This was a great trail. I got to see, and stand in, an actual swamp. You know, like those in the movies with squishy ground and tall trees that jut out of the water. – Complete Trip report on my blog. – Some awesome pictures. – Map of the 19.5 mile loop The trail itself is pretty easy. There is no difficult terrain to traverse, mountains to cross and water is always a short bushwhacking trip away. The highlight is the boardwalks that cut through the swamp and over the water placing you right in middle of it. The stillness gets me every time. Birds sing, cicadas incessantly buzz, and the canopy of the trees regularly knock around in the wind. But the water is perfectly still and the air hardly moves. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment: The way the water reflects the sky and the duckweed mingles with the clouds gets me here. .
Shooting at noon, when the light comes right down through the trees creates some pretty amazing scenes. .
Looking up at the canopy you can see the trees moving. The sound they make when they knock together is an eerie low knock that sounds distant. .
Knowing exactly where the lake starts is not easy. You can walk up to it but the ground gets softer and squishier as you approach it. .
Duckweed carpets much of the lake near the shore. I wonder what role it plays in this ecosystem. .
In the end this trip highlighted why I want a boat to explore this region. The swamps are pretty amazing places!
