Feet First

CRABS on the Suwannee

2012-02-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

It was my distinct pleasure today to host a visit to our area by the C.R.A.B.S. (Crusty Retired All Bent Society) as they joined me for a somewhat breezy spin on the Nature Coast State Trail. We all met up at the Fanning Springs State Park and shivered about for several minutes while an overcast sky had shrouded a bright sunny beginning.

Shortly after we started riding, the clouds cleared away and once again let the sun brighten our visions of brilliant jasmine blossoms, bluebirds, and a phoebe.

While our visitors had plenty to talk about, they seemed delightfully taken with the natural setting and openness of the area.

We fancied ourselves struggling upwind into Cross City, confident that upon turning around, we'd have a very supportive tailwind and a bright sun on our chest. We were not disappointed. The 20 miles to Trenton sailed by effortlessly even though we stopped in Old Town for brief relief each way.

The last leg returning to Fanning Springs included more frequent sightings of other riders as the day continued to warm up even in the wind. Occasional reference to dining plans were also on the rise while the fuel gauges dimmed.

Bill's Barbeque in Chiefland had been seen to have a full lot at breakfast, so we all agreed this might be a good choice for refueling. We were once again ...NOT disappointed.

A great ride, beautiful day, terrific food and fine friends. My thanks to Phil, Debbie, Bill, Mary, John, Colleen, and Charlie for traveling north to join me on the Nature Coast State Trail.

slide show of the ride

Sheila's Birthday Ride

2012-01-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

On the east coast of north Florida, the Flagler Beach Marineland Trail provides a terrific seashore view and lots of varied scenic opportunities. Rick, Myhra, Al, Larry, Kathleen, Sheila, Bob, Carol, Deanne, John, Jeanne, Shelton and I made a baker's dozen. Our group replaced a tube and shared hugs at Moody Park in downtown Flagler Beach before setting out on a downwind spree up to Bing's Landing.

After posing for our group shot, we made our way back down to the overpass bridge to enter the Palm Coast Linear Park on the west side of the Intercoastal Waterway. This very attractive little trail offers not only great restroom facilities and trailheads but also lots of shade and interesting twists, turns, bridges and other riding fun. We enjoyed a sampling of the park and decided it was time to make haste in our return to Flagler Beach for our planned lunch event. Even though we now had a headwind, the allure of lunch made it seem mild.

Additional friends joined us for a fantastic visit to the very special Flagler Fish Company for a birthday lunch. We then relocated the party to New Smyrna Beach for the remainder of a great weekend. Thanks, Sheila!

Here's a link to the slide show.

O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail

2011-11-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

Scene from trailside: Fall afternoon sun warms the old Tanner barn

Veterans Day with veteran Feet First Members

2011-11-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

Original, founding members Gary Kirkland, Jim Wilson, and Jim Ossa joined Rick Jacobsen, Thelma Richards and I for what we thought would be a quick outing to Chiefland on a nice cool morning. It was certainly cool enough but it quickly became nice enough that we lost control of our flight plan. On our way back from Chiefland, we stopped in to the barbeque place in Fanning Springs where all the veggies are fried and I enjoyed my very first fried dill pickle spears. To my surprise they were much more enjoyable than the rest of the vegetables!

Full and fearless we conceded we should at least visit Old Town so we could cross the bridge over the Suwannee River (pictured) and then we found ourselves unable to avoid the temptation to go on and include Cross City. Of course, this would inevitably involve stopping in at the Dairy Queen for additional "fuel" to help us survive our over extended trip.
A very lovely day and 36 miles morphed into 100 km end to end to end.

Wellborn Bimble

2011-10-15T18:00:00.000-04:00

Joe joined me in Fort White this morning for a bimble (see urban dictionary) up to Wellborn, FL. There were lots of runners out braving the 50 degree weather in their shorts for a 5k sponsored run. We moved on west to met up with Thelma at the entrance to 3 Rivers Estates and then doubled back to head north on Junction Road where we expected to find Rick on his way to meet us. He was right on time so we made our introductions and continued north taking Ichetucknee Avenue up to CR 240. Standing down for a breather at 240 & 247, it was already time to shed our sleeves and warmers... This was shaping up to be an outstanding morning.

Just a few miles north and east, pushing against the wind that would be our dear friend when we began our return, we left the highway and fell back in time into the quiet, rural peace of an older reference. Now a dog might bark, even move toward the road, but quickly paused to ponder our passing. You could hear the birds sing once more and take the time to guess which one it might be, imagine yourself able to actually watch an old leaning barn slowly slide into the earth, admire classic specimen vehicles in various states of restoration, storage or disrepair and blissfully slip in and out of the morning shade while quietly gliding along a nearly abandoned corridor.

Hey! Wait just a minute... I've got to wake myself back up. We were nearly thirty miles out and had that and more to go. Well, anyway, it was a real nice change of pace. I managed to recover from my dream state as we arrived in Wellborn and took in the sites that showed me just how long it had been since I rode through. The Suwannee Swifty that had formerly been our ride destination had not only closed some time ago but had grass growing up though the asphalt parking lot so we made a quick tour and turned back toward the highway, the Dollar General, and the B&B, standing down at the latter. Taking on refreshments in the shade of the building, we were approached by several locals with an interest in learning more about recumbents and trikes. Of course, it is always fun to pass the whole thing off as a playful refusal to grow up. That philosophy seems to have a somewhat universal appeal.

Probably because none of us had particularly "trained" for this long a ride recently and because our previously mentioned dear friend (now a respectable tailwind) was helping us along, we slowly quieted down and began to focus on getting the trip behind us. Still a freshly painted purple Studebaker Hawk is difficult to ignore as was the only other cyclist we encountered and some of the fence work along CR 137 is tough to remain silent about, but most importantly we were all in good spirits and finally, it was NOT 90 degrees outside any more!

75 miles and smiles
O\vo~

Lulu Loop

2011-09-03T15:00:00.000-04:00

Tropical storm Lee managed to pull enough bad weather together along the gulf coast to net Fort White a cool morning with a gentle easterly breeze. Thelma and Joe met me at the Train Depot on time at 7:30 and we started right in on our trip north and then east of Fort White. Light traffic on 47 was still heavier than we expected but as soon as we made our turn to the east above the Interstate, those woes were behind us. We covered some new ground this morning east of Tustenuggee Road as we worked our way over to Country Club Road and then on to Price Creek Road.

The sleepy town of Lulu remained undisturbed as we slipped in from the south and crossed Florida 100 to stand down for a few restful moments at The Lulu General Store. Heading back to the south, our light headwind became a more pronounced crosswind but seemed to occasionally get behind our efforts to at least want to turn westward and we rolled through beautiful rural vistas over hills and newly replaced bridges into an unusually quiet Providence. Lacking some of the bustling one would ordinarily find on a Saturday morning, Providence passed quickly as we now had a secure tailwind. The group indulged me as I detoured us slightly north once more to ease through the Feagle farms of southern Columbia County, then we returned to Tustenuggee Road to bring us back to the O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail into Fort White.

Just over 57 miles of smiling at some mighty peaceful scenery.

Withlacoochee Bay Trail

2011-07-30T17:00:00.005-04:00

Since it was too hot to ride a long trail, we picked a short one and rode it twice. This coastal location gave us a tailwind on both inbound segments and a few clouds kept us from actually overheating. Jerry Smith had just acquired a new Greenspeed trike and wanted to put it through the paces. It seemed to perform nicely and definitely corners like nobody's business. Mark and Phil joined in as we found our way to the Gulf on a beautiful morning!

Quite a few different birds were on hand this morning; even a Roseate Spoonbill was observed flying across our path. We rested at the Gulf trailhead and snacked on Jerry's boiled peanuts while a seasoned, local rider told us a story about some folks pointing to that marker way out in the channel and asking what that sign said. The story had it that the response was simply, "...Boiled Peanuts." That drew an enthusiastic roar of laughter from us snackers. This very fit visitor told us he cycled every other day and swam the next.

On the ride back in we stopped in to all the little overlooks and such, just to check out the lay of the park and visit with folks setting up for a day of fishing. Then our second pass was more concentrated on finishing before melting down, so it went quite a bit quicker. Phil and I had to stop as an unusual creature crossed our path and cried out as a must do photo op. Being the ride captain for the Crusty Retired All Bent Society (CRABS), it simply wouldn't do for us not to capture a photograph of Phil with the "team mascot" when it naturally presented itself.

After the ride, Mark and Phil and I headed south to Crystal River to lunch at Crackers on Kings Bay which had a quite tasty swordfish sandwich on special. Having to pass the park on my return path to the house I couldn't resist the trail and stopped in for a third sprint on my Sprint.

Photos for mobile devices

Madison County Four Freedoms Trail

2011-07-03T15:00:00.002-04:00

Deanne and I drove up to Madison this morning to find a pair of foxes playing near the railroad on the way into town. Right on schedule, Thelma arrived with her new ICE Trike on board and after unfolding it, we set tires to pavement.

Deanne and I were both taken by what a difference the 26 inch rear wheel makes in the appearance of the trike.

Our focus quickly shifted to the obvious topic on this beautiful trail... how did they make it so that you feel like you are going downhill all the way? Just a delightful spin through the shade, dropping back in time to a very peaceful period, when everything moved slower. This is easily the most comfortable twelve and a half miles you are likely to pedal on a hot day. There are also several options for lunch when you return to Madison.

As we've said before, we will be returning to this trail again, soon.

Photos for mobile devices

Flagler Beach to Marineland Trail

2011-06-11T18:00:00.001-04:00

This one follows A1A north starting out on the sidewalk and becoming a little more enhanced as it goes along. Mark surprised me by stopping in at the park just to see us off. A clear morning with a light breeze working itself up to set flags, kites and hats into motion was ours as we started out in search of the first patch of shade.

Shelton scouted ahead while Carol and I eased along comfortably in the back, drinking in the day. Just after finding shade, we decided to take the Palm Coast diversion on the way up, so hung a right at the overpass and made our way over the Intercoastal Waterway into Palm Coast to playfully explore the Palm Coast Linear Park and its several optional off shoots. There is a quite lovely trail segment running right alongside the waterway with a beautiful new trailhead facility at the southern end.

Back out on the A1A part of the trail, we headed toward Marineland and were soon reminded by signage that the Washington Oaks State Park would be readily accessible to us. Everyone agreed and that became our new destination. As you can see, there is plenty of shade to be enjoyed in that park and it is quite a beautiful place. When we left the park, there was already an undercurrent of excitement building. Carol & Shelton had both recently experienced Flagler Fish Company's offerings and there was not a prayer I'd be able to steer our group further north to Marineland once we began imagining the culinary options.

What can I say? We turned right!

Do Not ...miss any chance to eat at this surprising venue! You could easily prosper with nothing but their "side orders" section. The perfect polish for a ride day!

Chiefland Watermelon Festival

2011-06-04T14:00:00.001-04:00

We took to the Nature Coast State Trail in Trenton at a sharp 7:00 AM to beat the heat and were pleasantly surprised to find the watermelon already being served by the time we arrived in Chiefland. The prediction of a hint of rain was just enough to provide partial cloudiness which kept the sun at bay until we were well on our way back.

There was also just enough of a breeze to keep the temperature down to a respectable mid-summer level. We met some friends on the trail who are local residents and new recumbent trike owners and threatened to join us on future rides. All this made for a very nice Saturday morning ride which included sightings of at least twelve rabbits (yes, we counted 'em), a snake, and many birds.

Hawthorne Trail

2010-11-27T18:00:00.002-05:00

Nineteen riders, feeling the need to recover from holiday dining, met at Boulware Springs for a ride to Hawthorne and back. A light cold front had moved through the night before and presented a crisp, clear morning with a fresh breeze from the north.

David and Terry came down from Middleburg, Sheila and Larry from New Smyrna Beach and her brothers Al form Orange Park and Tom from Gainesville, Phil from Leesburg, Stix from Orlando, Mac from Seffner, Dutch and Martha from St. Cloud, Bill and Jane from Fort White, Mark from Citrus Springs, Bill and Amber from Archer, Sandra from Alachua, and Deanne and I from Fort White. We all enjoyed visiting and taking in the view as we pedaled over brightly colored leaves along this beautiful trail. While cormorants ducked into Johnson Lake for their lunch, we slipped into Dianne's Old Time Barbeque for refueling and more visiting.

There was a reunion feel to the gathering in general as many old acquaintances were renewed and some new faces were added to the group. The trip back seemed a little quieter with the pondering of making it over the hills after the full round trip weighing on the mind. But everyone made it back safely adding even more to be thankful for on a fine Thanksgiving Weekend.

Thanks everyone for coming out and making it a great day! Also, thanks for the contributing enthusiasm from those who were on their way, but unable to attend.

Enjoy larger versions of the photos in the gallery.

O\vo~

Space Coast Invaders

2010-07-24T18:00:00.007-04:00

Larry & Sheila from New Smyrna Beach and Rick & Myhra from Cocoa Beach brought their recumbent trikes along on a visit to the Nature Coast State Trail in Trenton, FL in honor of Larry's birthday. We were joined at the trailhead by local recumbent residents Don & Mei and John & Jeanne brought out their new tandem from Gainesville for its first rail trail experience.

Ride Start

A gentle breeze from the east coaxed us readily on to the bridge over the Suwannee River where we paused to talk with some fishermen in a boat below. They replied they weren't doing all that well as Larry reminded them, "...that's why they don't call it 'catching'!"

Just then, Rick pointed toward a large splash downstream where a huge sturgeon, "...nearly five feet, cleared the water like a Marlin!" We mounted up and back-tracked a little to turn south down to Fanning Springs and took the small detour through the shade of the north side of town over to the Fort Fanning Park on the river and crossed over to the wayside park across the highway for a break.

Back across town to the trail we resumed our trek south via the completely canopied tunnel of shade on down to Chiefland. Having started after 9 AM, it was really warming up by now and we were beginning to seriously target some cooler plans. We settled on hastening back to the origin where air conditioning might be available with menus.

A nearly overheated troupe repaired to the Cracker Box in Trenton for some very friendly and generous servings of fresh salads, Reubens, fried shrimp and the like. All in all a quite enjoyable, and certainly warm, forty mile outing.

O\vo~

Patch and Go

2010-05-29T14:00:00.003-04:00

I was enjoying my first ride in a week and things are going beautifully, until my seat actually broke as I crossed the Santa Fe River.

It looked to me as though I was going to have to "phone a friend", since "poll the audience" appeared to be disabled at the time and "50/50" had unacceptable odds, until I spied a telephone terminal post and things began to look more promising. There, buried behind a fallen tree and guarded by a small army of carpenter ants, was a discarded traffic cone.

The cone was torn and revealed a very useful thickness that seemed just sturdy enough to me to be useful, so I broke out my Swiss Army knife and got myself back on the road in minutes.

