Exploring the Preserve

Brooker Creek Preserve, located in Pinellas County, is an approximately 9800 acre "mixture of cypress and bottomland swamps, freshwater marshes and pine and oak hardwood forests" (SWFWMD).  "Over four miles of hiking trails are accessible from the Environmental Education Center.  Hikers learn about the Preserve on the 1.75-mile self-interpretive Friends Trail, located at the end of nearby Lora Lane.  Also, nine miles of equestrian trails, the Scenic Horse Trail and Exercise Horse Trail, meander through pinelands and open fields [...]."  (BCP)  Currently, the park is open from sunrise at 7am to sunset (time posted) and there is not an entrance fee (so that means you can visit often).

Map from SWFWMD

I was pleasantly surprised when I drove into the park this morning.  The electronic gates opened at 7:01 and I drove the meandering road about a mile (I want to run this 1.85 mile loop the next time I am at the park) back to the parking lot.  It was great to see multiple deer, rabbits,  and wild turkey mere yards into the park.  Who knew such a beautifully preserved piece of land sat so quietly near my home for years?

Overall this park is probably the most "user friendly" park I have ever been to.  All paths and viewing areas are marked from the trail head.  Almost over-marked, it is virtually impossible to get lost.  The trails fit together in one large loop with a few points of intersection.  The disappointing part is that I felt like I was running a loop, like the wilderness did not go on forever.  I knew that in time, I would end up right where I started without any need for exploration.  That can be a great thing when you are looking to run a fast trail run, but these are not the trails to spend hours on.

I appreciate the start and ending points.  These markings help when determining how far you traveled.

A few distances are marked on the Wilderness Trail



Signs reading "Preserve Staff Only" appeared frequently  on the paths.  As much as I wanted to run these clearly off-limit trails, I was good and stuck to the paths intended for park guests.  I can imagine that the restricted  trails are much more extensive (and fun), probably similar to the obscure, overgrown paths I find at J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park.  Even though the Preserve Staff does not want anyone to explore these trails, I am overwhelmingly curious about how far out they go.

Being a future educator and lover of natural sciences, I greatly appreciated the educational plaques on the trail by the Education Center.  The quality of the information and presentation as a whole was impressive.  This would be a wonderful place to take a family or group of children to learn about natural Florida firsthand.

Knowing the size of this park, I thought that there had to be other entrances.  With a bit of research, I learned of the one off of Lora Lane.  Horse trails!  We all know those are my favorite.  I can't wait to get back out to Brooker Creek Preserve and learn the intricacies of the land!

Brooker Creek Preserve

As many times as I have driven down scenic Keystone Road, I had never turned into the nondescript entrance of Brooker Creek Preserve until this morning. It is now summertime and I am determined to get caught up on the parks and preserves in my general area.  Brooker Creek Preserve was number one on my to-do list.

Here are a few preview pictures:

Massaging?

I have had a few set backs with the running recently, but I am still moving in the right direction overall.  The long hours of being on my feet and printing during the summer semester did a number on my hips.  I have started getting my IT band massaged about daily (by an athletic trainer at my school), which seems to be helping.  I have never had anything massaged regularly, so it will be interesting to see if it helps in the long run.  YouTube is full of videos about IT band massaging, but most seem to focus around the knee instead of higher up around the TFL.  These two were helpful to me:

Video 1
Video 2

I am also foam rolling more again.  I admit, I slacked off when my hip started to feel better. 

I was able to get out to J. B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve recently, which did me a lot of good mentally.  After being away at school, I had forgotten the smell of these woods in the early hours of the day.  It was an absolutely beautiful morning, as a fellow runner pointed out when we crossed paths.  "It is beautiful," I replied.  Then I added, "But it is always beautiful here."  That's the truth.

A Few Steps Further

I am really starting to feel like a runner again.  So far this week I have run 21 miles and swam 1.5.  Just a few weeks ago it seemed like I was swimming as far as I ran, and it wasn't much. 

