In our original tentative travel plans we had identified two trails in FLA that we might would want to explore on our new bikes. As it turns out, we enjoyed those original two so much that we kept adding more trails or sections of trails as we went along.
There have been many an inquiry as to where we actually are.
When we answer the most common response is "Didn't you leave like 'X' days ago?! How are you not further away?"
Or in the case of Darlene's father, "Are you all traveling forwards during the day and backwards at night?"
As of this writing, we are 18 days into our most recent travels and we have driven an actual mileage of 517 miles.
However, if we were to drive the direct route back to where we started, we have actually traveled only 317 miles. On the bicycles we have achieved 130 miles of riding (which by our standards is really darn impressive considering we have pedaled at least 75% of that and motored only the small remaining portion).
As the title of this post states, we will be talking about the latest two trails and our rides on them over a three day period.
We'll begin with the Withlacoochee Bay Trail.
The Withlacoochee Bay Trail was our first true east to west trail and it led straight to the Gulf (or at least an inlet on a Bay where you could see the Gulf in the distance).
Hop-a-long and Boneless are loaded down with extra clothes on this brisk 50 degree morning.
All of our trails up until this point were straight with a slight turn now and then. This trail was loaded with curves and the change was an exciting one for us.
The cold morning air and strong (even cooler feeling) breeze had most of the critters nowhere to be found early on.
However, sitting the middle of the trail, a Tawny Emperor Butterfly was attempting to warm up on the pavement.
Nicole picked it up to move it to a safer location and although she felt quite cold the butterfly apparently found her warmth soothing.
Despite her many attempts to put it down, the Tawny Emperor was not letting go.
Not that Nicole was complaining!
What a wonderful opportunity to inspect the finer details of this beauty.
Alas, there were miles to go until the Gulf. So, we set the Tawny down and off we went.
The trail runs along side remnants of the Cross Florida Barge Canal.
Had this project been completed it would have cut a path right through Florida creating a direct link for ships from the Atlantic to the Gulf - and essentially allowing Nicole to grow up on an Island not a Peninsula. The idea was originally proposed in the 1500's and then again in the 1800's. In the early 1960's construction finally began. However, by the end of the 60's heavy opposition due to severe environmental destruction brought about an end to the project and in 1971 President Nixon suspended all work on the canal with only 1/3 of it completed.
In 1990 President George Bush de-authorized the project and changed the use of the lands to recreation and conservation.
In 1998 the name of the entire 110 mile corridor was changed to the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway in honor of the woman who played a major role in preventing further environmental damage that would have happened had it been completed.
As we neared the Gulf wetlands and marshes began to show up
though save for a few egrets not much wildlife was in the mood to make an appearance on this very chilly day.
As the weather began to warm somewhat we did spot a couple of small birds...
Male (left) and Female Indigo Buntings
and a new-to-us bird the Eastern Wood Pewee (LIFER!)
At the end of the road, Hop-a-long, Boneless and their mamas braced against the strong, cold Gulf breeze.
That's the Gulf out there between those islands. We made it!
This was probably our shortest and coldest ride to date but we sure did enjoy the Withlacoochee Bay Trail.
That was One Trail, One Day, One Way...
Next up was the Nature Coast Trail.
Our first ride on this trail started in Chiefland
and rode North under a canopy of trees loaded with singing birds.
There was a full blanket of wildflowers all along the side of the trail and although it was another chilly morning start for us
there were a few more critters stirring. Like this new moth for us which we still have not been able to identify
and these Guineafowl (some call them Guinea Hens) which although they are not an official ABA bird were totally new for Nicole. Darlene had seen them before because her neighbor growing up had some.
Although this ride was more 'urban' than others we had been doing the frequent tree canopies and divide between us and the road continued for pretty much the whole ride.
We both commented that despite the increase in street crossings and cars on the nearby road we did not really notice them as we were too busy with the experience.
We stopped to peer at what Nicole thought might be a new skipper butterfly (it wasn't) and found this new spider instead.
Full confirmation on the ID is still out but it made the narrowing down process easier by jumping from area to area when Nicole disturbed it.
We think this Jumping Spider is Phidippus pulcherrimus.
This spider was a bit more shy and watched Nicole's antics with the jumping spider from the safety of its hole in the ground.
We may not have seen a new skipper but this was for sure a new butterfly. This is the Oak Hairstreak Butterfly - Satyrium favonius.
While chasing down another potentially new skipper that had landed on this beautiful thistle flower
this fascinating new-to-us insect was observed. Meet the very appropriately named Long-headed Toothpick Grasshopper - Achurum carinatum.
And with that we finished up yet another very enjoyable day on the bikes at nearly 14 miles.
Let's see... that gives us Two Trails, Two Days and Two Ways.
Next up was a multi-directional ride on a more northerly section of the Nature Coast Trail.
We moved on to the Fanning Springs Trailhead of the Nature Coast Trail.
The Nature Coast Trail is our first trail in the shape of a 'T'. The Westerly section (based on our direction of travel) leads to our first true Trestle Bridge. So, that was our focus for this trail. The rest just sort of happened because we were having such a good time!
The Hop-a-long / Boneless beginning of the trail photo has become quiet a habit.
One of these days they'll get tired of posing, start their own motors and drive off!
Only fifty yards or so into this ride we spotted a new-to-us caterpillar - The Banded Tussock Caterpillar
Halysidota tessellaris was quite a fuzzy fella.
After just a few miles we arrived at the fork in the road that creates the 'T'. The trestle is westerly so left is the path we chose.
Along the way, the wildlife was watching us from behind the wildflowers!
Soon we reached this with a dry creek bed under it and thought 'Really, that's it?'. It wasn't.
We named it the Fake Trestle Bridge.
A little while later we came upon this which looked more promising.
Since rivers can overflow their banks even the approach to the actual trestle is raised well above river level.
We made it! Our first real trestle structure over a large river. Who would have thought it would be in FLA of all places.
The structure was quite impressive considering its age.
The rails and ties had been removed and replaced with planks.
The trestle now has benches at around the half way point and we sat and looked out over the Suwannee for a good long while.
Periodically a very large fish would breach the surface and come down with the sound of a very large rock being thrown in. We caught sight of several of them and they were huge.
Later we discovered that they were the Gulf Sturgeon which can reach eight feet in length and up to 220 lbs. Their annual migration brings them into the river and sometimes into the path of unaware and oncoming boaters. Knowing this, we were happy to have been viewing from the trestle high above.
Trestle Art Over The Suwannee...
We have officially crossed our first trestle. Now it is time to turn around and go east for a while before returning south.
On our easterly ride we didn't spot much and there was less tree cover so the warmth of the day had started taking over. Still we pedaled along merrily for several miles before choosing to return to our girl Annie.
We did spot a Checkered White Butterfly on this final ride which we will share with you. Not new to us but still always nice to see.
So, Day Three ended at around 12 miles for a three day total of around 37 miles.
Well, that was our experience on Two Trails in Three Days and Four Ways (West, North, East and South).
Watch out for those strong wind gusts or you might just wind up looking like...
THIS!