Forty-one miles, exciting repair job, and lots of traffic as city folk headed to the rivers and parks in our area.

Photos are in the gallery.

O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail

2010-03-13T18:00:00.004-05:00

Coming into Trenton this morning, I was greeted by a road block and then permitted limited access to the area near the trail head where it seemed most of the town was gathering for a Quilt Festival. The most activity I can remember seeing in Trenton. There were quilts on display everywhere, lots of vendor tents set up, live music performed on stage in the station house, flags flying in the breeze, and the festivities were getting busier by the minute.

A couple of gentlemen had been admiring our recumbents and asking lots of questions, when one of them, gesturing toward the rest of the surroundings smiled and said, "There's not a lot of 'guy stuff' going on around here."

He kindly snapped a photo of the three of us and they looked on as Mark, Gary, and I rode out of the crowd and on down the trail toward the Suwannee River. The breeze steadily grew into a respectable head wind so we enjoyed standing down from it for a snack in Old Town.

The ride back was at least 50% quicker and much easier to understand conversation, as the wind sailed us back to the Quilt Festival.

Photos are in the gallery.

Twenty miles and smiles
O\vo~

Hawthorne Trail

2010-02-20T15:53:00.005-05:00

Here are some shots from today's outing

Photos are in the gallery.

O\vo~

Happy Birthday, Sheila!

2010-01-24T18:00:00.003-05:00

What a lovely day to get blown up and down the West Orange Trail!

Myhra, Rick, Sheila, Larry, Deanne and I celebrated Sheila's birthday today with a wonderful ride up and down wind and finished it off with lunch at the new Thai restaurant in the ole Winter Garden Hotel.

Happy Birthday, Sheila!

Photos are in the gallery.

O\vo~

Withlacoochee Invasion II

2009-11-14T18:00:00.003-05:00

Once again, for the second time this year, recumbents from all over descended upon Inverness and filled up the parking lot at the Central Motel. Better weather was simply not to be found and bright colors where everywhere as folks assembled for group photos before the mass start.

There was a particularly unusual, nearly magical feeling to behold when a certain specially equipped, tandem recumbent passed us and lit off a bubble machine, scattering hundreds of bubbles along and filling the trail. What a Hoot!

Withlacoochee Rally 11-14-09 from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

Must have been the combination of great weather and great friends that spurred us on to ride all the way to the southern trailhead. After a brief rest, we turned into the wind and sailed back up to Inverness.

Photos are in the Gallery.

65 miles and smiles
O\vo~

350 PPM - It's Your Planet!

2009-10-17T13:36:00.004-04:00

Let's do what we can to honor the International Day of Climate Action by meeting up at the Nature Coast State Trail, Trenton Trailhead on October 24th at 9:00 AM.

We'll ride 350 deci-miles (35 miles) and call attention to the significance of the number as a goal for everyone, everywhere.

Hope to see you there!

--------

As it happened, ride time in Trenton this morning found Mark and I staring out into the rain from the old railroad platform. Sandra called to say she was on her way, but I advised her to turn back... Penny had SMS'd she wasn't up to it... just wasn't a good morning to launch.

After we called it "a wash", I sneaked in a nap and then pedaled my 350 deci-miles this afternoon over to Branford and back. Not exactly what I had planned, but a bad day riding trumps a good day at work every time. I had really hoped to make a little more of a statement or contribute a little more to the cause of Climate Action. Alas! At least my television was off the whole time I was riding.

O\vo~

Withlacoochee State Trail

2009-08-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

Even though rain was virtually assured, our group rode grinning into a very light breeze, just enough to make it comfortable and watched almost cloudless skies switch our focus. We became more concerned about exposure and heat than any possibility of rain, but it was easy to press on having been advised there was iced watermelon waiting for us.

Sheila, Larry, Myhra, Rick, Sandra, Phil and I started south just about on schedule after making a few hardware adjustments. Larry took over my trike and Rick and Myhra have new Trice Ts. Mark joined us about four miles into the ride and then we began the deviation. Guided more or less by whim, there were three side steps made where we examined or used facilities and just looked about.

We managed to get by the grazing gopher tortoise and the law enforcement vehicles and enjoyed a fairly quick ride down to Inverness where I heard shouts from the shade that sound like, "Where WHERE you?!" To my surprise Mei, Don, Bobbie, and Ron had completed the same trip, looking for us all the while, and must have passed while we were "off trail"! They had gotten off to a little later start and just missed us.

With the entire group together now, Don and Mei tell us about the watermelon they have brought. That generated its own mental tailwind and we sailed back to the north end. Discussing lunch, Mark says there is a Coach's Pub in Dunnellon, so that was settled and the entire group retired to the pub for a real nice lunch.

Photos are in the Gallery.

34 miles and smiles
O\vo~

Hawthorne Trail

2009-08-01T18:00:00.001-04:00

Today's ride was organized by David Von Stein of Middleburg and was attended by folks from the Central and North Florida Recumbent Riders groups, Mark and friends from Catrike, as well as Feet First. Mike, from Atlantic Beach, got us all off to a healthy start by laying out some beautiful, ice cold, fresh fruit in the shade which hit the spot on a very warm morning.

All our gadgets had assured us a 70% chance of rain, so we were somewhat surprised by the weather staying clear for the entire ride.

There were a few mechanical problems, including flats, flips, and bound binders, but the group pulled together to overcome and made it back to Dianne's Old Time Barbeque in Hawthorne for feasting on air conditioning and barbeque.

Thanks, David, for putting this together!

Photos are in the Gallery. Special thanks to Mary Hayhurst for the additonal photos.

31 miles and smiles (and almost as many riders!)
O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail

2009-07-25T14:00:00.001-04:00

Getting real close to being too hot to ride, we complained, as we tried to decide just how far to ride this morning. We met up in Trenton and mustered our intentions just enough to get rolling and feel the cool breeze of evaporation settle over us. Later it seemed that we might have actually been pedaling into a slight headwind, as it assisted us on our return trip.

We rode out across the Suwannee River before meeting other riders going the opposite direction. The surprising thing was that the majority of them were also recumbent riders.

Once we ran out of the shade things really began to warm up and stopping did not seem to help much. Having other plans for later in the day, our group reached a split decision, Mark, Don, and Mei turned back and Sandra and I continued on to Cross City. We encoutered a couple on horseback coming into Cross City alongside the trail as we turned around and made for our rest stop at the Dairy Queen. The Brownie Batter Blizzard had to be consumed outside because the air conditioning in the DQ was simply too big a contrast to our exercise environment.

Photos are in the Gallery and the map of the ride is on the Trails Guide.

40 miles and smiles
O\vo~

Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail

2009-07-11T18:00:00.005-04:00

Almost as much fun as riding a trail is sharing one with someone who's not yet seen it. Don and Mei joined us in Baldwin for their first trip on this particular trail and Deanne and I enjoyed showing them around. First, we took in the two miles to the west end and then turned about to head toward Jacksonville.

The first day in quite some time with a reduced chance of rain seemed to really bring folks out. There were riders of all types cruising along in both directions, about the busiest I remember ever seeing it. At one point Mei and I chased up to a pace line that had just passed us and hung on to the back for a mile or so, surprising the head first riders somewhat.

Apparently due to all the rain we have been having, there is some fairly serious erosion of the trail surface edges in a few places, but evidence suggests maintenance crews have the situation well under control. Otherwise the overall condition of the trail was excellent, as usual.

We took in a visit to the park about midway where the Harvey House and all the carefully planted oak trees are, including a roll along the boardwalk through the piney woods. This is all back behind the trailside restroom facilities. There was the hint of an isolated shower looming as we turned around at the Jacksonville trailhead and some sprinkles followed us downwind back to Baldwin.

No trip to Baldwin is complete without a stop at Everybody's Restaurant, so we stopped in to find it was "Chicken Day!" The special on Saturdays is their terrific fried chicken. And it "...is served with not one, not two, but three sides of your choosing for only $7.10!", we overheard the ever-engaging waitress announce to a neighboring table.

Photos are in the Gallery and the map of the ride is on the Trails Guide.

32 miles and smiles
O\vo~

Lake Beresford Park

2009-07-04T18:00:00.007-04:00

While visiting our friends in New Smyrna Beach for Independence Day, they invited us to join them for a ride to Blue Spring State Park. That seemed like the perfect thing to do in the summer heat, take a dip in a cool spring. Tucked away, almost secretively, near Deland we went to Lake Beresford Park.

There is a 1.8 mile, paved trail encircling the park which connects via a tunnel under the railroad, to another paved trail leading down to Blue Spring, about 3.4 miles. So, granted this makes a short trail ride, but does it ever make up for that in beauty?! This is a fantastically natural trail, neat and clean, and well just plain pretty! With the lake nearby, there is no surprise in seeing and hearing many birds, but one of our riders actually got to see a piney woods rooter (young wild pig) rustling through the underbrush.

The trail offers lots of shade, curves, short climbs up and down easy hills, and great Florida wooded scenery with the optional swimming stop at the south end for a mid-ride cool off. Somewhat off the beaten path (always gets my vote), this little gem is worth the trouble to visit and is accompanied by copious free parking and perfectly maintained restroom facilities.

Photos are in the Gallery and the map of the ride is on the Trails Guide.

10 miles but many more smiles
O\vo~

The Legacy Trail

2009-06-20T18:00:00.007-04:00

I don't know when I've said "Good Morning" more often! Even though there was actually a heat advisory in effect for the area, Deanne and I were amazed at the number of people we encountered on this relatively new recreational resource in Sarasota. The Legacy Trail has been in place just over a year now but it seemed lots of folks know about it. It can be a little tricky to find for the unfamiliar because you really can't see it from the parking at listed trail heads, which are local parks. The trail experience itself is enhanced by that fact though since you aren't riding past parking lots and other infrastructure, instead you are riding through rural Florida and part of it is Oscar Scherer State Park.

It was here that the Friends of The Legacy Trail had set up a tent with T shirts, brochures, ice cold water, snacks and a very friendly presence. We learned that the bridge reconstruction, converting the railroad bridge into a trail bridge, is scheduled to be completed by November of 2011. There are two spans to be converted crossing Shakett Creek and Curry Creek on into Venice.

Our route included about a mile and a half ride from Potter Park along Central Sarasota Parkway, then north on the trail to a cul de sac head-on with old the old rails. From here we rode south to our surprise oasis sponsored by the Friends of The Legacy Trail, then on to the south end, currently at Shakett Creek. There was signage and information available about a road-based detour that would take us to the parts of the trail south of the missing spans, but that additional effort didn't fit well with the record temperature on hand. We decided to save that for our next visit, when there might be a new bridge in place.

Photos are in the Gallery and the map of the ride is on the Trails Guide.

21 miles and smiles
O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail - National Trails Day/Watermelon Festival

2009-06-06T16:00:00.003-04:00

This was our lucky day! Even though the forecast called for a rain chance of 80% and it had sprinkled on the windshield as we arrived in Trenton, it never did actually break out and rain on us. In fact it even stayed comfortably cool throughout the ride.

The Office of Greenways and Trails had their celebration setup on the platform at the Trenton Trail Head with their welcome giveaways of cold drinks, fruit, snacks, pamphlets, bags, water bottles, and even helmets. This outstanding crew had, as usual, already made sure the trail was in perfect condition.

Dennis & Joanie made the trip down from Madison, Mac & Win came up from the Tampa area, Mark was on hand from Citrus Springs, Bill & Amber represented Archer, and joined up with us locals, Don & Mei, David, Deanne and me to make a dozen for the Feet First ride. We were followed by a group from the Yellow Bellied Sliders Bicycle Society from High Springs.

An easy paced, pleasant cruise west to Fanning Springs, where we visited the Fort Fanning Park provided our first stop. Then we decided that the weather radar was shining on us and that we had a chance to make it to Chiefland for their Watermelon Festival without running into rain.

The little town was brimming with visitors and watermelon. An antique steam engine was exploding in quite a loud display as we arrived. While we enjoying the watermelon, we looked on as children were having camel rides in the square. Walking by vendors booths there were many inquiries as to "how do you ride those things?" and lots of strange looks. Meanwhile, an auctioneer barked off a sale over the loudspeaker. This crowd seemed to be even larger than last year's (no weather problems here!)

Not surprisingly, the return trip seemed just a little longer than anticipation had rendered the first half, but with just a few sprinkles to report, we really lucked out on stealing this one from the rain. What had looked like it would be a cancellation turned into a very nice time. Why, we even had a flat tire which was overcome by a quick tube replacement, a few shared stories, and a nice break.

Photos are in the Gallery.

37 miles and (probably more) smiles
O\vo~

Secret Spaces and Historic Places

2009-05-17T21:00:00.004-04:00

This month's ride with the Yellow Belly Sliders High Springs Bicycle Society was built around visiting various points of interest around High Springs. Tom Hewlett, Senior Slider, explained the route and handed out maps with great detail. Then we split up into two groups, the "Sonics" and the "Toodlers."

While the Toodlers were being transported to a pair of points of interest, the Sonics pedaled hard to meet up at the same time. Our first stop was a carefully planned, very special visit to Crockett Springs (now privately owned) which was one of the first white settlements in this area. We were escorted and informed as we toured this historic site, actually named for Davey Crockett who rested here.

As the Toodlers were whisked away again, the Sonics settled back in to the traveling at hand as we made our way passed another early settlement known as Traxler and moved on to our planned visit at Larry Behnke's place near the phosphate mine. The way his property has been cultivated leaves you with a feeling of having visited a magical place. It is very peaceful and scenic and I am sure the best way to convince an overheated cyclist of the magic would be to offer them a swim in the Floridan Aquifer. Well, he did, so we did and it WAS perfect.

Keeping true to all the facets of magic, there was the obligatory discussion of the creature sighting that had become somewhat of a legend at Larry's since it was unable to be fully explained by the divers involved. As two of our group were enjoying their dip and Larry was relating the story, I couldn't help but notice a curious disturbance of the surface. Hmmmm...

A few short miles had us back in High Springs, again being carefully guided by well placed YBS routing signs, but there was more to come. We were sent along the old railroad road to the remains of the original "Round House" and then on out the banks of the Santa Fe River to see just how many yellow bellied sliders we could count.

A looming thunderstorm approaching from the south chased us back into town to load up and retire to the Hewlett's abode for refreshments, prizes, pizza and general revelry.

I've put my photos up in the Gallery. Please enjoy.

23 miles & smiles
O\vo~

Withlacoochee State Trail - Day 3

2009-04-19T12:00:00.001-04:00

Again, we began milling about the parking lot at the Central Motel this morning for those that wanted one more ride before beginning long drives back home. The group began fragmenting as some riders went on ahead while others finished breakfast.
Then we were off for various points north.

Another completely perfect day was ours, just cool enough to be refreshing, with a light breeze. Photos are up in the gallery.

