Osceola NF

Mannlicher

Mannlicher

Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Messages
3,399
Another Florida NF. This one straddles I-10, and extends north to the Georgia Line. The forest is about 200,000 acres, or 315 square miles. Not the largest NF, but one of my favorites.
Flat, hot, wet. Great place to hike and camp. :D
Big Gum Swamp Wilderness area is in the middle of the NF. Almost impassable, unless you know the secret paths. :)
Today it was 92F, with 72% humidity. That sort of heat index gives the term
'enervating' a whole new meaning. The mosquitoes were out in squadrons. Thanks to DEET, I made it out alive.
I hiked the section north of FR 284, and west of FR 335. Open Pine forests, very heavy undercover of Palmetto and bush. In most places, you cannot walk through it. Just too thick.
Long sleeves, long pants here, and the high top snake boots. I was carrying several knives, and my .44 Mag S&W Mountain Gun.
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Big Gopher Tortoise
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What we call a banana spider. This one was about 4 inches across
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Typical view through the Pines. At the far side of this area, is another swamp.
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Mosquitoes are fun when it is hot and humid. They swarm you up here no matter what you have on.

As long as you had fun though :thumbup:
 
That's a nice hike! Looks a lot like the pine flatlands here in SW Fla. See a lot of Gopher Tortoise here, too. I recently had to help relocate several from a site I'm working on. I haven't seen any rattlers on this site, but they are usually around the areas where gophers are found.
 
Re the Spider pic. Thats the little male spider just behind her. I have not seen the boy friend often. Usually she eats him pretty quick.
 
On these woods ventures, I also try to get in a fair bit of 4X4 trail riding. Right now, and at my age, it is just too darn hot and humid to push myself on a 15 mile per day hike.

I do have to confess that I went out less than totally prepared this trip. I forgot my chain saw! That is usually with me, along with a high lift farm jack, shovels, tow straps and chains.

While wallowing along down a flooded logging trail, I came around a corner, with tall bushes brushing the sides of the old 4Runner, and was confronted by a tree down, and blocking the trail.

I used my Wetterlings ax to limb the tree, and then drove over the trunk. It could have been worse, had the trunk been much larger though.
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coaldigger said:
Whats your 4x4 trail rig ?
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1988 Toyota 4Runner. Standard size 15 in tires, Wranglers, no lift kit. Limited Slip rear, 4X4, new 22R EFI engine.
Goes anywhere, gives me good mileage, and has a killer 400 Watt Sterno to listen to my Chopin and Brazilian Jazz.
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John, thats a home made stick. The wood is Ash.

A friend in the cabinet making business lets me have mill ends of Ash, Hickory, Cherry and others if he has it.

I use hand tools and a bench in the garage to do the work.

Sam
 
I used to spend days in that forest when I lived near Jacksonville. I know all the roads on the wesern half of the forest by heart. I love that place.
 
I was in the BS in Florida during the late 60s and early 70s. This was a common destination for us at the time.
 
ratamahatta said:
way to get out there in the heat buddy, I love those tall pines!!!!!
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Yeah, they grow them cut them down and sell them.

Once they were doing a controlled burn out there that got away from them. The flames were easily 100 feet high, and jumping every road at the tree tops. To my amazement they saw me and were going to let me drive through.

I got within 50 yards and the heat coming through the windsheild felt like it wass 300 degrees. I'm sure it was. I backed up and hit a side road.
 
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