Honeymoon Island…10/2/08

Fresh fall air fills my lungs. The air is almost sweet in taste due to such freshness. Crossing the Dunedin Causeway this morning I could not wait to get inside the gate at Honeymoon Island State Park. In fact I arrived too early. I had to wait almost 15 minutes before the gate keeper let me and four other cars in. I was the lead car. The others behind me were strangers. I quickly drove to the Osprey Trail trailhead, the others drove towards the beach.

As I start the trail I am greeted by plentiful arrangements of Horsemint. The cool fall air keeps my senses keen, though the glowing sun is slowly creeping skyward and its rays are becoming well known by the back of my neck. It will warm up later, but I think this breeze at least for now will remain constant.

A standard snag.

A few moments past 8 AM I hear the call of an osprey. The osprey is holding onto a snag, his or her nest within view. I quickly find myself in gopher country. The trail and its surroundings become open and sandy. The mighty land tortoise lives on this beachy paradise. Prickly pear cactus dot the open patches of sand, their fleshy fruits gleaming in the sunlight. The fruit looks delicious, but I will leave these treats for the ‘ol land tortoise. To my right I continue to see weathered snags, some are leaning. A fringe of mangroves is hiding near the snags, these same snags are governed by neatly kept osprey’s nest. With the snags to my back I begin to notice that I am surrounded by an army of pines.  Wax myrtle and saw palmetto are the foot soldiers in this army. There seems to be increasing freshness, the sound of man further dimenished.

A small Mocking Bird in a small snag carries on with a melody, while a Pileated Woodpecker carries the rhythm. An adult osprey now departs for the gulf.  Though the music of nature is simple, nothing we compose truly compares. The pines and the passing wind, along with their avian allies remind those willing to listen that nature is the true grand symphony. Tiny birds flutter across the trail and some of their companions dive for cover like shooting darts as they become aware of my presence.

Native Beach Dune Sunflower.

Its hard to ignore the osprey architecture that has been developed in the snags. Its easy to understand why the trail is called the Osprey Trail. Their lookout towers here are plentiful.  So are the mosquitos. At a mile in I reach the junction of Pelican Trail and Osprey Trail. I continue now down the Pelican Trail. I walk now from pines to mangroves. As I leave the mangrove swamp I enter the dunes filled with sea oats. At this point as I sit down on a bench facing the water I am at just over a mile in. My troubled knee seems ok for now. Numerous egrets and herons feed in the shallows. A pair of opspreys patrol the sky, their eyes piercing downward in hopes of snagging an unlucky fish.

Watching an American Egret is truly a lesson in patience.  As I watch, it stands motionless as if it is a statue. I know its patience will be rewarded. Time does not exist in his world nor do deadlines. Humans are a funny bunch. Have you noticed how we are always in a hurry. We rush here and there yet the rewards of life are often found when you slow down. Nature is never in a hurry. Why must we be rushed?  Believe me the economy and technology have nothing over what blossoms before me today.

I sometimes notice a sense of rush even when I hike. There is often a feeling involving the following…How many miles did I do?…What is the best strategy?…etc. You can probably relate to these underlying demands. Today is different. I am slowing down to observe my surroundings. It happens naturally when you have time to be engulfed by nature.  Acclimating to nature is easy, but it often takes time to change your state of mind. I continue for a stretch along the coast.

Hiking the coast.

At one point I come across a strange ecotone. Slash pines and mangroves are shaking hands. As I make my way back towards the Osprey Trail I come across an active gopher tortoise burrow. No one seems to be home so I proceed back into the pines saying a quick goodbye to the mangroves and the salty coast.

My hike comes to an end as I reach the picnic area where the trailhead begins. I walk past my truckand walk towards the beach. This section of beach is rocky, covered in chuncks of limestone.  It gives the feel of being remote, the condos loom in the distance. As I sit down I realize my knee is feeling the hike. I guess my knee needs more time to heal.  As for me though I am relaxed and thinking to the future. A trip around this island in a kayak would be an experience. A trip to Caladesi Island might just top it all off. For now I will sit with the lazy Gulf, the water reminding me that there is no need to be in a hurry.