Everyone adjusted their ride distance and time according to their own travel plans and we said our good byes along the way. Tough to see all this fun come to an end, but we have to begin making plans for the next one. Thanks again, Phil, Bob, and José, for a very memorable weekend!

26 miles, parting hugs and smiles
O\vo~

Withlacoochee State Trail - Day 2

2009-04-18T23:00:00.004-04:00

So, it seems that quite a few folks weren't able to get away in time to make Friday's ride but they certainly turned out in force for this morning's mass start. Just take a gander at the photos in the gallery. Why, I met a gentleman (well, that'd be Dudley) who drove all the way from Hattiesburg, MS to join us this weekend!

Shortly after our mass start, we had a brief stop to make repairs to a velometer for Cynthia and Steve. Then we were off for all points south.

Folks fell into natural paces and groups that worked together and switched them all round just as quickly, so there were lots of opportunities to ride with different people and plenty to talk about. As I heard it put late in the day, "...but you get a bunch of recumbent riders or trike riders together and, well, ...there's just not a pickle in the bunch!"

'Coochee Invasion April '09 - It's America from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

I wound up stopping for lunch at the Ridge Manor trail head where many others thought to do the same and enjoyed a strong, cool breeze under the pavilion. There was a nice, peaceful relaxation to the break we shared there. Oh, and restroom facilities were on hand.

Then we formed up and began heading back toward Inverness. I found myself involved with a few riders interested in trying the "pace line" activity or, in our case, it was a little more like flying in formation at an altitude of maybe 4 or 5 inches! I started out leading the pack and each one tucked in behind, but slightly offset to the outside by about half a trike width and following quite close.

As entertaining as it was to pull this assembly along, the real surprise was turning the lead position over to another and falling in line to realize the unbelievable benefit of drafting. Yeah, yeah, I know this really does go against the philosophy of recumbent riding (i.e., what's the rush), but I must admit... it was kinda big fun! We cruised along at 15-19 mph for 5 or 6 miles before returning to our senses. (Thanks Phil, Sue, George and Mark)

I managed to sneak a tiny nap in before pedaling south to Floral City to attend the happy hour that Regis and Cindy put on for us at Hampton's Edge Bicycles where, it seemed, the entire crew chose to reassemble and visit once more. There were snacks, beverages, and door prizes and several members of the community came out to "investigate" the nature of this here, so-called "Assault on the Withlacoochee."

Since we had reservations, set up for us by our ride organizers, at Coach's Pub in Inverness, it was time to cycle a few more miles yet, so I left Hampton's Edge bound for downtown and met up with the group on site. There was an outdoor concert of sorts also going on right at the court house. So, we had the feeling that the whole town was partying in honor of our group's presence!

Day two, ... W O W ! !

64 miles, lots and lots of new friends and, multiple smiles ...stay tuned... there's one more day!
O\vo~

Withlacoochee State Trail - Day 1

2009-04-17T21:00:00.002-04:00

The popularly billed "Assault on the Withlacoochee" gets underway in just a couple of hours, but I got an early start and have some photos up, already in the gallery. That was just a quick 20 miles to work off breakfast. More later, but now it's lunch time...

After lunch, I eased up the trail to the Central Motel and found many more riders AND familiar faces than I had expected. We rode north and seemed to gather even more riders as we went along. I very nice breeze keep us cool all day and seemed to help on the return ride back into Inverness. The group reassembled poolside for some snacks and socializing where I met more new friends.

The restaurant put on a buffet for us (I think I heard the count was well over 60) and this included a performing visit by none other than Elvis! After this, some of us felt the need to ride even more, so we took another brief jaunt southward until it was dark enough to chase deer across the trail on our way back to the motel.

That wraps up day one for me.

65 miles and tons o' smiles ...stay tuned for tomorrow's report
O\vo~

Suwannee River Floodplain at Branford

2009-04-11T12:30:00.002-04:00

This morning there was a chance of rain, so I rode into the weather toward Branford to have a look at the rising water. The levels were a complete surprise to me since they have not yet crested but are nonetheless higher than I've ever seen. Ivey Memorial Park in Branford is underwater!

There was very little traffic on the trail today, just the tiniest spritz of rain in Branford and a welcome tailwind to coax me back to the freshly swept O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail.

I've put my photos up in the Gallery. Please enjoy.

29 miles
O\vo~

Hawthorne Trail

2009-04-04T18:00:00.002-04:00

Deanne, Mark and I enjoyed a very leisurely ride out to Hawthorne and back on the Hawthorne Trail. Unlike my usual "training" dashes where I just ride out and back, we took in the side trails and paid more attention to the experience. It was a perfectly chilled morning that warmed up just right to keep us comfortable the whole way.

Since our last trip in to the town of Hawthorne, we were surprised to learn that the barbeque place which had been our "usual" dining stop is no longer a Sonny's Restaurant. It now bears the name Dianne's Old Time Barbeque and seems to have mostly the same fare, sans the salad bar. The service was quite friendly, as well as satisfactory.

I've put my photos up in the Gallery. Please enjoy.

33 miles & smiles
O\vo~

Old Bellamy Road

2009-03-22T18:00:00.007-04:00

Breaking with my usual, rail trail-based behavior pattern, I decided to hook up with a new group forming called the Yellow Belly Sliders High Springs Bicycle Society and ride an old dirt road. Lys Burden put together a lovely looping route to the north of town that included special vistas along parts of the old Bellamy Road. Tom Hewlett signed us up as members, took our t-shirt orders, and handed out maps of the route. They took a head count, introduced us to our sag staff, and let us know what to expect on this severely beautiful day.

I don't think anyone was disappointed as it was just wonderful to be outdoors today. The group of a couple dozen or so, spread out along the way and each settled into their own comfortable pace to take in all the scenery.

There was very little traffic at all on these back roads and just the right mix of a good breeze, clear visibility, sun and shade. Many of the canopied sections of these roads were shadowed by ancient stands of live oak full of Spanish moss. We even rode past a place with camels standing next to cows.

The rest stops were armed with ice cold water, apples, and tangerines from the farmers market and there were two, nicely located stops along the 16 mile trip.

I had to miss what might have been the best part of the event, as I left many folks were gathering at the Great Outdoors Restaurant for review of the ride and dining. A nicer bunch would have been hard to find. Thank you all for a lovely day!

I've put my photos up in the Gallery. Please enjoy.

16 miles & smiles
O\vo~

Van Fleet State Trail

2009-02-27T18:00:00.001-05:00

Since I couldn't make it to the Catrike Rally this weekend, I decided to join the Polk Spoke Folk for a pre-rally ride on Friday. Leaving pre-dawn put me in Mabel, FL just after 8 AM where I met Tom Fort and Richard Hart as the three of us agreed to take on the trail together.

We had a rather consistent breeze in our face the entire trip south which continued to promise welcome assistance for the return trip. A staggeringly pleasant morning was ours to enjoy outdoors, away from traffic. Birds, snakes, maple trees and gopher tortoises seemed to agree on the fact that Spring was just around the corner.

The Green Pond Road Trailhead parking lot was packed beyond capacity and, to my surprise, the Ranger informed Tom and I that we were trikes 48 and 49, leading me to assume there were well over 50 recumbents on the trail Friday! That's twice the turnout the actual Catrike Rally had on its first annual event, and this was only a "pre-rally" gathering!

After visiting briefly with a few folks there, we continued on to the Polk City Trailhead where the rest of the trikes had gathered. Here was one of those opportunities to admire all things trike, to see what others had chosen to add, modify, or create to enhance or adorn their vehicles.

Finally, the group mustered the energy to begin the trek back to the north, to the picnic site at Green Pond Road, departing in various sized, small groups and continuing conversations. One conversation piece stood on its own as a four-wheeled, recumbent "car" which clearly had the stability contest won, hands down.

After lunch, Tom and I finished the last 19 miles back to Mabel handily, sharing thoughts, and that wonderfully helpful tailwind.

I've put my photos up in the Gallery. Please enjoy.

58 miles & smiles
O\vo~

Keystone Heights to Gold Head Branch

2009-02-08T18:00:00.001-05:00

Deanne and I took a drive over to Keystone Heights this morning to have a look at the "new spur" we had been hearing had just opened. It was said to connect Gold Head Branch State Park to the recently finished section of rail trail that runs through Keystone Heights along State Road 100.

We began our exploratory ride from the intersection of State Roads 21 and 100 and went west (well northwest) and found the trail's end at about one mile. About face and proceed east and the other end is about six miles away. On the way, we passed Twin Lakes Park where we found unlocked, well maintained restrooms just a few feet off the trail. The terrain was not completely flat, but the inclines were long, subtle grades that didn't detract from enjoying the rural scenery. There were lots of friendly folks out on this fine Sunday morning, some walking, several cycling, and even one other recumbent was sighted. When we returned to the intersection, we had racked up almost 12 miles.

Now, the spur didn't exactly stick out but we did manage to find it lurking just over the top of the second hill north of the traffic light. To get there, just follow the sidewalk on the east side of SR 21. As the trail proceeds north it is mostly straight and maintains a consistent distance (10-12') from the highway. All of the crossings were very nicely finished with warning cross pads and copious signage and you could still smell the asphalt curing on the spur and see where sod had been installed. Very smooth riding, indeed!

I've added this one to the Feet First Trails Guide and put the photos up in the Gallery. Please enjoy.

24 miles & smiles
O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail

2009-02-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

After multiple hard freeze nights and days too cold for casual riding, today gave us a refreshing glimpse of Spring. The extremely low humidity sharpened the colors of everything and let the sun shine in and warm it all up very nicely. Gary Kirkland joined Deanne and I in Trenton and we began developing our plan to mail a letter at the Post Office. Asking for directions started us off toward Fanning Springs where more interviews confirmed that we'd need to alter course and make for Old Town before the noon hour was upon us. So we crossed the peaceful Suwannee River and were soon attempting to do the same to US 19. Success! And the Post Office was open. Mission accomplished.

None of us felt particularly compelled to run long so we started our return trek to Trenton. By then, we were beginning to meet other cyclists who had noticed that the weather was clearly on the mend. Quite a beautiful day, though I discovered later, it is already time to get back into the habit of deploying sunscreen.

We gave Laverne's Country Kitchen a try, you can smell and see it from the trailhead in Trenton. Mighty tender chicken and a special rub that goes on most everything except the tea. Laverne says they'll be open for breakfast on Saturday's by 7:00 am which promises to be a handy tidbit.

I've put the photos up in the Gallery. Please enjoy.

24 miles & smiles
O\vo~

The Villages IV - a.k.a. Phil's Mixer

2009-01-24T18:00:00.008-05:00

Thanks for organizing the ride, Phil! Phil Mix managed to schedule the most delightful Spring day January has seen in quite some time. Over two dozen cyclists staged a recumbent parade through The Villages on this bright Saturday morning.

Here are some early still releases from our videographer, Bob Emmerich.

And here are some others from Mary Hayhurst.

Villages IV - 1/24/09 from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

Our lunch shot was deftly snapped by the ever capable Dogget of The LightHouse.

What a pleasure it was to ride with you all; Phil, Jim, Bob, Lew, Dan, Jerry, Mary, Mac, David, Terry, Linda, Mel, Paul, Dean, Richard, Lanny, Bonnie, Johanne, Frank, Denise, Joe, Paul, Mike, Al, and Paul.

O\vo~

Withlacoochee State Trail

2009-01-09T18:00:00.005-05:00

One of the most beautiful days this year was ours to enjoy this morning, with severe clear skies and fresh, dry air that was a delight to breathe. The north end of the Withlacoochee State Trail is surrounded by a bird sanctuary and many of its inhabitants were busily flitting about as we unloaded our bikes.

I had somehow managed to forget just how peaceful this section of the trail can be. The trail and its facilities are so remarkably well maintained as to be a startling comparison to my usual routine.

A relatively small group of three of us met several cyclists and walkers enjoying the day as we rode down to Hernando and paused at the boat ramp before resuming our ride to the destination of a trail-side park in Inverness. Lunch was enjoyed with a steady easterly breeze off Lake Henderson as children played with Frisbees and each other.

Some of that breeze served as an assist to our return trek north, or we got stronger. I think it was the wind. Without being certain, I am fairly sure it was a completely cloudless outing; filled with smiles.

A larger version of the photos can be seen in the photo gallery.

O\vo~

West Orange Trail

2009-01-01T18:00:00.002-05:00

Due to the forecast of a an east wind, we switched our starting point to the west end and met up at Killarney or the County Line Station. Carol, Shelton, Sheila, Larry, Deanne, Phil and I stood around trying to predict how best to dress for the upstream segment. The morning sun would warm us up for a minute, then a cloud would allow the wind to make its case. Finally, we just headed into it, and as is usually the case everything seemed to work out. As strong as it was at times, we could always look forward to its helpful hand on the return trip.

It was encouraging to see so many others out on the trail, getting some exercise, cycling, walking, skating, running, and even horseback riding.

We took in the rest stop afforded by Chapin Station briefly, both going and coming, and made the Apopka-Vineland Station serve as our turn-around point. Once we did turn around, we all suddenly became exceptional athletes!

Phil had ridden the same trail yesterday and suggested a restaurant that certainly turned out to be a winner. After filling up in Winter Garden, there were no hungry souls at the ride's end. A very pleasant way, indeed, to start off the new year.

A larger version of the photos can be seen in the photo gallery.

O\vo~

O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail

2008-12-27T13:26:00.005-05:00

Just another awful day in paradise as there seems to be no stopping the record-matching warm weather we are having for the holidays. After the fog burned off, Mark and Sandra joined me in Fort White and we plied our way up breeze to O'Leno State Park.

No rushing involved, it was a completely perfect, light weight ride to help maintain that balance of calories that seems to lean somewhat at this time of year. The park was quiet and beautiful, as usual, and as we turned around, the gentle breeze had kicked up a little to help push us back into Fort White. A very pleasant 19 miles were logged over several smiles and tales.

Click the photo for more pictures.

O\vo~

Hawthorne Trail

2008-06-28T18:00:00.005-04:00

A wonderful wildlife wake-up call was in store for us today. Starting with a bunny dashing across the trail in front of us and ending with a rafter of young turkeys milling about on the trail as their mother and aunts watched carefully, we managed to make the circuit without actual rainfall, though the humidity was very near 100%.

Sandra spotted a pair of Sand Hill cranes. We also saw several snakes and Deanne spied three young armadillos out and about.

Lots of cyclists were out to enjoy the day and the trail was in its usual excellent condition. One in particular, Richard Tuller, met up with us in Hawthorne and escorted us back to Gainesville on his fared Gold Rush. It had been nearly ten years since we last rode together.

There is always something unexpected to enjoy on this beautiful trail!

O\vo~

O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail

2008-06-14T16:00:00.008-04:00

Starting at eight o'clock turned out to be wise as it was not yet hot and we were able to ride longer before giving up for the day. Fort White was still peaceful as today's turnout of tubers was still on its way and the area was still freshly rinsed from yesterday evening's thunder shower.

