Trek through the Jungle
 |
Collier-Seminole State Park
Picnic Area, Boat Dock, Pond at trailhead
|
A while ago Wayne decided that he wanted to do the 6 1/2 mile loop trail in the Collier-Seminole State Park. He'd done enough research to know that it could be underwater for a good portion of the hike, and so it's wise to plan to hike it in the dry season. That's now, so bright and early Saturday morning we were on our way. The first step, after the long drive (which took us past last summer's hike in Fakahatchee Strand), was to check in at the ranger's station to get a map and the combination to the lock on the access gate.
The name Adventure Trail was quite accurate and actually an understated description. When we checked in, the rangers said the trail was closed because there had been a fire in the area and while the trail had been cleared, the blazes hadn't been repainted. The service road was open, though, and we could walk along that if we wanted. However, once we arrived at the trailhead and didn't see any "Closed - No Trespassing" signs, and did see an obvious trail and marked blazes, Wayne decided we should stick with our original plan. Off we went.
When we hit the Mile 6 marker, we realized we were technically going backwards, but that's okay.
Although it was a pretty rough trail and there were spots of mud and muck, we weren't trudging through ankle or knee deep water, and we had done 1/2 mile without too much problem.
The next mile took us out of the muddy muck and into a dry cypress swamp.
The painted blazes grew further apart, yet someone had tied plastic streamers to soe trees and bushes, and on occasion it was even possible to follow an obvious path. Much of the time, though we weren't just hiking between trees, but over, under, and even through them!
There were parts without trees and bushes, and in those spots there were plants with sticky burs. We were thoroughly coated with them. These pictures don't do the sight justice at all. (It took an hour to brush them off before we felt clean enough to get in our car.)
Sometime before the Mile 4 post, we couldn't find any more blazes or other markers. Rather than getting lost in the wilderness, we decided to retrace our steps. It wasn't without difficulty but we made it back to the starting place.
It took us four hours to go about 4 1/2 miles. Our usual hiking pace is closer to 3 miles an hour. We didn't realize that we should have packed a machete! So, while plans didn't turn out quite as we expected, that's not deterring us from going back another day to see if we can finish it. Maybe going the other direction will be the key!
As part of our research for this hike, I discovered quite a few interesting websites, non of which mentioned it was closed! If you're interested in this hike, you might be interested in these sites as well.
**********************************
As part of our research for this hike, I discovered quite a few interesting websites, non of which mentioned it was closed! If you're interested in this hike, you might be interested in these sites as well.
Comments