A Limping Leap of A Hike…9/11/08

Today I visited Brooker Creek Preserve in north Pinellas County. The entrance for the preserve is east of Lake Tarpon, off of Keystone Road in Tarpon Springs. My goal today was to see wild Florida. The drive here from Clearwater passed mostly on US 19. US 19 is basically the main vein for Pinellas County. It can at times be plagued with endless traffic and the associated disgruntled drivers.  This morning’s traffic was going in my direction sense most unlucky citizens were on their daily commute to Tampa or St. Pete.

I arrived early to the preserve, just before 8 A.M. and found only one other car in the parking lot. I wanted to have a big day, my mind being congested with thought in a similar way to what US 19 will look like at rush hour. My knee has been injured since I returned from Washington. The injury took place my first day back in Florida. I was picking up Fay damage and I happened to step off the sidewalk, my foot rolled in, my knee followed with a twist. Not a serious injury by any means, but it caused enough pain for me to purchase a knee brace.

A half mile into the hike I realized that my banged up knee was going to make hiking difficult. Further down the trail I found myself limping.  I turned the hike into a short 1.5 mile expedition, instead of a brisk 4-5 mile dayhike.  Needless to say this was a very hard 1.5 miles because my knee was barking with every step.

Brooker Creek Preserve has great potential. There are plenty of trails, though the majority currently sit under tannin-stained water. The common Florida landscape was present.  Pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, and cypress domes were all well represented.

Coming into the preserve I noticed how the preserve is bordered by a subdivision. The houses were lined in perfect rows. A good number of the homes front the preserve in their backyards. I wonder how many of them take advantage of the preserve? I wonder how many of them go outside as a form of recreation? I guess I already know the answer.

As I drove in this morning I was amazed to see a new subdivision named “Restoration” .

Restoration?

I’ve seen  subdivisions called “Preserve” before, but to be called “Restoration” seems just as bad. When the lots are clear cut what is restored? Sadly I think people buy into these names. I guess houses would not sell in a community called “Clearcut Estates” or “St. Augustine Grass Abbey”.

By Going Out You Go In…9/10/08

Those who know others are wise, those who know themselves are enlightened.

-The Tao Te Ching

I know many people. I have come to know them over time. From the day I was born to present people have come and gone, some too quickly. The people you know are often associated with place. My place for know is Florida. Florida has shaped me into the being that I currently am, but this does not mean that I truly know myself. To know oneself takes time I would guess and furthermore it means knowing the true value of place and understanding how place creates the individual.

From my experience to truly know ’self’ requires getting outside the typical state of being. It becomes necessary sometimes to leave the inside world, stepping out into the unknown for a while. When you step into the unknown outside, self may be discovered. There is only one way to know one’s self.

You must be willing to step into nature. Before there was an indoors there was simply just the outdoors. By leaving the outside world behind, our generation and generations to come will find it to be increasingly difficult to find ’self’. We’ve already set boundaries. We’ve created an artificial indoors world and in doing so have paid little respect to the outdoors.

Place.

In the process we have become more individualistic, yet as individuals we no longer know ourselves. The apparent loss of personal enlightenment will only continue if we continue down the road we now follow. Why have we become less enlightened? The answer is easy. We know longer step outside ourselves into nature as once did generations of Native Americans and the few remaining hunter-n-gather societies  of the world.

By stepping out into nature it becomes possible to momentarily lose focus of reality, the individual then may experience the condition of self. The comforts of modern living limit our exposure to experiences involving the outdoors.

There is a difference between knowing one’s self and being selfish. The selfish person is only aware of material wealth and advancing their own societal status. The individual who knows one’s self realizes that consumerism and materialism our the roots of true evil that degrade the condition of self and blur mental images of self.  Only when we connect the indoors to the outdoors, and in doing so step outside for a while can we truly have any chance of discovering self.