In fact, if anything had gathered in throngs on the trail today it was grasshoppers and it rather quickly became apparent that yawning or singing should be undertaken only if one was seeking to acquire additional protein!

Lew Sussman joined Sandra and me today on an easy, relaxed covering of the entire O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail and the eastern most five miles of the Suwannee River Greenway at Branford. Though we did stop a couple times to sweep some "redneck shrapnel" off the trail, it was largely in good shape with no major debris deposits.

"Good to see you back out on the trail, Lew!"

O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail

2008-06-07T17:00:00.006-04:00

The Office of Greenways & Trails representatives on hand in Trenton today said we had the best turnout so far as 95 people participated in the National Trails Day Bike Ride on the Nature Coast Trail. Folks drove from as far away as Miami and West Palm Beach to attend the event.

Our group chose Chiefland as our destination as soon as we learned that today was coincidentally their annual Watermelon Festival. If there is one thing that is particularly difficult to turn down on a hot, sunny day, it would be free, cold watermelon and the bustling little town served it up right.

Mark and his son Jason drove up from Citrus Springs, Phil from Okahumpka, Sandra, Don and Mei from our local area and we ran into George & Lea Edwards, Chandler Otis, Dian Demetri from the Gainesville Cycling Club. It was great seeing so many folks enjoying being outdoors on such a fine day.

As usual, we owe a very large "Thank You" to the folks of the Office of Greenways & Trails for their tireless efforts at keeping this beautiful trail in such fine condition and for putting on the event. Oh, and "Thank You, Chiefland" for the delicious watermelon.

O\vo~

Fort White to Branford

2008-03-28T15:00:00.003-04:00

The restoration of the little train station in Fort White appears to be coming right along. There are plans to have it finished as a trailhead for the O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail by sometime in June. A cool start this morning warmed right up by the time we arrived in Branford to rest on the banks of the swollen Suwannee River. Wysteria, plums, dogwood and phlox were all in agreement that spring is really here.
Today's ride was a lazy, easy paced stroll out the west end of the O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail over the Ichetucknee River, then along the Suwannee River Greenway at Branford into Branford itself. We enjoyed a snack at Ivey Memorial Park and pedaled back to Fort White in time for lunch. Both trails were found to be in fairly good condition.

O\vo~

Four Freedoms Trail

2008-03-16T18:00:00.008-04:00

For a complete change of pace and pattern, I drove up to sleepy little Madison, FL Sunday morning to join Dennis, whom I had met at the Catrike Rally, in a visit to the recently opened Four Freedoms Trail. This trail runs north from Hanson, FL to the Withlacoochee River and Georgia border.

Except for a little exposure when passing through the veritable time warp of tiny Pinetta, FL, the trail is almost entirely canopied beneath the trees that lined the railroad line it replaced. From just above Pinetta to the river seemed to be a constant descent, though the return trip didn't really feel like a long climb. The grade must be rather subtle and the quiet beauty of the surroundings lure one's attention away from the details of propulsion. At the river's edge, the pavement ends just short of connecting to the remnants of the railroad bridge that once crossed the Withlacoochee and there is a newly constructed observation deck next to covered picnic tables. The walk down to the deck crosses the drive to a primitive boat launch.

Dennis and I spent most of the 11 miles chatting about other potential rides to be enjoyed in the area, including routes through Lee, Madison and around Cherry Lake. We also had the opportunity to meet up with another Madisonian, Steve Pike, out for a cruise on a Trek he had restored to service.

The view from the highway on the drive over was speckled with sightings of the white blossoms of dogwood and plum trees as they hinted Spring is just around the corner. With a steady breeze out of the north curling the Spanish moss, Sunday was one of those days that simply commands you open all windows and doors and let your house catch its breath. A day like this certainly calls for a return visit, soon.

O\vo~

4th Annual Catrike Rally

2008-03-01T18:00:00.001-05:00

March began this year in Winter Garden with the prettiest day the Catrike Rally has seen since its inaugural in 2005 and what excitement! The event had grown from approximately 25 trikes then to nearly sixty this year. The Winter Garden Station trail head on Plant Street was full and overflowing by 8:30.

Just a couple blocks away, downtown was abuzz with trikes, riders, and onlookers. The scene was a festive madhouse of colors and configurations as folks milled about greeting each other, catching up, and inspecting the gear. T-shirts, maps, and plans for the day were handed out and a few details were announced concerning the long and the short ride options. Then, we began forming up and starting out.

Bob Emmerich shot some very nice video of our start and parts of the ride. The long ride went west to Lake Minneola in Clermont where we rested long and visited further before returning to Winter Garden. On the way back, we paused again at Kilarney Station for a the last break before lunch.

Catrike Rally 2008 - The Start from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

Catrike Rally 2008 - Part II from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

Catrike Rally Part III from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

A beautiful day with one very large array of smiles!

O\vo~

Nature Coast State Trail

2008-02-16T18:00:00.005-05:00

As nice as it is to see a friend after a long absence, it is even better when it happens by surprise. I was sure I'd likely be the only rider to turn out for Saturday's jaunt on the Nature Coast and I was wrong! Kate dropped my jaw by arriving unannounced and ready to roll with a new car and bike carrier to boot!

Just as we got started, we ran into Don and Mei finishing up their jog and talked for a moment, then onward to Fanning Springs. Since I learned Kate had not yet seen Fort Fanning Park, we took in the sidewalked, side track to the west along the back side of Fanning Springs' businesses and had a look at the river. Then, headed south toward Chiefland a couple miles before turning back. That south segment is still a lovely tunnel of shade and felt good, since it was already warming up nicely. There seemed to be a few more family riders out than usual, in fact, we even encountered a couple of horseback riders early on.

A little over twenty miles at an easy pace felt just right for a beautiful Saturday morning.

O\vo~

Withlacoochee State Trail

2008-02-15T18:00:00.006-05:00

A cool morning that warmed up nicely by ride time was a perfect welcome for our return to the Withlacoochee State Trail. Mark and met at his home in Citrus Springs and boarded the trail just four miles below the northern end. We headed south to the group meeting point and found Bonnie and Lanny getting ready to ride. Just click on the railroad car to see photos from our outing.

We had a very pleasant trip through Holder, Hernando and Inverness then turned around at the entrance to Fort Cooper State Park and made our way back into Inverness for fuel. A very enthusiastic young lady attended to our needs at Coach's Pub where chicken salad seemed to be the favorite. Construction is underway alongside the trail in downtown Inverness where they appear to be building a new trailhead.

Though there seemed to be the slightest increase in noticeable elevation change on the return trip, our perfect weather day held on strong until the end. Another fine day on the trail was enjoyed by all!

O\vo~

River Road Ride

2008-01-29T22:00:00.000-05:00

Our gracious host and ride captain, Bob Emmerich of the Central Florida Recumbent Riders, could scarcely have picked a better day for the River Road Ride. Traffic was practically non-existent, the water was like glass, the air was cool, the sky was clear. Simply put, "A perfect recipe!" Bob and Paul Jones arrived together with a pair of long wheelbase recumbent bikes and Phil Mix and Paul Giglio had two recumbent trikes stashed in their sedan. My solo appearance added the third trike and then we were five, alive, and ready to ride.

From our meeting place at Lee Wenner Park on the Indian River in downtown Cocoa we headed south on Riveredge Blvd which turns into Riverside Drive which then becomes called Rockledge Drive, toward Rockledge. Immaculately landscaped homes on the right, beautifully appointed river shore on the left, framing a stunning vista between the two were grand oaks, palm trees, and lush vegetation. The posted 25 mph speed limit on this narrow asphalt ribbon seemed automatically enforced by the surrounding beauty. You'd not want to travel faster for fear you might miss seeing something.

Even though I had spent many a day on this very road on my bicycle some 40 years before, I couldn't stop drinking in everything. It was even better than I had remembered it. We all were preoccupied with the panorama and almost missed our "you never know what might cross your path" event. Today's sighting was easily my most unusual to date, even though the swimmers were slightly off the path.

At the south end, Bob escorted us through a small, local neighborhood which served well as a cul de sac slinging us on our way northward, back to Cocoa. After a rest stop where we had begun, at Lee Wenner Park, we resumed our trek along the river's edge on what is called Indian River Drive toward Williams Point. Now the houses are on the left, boats, docks, and river on the right and for a great portion of this segment, there is even a sidewalk on the left side. There are a few more pronounced rises and falls to the northern part of the trip that give it a different feel. The VAB can be seen, looming in the distance at the Cape north of Merritt Island and this part of the trip extends well above Bennett Causeway.

My photos are posted in the gallery and I'll add links to this post later as the other riders post their take on things.

Total of 29 peaceful miles.

Man's Gotta Have a Dream from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

O\vo~

Nature Coast State Trail

2008-01-12T18:00:00.000-05:00

It wasn't until the trees had been removed that we were able to see just how close they had been to the lower phase of the transmission line. Nonetheless it was sad to see them completely removed instead of somehow trimmed or thinned. The experience has been severely altered by the clearing and has a much less than subtle feeling of exposure accented by increased road noise from the now visible highway.

Today's ride was one where we enjoyed a brief visit and were glad to see each other, but we were quite simply chased off by a thunderstorm out of the Gulf which met us head on just as we passed through Wilcox. We had been lulled into a feeling that we might just be passed over by the front and thought we could at least ride back to the start as safely as we had come. Rather it was upon us and all at once was also where we had been.

Though we returned a bit drippy and loaded up in the rain after too short a ride, we agreed it was still better than not meeting or not riding. There are a few photos up in the gallery, if you would like a preview of the new "landscape," post trauma.

O\vo~

The Villages

2007-12-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

A great ride! The day was saved by Bob Emmerich, who thankfully did not erase all his photos. Thanks for all your trouble, Bob! Thanks for organizing the ride, Phil!

The Villages Ride - Loop 1 from Bob Emmerich on Vimeo.

Enjoy

O\vo~

Seminole-Wekiva Trail

2007-11-03T18:00:00.001-04:00

We almost filled the parking lot at the Sylvan Lake Trailhead on Markham Woods Road as a cool, crisp morning with a light northerly breeze made for a perfect day to ride. Deanne, Sheila, Myhra, Bonnie, Larry, Rick, Lanny, Phil, and Paul had all arrived right on time and we assembled our gear and set out to ride south with three diamond frame bicycles, one recumbent bicycle, and five tricycles, one of which was a tandem.

The Seminole-Wekiva Trail was respectably busy with cyclists, hikers, skaters, dogs, horseback riders, rowers, and onlookers, though never really presented a feeling of being "crowded". In fact, we couldn't help noticing how courteous and friendly other trail users were as we paraded our way along, visiting and sightseeing.

We chose the connector over I-4 on our way down to pay a visit to the Rinehart Road Trail. Since my last visit, the new bridge over Lake Mary Boulevard had been completed, so I was anxious to experience the improved safety of making that crossing. There is also a tunnel under Greenwood Boulevard, a little further south, which added more interest to this otherwise suburban segment.

Crossing back over the Interstate, we turned south and again crossed Lake Mary Boulevard where the trail takes on a much more rural feel and winks in and out of shady tunnels, winding its way through older residential areas with lush landscaping and alongside parks. The scenery is just as varied as it can be, changing from full exposure in the sun across a fence from I-4 to a quiet, dark passage beneath live oaks surrounded by giant, elephant ear plants and squirrels, in just minutes.

By the time we made our way back to Heathrow & Lake Mary, it was past time for lunch so we were quite ready to place our order at the trailside Panera Bread location and enjoyed another opportunity to visit, sharing the same table for lunch. Just a few short miles remained to get back to the start, but first came the surprise of chancing upon a pair of unafraid, sand hill cranes at literally arm's length distance from the trail.

The quote for the day was called out by a retired pilot as he and his wife pedaled by wearing huge grins, "Yeah," he said, "I really feel bad for people who aren't us!"

While there are a few grades along the way, this trail doesn't qualify as hilly at all. The crossings are well marked and equipped with responsive traffic signal request buttons, resting areas with benches were a common sight, and facilities were conveniently located and well maintained.

To see photos from today's ride, click on the Photo Gallery link on the right.

O\vo~

Georgia's Jewel

2007-10-11T18:00:00.000-04:00

As very good fortune, indeed, would have it, the first cool spell in many months arrived on the same morning that we found ourselves camped out on the Georgia coast in Crooked River State Park. A short drive later and we were ready to launch on one seriously beautiful trails ride around Georgia's Jekyll Island. The causeway approach to the island, carpeted on both sides with fabulous wildflower stands that seemed endless, let you know that you were nearing something very special and the view from atop the last bridge onto the island revealed the magical crowns of very old timber.

The fact that it is an island, inherently eliminates through traffic, but there seemed to be additional factors at play that affected the general feel of what little traffic there was. The entire island moves at a slower pace and vehicle operators of all types exhibit more courtesy toward one another. Riding on trails designed and designated for cycling is nice enough, but add to that formula laws that impose serious, finite limitations on development and the result is purely delightful. This place is quite the jewel!

Even though we had set aside only a few hours for the experience, it was amazing to see how many completely different riding surfaces and settings could be enjoyed in the 20 mile trip around the island. Everything from smooth asphalt to concrete to crushed stone to coquina to dirt, not to mention wooden bridges and gnarley roots could be ridden upon while viewing sea oats, sand dunes, the Atlantic, windblown scrub oaks, palmetto, salt marshes, residential areas, historic structures beneath magnificent live oaks. Birds were everywhere and the Monarch butterfly was approaching pest status. Restaurants, restrooms, shops, hotels, and camping were all easy to find.

Simply put, this one calls for another visit on the schedule, soon!

O\vo~

Nature Coast - beneath the raindrops

2007-10-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

OK. So you were right about staying home. Today was not the best choice for riding weather. I braved it anyway and got along fairly well until just before arriving in Fanning Springs. It began to be apparent then that the rest of the trip was going to be damp. Of course, it wasn't cold, but I can assure you it was also not dry. It rained all the way to Chiefland and sprinkled most of the way back. And yet, just when I thought I had the trail all to myself, I actually did overtake another lone rider making his way north out of Chiefland.

The wildflowers, quiet, and comfortable temperature easily made the trip worthwhile, even with the occasional thought of the unavoidable payback... the cleanup. Just like with a horse, getting put up wet is not the best plan of action. So, one of the things to do indoors, when it is not so nice outdoors, is clean, dry, and lube the machine.

I can always count on the staff of the Office of Greenways and Trails. The trail, apart from being quite wet, was in its usual state of excellent repair and the facilities, available at both ends of my trip, were clean, equipped, and accessible.

And so goes another fine day on three wheels.

