic 600mm zoom lens. He had been in Ohio and made a special trip to Lakewood before returning to Montana, just to photograph the deer here. He told us his next trip will be to Florida's Everglades, and from there he heads to Nome, Alaska to photograph musk oxen in the Arctic!

Tomorrow I leave for 4 months in Arkansas and Florida, which will also include an adventure vacation in Costa Rica, so check back often!

Coral Reef Wildlife slideshow

Check out this slideshow produced by The Nature Conservancy -- underwater shots of the fish of the coral reefs of the Bahamas and Dominican Republic, including the Exumas.

As it plays, click on the little "i" in the lower right corner to see the name of the fish/wildlife species being shown.

The only way to make it work is to copy this link and paste it into your browser...

http://www.nature.org/popups/features/art30358.html