Out of the Woods

We’re out of the woods, but not out of the woods.

As far as adventure goes.

Although we’ve come out of the Everglades and Big Cypress National Parks and relocated to a nice, quiet, civilized trailer park, our excursions into the wilder side of Florida have not ended.

Don’t forget, we pack our own entertainment.

We are still making use of the canoe on top of the truck, for more than just using it to see our truck in busy parking lots. Although, I can recommend that as a good trick during the Christmas shopping rush.

Our bicycles have also come out of the back seat. Myself, I prefer a flat and paved pathway to cycle on, however I don’t always get to choose. 

We found a mountain biking trail in a regional park nearby. I figured, it’s Florida. How “mountainy” can it be?

We followed a family group into the “Easy” trail. After that, they outpaced me and I never saw them again. I didn’t realize that “easy” meant sharp dips and hillocks along a narrow dirt path that may or may not have a drop off on one side. And where there isn’t a drop off, for sure there is a tree in the way.

I crawled along the path slowly, constantly riding my brakes while trying to keep hubby in my sight. He was patient enough to wait for me several times.

And good enough to point out the better ways around the bumpy parts.

There are very few hills in Florida, but the first part of the trail manages to wind up and down the one in that area. 

And when the creators of the trail ran out of hill, they had the trail run along a lovely flat field – and threw in a few man-made hills and bumps.

I may never be the same. It’s certain my hind parts won’t be.

But don’t be thinking that all our adventures are the sit down kind. We also have other equipment in our magic truck. Hiking boots and poles are standard wherever we go.

We went down one little trail several times over the course of our stay. It boasts unusual wildlife. Above and beyond the normal deer, squirrels, and birds, this park is home to wild hogs.

Wild hogs are skittish creatures, and hard to spot. It is easy to tell when they are in the area, though, because they make a mess of the ground. They dig huge holes into the sand of the trail and around the palm trees trying to find roots and grubs to eat.

My sharp-eyed hubby saw the first pig, under a low tree and camouflaged by his short stature and dark, coarse hair. When the beast noticed us, he took off like a shot from a standstill in a sprint that would make a Maserati jealous. I had no time to aim my camera or even get it out of my pocket.

We even managed to sneak up on another couple of them as they crossed the trail in front of us. This time I was prepared with the camera and grabbed a shot before they disappeared.

We have three more weeks in this area before we move to the urban sprawl of the east coast of Florida.

And hopefully, we’ll be out of the woods by then.

W