The Pool

I currently sit next to a pool.

This pool in its artificial nature is still soothing. Its soothing because it reminds me of a pool I once knew. I met this pool only a few days ago.

Water is inherently healing, its presence reminds us of our biological origins.  To understand the comparison is difficult, for the pool I currently see is in no measure comparable to the pool I will continue to see in my dreams.

The pool I saw was crystal clear and though it displayed no mirrored reflection, it allowed internal reflection. It was simply spiritual, crafted solely by a glacier fed stream.

The Pool, WA

Carbon River…8/30/08…written…9/3/08

Being back in Florida is not easy. Settling back into the sprawl of things is no fun, but it is nice to think back on our trip. The last day for me was a day of reflection. On 8/30 we hiked the Carbon River area. It was a portion of Mt. Rainier National Park that seldom has visitor numbers comparable to areas like Sunrise and Paradise. On the drive in it is hard to ignore the one lane bridges. The main access road inside the park has been washed out in many locations by the Carbon River. This means gaining access to the hiking trails is difficult. By no means is this a problem though. We turned the old road into a hiking trail, for the Carbon River had done a good job taking back its own. It looked wild enough.

Washed Out Road Turned Hiking Trail

We hiked mostly through temperate rainforest in the beginning. Hiking through this forest reminded me of the Hoh back in the Olympics.  Evidence of the river’s fury was everywhere. Giant trees were transplanted as if they were toothpicks. Giant boulders were displaced like tiny marbles. We would eventually hike the riverbed. This sounds easy since riverbeds typically increase in elevation ever so slightly. Here though glacial melt contained in the Carbon River is surrounded by small boulders and piles of debris composed mostly of giant conifers. This river truly defines its own direction. Flash floods and the associated implications to the surrounding landscape are all too evident.

Carbon River

Hiking the river was rewarding. The peaks covered in conifers were forever introducing themselves as we continued upriver. The mighty Mt. Rainier remained in hiding, a scene very typical during our short stay at Mt. Rainier National Park.

A Natural Mystic View…8/29/08

Mt. Rainier runs a natural mystic strip tease. It  revealed itself today, but in limited doses. We saw the entire mountain when passing by Longmire. I was hopeful today that we’d see this mighty mountain. As we drove to Paradise our chances seemed slim. The Paradise Visitor Center was fogged in. We decided to play our adds at Sunrise.

The mountain.

The views were spectacular. The surrounding peaks, covered in ice, near Rainier were exposed. Parts of Rainier were present at times, impressive glaciers were glowing. While it was not completely present the mighty mountain reflects light into the clouds. We hiked the Sourdough Trail. It followed a fine ridge dotted with Sub-alpine Firs. Fine blue lakes were visible below, glaciers and snow pack above. The trail was one of the best I’ve hiked. Mt. Rainier was looming in the background, hidden by clouds, but its presence was wholly known.

Sourdough Ridge Trail.

We ate lunch at the Sunrise Visitor Center and hiked back to our car. Earlier in the day we hiked the Grove of the Patriarchs. Giant Western Cedars were hard to ignore. Western Hemlocks and Douglas Firs were present too. I collected cones for the only collection I keep. I took a liking to the Cedars. A hike through a Western Hemlock forest concluded the evening.

An Ancient Fire Beacon…8/28/08

Today was spent inside Rainier National Park. It rained all day. We went on a number of day hikes. As we worked our way into the park we saw giant waterfalls and pencil straight conifers of magnitudes that are only surpassed by the  sequoias and redwoods of California.  At Paradise we  hike the skyline loop, passing Panorama Point. It was frigid. The fog was so thick that visibility was next to zero. The hike was missing a key player. Rainier was hidden behind the clouds. We managed to find snow and glaciers.

Snow. Ice. Trail.

There was enough colors displayed by the wildflowers to make most rainbows jealous.

