[at-l] Florida Trail Conference

[RoksnRoots@xxxxxxx (RoksnRoots@xxxxxxx)]

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In a message dated 3/6/2003 9:49:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,
MvPulsts@earthlink.net writes:


>  Anyone headed to the florida trail this spring?


      It's heavenly here right now. My look at the Florida Trail off Tamiami
Trail in Big Cypress Preserve in october saw it under a foot or more of
water. When I walked by where the sign said it cut in off the road I passed
it thinking it was a stream. It wasn't until I walked a 100 yards too far and
backtracked that I realized it was the actual trail! It should be dry by now
because our wetlands finally dried out for dry season. The dryness index is
rising, so the trail should be walkable with fewer bugs. There are sections
that are normally slogs in there, so don't expect to keep your feet dry.

      Right now it is 74 degrees at 10 o'clock after a high of 85*. We are 10
degrees above average and a cut off stationary front will have us in tropical
conditions for 2 weeks. Humidity is summer-like but well below the August
steam blanket...

              The environment around the Florida Trail is somewhat exotic.
The sky is big because of the flat land. There are several dominating varie
ties of trees topped by cypress in monotonous-looking stands. These are
interspersed by grass prairie which harbor wading birds and subtropical grass
hummocks (savannah). It isn't until you view this unvaried green landscape
close up that you realize there are incredible varieties of epiphytic mosses,
air plants (which can grow on telephone lines in mid-air - they feed from the
high humidity and airborne nitrogen), and too many subtropical oddities to
mention. A closer look at some of their leaves shows thick, mexican-type
vegetation made to endure hot sun and a dry season. The real treats are
close-ups of vines and flowers not seen in the north. Hidden deeper into the
swamp lies the Cigar Orchid and its profusion of blossoms shooting out like a
yellow flare. Leaves and trunks that belong more to the tropics than America
can be seen everywhere. What struck me the most was the complete silence and
feeling of wilderness about 75 miles west of congested Miami.