I’ve really been itching to get out again and with the weather so beautiful today I decided to throw the new trekking poles in the truck and headed out to the Willie Brown Trail at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. This is one of my favorite trails in town. It has some very nice scenery along the marsh, various wildlife, and some nice ups and downs.
The Willie Brown Trail is part of the Theodore Roosevelt Area or the Preserve. The property was owned by Willie and remains of his cabin along with a family cemetery are still present. It was presented as a gift to the National Park Service in 1990.
I’ve hiked these trails numerous times but I’ve always followed the same route. Today I decided to go in the reverse direction and I’m glad I did. It’s amazing how different things look when you go the other way. It’s moments like this that you realize that whether on the trail or going about your daily life there’s always another perspective. If we take the time to turn around and go the other way once in a while there’s no telling what new things we may encounter or what new scenes might fill our eyes.
I got to try out my new Black Diamond Trail Shock trekking poles today. I really felt like a got a much better workout and once I got into a rhythm it was smooth sailing. Walking against my normal path the climbs and gentle descents were totally different. The poles certainly helped going both up and down and my knee didn’t bother me at all.
I took the time to look at things through this different view and stumbled upon some things I don’t recall seeing before. I think sometimes we go through life with blinders on and completely miss everything around us.
At points along the marsh the soft ground gives way to long dead oyster beds. The broken shells crack and snap under your foot and as you follow the trail further down the oyster path you find a very nice observation platform. The deck gives a wonderful view of the surrounding marsh allowing you the opportunity to watch the various birds hunting for their prey. When the tide is right the ground seems to move as the many fiddler crabs scurry out of your way. If you look closely you may see an armadillo rooting for insects.
The day couldn’t have been much more beautiful. The sights and sounds along the trail will stay with me…at least for a bit. I know that soon enough I’ll need to feel the dirt under my feet again. For now, though, I’ll enjoy the time I had and look forward to the next.