October - Florida Greenways & Trails Month

2007-10-01T07:57:00.000-04:00

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Greenways and Trails (OGT) is promoting October, 2007 as Florida Greenways & Trails month. Now in its eighth year, this program is designed to focus attention on the conservation and recreation resources of Florida’s greenways and trails, involve Floridians in creating and using these great natural resources, and encourage partnerships that support our mission to create a statewide system of greenways and trails.

Their goal (OGT) is to have each county in Florida host at least one Greenways & Trails Month event during October. Festivities may include dedications or openings, educational exhibits or workshops, trail rides or races, trail blazing, clean-ups or any activities connected to greenways and trails. If your community or organization would like to sponsor or coordinate an event, OGT will post the activities on its website where you can find registration forms.

For additional information, contact Kirk.Marhefka@dep.state.fl.us.

Lake Minneola Scenic Trail/Clermont Trail

2007-09-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

What a nice surprise this morning, as ten riders assembled at the Winter Garden Station for a ride on the West Orange Trail and the Lake Minneola Scenic Trail/Clermont Trail. The recent weather pattern had whittled away at attendance for many of our riders, so having this many turn out today was quite a treat.
After a busy meet & greet, we aired up one reluctant tire and launched our entourage westward through downtown Winter Garden. Deanne, Carol, Shelton, Janice, Alice and Rodney were balancing on two wheels, while Steve, Phil, Paul and I managed the horizon from our trikes. The trail was fairly busy this morning, so additional care was needed to insure everyone enjoyed a safe outing. Early in our trip out we saw a half dozen triking friends from the central Florida who had started at the County Line Station for their ride east.

From the County Line Station, you may now travel west to Clermont on the Lake Minneola Scenic Trail/Clermont Trail over some gentle hills through a nicely rural area. There are a few crossings which demand diligent attention, but the trail is very nicely maintained. The southern shore of Lake Minneola is simply beautiful and is directly adjacent to the trail. Click the photo above or visit the photo gallery to see today's shots.

On our return trip we stopped for a few minutes to visit with our friends going the other way which produced a large assembly of recumbent craft including no less than 10 trikes!

By the way, even though their website implies the trail is paved for only 3.1 miles, it is actually paved all the way to the West Orange Trail so our trip was a total of 31 miles.

Trail condition: Excellent
Facilities: Excellent

O\vo~

Withlacoochee North

2007-09-03T18:00:00.000-04:00

This morning turned into a regular trike fest, as I was joined by friends from the central Florida area. Phil and Paul on their brand new Trice Qs and Steve on his trusty Catrike Road emerged from the Shamrock in downtown Floral City after breakfast, right on time for a ride to the north end of the Withlacoochee Trail.

Setting the tone for a morning of surprises were the enthusiastic Ah-oooooh-Gah horn sounds heard at our first intersection where we encounterd a veritable parade of antique cars. Just moments later a ponderous squirrel nearly lost it when Phil made a sudden pass around the pack. Unlike my ride on Saturday with so many clouds, today's clear skies and holiday brought riders, walkers, and skaters out in force. Wonderful barbecue smells wafted across the trail and picnics were getting under way.

Mark joined us at the northern trail head and rode his bike south with us for a while before turning back for home. We were all beginning to consider that requisite afternoon nap that awaited.

While the north half doesn't have the Croom Forest and is closer to more development, it still maintains that rural charm that really enhances any outdoor experience. The trail is very well groomed and in excellent repair and I'll now be able to add its track to our Feet First Trails Guide. If you'd care to see the photos from today's ride, just click on the photo above.

After loading up, we retired back to the Shamrock for drinks before heading home.

O\vo~

Withlacoochee South

2007-09-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

I started at the gazebo in Floral City this morning, on heels of an early morning rain shower that had flooded the area. A puddle bridged the trail right in front of the gazebo and the pavement was wet all the way down to I-75. After that the surface was dry and the sun came out and warmed up the butterflies who busily lined the trip. Click this photo to see the rest of them, or go to the photo gallery.

There are always surprises waiting out on the trail, but you never know just what to expect. Today I saw the largest bald eagle I've ever seen, then remembered my camera when it was too late. Also watched in awe as a bare-footed, helmet-less, cyclist with a fresh head injury performed craftsman quality, wheel truing using nothing but a pair of small trees that had the decency to have grown close together alongside the trail. A little while later down the trail, I was actually overtaken by this athlete as he safely returned to his vehicle.

Made it to the south end, just below Trilby, FL and back without rain. 46.6 miles for the day.

GoogleGeekers: I noticed on Google Earth you can count up to 26 cyclists on the Withlacoochee Trail, south of FL 50.

See you back in Floral City on Monday.

O\vo~

Fort White to Ichetucknee Springs

2007-08-25T18:00:00.000-04:00

We headed out to the Springs in search of a farewell party for Rachel, one our riders who will be leaving us. Never did find the party, but Sandra and I enjoyed a very pleasant ride through the countryside in and around greater Hildreth, Florida. We visited both the north and south entrances to the State Park and found absolutely no shortage of tubers, in cars and trucks, on foot, in trams, in line, just couldn't quite locate that one we were seeking.

On the way back into Fort White, the timing was just too perfect to pass up an opportunity to stop in at the Goose Nest for a buffet lunch. They are now selling to-go buffet orders by the pound.

After lunch, we switched horses and Sandra had a test ride on the Trice Q.

O\vo~

Flagler-Marineland at 8:00 AM

2007-08-18T18:00:00.000-04:00

Well, actually, no. It's not really a "Rail Trail", it's more of a glorified sidewalk, but it is a nice change of pace to be able to ride along the coast, see the ocean, and breathe that fresh salt air. Many things, including people, just seem to be a little more colorful in this environment. The trip from the center of Flagler Beach up to Marineland is only 14 miles and includes three readily accessible, public restroom facilites. By far, the nicest of these is to be found at Bing's Landing where there is also a boat ramp and well shaded park.

Just across the street from Bing's there is a popular little Ice Cream/Subs Shop in case it gets too hot. We had started just early enough to be on our way past the place ten minutes before it opened, so we missed it on this trip.

Possibly as much of a third of the route is shaded and at one point in this area (near Palm Coast) there was a break in the surface today, with a very brief little detour onto the grass around the construction. Nothing near as inconvenient as the one of a couple years back, when the new Publix was under construction.

Larry, Sheila, Carol, and Shelton joined me on this excursion and it was smooth sailing all around. We even had a light sea breeze cooling us off on the return trip into Flagler Beach.

30 miles

Trail Condition: Not bad (I've seen it cleaner)
Facilities: Very Good
O\vo~

Nature Coast State Trail

2007-08-11T18:00:00.000-04:00

Today was particularly toasty but light tailwinds seemed to come out of nowhere! Gary and I rode over to Cross City, where you simply never know what you are liable to see, and managed to get back across the Suwannee River before noon, escorted by one of these light and variable breezes.

I wanted to get this trail mapped on my Trails Guide, so we split up (Lone Ranger and Tonto style) at the "delta" and I headed on southward to Chiefland for lunch. It turns out to be somewhat interesting to note that this trail, ridden from end to end to end is exactly one metric century. (100km = 62.1 mi) I am not entirely sure it is appropriate to discover this when the heat index is hovering around 100 degrees, however! At least, the smart money would have been on including a visit to Fanning Springs in the middle to cool off!

Trail Condition: Excellent!
Facilities: Trenton - open, Cross City - locked, Chiefland - open

O\vo~

Hawthorne Trail

2007-08-04T18:00:00.000-04:00

A warm, moist morning produced visible sun rays piercing the forested hills of the Hawthorne Trail. These hills are always like a little cup of coffee to really get you charged up early in the ride and then to remind you that you aren't quite through just before you get back to Gainesville. The natural setting of this trail easily qualifies it as one of Florida's best with the lure that you can almost count on seeing wildlife as well as other folks enjoying the corridor not necessarily on wheels.

To add additional accuracy to the Trails Guide page I'm building, I went ahead a pedaled down to the overlook at Payne's Prairie only to find this youngster and her mother (click on the photo to see more).

Gary, Deanne, and I were feeling confident that we could make this trip in spite of the heat forecast for today since we had started early enough and there was a light breeze. Our usual rest stop was somewhat disappointing with a posted "Out of Order" sign deflating hopes for convenience, but we were making such good time that we merrily forged on. Just after admiring the new concrete trail section that bridges the intersection of SE 200th Terrace, we arrived in Hawthorne and met up with George Edwards' troop preparing for their return to the Rochelle trail head.

The aforementioned breeze seemed stronger as we turned to face it and it carried along with it a noticeable increase in the chance of a shower. A cotton-tailed rabbit grazed bravely on the trail right of way as we approached and turned tail just as I clicked the camera on. Our return trip seemed to be going rather smoothly, yet just as we passed George's group again, droplets became drops became full rain which changed the experience into an entirely different one.

By the time we were climbing the hammock again, the rain had stopped, but everything was wet and refreshed. The turns in this area called for a little more caution with loose debris from the hard rain the day before and water from this new shower. While we loaded up, George rang me to confirm we had seats waiting at Satchel's for pizza. That turned out to be an experience not to be missed!

32 miles

Trail Condition: Beautiful, some light forest litter
Facilities: "Out of Order", temporarily we hope
O\vo~

St. Marks Trail

2007-07-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

Or the Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, as the sign reads, was as beautiful as ever. Most of the drive over, after daylight, was covered by a high-level, overcast look, but just a few miles before St. Marks, the sky opened up and had a real nice blue color. I could imagine being able to actually see the humidity drop as the air had a clearer look to it. Add to that a gentle breeze coming in off the confluence of the St. Marks and the Wakulla rivers and you can see it was a great morning for a ride up to Tallahassee.

Starting the ride alone was rather unusual, but that wasn't going to last. In just the first couple of miles, I had already seen a dozen other cyclists on the trail enjoying the morning. This trail is slightly more narrow than the ones we usually ride which also adds to the community of riding with others. In the interest of safety, just a little more consideration and general courtesy is appropriate and always in good supply here.

Not quite as common up this way, I was delighted to encounter a couple on a pair of Rans recumbents. Wildlife sightings were primarily limited to birds on this trip, though I did observe a couple of small snakes. The birds seemed unusually vocal this morning, both in the first mile above St. Marks and then the Canada Goose entourage I found around Kissimmee Street.

Unencumbered by any group of my own, I decided to proceed above the trail head at Capital Circle and found the northern end of the trail where it meets Gamble Street. This added a few extra miles as well as some interesting sights. In the last mile or so, on that northern end, there has been some very nice enhancement to the future beauty of the trail. Someone has planted quite a few magnolias and also some other broad leaf oaks in braced series right alongside the trail. It won't be long at all before they begin to add a very special personality to that area.

42.4 miles

Trail Condition: Beautiful, very clean
Facilities: Quite satisfactory
O\vo~

General James A. Van Fleet State Trail

2007-07-21T19:00:00.000-04:00

On a warm morning with the threat of thunderstorms in the forecast, we visited the Van Fleet trail for the second time. Our first trip was cold and very windy, but today was nearly the opposite. We were made to feel most welcomed here as folks more local to the area came out to join us, providing information as well as company. Today was exceptional in that with only three of our regular riders, we swelled to a herd of ten recumbents including our welcoming committee!

Feet First as a group is generally more comfortable with a ride distance of 25 - 40 miles, but today, we had our sites set on completing this entire 29 mile long trail. One of the easiest ways to have lots of miles slip by unnoticed is being involved in good conversation, so here again we were greatly assisted by the day's large turnout.

The Van Fleet trail is flat and straight and would seem to be boring until you ride it. With little or no signs of civilization to be seen, it is very remote and peaceful. Birds can be heard singing nearly all the time, the gopher tortoise is quite prevalent, snakes are not an unusual sighting and some even saw turkeys cross the trail.

Starting from the north trailhead, at Mabel, there is essentially a restroom every 20 miles. One at the trailhead and one at Greenpond Road. The trip to Polk City and back to Greenpond Road makes about 20 miles.

We were very lucky that it never did rain, but it was hot enough that it might have been okay if it had! Four of us made the 58 mile trip and were ready for water in almost any form!

Joining us today were: Mark, Rachel, Steve, Phil, Paul, Jerry, Mary, Will & Gail

Trail condition: Excellent
Facilities: Excellent, though far afield

O\vo~

Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail

2007-07-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

This was clearly one of our best choices for a ride in the summer heat and we were not disappointed. This trail is so shady as to resemble being air-conditioned by comparison to some others. Its delightfully well-maintained surface supported the largest turnout on a Saturday morning I've seen since I began visiting this trail seven years ago.

Our lumbering little entourage was "smoked" several times by brisk, tight pace lines of courteous, but serious cyclists. Beginning at the Baldwin trailhead affords us the distinction of not only copious parking and excellent facilities, but greatly reduced traffic on the final portion of the ride and only a few blocks drive to Everybody's Restaurant.

We swung low to the tragedy of having one of Larry's clipless shoes become completely separated from its sole, then high again to seeing an old friend we'd not seen for over a year. A large, white-ish, domestic turkey, who apparently still lives across the trail from the midway rest stop, was observed preening himself near the family lawn mower. Then, there was that "stand-up bike" with no pedals. What a sight.

Click on the photo above to see other shots from today.

Facilities: Excellent in the middle, acceptable at the ends
O\vo~

Haile Plantation

2007-07-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

For a real surprise it was actually cool and pleasant at 7:00 AM this morning as Sandra and I met Gary at Meadowbrook Golf Club in Gainesville. Gary led us on a street/sidewalk tour that safely got us across both NW 23rd Avenue and Newberry Road so we could glide downhill into Haile Plantation and cruise their heavily shaded, paved path around the golf course.

We managed to get down, around, and back up in just 2 hours, disturbing only a few walkers and a very large hawk who had decided to rest on the ground alongside the trail. With the elevation ranging from 75' to 165', there was little room for boredom to set in. We were climbing or gliding most of the time.

Photos are posted in the gallery.

Facilities: Publix! :o)
O\vo~

Feet First Rider Scores iPhone

2007-07-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

Not only was one of our riders lucky enough to come home to a gift from her thoughtful husband of a new Apple iPhone, but she was also kind enough to share with us what we look like when viewed on the extraordinarily popular, technological tidbit! Wow, if we look this good on there, additional orders simply must be placed.

Check the calendar for details of our Independence Day ride at 7:00 AM tomorrow. See you there!

Thanks, Carol!
O\vo~

Hawthorne Trail

2007-06-30T19:00:00.000-04:00

It was already quite warm in the sun at 8:00 AM, but became pleasant as soon as we ducked into the shade and climbed through the hammock. There were quite a few runners finishing up a heated effort as we just started out and we encountered several small groups of cyclists both coming and going.

Gary and Sandra joined me on this hot morning jaunt and we whiled away the ride, essentially without incident, at a better pace.

Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: Sufficient
O\vo~

Fanning Springs Tee

2007-06-23T19:00:00.000-04:00

It is really starting to warm on up. I think we tried too hard to avoid overdoing it in the sun and wound up pedaling a light 24 miles this time out. Even got started early enough to see a couple cotton tails. We met in at the trailhead in Fanning Springs and Deanne, Sandra, Rachel and I rode first toward Trenton to the east for about 5 miles, then west toward Cross City across the Suwannee River and into Old Town, then back down to Fanning Springs and along the shaded sidewalk behind the north side of town to Fort Fanning Park and finally south toward Chiefland until the shade tunnel gave out and we doubled back to Fanning Springs State Park for a swim. Everyone agreed that it hit the spot.

It was almost noon when we finished loading up and moved the cars over to Huckleberry's Barbeque for lunch.

Photos are in the gallery.

Nature Coast State Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: at the State Park in Fanning Springs
O\vo~

Fort White to Little River Springs

2007-06-16T19:00:00.000-04:00

It still surprises me how quickly the miles tick past when good conversion, friends, and weather are combined with bicycles. Today was no exception when Lew, Sheila, Larry, Don, and Mei joined Deanne and me for a ride to the spring and back. Lew brought along his new acquisition, a Rans Stratus XP from Hampton's Edge Trailside Bicycles.

We had selected Little River Springs as our destination and started in Fort White on the western part of the O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail. At the Ichetucknee River, this trail ends and you must cross the river on US 27 to then be able to mount the next trail known as the Suwannee River Greenway at Branford. Riding both these trails in the same outing, the rider cannot help noticing the sharp contrast between the first trail that has experienced absolutely no maintenance since being built over a year ago and one that is regularly maintained. Sadly, the Branford trail is now having troubles with its foundation beyond what would be covered by its routine maintenance. There are some root-based eruptions in the surface in at least one location, but much worse, there are several areas of sinkhole-like activity where the asphalt has collapsed into dangerous holes in the trail. The kind of hole that could easily result in dropping a cyclist and/or damaging a wheel. Not that there is any evidence of it being more than a coincidence, but you should navigate this trail very carefully in the area immediately across the highway from the Suwannee American Cement plant as that is where most of the failed asphalt is concentrated. Once this trail tucks back into the shade and onto the railroad right-of-way approaching Branford, it is much more pleasant and the surface is again stable.

Ivey Memorial Park in Branford had almost no visitors at its cool Branford Spring, but we enjoyed pausing to have a look before riding on.

There likely were more on their way, since it was only half passed ten when we arrived, but we found Little River Springs not crowded at all. Maybe half a dozen folks in the water as other cyclists and trucks arrived. It's usually at least a temptation, but today had already warmed enough that it was more of a requirement to jump in the refreshing spring. More of us did than didn't. By the way, that first mile or two after a dip in the spring is just perfect.

A real treat was inherent in the availability of chilled fruit. Not something normally found on a hot ride in the sun, but Sheila provided cool, fresh cherries at the spring and, like an oasis in the desert, Don and Mei served us iced watermelon on their tailgate at ride's end. Photos are in the gallery. My Goodness, that sure was a quick 38 miles!

Trail Condition: Rideable
Facilities: Nice at Little River Springs
O\vo~

National Trails Day Ride

2007-06-09T19:00:00.000-04:00

This Saturday's ride is is sponsored by our friend's at:

Florida's
Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Greenways & Trails

National Trails Day Ride
on the Nature Coast State Trail

Gary offers 12 Excellent Reasons to Join Us

All rides start at 9:00 AM (or thereabouts)
from the Old Train Depot, 419 North Main Street in Trenton.
Trenton is about 25 miles West of Gainesville on SR 26.

A fun, open, very low-key ride on the smoothly paved Nature Coast State Trail for all levels of bicyclists, including children. Family ride groups are encouraged.
Ride options range from a few miles for beginning riders and families with small children, up to 64 miles for experienced cyclists who choose to ride the entire trail.
The old railroad bridge where the Trail crosses the Suwannee River near Old Town is a favorite option (about 12 miles from Trenton). The original machinery which made the bridge pivot to allow steamboats to pass can still be seen from the bank of the river below the trail. The rural landscape along the trail offers a peaceful atmosphere complete with live oaks and wildflowers.
Maps of the trail will be provided at the starting point in Trenton. There will be refreshments at the Depot and there are convenience stores along the trail. There is a Dairy Queen under the live oaks in Cross City. The ride is not otherwise supported.
For information, contact kirk.marhefka@dep.state.fl.us or 352-535-5181
Helmets are required for children under 16 and recommended for everyone.

We were told that somewhere around 70 folks turned out for today's festivities. It was a clear, hot day with a light breeze. The trailhead was manned by Kirk and Billy and there were plenty of refreshments, handouts, and general good cheer. Several of our recumbent friends, Jim, James, George, Lea, Bonnie, Lanny, Don, Mei, Dan (and more) from the Gainesville Cycling Club were on hand and got a bit of a head start on us as I pulled my trike from the car with a fresh flat on it, but we encountered them again near Chiefland and they shouted out their lunch plan.

Gary took a brief test ride on my new Trice Q from ICE (Inspired Cycle Engineering) while Deanne and I enjoyed a rest in the shade. I am never quite sure what will cross my path next, but that's part of what makes it fun to travel a path. Today it turned out to be what the old timers around these parts used to call a Hoover Chicken.

Photos taken today are up in the gallery and we hope to see you next week in Fort White.
Thanks again, Kirk, Billy, and all the great folks at the Office of Greenways & Trails!

O\vo~

Withlacoochee State Trail

2007-05-26T19:00:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, the Withlacoochee Trail was alive with cyclists, skaters, and walkers (of all speeds). Quite a nice day resulted from a gentle tug of war between the prevailing ENE wind and a on and off again WSW seabreeze. Just enough cloud cover to hold off the day's high temperature until well after the noon hour provided yet another perfect morning for folks to get out and enjoy the trail.

Sandra and I carpooled from High Springs and were joined by Mark (now a local), Steve from Dover, Phil from Leesburg, and Jerry & Mary from Lakeland. After a little test ride and some obligatory gearhead talk, we headed south on four trikes and three two-wheeled 'bents. As is often the case, on the Withlacoochee Trail, we encountered many other recumbent riders including several trikes.

We made it as far south as Townsend Park and stood down for a rest stop before heading back up to Inverness to wrap up a neat little 30 mile ride. Since Sandra and I had to sort of hurry back, we parted company with some of the group earlier on and Steve and Phil stopped in to visit Regis at Hampton's Edge.

Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: Excellent
O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail

2007-05-19T19:00:00.000-04:00

Leaping Sturgeon! The Suwannee River's slow current and glassy surface was interrupted frequently this early morning with the sights and sounds of large sturgeon jumping out of the quiet water and splashing back in again. We looked on from the old railroad bridge near Old Town on the Nature Coast Trail. Trail managers, Florida's Office of Greenways & Trails, had commissioned John Moran to photograph bicyclists enjoying the trail and we had happily volunteered as sublects, so we all gathered on the bridge and enjoyed a completely different approach to riding for a little while.

After the photo shoot, we re-organized at Old Town and decided on a ride down to Chiefland and back to Fanning Springs. A cool breeze faced us as we rode through a tunnel of shade to our destination and enjoyed drought spiting wildflowers reminding us it is still Spring. We were welcomed at the trailhead in Chiefland by Tom with the Office of Greenways & Trails as he personally unlocked the facilities for us.

The perfect ending to a day on the Nature Coast Trail was a visit to Petrello's at the Old Boarding House in Trenton for fine Italian cuisine and more visiting with friends.

A few photos are in the gallery.

Reminder: Don't forget to plan on joining us for the National Trails Day ride on the Nature Coast Trail on June 9th. It's on our ride calendar!

Trail condition - Excellent
Facilities - Excellent
O\vo~

Silver Comet - Northwestern Georgia

2007-05-10T19:00:00.000-04:00

From our camping nest atop Cheaha Mountain in Alabama, we drove through Piedmont, AL and along the section of the Chief Ladiga Trail that remains unpaved over to Cedartown, GA. Construction has already begun to finish this project. Shortly after entering Georgia, the fresh concrete of the Silver Comet Trail could be seen alongside US 278, but since we hadn't the energy to ride the entire trail, we stuck to our plan to pick it up in Rockmart, GA and pedal east up through Bushy Mountain Tunnel.

Rockmart is a comfortable little town with an atmosphere that takes you back in time. Finding the trail in Rockmart isn't at all difficult as signage appears readily and pulls you in to the center of town along Euharlee Creek and a beautiful park setting. Just before setting out, we made note of Frankie's Italian Restaurant (about which we had been told) to confirm we must be in the right place.

Folks we had met earlier also informed us that the Silver Comet was a concrete trail. To me, this meant I was in for a faster ride, but I had read complaints of it being rougher than asphalt. Once riding on the surface, it all became clear. The concrete was coarsely brushed, which I suspect was done to enhance drainage and provide a more secure year-round surface, though the end result was a little rough feeling.

Scenery was wonderful, heavily forested and lots of elevation change alongside the trail. So, while the trail made gradual slopes the surroundings changed drastically from excavated, rock channel to deep ravines on either side. It could have just been that day, but we couldn't help but notice how many more motors we heard. There seemed to be lots of "industry" off in the acoustic distance and the maintenance crew was on site running a half dozen riding lawn mowers along the trail. While there were birds here and there and lots of bird houses to be seen, this trail came up short on wildlife sightings for us.

Riding through Bushy Mountain Tunnel was a bit of a treat, since we don't have things like that in Florida and it was also nice and cool in the shade inside. After crossing the trestle, we turned around to head back for lunch.

If your Silver Comet plans include nothing else, they should include a visit to Frankie's Italian Restaurant. The Talapia Salad and Talapia Parmasean were outstanding!!

Photos are in the gallery.

Trail condition - Excellent
Facilities - Excellent
Vista - Beautiful!
O\vo~

Chief Ladiga - Northeastern Alabama

2007-05-08T19:00:00.000-04:00

Deanne and I began our Chief Ladiga experience at the Woodland Park trailhead at the southwestern end just outside Weaver, AL, home of the Bobcats. Without seeing a bobcat, we started our ride on a clear, mild morning and right away found ourselves immersed in sensory overload. Olfactory, aural, and visual were pegged with Sweet Jasmine, birdsong and sightings, and forrested canopy.

I imagine there could have been as much as a couple hundred feet change in elevation spread over the length of the trail, but the slow, gentle gradient kept the hint of a hill comfortably secret. There was so much natural beauty to consume that it was difficult to notice such things as the relatively narrow pavement compared to many other trails.

The people we encountered on the trail were quite friendly and readily engaged in interested conversation, of course it could have been because we were the only recumbent riders out this fine Tuesday. Germania Springs, in Jacksonville, made an ideal rest spot for us, both coming and going. The peaceful little park with sports and picnic facilities seemed to offer something for everyone, birds and chipmunks
alike. Lounging on the grassy banks of the crystal clear stream had a real story book feel.

Riding high on a carefully banked railbed with a shear drop on either side down to a rock creek gives one the feeling of flying through the upper trunks of very tall trees that let light fracture its way to the trail's surface.

East of Piedmont, the trail is exposed to longer views of the surrounding hills including Duggar Mountain, then begins a climb in that direction carved through some rock face alongside Terrapin Creek. The pavement ended at, and cyclists rested on, the bridge over this waterway, where we visited, looked longingly eastward at the gravel double track disappearing up the slope, and talked of the Silver Comet which picks up this trail's scent in Georgia and takes the traveler on to Smyrna.

On the advice of wise locals met on Terrapin Creek, we stopped in at the Solid Rock Cafe, just two blocks off the trail in the center of Piedmont, for lunch and enjoyed chicken salad croissant, potato soup, and a painfully delicious peach smoothie!

We hadn't really thought of completing the entire paved portion nor of having such a terrific lunch, but were nonetheless very well served by the coincident tailwind that helped us back to Germania Springs and then to the beginning. At 49 miles round trip, this was certainly one of our longer outings. Photos are in the gallery.

Trail condition - Excellent
Facilities - Excellent
Vista - Gorgeous!
O\vo~

Hawthorne Trail

2007-04-21T19:00:00.000-04:00

A nice cool, clear morning provided a refreshing start and the ride was smooth and conversations engaging. Suddenly, we were forced to stop. Our local climate crisis of extended drought took its toll recently as apparently wind caused an otherwise healthy tree to literally bisect the Hawthorne Trail about a hundred feet from the environmentally friendly toilet facility at the 7.5 mile point. A word rarely used on our rail trail excursions came into play as we literally had to portage around the root ball of the new fallen divisor.

Finding the tree down made us notice more the incidence of smaller debris that must have been blown into place by the same weather. Still, with that single exception, the trail was completely navigable and experiencing moderate use. Armadillo, snakes, deer, rabbits, birds and prickly pear blossoms were among those sighted, as well as other recumbents, even another trike. The return trip from Hawthorne was much snappier as we were ushered along with a nice tailwind. All in all, another perfect day on the trail.
Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Freshly littered, but navigable
Facilities: Sufficient
O\vo~

Avenue of Abandon

2007-04-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

The group may be Feet First, but our official bylaws, that are buried in a mayonnaise jar somewhere in Bruce’s back pasture, clearly state that “head-first riders are always welcome.” And today, Bruce, Feet First’s Grand Poobah* and Web Wizard himself, arrived with a surprise, a nifty new head-first Dahon folding bike. Like magic he had it set up and ready to ride in about 30 seconds and no bike mechanic was required. And he and his new seven-speed had no trouble climbing the small hills or keeping up with the pace, although today we may have been passed by gopher turtles.

We were in our back yard, with Bruce, Deanne, Sandra and I starting in Fort White, riding the trail that Bruce has dubbed the "Avenue of Abandon", formerly known as the O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail. It lived up to its nickname. We did see some evidence of mowing, but that was about the only sign of maintenance since the fall. Portions are overgrown and long sections, especially on the portion of the trail leading to O’Leno State Park, were so covered in leaf litter and grass clippings that nearly half of pavement was buried.

And for those interested in playing tire puncture roulette, the trail continues to be used for beer bottle target practice, and there are apparently some expert marksmen in Southern Columbia County. We rolled the miles, cleared off a minimum of 10 exploded bottles and removed one downed tree from the trail. We had a good relaxed time, left the trail much better than we found it, and felt our work entitled us to the right to complain.

And Bruce gave his new toy high marks, but noted some padded bike shorts and a bit of suspension would have made for a more comfortable ride. Years of feet-first riding has left him with a spoiled behind. Photos are in the gallery.

Total miles 16

Trail condition: Sad and nearly abandoned, but improved by the time we finished.

*FYI: If you wish to spell check Grand Poobah, with the assistance of Google, you’ll find Grand Poobah is also, “a family owned company based in Centennial, Colorado since 2003” that provides “animal waste removal services for dog owners” and has the Web address www.poopguy.com.
- Gary Kirkland

St. Marks Trail

2007-03-30T19:00:00.000-04:00

The first was again last. We saved the state’s very first rail trail, the 16-mile St. Mark’s Trail, for our final day of the tour. It didn’t disappoint.

