Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail – Page 4

November 18, 2009November 19, 2009

Lake O Adventure “Challenging”

This weekend was the 115-(more or less)-mile bike ride around Florida’s Lake Okeechobee.

Billed the Lake O Challenge by the Florida Off-Road Cycling Enthusiasts and supported by Tom Rassiga of the Bicyclery, the ride started in Clewiston, stayed overnight in Okeechobee and ended up back in Clewiston.

Here’s a video of the two-day ride

About two dozen riders took the challenge

The riders left the Corps of Engineers parking lot at Clewiston shortly after 9 AM, and made their way to the paved section of the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) that leads to the Moore Haven locks where Tom Rassiga and his yellow Bicyclery bus was waiting.

Except for a slight crosswind, the trip started smoothly. One rider mentioned seeing a couple of gators along the rim canal.

Armies and cyclists travel on their stomachs

Even though they’d only been on the road about an hour-and-a-half, the cyclists took full advantage of the food and drinks waiting for them.

For the record, there are clean restrooms at the Moore Haven trailhead. Facilities on the LOST are few and far between (read non-existent), so it’s good to note when you find some.

Mountain bikes were recommended

Tom said that they ride would be more comfortable on a wide, low pressure tire and that it would be rideable on a touring bike like my Surly Long Haul Trucker, but that a mountain bike would be more suitable.

The video above covers some of the challenges experienced by the riders on the first unpaved leg of the ride between Moore Haven and Fisheating Creek. Not only did they have the expected rocks and grass, but the authorities had been grinding up trees and brush into mulch that drifted onto what passed for a trail.

You have to understand that a lot of these folks are members of the Florida Off-Road Cycling Enthusiasts (FORCE). What we road riders consider a barrier is merely a challenge to these folks.

I skipped the first unpaved leg

I don’t have pictures of that section because I opted to go directly to the Fisheating Creek rest stop. I learned a long time ago that I can either do an activity or I can COVER an activity. I figured I’d get a taste of the dike later. You’ll see a video of that in a couple of days after I’ve stopped vibrating. The video looks like it had been shot on the inside of a popcorn popper.

The group was glad to see the shaded rest stop

Apparently the non-native trees that used to provide shade had been cut down. Fortunately, Tom carried fold-up shade with him. Some of the riders needed his repair skills to take care of bikes that had been knocked out of adjustment by debris that had blown up on the trail.

Where are the stragglers?

Tom and his daughter, Kailyn, climbed the observation tower at the Pier II Resort to see if they could spot the stragglers at the end of the day. They made it in just before a search party went out to look for them.

That was something I noticed about this group of riders. Some of them had ridden together before and others were newbies like me, but everyone went out of their way to be friendly and helpful.

Time to relax before heading out to dinner

Most of the group stayed at the Pier II resort, but I waited too long to make reservations and it was booked solid by the time I called.

I fell back on the Scottish Inns a couple of miles away. The room was about $20 cheaper and was perfectly adequate for a biker night.

Okeechobee Golden Corral for dinner

After some discussion, the bulk of riders ended up at the Golden Corral in Okeechobee. Most of us were interested in fast food and lots of it. I’ve never had a bad experience at this particular Golden Corral, so I was less surprised than some at the quality of the food.

Chris and Kailyn were pleased with their meals

I didn’t have any problem falling asleep, and I only rode a shade over 16 miles.

One of the best things about this ride is that it doesn’t start until 9 AM.

I’ve never liked rides that expect you to roll out at 6 AM, which means you have to be up at 3 AM.

The LOST had some snags

The original plan called for riding from Taylor Creek to Port Mayaca on the dike, hopping on the road to Pahokee to avoid construction and then continuing on the dike to the finish in Clewiston.

Some folks who were riding the lake counterclockwise told me the night before that construction had the trail shut down north of the Torry Island trailhead, so we would have to stay on the road a few miles longer than anticipated.

No checking for gators at Nubbins Slough

I had told the riders that one of the best places to spot big gators is at Nubbins Slough, where I had seen as many as 25, many in the 8 to 10-foot range, on some days.

I stopped to see if there were any around and saw only one hanging around. It didn’t make any difference. These folks could smell home and didn’t waste any time blasting by me.