Yesterday, I made it out to Anastasia State Park.  Yes, the beaches are lovely (so much nicer than the stretch lined with hotels and huge buildings past the pier), but I am no longer a beach runner and I am not really complaining.  I would much rather lose myself on some hidden trail, so that is exactly what I did!  I probably only ran just a mile on the trails because I had to run to the park first, but it will hold me over until next time when I can drive out there.






(Photo from Here.)  The trail entrance is just steps into the park on the right hand side.

I wish I had taken my camera with me to show you what the trails are like.  All of the photographs on the park's website are of the beach and not the quarry, one of my favorite parts of the park.  There is some good history relating to that- I will let you explore.

(Photo from Here)

The park is open 8 AM to sundown year round.  They do charge admission, but I'm not sure how much it is because I typically am there without a car, and if I do bring one I park it down the street so I can get some running in around the outside and inside of the park.  These trails are not extensive, so you will have to do some road running if you want to get in a little distance.

Hopefully I will be back to Anastasia State Park in the next few days!

Saturday Scenery

J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park

Seasons

Okay, summer classes have proved to be just as time consuming as ones taken during the fall or spring semesters.  Instead of becoming busy just before midterms, it starts week one.  Fifteen weeks crammed into seven, here we go!  I am taking Printmaking and a 3D design class, in case you were interested.

When I do get the chance to relax, I read.  As of this afternoon, I am two seasons and half way in to Jeff Klinkenberg's Seasons of Real Florida.  Wow.  What a fantastic story teller.  That's all I'm saying concerning content until I finish and write up a real review.

I feel like I have become good friends with Jeff fromreading his essays, after all, he is a fellow Floridian and runner.  Yes, in an essay about Florida caves, he mentions that he bikes, swims, and runs.  I knew that I liked this guy!  I am excited to read into the remaining seasons, but I know that I will be sad to turn the last page.  Good thing Jeff Klinkenberg has recently published another book in the same style: Pilgrim in the Land of Alligators: More Stories about Real Florida.  I can guarantee you I will have read it by the end of summer and longing for more.

Here is a link to Jeff Klinkenberg's website.


I will let you know when I finish Seasons.  Be looking for a review in the next week or so!

The Creek by J. T. Glisson

            Honestly, when I purchased Glisson’s The Creek, I knew little about it.  I was simply eager to learn more about the people and land of Cross Creek.  The general description on the book seller’s website sounded interesting, and judging from the customer reviews, it was a good story.  I bought it along with a few other rural Florida reads.

 

The Creek is a book of memories from the eyes a young boy, written as a grown man, who grew up next door to Mrs. Rawlings.  Readers are told the tale of young J. T. growing up in rural Florida.  Glisson recounts about the day his family moved to Cross Creek (and those pesky Florida mosquitoes), the medical procedures to fix his clubfeet, fishing in the surrounding lakes, the triumph of breaking his own horse, schooling in Hawthorne, attempts to enlist in the military, and how he handled death within his Cross Creek family. 

Along with his stories of everyday life, the reader also follows the lives of the residents of Cross Creek, namely Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.  “Miz Rawlings” lives next door to the Glisson’s.  She frequently picks fights with J. T.’s father and frequently reconciles just in time to argue again.  We learn of Rawlinigs’ driving habits and walking routines, her love of children and unique ways of living life all through the eyes of a young friend. 

Being involved in the arts, some of my favorite parts of the book concerned J. T. and his interest in the arts.  (J. T. became a successful illustrator and created all of the images for The Creek.)  I recognize his struggle with deciding to pursue art as a career, and I could relate to his emotions as he dealt with his father’s reaction.  I loved reading about his excitement over viewing illustrated books, such as the Yearling, and I was ecstatic to read of young J. T.’s meeting of the illustrator when he visited Cross Creek.  How amazing would that be?

I can see myself picking up Glisson’s The Creek again in the future, just as I would any book by Rawlings.  He gives a unique perspective on the Florida town that I have come to love.  I believe that anyone interested in recent Florida history will quickly fall in love and appreciate the sincerity of the stories captured by Glisson.