Peaceful is the word that best described the day. While this trail rolls right into the back door of the state’s capital, it’s well isolated from the hustle and bustle and the azaleas, wisteria and dogwoods made it easy on the eyes. Cardinals, blue jays and a long list of other birds supplied the soundtrack.

We wrapped up with four on the trail, Bruce, Deanne, Rachel and I. The overcast skies kept the temperatures in the mid-60s for nearly the entire trip. This wasn’t a day for racing but for a relaxing mosey from the coast to the capital and back.

We found fun along the way, trying to identify mystery wildflowers. Trailside church signs also provided a laugh. One informed us “God has not forgot” but showed us even the divine can use a good editor. Another was named “Victory Thru Truth Ministries.” Truth, maybe, but not “through” correct spelling.

We concluded the day with lunch at the Riverside Café delivered by a waitress who mixed efficiency with surliness. We hoisted celebratory Lemon Shake-Ups and watched the floor show of grackles flying in through the windows and bussing French fries, crackers and any other scraps left at the tables. For the week we had 10 different riders hit the trail, rolled down portions of nine different trails, covered 259 miles altogether, and enjoyed more smiles and laughs than we could count.
- Gary Kirkland
Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Beautiful, very clean
Facilities: Quite satisfactory
O\vo~

Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail

2007-03-29T16:38:00.000-04:00

It’s been interesting to watch the growth and improvement of this trail since Feet First’s initial visit in 2000. Then it was a nice trail through the trees between Jacksonville and Baldwin with one bathroom in the middle and an abundance of shade, making it ideal for Florida summers.

The trail we rode today is all that and a whole bunch more. At 9 a.m. Mark, Bruce, first-time tour rider Rachel and I headed east on the trail to Jacksonville, starting from the Baldwin Trailhead that’s connected to a city park with picnic pavilions, nice restroom facilities and a playground for kids. A skateboard park is under construction next to the trail. The trail and park planners have turned this into a recreation destination.

About half way along the route east, we detoured to explore Camp Milton Civil War State Park. It’s a place packed with history, has a wonderful shaded boardwalk, and much more, and there is direct access to the trail. It’s providing another destination for visitors and trail users alike.

At the east and west ends of the Jacksonville-Baldwin the trailheads aren’t fancy, but the Jacksonville Parks and Recreation Department has equipped them with porta-potties, which shows somebody is thinking about what trail users might need and further indicates they’ve done the important math to figure the MPB (miles per bladder) we boomers need.

All of this, along with the nice ride and good company, made for a fine day on the trail. We went at a quicker pace than in the previous days, but still found time to look at the bunnies, the quail and fox squirrels along the way. Bruce, Rachel and I wrapped it up with a dinner stop at Everybody’s Restaurant on U.S. 90 in Baldwin. We enjoyed a classic Southern meat-and-three, and the “Baby Doll” down-home atmosphere of a restaurant where folks look at guys a little funny if they aren’t wearing ball caps. Bruce did get a lesson in North Florida economics. “Cash has worked just fine since 1949,” advised the waitress who served attitude equally as well as she did food, and offered to put him to work washing dishes. Rachel came to his rescue.
Total miles: 30
- Gary Kirkland
Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: Excellent
O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail

2007-03-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

A spring ride on the Nature Coast Trail is almost guaranteed to be filled with wildflowers, and today’s ride gave us a good taste of the early bloom of phlox as we rolled from Trenton to Chiefland.

Back in more familiar territory, we had five in the group today, Bruce, Deanne, Sandra, Mark and I, and nobody was in a hurry. It was a relaxing day of riding with temperatures in the low 80s and intense sunshine. We again proved that mouths in motion tend to make the miles go quickly.

Along the way we took a side trip to Fort Fanning Park, on the banks of the Suwannee River in Fanning Springs. It’s a pretty place, and the short brick-lined connector trail is going to make a nice addition to the Nature Coast Trail, as well as providing a convenient connector to the public restrooms in the roadside park just across U.S. 19.

The trailside in Chiefland seemed to offer the most phlox per mile, and we were surprised to see a fair number of trail users out on a weekday. We also enjoyed a good laugh after seeing one northbound couple, the guy on a road bike looking as if he were staring death in the face and his wife following on a ‘bent and wearing a big grin. We figured his bike seat was talking to him, and his butt was hearing it loud and clear.

In Chiefland we got a pleasant surprise – the public restroom (yes, singular) at the south trailhead was actually open. We visited the nearby chamber of commerce office to register our approval of this fact and put in our plea that it would be nice to see the same on the weekend.

On the return trip we enjoyed a barbecue feast at Huckleberry’s and got a kick out of the ad on the bulletin board selling a “queen side’s bed.” The final 10 miles passed quickly and Deanne hit a milestone, her first 100 mile week.
- Gary Kirkland
Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Beautiful, very clean
Facilities: Satisfactory
O\vo~

Seminole-Wekiva Trail

2007-03-27T19:00:00.000-04:00

Following a long day on the bike Monday, Tuesday’s ride plan was much less demanding. We put both bikes in the truck and made the 20 minute drive to the Seminole-Wekiva Trail in Altamonte Springs. It’s an urban trail that threads through the suburbs of Orlando in Seminole County, mostly flat with a variety of scenery.

Overcast skies kept the temperature comfortable and for several long stretches we pedaled under tree canopy. We’d then pop out into neighborhoods. It crossed busy four-lanes, skirted less-than-scenic Interstate 4 and then rolled through a landscaped executive office park before it reentered neighborhoods and gated communities, eventually reaching its end on Markham Road. This section did include the tour’s first flat. We later found the broken beer bottles that caused it, whipped out the magic blue dust pan, and dispatched it.

On our return trip we took a detour up and over I-4 via the mini Golden Gate bike bridge – that provided our only real hill of the day – and linked up with the Rinehart Trail. It parallels a busy four-lane before making a sharp turn down a utility right of way, passing through a tunnel, which was actually an overgrown culvert, before the trail came to an abrupt end. It’s a trail that connects part of the community, satisfied our curiosity to explore, but it’s not exactly a scenic wonder.

We then retraced our route back to the bridge and rejoined the Seminole-Wekiva, stopping at Peach Valley Café, a trailside restaurant for lunch where a lone sandhill crane was walking about on the trail. We then returned to Camp Feet First, packed, showered, napped and blogged, and then hit the back roads for an Interstate-free return to Gainesville, with irony. Total miles 34, trail condition excellent.
- Gary Kirkland
Photos are posted in the gallery.

West Orange Trail and Beyond

2007-03-26T19:00:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, then hit the trail just after 9 a.m., heading east to Apopka. We were checking out a report that the trail had added some miles since our last visit in December. On that trip Bruce photographed the newest addition to the trail, a bike bridge over US 441. At that time it appeared to be nearing completion. We’d mentioned then “we’ll get to ride over that on the Spring Tour,” totally underestimating just how slow a project can go. It’s looking even closer to completion, and the activity of workers around the site looked like somebody had stirred an ant hill. We did venture a few more blocks east, where we got a report that rumors of additional trail growth to the north were unfounded. So we turned around and pointed the bikes west toward Winter Garden, because we’d also heard that the trail was extended west eight additional miles into Clermont. And at a rest stop this tidbit was confirmed, albeit, unofficially. Technically, the South Lake Trail isn’t open. In fact when we got to the end of the West Orange Trail there was a large sign that read “Bike Trail Closed.”

But the smell of fresh asphalt was too tempting, and once we detoured around the sign, it looked like an open trail to us. Actually the closed trail looked to be better maintained than some of the open trails we ride.

This new addition is a real treat and delivers quite a workout. It offers lots of curves and rolling hills. It winds by upscale neighborhoods, under tree canopy and offers lake views through Minneola (don’t blink) and on the way to Clermont. It’s both fun to ride and the scenery is great, especially the portions scented with orange blossoms.

Eventually the new trail joined some old-growth asphalt and took us all the way to the finish line at Benchwarmer’s, a sports pub with large portions and a beautiful view of Lake Minneola. As Bruce scarffed his Cobb salad and I inhaled a buffalo chicken wrap, he looked up and saw the Citrus Tower rising on the horizon, a tourist trap we’d both visited as kids.

After lunch, it was time to climb back on the bikes and head east, into the teeth of a serious headwind. Hills and headwind gave us an even tougher workout on the way home. By the time we rolled into the campsite, we’d covered nearly 60 miles and pounded the pedals for six hours. On our return trip we also got confirmation that the South Lake Trail will open April 21.

Our survival was assured by a visit from St. Carol (patron saint of Chinese food delivery) and St. Shelton (patron saint of ice delivery). The two saints then joined us for dinner. It was a fine day of riding, and neither of us will need to be rocked to sleep tonight.
- Gary Kirkland
Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: Outstanding
O\vo~

Withlacoochee State Trail

2007-03-25T19:00:00.000-04:00

After riding in our backyard on Saturday, Sunday began with a road trip down US 41 to Inverness, which on this morning was the Dead Skunk Memorial Highway. Nothing gets you ready to ride like dodging skunk carcasses in the early morning fog.

Our destination was the Withlacoochee State Trail; at 46 miles the state’s longest. Our plan was a roundtrip tour of the middle 15 miles south of Inverness. With the lakefront views at the parks near the trail head, a fine assortment of restaurants just a few blocks away, downtown Inverness is a good place to launch a ride.

On Saturday, a large fund-raiser ride rolled down the trail, and on Sunday it was litter free and looking good. Somebody had worked hard to keep it up. We had six riders today, with Sheila and Larry making their spring tour debut. They joined regulars Bruce, Deanne, Mark and I. We were all ready to roll at just after 9 a.m. It was Sheila’s first ride on her new Pocket, and she proved to be a quick learner. And Deanne showed that Saturday was no fluke, turning in another strong day on the trail.

The Withlacoochee is extra wide, making it perfect for two and three abreast riding/talking. It’s also well used by a variety of riders. There were go-fast roadies, Wal-Mart one speeds, granny trikes and a whole bunch of other feet-firsters. The Withlacoochee typically has the highest percentage of recumbent riders of any of the trails we regularly ride. There’s even a recumbent bike shop on the trail.

We wrapped up the ride with a feast at Coach's Pub, and then we parted company. Bruce and I headed to Clarcona Horseman’s Park, breaking the BYOB – back in your own bed – tradition. By day’s end we were set up in our campsite 20 feet from the West Orange Trail with steaks on the grill and a cold brew in hand.
- Gary Kirland
Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Beautiful
Facilities: Environmentally friendly
O\vo~

Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail - Spring Trails Tour '07

2007-03-24T19:00:00.000-04:00

If Saturday was an indication of things to come, we're in for quite a tour. We hit the trail with seven riders, including two new faces – at least their faces were new to us. Peggy and Mike from Atlantic Beach joined us for the opening day. Mike knew us after following Feet First exploits via the Web. They soon learned that this would be more of a rolling gabfest than a hammerfest.

When we left the parking lot at Boulware Springs there was still a bit of chill in the air, and it was cooler yet in the shade. But the cool quickly disappeared in the first hour. And one of the early surprises was Deanne leading the pack. Her new bike and a good breakfast allowed her to not only keep up, but set the pace.

In Hawthorne we took on fuel at Sonny's and started the trip home with the assist of a respectable tailwind. It was a bright day that put the sunscreen to the test. We did go a bit hog wild on the way back, literally, with a visit from a piney woods rooter that came charging out of the brush. Deer, turtles and more butterflies than we could count were also among the sightings. We rolled about 34 miles on a day that would be hard to beat for two-wheeled pleasure.
– Gary Kirkland

Photos are posted in the gallery. Get set to join us in Inverness tomorrow on the Withlacoochee Trail!

Trail Condition: Beautiful
Facilities: Environmentally friendly
O\vo~

General James A. Van Fleet State Trail

2007-03-17T23:00:00.000-04:00

A day on the trail is always good, a new trail, crisp weather and sharing it with good friends notches it up to great. The General James A. Van Fleet State Trail, which touts itself as one of Florida's most rural trails, lived up to that billing. From start to finish over nearly 40 miles, we saw only three cars, no houses and only a few electric lines, offering us a paved slice of Central Florida boondocks, from Mabel to just north of Polk City. With seven of us on the trail, Feet First was a slow-moving, bird watching, stop and talk presence.
A quick glimpse of history shows no connection between the trail's namesake and bikes. He was a World War I, World War II and Korean War vet, a West Point classmate of Dwight D. Eisenhower and a one-time University of Florida football coach. No mention in his bio of any connection to the Fleet enema fortune, which as a general he could have plugged with the slogan, "I have met the enema, and it is mine!"
The trail was smooth, and fearless leader Bruce was elevated and on two wheels, giving Deanne's new bike a 40-mile test ride. Both bike and rider passed with flying colors. A tailwind pushed us south and the headwind coming back made us earn our lunch at the Rainbow Restaurant in beautiful downtown Mascotte. We were left with the mystery of how to pronounce Mabel, does it rhyme with Black Label, or is it like the matriarch of the singing Carter family, May-bell. That mystery will have to wait for another day. Photos are posted in the gallery, thanks to Will Byers for his contribution.

Don't forget, the 2007 Feet First Spring Tour begins Saturday morning, so get your days off lined up and come ride with us. The ride locations and launch times are now posted on the calendar. Yall Come!

Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: Excellent
- Gary Kirkland

Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail

2007-03-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

What good news! Not only was the trail full of folks enjoying a perfect Spring day, but lots of them were children! It was really inspiring to see so many kids outside. Pedalling, walking, giggling, running, kicking rocks, making plans... not watching TV!

Blooms, blossums, sprouts were beginning to show as small birds darted everywhere. We also ran into our friends from Jacksonville, Jim & Melissa, who are still enjoying my old Rocket. Photos are posted in the gallery.

Don't forget, the 2007 Feet First Spring Tour is coming right up, so get your days off lined up and come ride with us. The schedule is firming up and ride locations and launch times are now posted on the calendar.

Looking forward to our first visit to the General James A. Van Fleet State Trail for next Saturday. Yall Come!

Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: Excellent
O\vo~

Withlacoochee Trail - 3rd Catrike Rally

2007-03-04T21:20:00.000-05:00

Since our ride was rained out, I decided to join the folks from the 3rd Annual Catrike Rally for their lunch ride on the Withlacoochee Trail. They were starting at Hampton's Edge bike shop and heading north at noon, so I started from Inverness and headed south at 11 AM.
On an absolutely gorgeous day, I met up with the group of over a dozen trikes at the 17 mile marker, so I turned around. We had a very pleasant ride into Inverness. The impact of the 15 colorful trikes parked in front of the pub on local passers by provided great entertainment as we enjoyed each other's company and a fine lunch at Coach's Pub before calling it a day.

