Seeing the River Rise

Sunday March 31, 2013
Site 28, O’Leno State Park
High Springs, Florida

 

Remember the river sink with all the green duckweed?

 

*if you missed it, click HERE to read that post

 

I want to hike over to River Rise today and meet back up with all the water that sank.  A sort of pilgrimage. But I can’t get any solid information about how far it is.   The written information says that the river rises 3 miles away from the sink.  No problem.   The ranger on duty says it is a 6 mile hike one way.  We probably aren’t up for that.  How can it be double the distance?  We can’t find any printed information about the length of any of the trails at O’Leno.  One of the problems at this park is lack of information and lack of friendly helpful rangers.  This is the first park I’ve come to where it’s like they don’t want you to do anything or bother them.

 

So we go up to the ranger check in and bother them again asking how else we can see River Rise.  We can drive we are told but we’ll need the gate code because it is kept locked.   There is no ranger presence there at all.  OK.  We get the gate code.  But are then told that unless we have a truck or a 4 wheel drive, we should walk in 2 miles down the road.  OK.

 

We are not organized religion or church going people but we are spiritual people and on this Easter Sunday we drive down the road, pull up to the gate, unlock it and drive a little way down what seems like a fine sandy road.  We leave Ruby at the “horse trailer” parking lot. 

 

 

 

 

This map of the Santa Fe River shows its source lake in the lower right and if you follow the river you can see it end and then start up again within O’Leno/River rise Park as it flows in its way to the Suwannee.

 

We set out on foot over a sandy road that Ruby could definitely have driven.  But that’s OK too since we originally wanted to hike here anyway.   There are no other cars parked in the lot.  It’s possible we are the only ones here.  Cool!!

The birds are singing.  It’s a beautiful morning and we don’t see another soul except this beautiful coral snake who scurries away before I can get more than this little shot of him.  Hope you can spy him.  He was beautiful.  I’m so sorry I frightened him.

    

 

We arrive at a horse tie up spot at the end of the road and then at River Rise which is just exquisite.   I’ve been in other beautiful natural places but few so pristine, so ancient feeling.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

We spend a lot of time just sitting and being at River Rise.  You can see the spring like movement of the water coming up and then flowing gently and broadly down to the Suwannee 35 miles away.

 

  

We take a path that goes off to the right along the bank.  All the banks including the shore where you could walk into the water are all totally natural.  The only evidence of human activity here is the water height measuring stick which says 3.2 feet.

 

 

 

 

The path dies and rather than walk through the grass we return to the shore of the rise and walk down the other side of the river.  

 

 

 

 

Here we find the BIG TREES.   Amazingly big trees.   This area has been under some mighty fine caretaking for a long time.  How wonderful!

 

This is the biggest shagbark hickory either of us has ever seen.

 

  No wonder this red bellied woodpecker likes it.

     

 

 

 

 

 

It is wonderful being here all alone with such beauty and serenity.  This area is a Cathedral for me.

 

 

 

 

 

NO CAMPING signs are everywhere.   I could spend hours here.  Would that be camping?   Next time I’ll bring my backpack chair and stay all day.  But for today,  it’s time to start back.  

As we reach the beginning of the path out, the first other person of the day appears.  I think we definitely surprise each other.  We are all being very quiet in honor of the holiness of this place, he entering and we leaving.

 

 

As we walk through the horse hitching area, off to the right, I see yet another answer to the question of “how far is it to hike from O’Leno to River Rise”? 

 

 

 

 

If this one is the truth then next time, I’m walking all the way in.  It will be more like a pilgrimage to walk 9 miles through the forest with River Rise as the goal in the middle.

 

 

 

 

Part way back the sandy road we come upon more folks visiting River Rise.  They look like they are enjoying themselves on this beautiful Easter Sunday.  But I’m glad we were here early and before they arrived.  It is a very powerful experience having this place all to ourselves.   The quiet added a great deal to the majesty.

 

 

 

To complete the circle of the day, the coral snake as we came and this little rough green snake hooks our attention as we leave.  He wouldn’t show his face but he sure is cute.   It has been a magnificent day at River Rise.

 

 

THE END