So, I went back to Princess Place. It is one of my favorite haunts in this area, and what better day to visit than on the Solstice. I was lucky to catch the massive hickories in the park turning bright yellow, gleaming in the low angle light of the new winter sun.

I parked the Kia at the Hominy Branch Trailhead, curious to see if any changes had occurred since the recent trail closure. No… things were pretty much the same. The portion of the trail on the top of the ridge is closed due to “resource management” or some such thing. Sounds like an excuse to cut some timber…

I investigated a little further and found this sign in case anyone had missed the trail closed sign earlier… I had to pick it up and replace it on the stand as the recent storm had knocked the sign to the ground.

For some reason, the first portion of the Hominy Branch Trail awakens deep memories within. The combination of towering live oaks and hickories brings back memories of times spent in woods as a druid a very long time ago… over 2,000 years ago if I recollect correctly. Anyway, being amidst large towering trees brings me quiet joy. Seeing the hickories in their late autumn glory just added to the moment.

Eagerly I soaked in the ambiance, enjoying the colors and textures of the Solstice woods, with the fluttering leaves aloft, and crunchy drying leaves underfoot. There was a slight chill to the air, a perfect day for a short hike.

The Hominy Branch Trail (what’s left of it) wanders up a slight slope passing beneath spindly sand live oaks, Turkey oak, and towering longleaf pines. Eventually, the trail reaches a T-intersection, where the trail divides. To the left, the trail is now closed. So, I proceeded to the right and joined the red equestrian trail a short ways down slope.

The equestrian trail had some damage on a creek crossing, indicating the impact of the excessive rain of this past year. These trails are wide enough for a truck, but this particular one will require some rebuilding before it is safe to drive a heavy vehicle over the culvert. I didn’t have any problem. A red bay tree was also down over the trail a few feet away. Besides some deeper puddles elsewhere, some short branches on the trails, there was little other indication of the storm we had recently.

This short loop with the equestrian trail drops one back at the trailhead parking lot for Hominy Branch Trail. I wasn’t finished hiking for the day, so I started down the road and tackled a chunk of the old Hominy Branch/equestrian trail combo. 

This portion of trail parallels the park’s access road for a while. Then, you have the option of crossing the road and proceeding on the equestrian (Red) trail or following the Hominy Branch Trail until it reaches the covered bridge. Today, I chose to follow the Red Trail.

The Red Trail points to the right, but I wanted to just follow the left hand branch… so I did. The trail passes through the group camping ground (by permit only). Then, you wiggle past a gated muddy road marked “Authorized Vehicles Only”. Knowing the trail, I went on and connected with the Red Trail as marked.

Soon I reached my favorite bench (in this area) and took a short break, looking over at the pond with its healthy fringe of young longleaf pines and scrub.

The white on the trail is sand, although it might look like snow. The ground was covered with crispy oak and hickory leaves, dried pinecones, and pine needles creating an earthy fragrant carpet.

I continued on the red trail until encountering a huge series of puddles. Although I had nice boots on, I didn’t feel like getting them all muddy, so I chose to retrace my steps back to the car. 

This wasn’t the only puddle I had encountered. I had already attempted another route to be scotched by some more standing water. For a reminder, our area received up to 5 inches of rain overnight on Saturday/Sunday. Any low-lying areas still had the potential to have standing water as I found out, which is why I had waited a few days.

While I was contemplating whether or not to cross the puddle, I heard voices. I was already retreating when I noticed some people across the pond moving rather quickly. Curious, I started walking, but kept checking back to see their progress, if the group was going to catch up with me. I was surprised to see this group was riding horses and headed off on another trail than the one I was on. These were the only people I saw on any of the trails. I think this was a guided trail ride, possibly from the nearby Florida Agricultural Center.

Reaching the road access to Hominy Branch Trailhead, I caught sight of the shimmering golden foliage of the hickories gleaming in the sunlight.

With a final admiring glance, I took in the grand sight of the hickory tree leaning over the road and walked up to the car. It was time to take off my new boots… which are breaking in nicely.

Afterword, I took a short driving tour through the park on the loop road, enjoying the mature hammock hardwoods and narrow winding sandy road.

Princess Place will see me, again, some day.

Happy Solstice everyone. In three days, the sun in the northern hemisphere will begin to move north, bringing with its light lengthening days and shortened nights. It is the mark of the turning of the year. 2024 is going to be an interesting year.

Enjoy your holiday season. Peace, abundance, and good health to all.

Eliza

https://sunnysjournal.com

Camera: Nikon Coolpix L830

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