Looking forward to the Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail for next Saturday. Yall Come!

Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: Excellent
O\vo~

Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail

2007-02-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

Deanne, Gary and I made up the entire group today. Winter seemed to have "left the building" for this ride, leaving behind what was very nearly a perfect Spring day! A nice cool start with a light SE breeze that matured into a helpful little tail wind on the return trip.
Nearly as present as the small birds darting from side to side, were the number of recumbents sighted. A good sized group, we think from the central Florida area, included some out of state visitors on tandem recumbents, who brightened the scene with their colors. Photos are posted in the gallery.

While Gary had to rush on back, Deanne and I stopped in at Sonny's in Hawthorne for refueling and rest. They had replaced the tired, old, picnic table style furniture with new traditional tables and chairs which gave the dining room a much more spacious feel and, no doubt, enhanced the serving experience.

There were quite a few folks out on the trail, cyclists, rollerbladers, walkers, even employees offering information and taking care of maintenance tasks as well. Also, our late start amplified the number of oncoming cyclists we encountered, a couple of which turned out to be other Feet First members riding on their own schedule.

Looking forward to the Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail for next Saturday. Yall Come!

Trail Condition: Very good
Facilities: Environmentally friendly
O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail

2007-02-17T18:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning in north central Florida was full of surprises starting with a record-breaking low temperature that approached the teens. Gary and I agreed when we met up at the Trenton trailhead that our sanity was in question, but we had planned to be there and it was a beautiful day, so we visited the Foodway for some breakfast and allowed the morning to warm up slightly, since it was still in the thirties.

It was now ride time, though there were no other attendees. At least sunscreen was easily conserved today as precious little remained exposed after suiting up. The forecast of a high in the mid 60s encouraged us to proceed and it was just above 40 as we started out. None of this discouraged the bird population, especially robins, they were everywhere and quite busy it seemed.

As we were about to cross the Suwannee River, a walker and his leashed dog were coming the other way and the dog was carrying a large, slingshot shaped piece of wood in his mouth. As a friendly greeting I smiled and asked, "You got him collecting firewood for you?"

The walker, without hesitation, simply replied, "He whittles!" and kept on walking.

The river was quiet and smooth, as free of traffic as the trail had been, but on the other side there was a veritable parade of motorcycles descending into Old Town where we, too, stopped for a break.

Starting at the Old Town trailhead, we saw two other riders braving the morning. Instead of continuing on to Cross City, we decided to double back and turn south to Fanning Springs to visit the wayside park at the river there and were surprised to find a new park. Fort Fanning Historical Park is on the north side of US 19 right at the river's edge and, we were later told, will be the home of a reconstructed Fort Fanning. It has nice, brick-lined sidewalks with landscaping and benches and a lovely view of the river.
We followed the sidewalk back to the east and discovered a hidden corridor beneath huge old oaks that goes all the way back to the rail trail where there are future plans to add a restroom facility. Photos are posted in the gallery.

On the way back to Trenton, we did encounter a couple more riders and finally saw the temperature above 60. An additional surprise was finding a freshly smashed glass bottle on the asphalt, but Gary's trusty pan and brush made short work of the unusual blemish.

Looking forward to the Hawthorne Trail for next Saturday. Yall Come!

Trail Condition: Excellent
Facilities: Excellent
O\vo~

O'Leno to Ichetucknee

2007-02-10T18:01:00.000-05:00

It had been nearly a month since I last rode, so I thought I had best get out there and make the best of the break in the weather. The most energy efficient ride for me is the quick 4 mile drive up to Fort White, so that was my decision. I headed west out to the Ichetucknee River and then back to town before pedaling toward O'Leno State Park.

About half way to O'Leno, I met an oncoming cyclist, whom I had seen before. I waved and spoke to the gentleman only slightly younger than myself and continued on my way, dodging the debris of the still unmaintained trail. A crew had, at least, removed the large trees that were across the trail the last time I rode it, but it continues to be free of any sweeping or edging activity.

At the entrance to O'Leno, I turned about and began the trip back to Fort White. It is a little hilly on that end of the trail and as I came over what feels like the highest point, there in front of the the old Tanner place, I was surprised to see this scene.

I couldn't quite figure what on Earth could have happened here, where there are no intersections and such. Moving on down the slope, it soon became clear that the incident involved a cyclist. It was the fellow I had greeted before! On his return trip, he had apparently blacked out and taken a tumble. A deputy told me that a motorist had called in his misfortune and as we talked the paramedics arrived and began questioning the cyclist about his condition.

The paramedics, guided by the patient's response and evidence of a solid blow to the forehead, began making arrangements to airlift him to Gainesville. There appeared to be no equipment failure as I looked over his bicycle; tires were inflated, nothing looked damaged or out of place. The deputy loaded it up from transporting to the station in Fort White and the ambulance pulled away.

On my way back to my car, I began to hear the sounds of a helicopter approaching in the distance. Nice to know folks can get the help they need out here in the hinterland, but this neighbor I had seen before, surely had enjoyed better days.

Trail Condition: Navigable, yet not maintained
Facilities: Not provided
Emergency Services Response: Excellent
O\vo~

Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail

2007-01-13T19:50:00.000-05:00

Mark, Deanne and I met up early at Everybody's Restaurant in Baldwin for our usual country style breakfast and dose of local color and were elevated by our server to the stature of "Darlin's" while she made sure we had everything we desired. Then off to the trailhead, a few blocks north, where Sandra joined us.
This was one of those days that sees a range of temperatures, starting off a little cooler than expected and warming rather rapidly. It was accompanied by a thin layer of clouds that overcast our experience with less than direct sunlight but was unable to mask the natural beauty of this trail. In north Florida, among the paved tails, the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park is this trail's only rival in that department.
It's quite easy to forget to notice the trail surface itself, mostly because the surrounding forest is so beautiful, but also due to its well maintained condition. I was somewhat surprised to see so many people enjoying the trail this time, so I guess the secret is out. There were families, cycling and roller-blading, walkers, runners and horsemen... not crowded, but well used.
At the half-way point, where we are used to visiting the facilities, we were drawn off to the side to another trailhead that had been opened since our last visit. The Harvey House appears to be the central feature, though it has parking, a long, elevated boardwalk nature trail running through a dense pine forest, many acres with specimen Live Oaks planted, and connects via concrete trails to the trailside rest stop. We spent a few minutes there talking with folks and met another recumbent trike rider, John Landress, from Jacksonville.
At the east end, the Imeson Road Trailhead had a nearly full parking lot, unlike our launch in Baldwin which was almost empty.
Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Excellent, facilities clean and available.
O\vo~

Nature Coast Trail

2007-01-02T15:58:00.000-05:00

Sandra and Mark were waiting for me when I drove up to the sight of Mark's brand new Rans Stratus, parked and ready. After I took a quick spin on a very quiet, light-weight, new bicycle with superbly stable handling, I slid back onto my tricycle and we were off. There was no difficulty in staying focused on the cold as it was only 49 degrees and hadn't been that cool in quite a while. The idea of shopping for socks crossed my mind a few times, but the wind was light and allowed the sun to peek through a fair amount.

We stopped for a break in Fanning Springs and found some fellas actually doing some welding work on the gas pump island. Considering the concept for just a few moments seemed to hasten our departure... something just didn't seem right about that. There were a few other trail users out this morning, one was particularly interested in our strange craft, but mostly we had the trail to ourselves. In Chiefland, we simply turned about and headed back, but noticing it was still feeling rather chilly at 61 degrees, we began to discuss the warmth we suspected would be associated with that little barbeque joint in Fanning Springs. In less time than the return trip took, it became apparent we would stop there for lunch and that turned out to be a very fine idea, indeed. They even had fried green tomatoes on the menu and do a particularly fine job of not over cooking the collards.

After lunch, it was mostly a back to the barn run. We weren't really pushing it, but didn't dawdle either, finishing up the last of the 36 miles happy to see our warm cars waiting.

Photos are posted in the gallery. I'll be out of pocket this coming weekend, but look forward to the weather at last permitting us to ride the Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail the next weekend.

Trail Condition: Always Excellent, facilities clean and available.
O\vo~

Suwannee River Greenway at Branford

2006-12-31T14:48:00.000-05:00

Rachel joined me this morning in Fort White as we stole a morning's ride out from beneath an impending weather front. We used the western 5 miles of the O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail to get to the Ichetucknee River where we made use of the park's facilites before crossing the bridge on US 27 to get to the Suwannee County side where the Suwannee River Greenway at Branford terminates.

This trail has changed a lot since I last rode it in September. Maintenance is way up and debris is way down. It is like night and day comparing the two trails we used today! They have eradicated the major sand wash at one intersection that always saw me dismount, and replaced it with an asphalt ramp. Very nice! Nearly every intersection had, at the very least, fresh yellow paint on the barricade posts, many had new posts, too! It was readily apparent that the trail had recently been edged, mowed, and swept and was indeed a treat to ride from end to end and encounter so very little in the way of surface problems. I was also suprised to find the dive shop building completely gone that had stood atop the north boat ramp at Ivey Memorial Park.

The weather seemed to be holding so nicely that we went ahead west of the north end of the trail to Little River Springs where what seemed to be at least a gagglette of geese hustled away from my low slung craft. There was just enough of a coolness in the breeze to talk me out of my interest in jumping in the inviting spring.

On the way back, we went into the Ichetucknee River State Park and back out again just enough to push our velometers up to total 40 miles by the time we stopped back in Fort White. A good ride... now bring on the rain and the new year!

Photos are posted in the gallery. We're looking forward to riding much more next year.

Trail Condition: Vastly improved, facilities marginal (portable toilets at Little River Springs).
O\vo~

Jacksonville-Baldwin Rained Out

2006-12-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

The threat of rain had been reduced to 10% for Saturday morning, according to some forecasters, so we rose early and made the drive, allowing some extra time for a breakfast stop at Everybody's Restaurant. Before we saw Raiford, the pavement began showing signs of recent rain and by the time we made it to Macclenny there was a consistent drizzle. We were encouraged by a lull in precipitation in downtown Baldwin and Rachael joined Deanne and I for breakfast, which made it seem even more likely things would work out.

Then we drove the few blocks north to the trailhead park and as soon as we parked, it began to sprinkle again, and a little heavier. So, we called it "rained out", parted company, and headed for home.

When Deanne and I got underway and realized the sky was constantly improving, it seemed only natural to simply relocate plans for which we were already armed. We drove to Fort White, parked at the Community Thrift Shop, unloaded the trikes, and pedaled away on the O'Leno to Ichetucknee Trail. So we salvaged a rained out ride by enjoying a sunny little 26 mile jaunt through the debris and called it a day. Photos are posted in the gallery.

Trail Condition: Absolutely deplorable, completely blocked in three places, facilities non-existent, this trail is dangerously close to finishing an entire year since its dedication without maintenance.

Don't forget, you can comment on what you read here by simply clicking the word "COMMENTS" at the bottom of each post.

O\vo~

West Orange Trail

2006-12-02T19:59:00.000-05:00

As a cold front stalled between us and the West Orange Trail, we were faced with an uncertain weather circumstance for today's ride. Sandra and I met at Gary's before daylight and then drove south through occasional light rain to find ourselves surprised by a rain-free Winter Garden celebrating the season with a parade through its downtown streets. We pedaled through the center, following the trail west, guided by survey tape and barricades as a few of the early birds began to set up their chairs. Upon our eastbound return, the procession had begun so we had to detour a couple blocks away to make a path around the crowds.

On the east side, it had already reached 80 degrees out and a light breeze with fairly solid cloud cover kept it nice and comfortable for riding. We had taken a side trip to the shores of Lake Apopka in Oakland, so it seemed natural to stop again at the lovely Chapin Station and walk through the garden there. A little further along, we found this guy running his brood in and out of this fence alongside the trail. Clarcona Horseman's Park is our usual turn-around point, but as we did that today, we decided to go ahead a ride the rest of the trail up to Apopka.

At what I had known as the end of the trail (2 blocks south of US 441), there were serious signs of construction leading us to look further. To our great delight, up on concrete stands awaiting future placement, we discovered the previously promised bridge that will span US 441 in Apopka and connect the part of the trail I already knew with another 3.1 miles of it heading north out of town! We couldn't help but begin to hope this might be completed by the time we visit the area for our Spring Trails Tour in March.

These and other thoughts almost kept us from noticing an increasing likelihood of our being caught in an afternoon shower. Before long, we noticed our pace had quickened as decidedly as the relative humidity. The barbeque was still good, though the restaurant at the Winter Garden Hotel had undergone a name change. It is now called "The Grove" which I thought was somewhat appropriate since there seem to be fewer and fewer of those around any more.

So, the front held its position just long enough for us to finish our ride and meal and the light and occasional rain again cooled our travel as we drove northward home. Sandra, Gary and I rode 38 miles. Photos are posted in the gallery. We're looking forward to the Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail next weekend.

Trail Condition: Simply Excellent, facilities exceptional.
O\vo~

Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail

2006-11-25T19:30:00.000-05:00

Today was all about color. The trees on the trail seemed to be at their peak of fall turning, and though it started out fairly cool, the four of us enjoyed peeling off the layers as it warmed up very nicely. A great blue heron winked as we crossed the first bridge and three armadillos greeted us on our return. Sandra, Gary, Deanne and I held a peaceful pace for the 31 miles. Photos are posted in the gallery. We're talking up the idea of driving to the West Orange Trail next weekend.

Trail Condition: As always, fairly good repair, no trash or debris, facilities functional, scenery was positively exceptional.
O\vo~

Some Rearranging

2006-11-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

Perhaps to keep it interesting, probably to keep me interested, the website is undergoing some changes at this time. I am thinking that I may let topical postings on this blog replace the page now known as "Trail Reports" as it will make it simpler to keep them current and possibly make them easier to find. Photos from the rides we take are also now much easier to deal with, both up- and down-loading as well as viewing (Thanks, Google!).

Using the blog has the added benefit of providing a feedback channel, in that as readers, you may enter comments you may have along the way, whether or not you were able to enjoy the ride.

I have added a couple rides to the "Ride Schedule", so do have a look and join us if you can.
O\vo~

Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T14:52:00.000-05:00

I'd like to go on record right here, right now, to express how very thankful I am to have the ability and the opportunity to regularly pedal my way along the trails we've chosen in the company of so many wonderful friends I am blessed enough to have made. Thank You, one and all, for joining me out there! Have a great holiday!
O\vo~

Trails Guide Test

2006-11-11T15:08:00.005-05:00

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Stuff for Sale

2006-11-01T10:00:00.033-05:00

Bicycles - updated 6/1/2011

BikeE recumbent bicycle
Stored indoors, adult owned and maintained in Orlando, Florida.
I am offering this solid, collectible ride for $400.
Email me for additional details 4kayro@gmail.com

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