56: The Metadata

Tiger Creek Preserve, Creek Bluffs Trail, Babson Park, Florida

 

L A K E  W A L E S,  F L

Simply put; metadata is data that describes data, or more specific to me today, the data describing the conditions upon arriving at a trailhead.  

Tiger Creek Preserve is now the 56^th Nature Conservancy property I’ve visited over the past decade.  Through the many differing experiences I’ve had at this multitude of properties, one thing has become clear: the metadata really matters.  If that metadata contains descriptive words like wet, crowded, mosquito-infested, or icy, the experience can be dramatically flattened.  But today at Tiger Creek, the metadata contained these lovely words: nearly-vacant, mid-70’s, slight breeze, and brightly lit.  Perfect metadata.

Two million years ago, the coasts on each side of Florida’s peninsula were much closer – a mere eight miles separated the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.  The peninsula was nothing more than a thin island running north to south for 150 miles.  When the waters receded, the peninsula widened into the shape we know today.  Running down the middle is the state’s highest elevation, known now as the Lake Wales Ridge.  This sandy ridge is home to a seemingly endless number of orange orchards, cattle ranches, and wide open spaces.  Along that ridge are also two very important conservation efforts – the very aim of my roaming activities over the next few days. 

Tiger Creek Preserve is a critical link in a network of properties designed to protect what is left of the ridge’s ecosystem which is a national hotspot of biological diversity.  The preserve’s sandy soil also serves a critical role in water recharge.  The namesake creek gets its water from the surrounding uplands; the brown stained water comes from the leaching of tannins from falling vegetation. Only a few other such streams exist in Florida.

Recently, TNC opened a new section of trail on the east side of this nearly 5,000 acre preserve off Walk-in-Water Road in Babson Park.  I arrive at sunrise and after just a few moments of trail time, it’s clear that the Creek Bluff Trail is a special place.  The sand slows your pace, but so too do the abundance of sights, sounds, and smells – all of which I’m already stopping frequently to absorb. 

When I hit creek’s edge, the gently flowing, clear, yet stained waters are mesmerizing.  I spot a bass fighting the current, and a gaggle of surface water bugs slowly making progress upstream over the fifteen minutes I stand motionless watching the flow.  It’s the first of many deeply peaceful moments I’ll experience here. 

The trail wends under the riparian canopy; up and over undulations as it loosely follows the creek.  Some of the overlooks are simply remarkable revealing pristine tropical bends in the creek.  After a time, the trail turns away from the creek and into a Longleaf pine savanna.  Even in full sun though, the metadata is still kind.  The mid-70s, slight breeze, and complete solitude make for about as pleasant a walk as there can be. 

Just past a trail intersection I find a meager bench and stop; not so much for a rest but for a chance to linger in a beautiful spot.   The savanna’s undergrowth is a sea of gentle green saw palmettos, prickly pear, and blooming purple lupine.  It’s Easter-basket like; and I’m the egg resting in its center. 

But I’m not alone.  Scrub lizard and green anole are scampering about.  We both are respectful of each other’s presence.  In this spot also are threats – rattlesnakes, anaphylaxis-inducing bees, and perhaps an alligator in the low, wet depressions.  Yet I couldn’t be more at peace.  I’m simply living; not worrying about staying alive.  I’m in one of life’s best moments. 

A lot goes into aligning the right conditions to allow for such peacefulness.  Intense planning and research assuage the threats; extra hours at work leading up to the trip allow for an unencumbered absence; and extra attention to Allison before I go all are part of the progress leading to the unprecedented depth of tranquility found in spots like this.    

Upon my return, I cross the creek and stop again for another fifteen minutes of simply watching the beautiful water flow past.  The light has changed allowing views of other landscapes below the surface.  The gentle trickle is a final soothing memory collected along the Creek Bluff Trail. 

Of the now fifty five preserves I’ve visited this one along with the perfect metadata accompanying it today, has chiseled its way onto my Mount Rushmore.  The peace and beauty found here have pinnacled into an amazing, unmatched experience. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT TNC’S WORK AT TIGER CREEK HERE.