Rest stop at Chancy Bay

Tom set up the yellow bus at Chancy Bay (also known for J&S Fish Camp) and it wasn’t long until the first riders came bombing down the dike to the parking lot.

Here’s another way you can tell it’s an off-road group. They go off road every opportunity they can.

Chris, obviously, likes beer as well as he likes ice cream.

Last rest stop was at South Bay

The last chance for riders to take on food and water before the final 16-mile run to Clewiston was at the boat ramp in South Bay.

As soon as they made the turn west at the bottom of the lake, the nice quartering tailwind they had for most of the day turned into a head wind.

Since you are perched 25 or 30 feet up in the air with nothing around you to block the wind, that can be a real killer.

Fortunately, the winds were light, probably in the 5 to 7-mph range, with gusts only slightly higher. Of course, that’s easy for me to say. I was in my van.

Then we were back in Clewiston, and it was over

Before long, everyone had their luggage sorted out, their bikes racked on their vehicles and they were sitting around, pigging out on chicken, subs, left0ver fruit and some beverages in brown bottles.

Even though everyone was ready to go home, you could tell that they wanted the experience to go on just a little bit longer.

Lynn and Pam look at pictures

Tom’s wife, Lynn, and Pam Karagoz pull out a camera and look at pictures of the ride.

Our parking lot was directly west of a cemetery where a burial service was being held several hundred yards away.

I thought back over the weekend and how much fun it had been and realized that you have to take advantage of times like these while you can.

The guys gravitate to magazine centerfolds

Boys will be boys. Per, Andrew and Chuck relaxed by ogling a magazine centerfold spread.

In a biking magazine.

I told you they were off-road cyclists.

November 13, 2009

Big “O” Set for Nov. 14-15 on the LOST

The Florida Off Road Cycling Enthusiasts – FORCE – are scheduling a Big “O” group ride around the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15.

The ride will leave at 9 A.M. from the Clewiston Army Corps of Engineers on the north side of U.S. 27 as you come into Clewiston. There is safe parking there.

View The Big “O” Ride Nov. 14-14. 2009 in a larger map

The whole ride is about 115 miles, done over two days. The first day, which is on the mostly unpaved west side of Lake Okeechobee, will cover 50 miles. Sunday’s ride will be paved, with a short stretch on a roadway that has adequate shoulders.

Rest stops about every 15 to 20 miles.

The group has made arrangements for a special FORCE rate with the Pier II Resort at the north end of the lake. Call 1-800-874-3744 to reserve your $69.99 double. Mention the Big O Levee Challenge to get the price break.

Wide tires needed

The west side of the lake is unpaved, so you will need a bike with at least 32mm wide tires. If you plan to ride on a high-pressure, narrow-tired road bike, you may want to drop down off the dike onto Highway 78. It’s a low-traffic, wide-shouldered highway.

You can see that route here.

For more information, stop by the Bicyclery on Military Trail south of Okeechobee Road and ask for Tom Rassiga. OR, you can watch him on this video.

October 1, 2009January 23, 2012

Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) Map

Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) is one of my favorite places to ride. Here’s an unofficial map I put together to show which parts are paved, which parts require you to go on surface roads, trail heads and access points, and a few places to eat.

I plan to do a much more comprehensive piece on the LOST, but I’ve had enough recent requests for information that I thought I’d put this up as a stop-gap.

Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST)

View Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail in a larger map

I encourage you to click on the link to a larger map. It’s easier to see in a new window.

Blue = LOST; Red = Roads

The blue lines represent the paved portion of the trail. The red lines show where you have to exit the LOST and get on public highways.

The roads are good riding

If you are reasonably comfortable riding in traffic, then you should have no problems with the roads around Lake Okeechobee.

78, on the west side of the Lake has wide shoulders and light (but fast) traffic. The rural drivers are friendly and almost always pull over into the other lane to pass, even when I’ve been on the shoulder.
441 on the east side of the lake has been recently repaved. The shoulders aren’t as wide as 78, but they’re fine. I’ve ridden it when it was under construction and the shoulders were broken up and survived.
The short jog around the Taylor Creek Lock on the north side isn’t a problem if you time your bridge crossing to miss the few short bursts of traffic that come along. Take the lane when crossing the bridge. If you are west bound, plan to move to the left side of the lane as soon as you cross the bridge so you can make a left turn to get back on the dike. The stretch between the dike and the road on the east side of Taylor Creek is shell rock. It’s usually packed pretty solid, but you can hit some soft spots. Be careful if you have narrow tires.