Flowers. Sub-alpine firs.

It was nice to see snow. The weather being harsh reminded us how vulnerable we really are to the elements. We managed to see two chicken-like grouse. Later we heard whistling. We thought it may be  some  hikers in distress.  We would soon learn that marmots were whistling. We came across a small clan. Its effective communication. Marmots have funny personalities. Unlike humans, they seem content being goofy.

Marmots.

Saying Goodbye to the NW Coast…8/27/08

We said goodbye to the NW coast today. The sea lions sung us an early melody this morning as we packed our wet gear. As we left the coast and headed into the wild ferns and their conifer allies I too said goodbye to the sea lions.  On our drive to Mt. Rainier National Park we stopped at Ruby Beach. Here we saw a river fighting the incoming tide. It was our final view of the wild Pacific Ocean.

Ruby Beach

I now find myself in Mt. Rainier National Park. We are staying in a rustic motel just outside the park in Ashford. We stopped earlier in a gear shop. We ate dinner in a bar & grill, mountains on all sides, Rainier whispering softly…you are in my realm now.

Lake Ozette, Backpacking Loop…8/26/08

Near Lake Ozette. This is the furthest NW we’ve come so far. More specifically we are hiking a 9 mile loop-3 miles via forest, 3 miles of rugged beaches, and 3 miles of forest.  The forest was majestic. Large Pteridium ferns (Bracken ferns) as tall as your shoulders composed the overstory, the canopy was pencil straight conifers. Club mosses and  and lichens added to the mix.   A few wet areas reminded me of Big Cypress.

9 mile loop trail

As we arrived on the beach I was surprised to see so much rotten sea kelp. The smell was strong enough to give the impression of stepping on rotten fish. After a few minutes my my dad heard barking, we quickly located a family of sea lions. Further back we saw a sea lion who had passed on. The beach was rugged and like most of the NW coast it was scattered with sea stacks.

We arrived to a nice camp with a scenic view of the Pacific and Ozette Island. Others are camping here, but the feeling of solitude persists. Our sunny camp site  quickly grew overcasts and cold.

Ozette Island

We quickly ate dinner with the threat of rain lingering. The rain would eventually come in the afternoon. We were on our mini excursion when it started. We walked towards another distant sea stack. A sign there said it was sacred land. We found another sea lion carcus. Around the bend we found the remains of a large whale, mostly decomposed, a few rotten pieces of flesh reminding us of its presence.

Art Of The Ancients

Rialato Beach, Pacific Ocean…8/25/08

Today I finally saw the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific NW coast is something truly remarkable. It is unlike any other natural setting I have ever seen. The sea stacks were hidden behind mist early on. We were a bit hesitant to venture down the beach until we found out the tide was going out. Along the beach were giant trees that had been washed down river out onto the beach.

Trees on beach.

The park service warns that swimmers may be injured by logs lingering in the surf. The forest that fronts the beach is noble, the presence of such conifers confuses the logic because who ever thinks of conifers growing on the coast. The sand was not fine, in most sections there was also smooth river rocks. The further we hiked, the lower the tide became. The sea stacks take on such varied shapes. They are statue-like in nature and there is great contrast between these statues and the active Pacific surf.

Sea stack

We met a man camping on the beach. He explained that if we ventured further we’d see tide pools. We went on our way and were rewarded with tide pools filled with colorful sea anemones and orange/purple starfish. The waves near the tide pools were violently crashing into boulders. We found ourselves wanting to press on, but we knew the day was still young. On the way back we climbed through the hole-in-the wall.

Starfish.

This after noon we drove to Hoh Rainforest. This temperate rainforest is filled with giant Sitka Spruces. The trees, most notably the Big Leaf Maples are coated with ferns, club mosses, and varied epiphytes. We hiked, rain falling in true rainforest fashion. A fresh spring flowed past the trail. Hoh River, a large river, flowed in a hurry to visit the sea.

Hoh Rainforest