Recently, we were contacted by Sandra Friend, who is one of the preeminent authorities on Florida trails and runs www.floridahikes.com, to write up some new trails in Northern Florida for her website.
Beautiful section of restored longleaf pine forest along the Dunn’s Farm Trail
Jennings State Forest just west of Jacksonville was one of these destinations. She had been there years ago and documented the trails that were open then, but two new ones – The Dunn’s Farm Trail and The Pioneer Trail – had been trailblazed since then. We set out on a mini-adventure to get these new trails online.
Starting out on the Pioneer Trail 
The pine and hardwood forest had a lot of diversity 
Girl Hobo hugging one of the huge old loblolly pines 
Vibrant Christmas lichen seemed to be everywhere 
Crystal clear water cascaded down the many ravines to the North Fork Black Creek 
Excellent erosion control all along the sandy trails here 
The North Fork Black Creek is stained nearly black from all the tannins 
Rusty enjoying a beautiful day on trail 
Our trusty 2-person Kelty has served us well
Our job is to research the trails, hike them and document our experience. We provide Sandra with details on the trail, GPS tracking data, directions to the trailhead, photos and more. It’s a very involved process, actually, and takes a lot more time and effort than how we usually approach a trail. But it’s doing something we love to do and would do anyway.
There were fields of deer moss everywhere 
Restored cemetery of the areas early settlers 
False turkey tail 
Mosses covered in live oak and turkey oak leaves 
One of several benches found on the trail 
We always find a new plant we can’t identify
We spent five days at Jennings, doing several day hikes (including ones that Sandra had already done), the short 3.5-mile Dunn’s Farm Trail and a 2-day in-and-out hike on the longer Pioneer Trail. We got to observe a prescribed burn, talk with the head ranger, and meet Dennis Chapman, the volunteer responsible for constructing the Pioneer Trail.
Firebreaks 
Ranger Billy watches over his handiwork 
Saw palmetto burns hot 
They wait until the wind and moisture conditions are just right before setting the fire.
It was a blast! Check out the finished products below.
We are Girl Hobo and Rusty (Ren and Troy), two greys who met on the Appalachian Trail. We started a life together, converted a van to travel and hike across the country, and we like to eat well. Now, we’re sharing what we’re learning on the road, and we’d love you to join us!
Finished watching “ into the wild” a true story about a recent college grad that checks out to bum around an hitch around this country. He locates near my. Denali (McKinley). He spend a lot of time hungry; he has a book of eating wild veggies, not to be a spoiler, he should have paid attention. Written by Jon Kracower, a favorite author; he wrote “into thin air” story of a failed climb to summit my. Everest, 6 died.
We watched and liked that movie too. So sad how naive and unprepared he was.