A horse trail at River Rise.
Two curious deer.
I took a solo trip to River Rise State Park which is where the Santa Fe finally emerges from its underground lair. It's a pretty strange thing to see. One moment you have a forest of hardwood and saw palmetto and the next moment you have a big dark slow-moving river.
I found this fire-hollowed stump as I blazed my way to the Santa Fe.
A large group of cup or ear mushrooms, but I can't figure out the species.
I started my journey with a bit of confusion. When I arrived, the park gate was locked. I figured, "Oh, the hell with it, I'm jumping the fence," and jump the fence I did. Then I approached an encampment...and yes, I saw movement. Humans with horses somehow had infiltrated the park and set up a primitive camp with a large stable. They were living in trailers.
A sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) seed pod.
Where the Santa Fe emerges from the ground.
Soon I realized that I was the only non-equestrian at the park, the only biped sans odd-toed ungulate, and I began to feel self-conscious. I felt even more self-conscious when I watched some horse people let themselves into the locked gate with a special secret key. Instead of walking the horse trails I decided to blaze my own trail along the shore of the Santa Fe where the indiginous people wouldn't judge me.
The Santa Fe River, post rise.
I was unable to clearly photographically capture the strange hydrologic events that occur at this park. As I walked along the shore I heard rough water, and lest we forget, rapids are a rarity in Florida. The only rapids that I know of in Florida are about 100 yards worth at Big Shoals on the Suwannee River. What could it be? As mysteriously as the Santa Fe emerges parts of it just disappear. I stood before a branch of the river that abruptly flowed underground and disappeared below a slowly churning whirlpool of duckweed.
The rodent-chewed pelvis of some small woodland creature.
River Rise...River Fall.
The equestrian types that I met were quite pleasant and treated me as an equal (I was just missing a vital part). I'm still not clear if bipeds are really welcome or how you gain access without jumping the damn fence. Maybe after I'm accepted by the people of River Rise I too will be provided a key to the park...
