It seems like it's been forever since I last stepped foot on the trail. Today I finally got to do a very short shakedown hike and it was a nice one. Typically I would've hit Hanna Park but a friend told me about some trails I hadn't known about. Nestled in the Theodore Roosevelt Area of the Timucaun Ecological & Historic Preserve is the Willie Browne Trail. There are others but this is where I spent the bulk of my time.
I pulled into the trailhead parking lot late (4pm). Unfortunately the sign said they close the gate at 5. Oh well, I figured I'd cover as much ground as possible. Heading into the woods the trail varied from sugar sand to soft dirt. At .5 mi. I crossed the wooden bridge over Hammock Creek. I was glad to see that while it was brown from tannic acid it was at least flowing. I was tempted to stop and filter just to try it out but I was short on time and decided to keep hiking.
Following the blue-blazed Willie Brown Trail eventually led to alongside the marsh where the trail turned to what must have been oyster beds at one time. The trail splits off to a black-blazed trail simply marked 'Other' on the map. This side trail leads down to the open marsh and a short tower with a beautiful view. The area was alive with wildlife and small crabs scurried out of my way as I walked past. Standing atop the tower I spent a little time watching the white storks nesting in a large tree about 75 yards off to the east.
After enjoying the scenery for a few brief moments I headed back down the black-blazed trail to the green-blazed Timucuan Trail. I didn't spend much time here and only followed it along the marsh's edge until it rejoined the black-blazed trail back to the blue-blazed Willie Browne Trail Loop. By this time I only had about 15 minutes to make it back to the parking area so I picked up the pace a little.
As I headed up from the marsh I came upon a grave marker for a Confederate Sergeant, Jonathan Spiering (1812-1879). Shortly after this I stopped at the Browne family cemetery.
I really wish that I had grabbed my camera before leaving the house. I would have loved to have grabbed some shots of the area and the wildlife. As I neared the parking area I came upon a large tortoise (about 1' head to tail). I was surprised at how much was out with the heat. I'll definitely be back.
Overall I didn't have any problems with the new Deuter pack. Granted, it was only a 2 mile hike but it felt nice. I could definitely tell a comfort difference between it and my cheap Pacific Crest.
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