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| Hiking | 8.08 Miles |
92 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.08 Miles | 2 Hrs 54 Mns | | 2.79 mph |
| 92 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | In Orlando for a family event. I try to get a hike in everywhere I travel. I planned to hike Split Oak Loop, Lake Loop, Bonnet Pond and Lake Hart. The eponymous Split Oak was a must.
I didn’t grab a brochure from the trailhead kiosk, as I had downloaded a paper map. Luckily, I took a photo of the kiosk map before I headed out. I started hiking Split Oak Loop counter-clockwise. I was immediately faced with my first bit of confusion: Heading south, there was a sandy road to my left, and a wide grassy trail to my right. I went left. I chose … poorly.
My downloaded map had the proper Split Oak Loop route on it — though not to scale, and using numeric, not alphabetic, trail markers. In ½ mile, amidst a hammock, the trail split. Following my map, I went left. To the west, a new development is going in. (A not uncommon occurrence in Florida.) Osceola Parkway will be rammed through the difference. Think the developer told buyers about that? 
At Post L, Split Oak Loop turns sharply to the east, passing through a section of sandhill. At Post K, the Florida Trail splits south, to cross the nascent Osceola Parkway, while Split Oak Loop turns northeast. Intently examining longleaf pine for green blazes, I was unsure which way to go. I also had yet to see a numbered post. I went left. I chose … wisely.
I was surprised how few flowers there were: It’s Florida! They get rain!
It was getting quite warm by 9:00 a.m., and there was little shade amongst the pine flatwoods as I approached Sawgrass Pond, at Post J. The view has become blocked by vegetation since an Eagle Scout built the deck in 2019. A quarter mile later, Split Oak Loop got really confusing.
Post I is a four-way intersection. Still looking for any green blaze, I saw a yellow blaze to the left. I tried left. I tried right. I ended up going straight. In all, my confusion ended up adding two miles to what should have been a six mile hike.
The deep, mushy, white sand that comprises two-thirds of the loop is drudgery. I used the firmer edges. Good thing I brought two bottles of water. Considering the heat, I thought about cutting it short when I reached Center Trail at Post H, but I really wanted to see Split Oak!
Luckily, the next mile of Split Oak Loop had decent shade.
By the time I reached Post G, I was using my photo of the kiosk map to navigate. Post G is where the orange-blazed Florida Trail splits north from Split Oak Loop, which turns west. The first blue blaze for Lake Loop is at Post F. Split Oak is 200 ft. is straight up the middle of the “wedge” between the yellow/orange blazes and the blue blaze. Mission accomplished! 
Lake Loop was thankfully also shaded. The Bonnet Pond observation deck was closed, so I walked out to the edge of the mud flat. The Lake Hart Spur has a sign, but no letter post. The trail is a marshy 200 yds. to Lake Hart, which had water. I would have given my do-rag a cooling dip in the lake, but it was protected by 50 yds. of mud. I rejoined Split Oak Loop at Post D.
From Post C to Post B, Split Oak Loop I was again exposed to the sun. From Post B, it is just a couple minutes west to the trailhead at Post A.
Rumble Video: https://rumble.com/v506bi3-hiking-split ... orida.html
Vimeo Video: https://vimeo.com/954817047 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Tarflower, coastal plain dawnflower, Atlantic / roundpod St. Johnswort, Maryland meadowbeauty, yellow milkwort, rose rush, salt-marsh pink, and fourpetal St. Johnswort. Also spotted what I believe were dense-spike blackroot and sand holly. |
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| http://prestonm.com : Everyone's enjoyment of the outdoors is different and should be equally honored. |
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