Spring Hammock Preserve #2

I returned to Spring Hammock Preserve in Longwood on bike to find the boardwalk leading to Lake Jessup had been reopened. The water in the flooded swamp was pretty high, so it was a bit creepy riding on a narrow boardwalk, inches above the duckweed covered water. The whole time, gators were bellowing in the distance, just to add to the experience...

Cypress knees:

This little alligator was on a log about ten feet away from the boardwalk.

Finally, the swamp opened up to a marsh overlooking Lake Jessup:


Spring Hammock is definitely one of my favorite places to go for a bike ride!

Armadillo

I came across this armadillo searching for food in the grass along the Cross Seminole Trail in the Spring Hammock Preserve while going for a bike ride. Armadillos are very weird products of evolution with their furry feet and leathery shells...

Cross Seminole Trail Pedestrian Bridge (Over 17-92)

The Cross Seminole Trail will eventually travel from Sanford to Oviedo (and possibly beyond). On one of the newer sections of the trail, where it crosses 17-92 in the Spring Hammock Preserve, a very curvy pedestrian bridge was constructed. These pictures are from a recent trip that I took across the bridge.











This video starts in Big Tree Park and ends at Soldiers Creek Park. It was taken while parts of the trail were still unpaved, but the bridge was completed.

Spring Hammock Preserve #1

I went for a bike ride through the Spring Hammock Preserve's Environmental Studies Center in Longwood, FL. The first point of interest was the Question Pond.



At one point in time, I remember the Question Pond having a bright coppery blue color. Now it's the same tannic color as the rest of the water in the swamp. I turned off onto one of the smaller trails and did some extreme biking, and then found myself at Soldier's Creek.

The path actually brought me to the creek right by the newest section of the Cross Seminole Trail. The bridge seen here is one of three places that I'm aware of where the trail crosses the Creek.


There were several small offshoots running into Soldier's Creek, creating these mini canyons.

I then returned to the main trail and rode as far as I could. I reached this point where the trail got very narrow, with the overflowing Lake Jessup surrounding me on three sides. It was very creepy, hearing nothing except for the occasional splash in the water and distant alligator bellows.