This past week we both completed our 13th Florida State Forest trail and we received our first level of Trailwalkers in the mail for participating the the Florida State Forest Trailwalkers Program. The kids were excited as the first level rewarded them with not only a certificate for their portfolios, but also a patch, a hiking stick medallion, and a bumper sticker. Britt promptly helped me affix everyone but Ruth and Kate's hiking stick medallions and they all took their sticker to add to their bulletin boards or books. I placed mine in my school planner to mark the milestone. Each of the kids are getting a hiking vest from Memaw for Christmas and so I pinned their badges on to be attached.
Incase you don't recall the Trailwalker Program allows visitors to the state forests to collect patches for hiking various distances in the various state forest. The first badge earned is the Trailwalker after hiking 10 different trails, within at least 5 different state forest. The second level is the Trailblazer badge after hiking 20 different trails. The third level is the Trailmaster badge after hiking 30 different trails. The three patches together make a completed design that can be affixed to a shirt, hiking vest, or bag. The final challenge to complete the program is the Trailwarrior. Continuing your trail log, or if you didn't keep records previously you can start at 100 miles, you get additional recognition for walking 250 miles, 500 miles, 750 miles and 1,000 miles. For a list of all the trails that count toward the Trailwalker Program you can visit the Florida State Forest website.
For our 13th trail we visited Newnan's Lake State Forest, in Gainesville, Florida. Since we had an errand to run that morning we ate our picnic lunch in the car on the way, and hit the Pithlachocco Trail as soon as we got there. It was a good thing that we did too, since it took us almost 3 hours on the trail and it was 2 pm when we started, it was nearly sunset when we made it back to the car. However, the afternoon light made for some gorgeous pictures.
There were no Geocaching opportunities along the trail, however, there were some pretty fall colors. The first half of the hike Rebecca kept outdistancing us and the boys actually ran to keep up, when they weren't engaging with sword fighting with big brother. They had a great time. The girls mostly talked and trailed behind me and the twins, with Ruth being today's designated rear guard since Daddy wasn't with us. We had our trail snack only 1/3 of the way down the trail on a fallen tree. We all had a bag of chips with our water and set back out. At the halfway point we meet some college kids one of who also had one Pikachu socks and complemented Kate on her dress. I told the young lady that Kate had to be dedicated to carry Pikachu in her Pikachu dress for 2.5 miles. After a short break to explore the edge of the pond there, the boys were ready to be carried so Britt and Ruth loaded them on their backs. Kate informed us that Pikachu was also tired of walking and loaded him on her back for the rest of the trip back to the car.
The trail itself winds through the Florida hardwood forest, until you get close to the lake itself. There it gives way to one of the most intact natural systems of gum and bald cypress swamps in the state. Along the way we saw some birch trees with bright yellow leaves. It was the first time the kids had seen them, and they remarked how they really were striped looking like in minecraft. Later the next day, I actually learned about marcescence. I shared with the kids that beeches and oaks hold on to their leaves for a reason. We had always assumed it's because Florida doesn't get the cold weather that cues the trees to drop their leaves, in fact I'm sure someone told me that when I first moved to Florida. It turns out that these trees don't drop their leaves due to their genes. There are two possibilities why. One is that wildlife, like deer, forage on the buds of trees as they develop and the trees who keep their leaves help to hide the newly developing buds it gives them an edge. Additionally, it is postulated that because the leaves fall in early spring. They then absorb sunlight helping to warm the ground around the trees faster than other trees, what this means is that the sap begins to flow slightly earlier in these trees than in their counterparts, because of the extra heat at the roots. It's amazing what we can learn about.
If you'd like to make a trip the address to the visitor center is 921 NE 55th Blvd, Gainesville, Florida. Entrance to the Park is free.
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