Hand-held pano of one of the beginner trails at Balm Boyette Park. Medium [1024×260]. Large [1600×407]. Huge [2506×637]. Stitched with DoubleTake.
I haven’t been much for posting as of late because I’m working 11.5 hour days. But it’s the good kind of long days, you know, where you’re making progress the whole time. So yay for that.
I did manage to get out on the weekend, though, and went mountain biking with Haley through Balm Boyette Park, about an hour’s drive North and a little East of here. “Mountain biking?” says you, “in Florida?” Yep. I wouldn’t have thought so either had I not seen it myself. The SWAMP Club, www.swampclub.org, has created a nice set of trails through forested and saw-palm land. From their webpage:
Boyette Park is situated on 4,900 acres of upland scrub, located just south of Brandon. About a dozen lakes populate rolling grasslands at the far eastern end of the property, with the remainder being heavily covered with scrub-oak and pine.
On the east side of Boyette Road are 12 miles of beginner’s level two-track circling the dozen or so lakes. Several intermediate level single-track loops branch off this main two-track. These loops are cut through the woods and along the lakes, and consists of moderately strenuous, more technically difficult trails. There are some open sections where a rider can gain speed, but for the most part, the trail is tight, twisty and tough. Oh yeah, it’s also great fun.
And that it was. Advice to potential trailgoers: bring lots of water. It’s freaking hot out there.