You are isolated on the LOST

Once you’re up on the dike, you may have to ride seven or more miles to get to an access point because you have the lake on one side and the rim canal on the other.

There are no restrooms on the dike, no food, no services, so be prepared. There ARE primitive camp sites around. Before the authorities cut all the non-native trees and bushes, the campsites were relatively hidden. Now they are wide open.

What all all those blue markers?

I’ve tried to mark all the trail heads and access points I can remember. Some of them may not allow a motorized vehicle to pull in, but they are places where you could reach a road on your bike.

Don’t count on anyone recognizing the names I’ve given those access points. They are just what I call them, usually based on some geographical feature.

Places to eat

I’ve also marked a few places around the north and east side of the lake to eat. I highly recommend The Office bar at Nubbins Slough, Gizmo’s Pizza & Subs at Taylor Creek and the Golden Corral’s all-you-can eat buffet in Okeechobee. [Note Gizmo’s is no longer in business. I hated to see them close.]

I also mark the Scottish Inns in Okeechobee as an inexpensive, clean place to stay. Don’t expect a chocolate on your pillow, but the folks running it are nice and I’ve had a decent night’s sleep there. It’s not a place to park your spouse for the day while you’re out riding, though. The rooms are tiny by today’s standards.

Be careful out there

My riding partner, Mary, and I used to ride without helmets on the LOST because we thought we were more likely to have heat stroke than head injuries on a trail with no motorized vehicles and no obstructions to run into. Mary, for no apparent reason, crashed her bike about a mile north of the Chancey lock and wound up with five skull fractures. Help is a long way away when your partner is unconscious on the ground with head trauma.

Things to bring

Food and water
Sunscreen (there is no shade)
Bug repellant, especially for riding around dusk. Glasses or some form of eye cover keeps flying insects out of your eyes. Some evenings the gnats and other bugs are so thick I pull a bandanna over my nose and mouth to cut down on the amount of protein I ingest.
An awareness of the weather. You’re the highest object around for scores of miles. Heat lightning in the distance makes for a great light show, but you want to get off the dike if it starts moving in.
A camera. I’ve seen something interesting every time I’ve ridden the LOST.
Good sense. Do NOT pet the alligators.

September 2, 2009September 2, 2009

International Vulture Day Sept. 5

Vulture in sky near Pahokee on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail

Sometime riding partner and former coworker George Primm sent me a message this morning:

Saturday is “International Vulture Awareness Day.”

Take a lawyer or politician to lunch….

(My apologies to vultures. As nature’s recyclers, least THEY serve a useful function.)

Vultures seen near Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail

That got me to thinking about how many vultures I’ve seen on or around the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST).

The single ones playing around in the thermals never worried me much. They provide an interesting diversion while I’m cranking along.

I AM a little more concerned I pass ones like this. I don’t like the way they’re eying me.

Mommy, make them stop looking at me

Vultures in tree along SR 76 in Florida Matt and I weren’t too worried about these guys we encountered on our cross-Florida ride. They were full from polishing off a dead deer on the side of the road.

International Vulture Awareness Day

This isn’t a joke. There’s actually a web site promoting it. It started out in England and South Africa and has now gone international.

Check out some of the world-wide events planned for the day.

Vultures aren’t cute and cuddly like some of the other birds I see from bikeback, but just think where we’d be without nature’s garbage collectors.

Somebody has to clean up all those slow-moving armadillos, possums and other roadkill.

Vultures along Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail

Support your neighborhood vulture

So, the next time you see a vulture on the side of the road, give him a nod of thanks. And keep moving. They eat dead stuff.

Tim O’Meilia won’t miss International Vulture Awareness Day

Tim O’Meilia was a general assignment reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Every year, the vultures would arrive in Palm Beach County for The Season.

We locals were used to it, so we weren’t concerned when the skies over us were covered with circling carrion crunchers. Snowbirds and tourists weren’t quite so sanguine. They would be concerned that Bernie Madoff or someone like him had come to pick their bones clean literally as well as financially.

Eventually, some editor would pull his eye off the gazillion TV sets hanging from the ceiling and actually look out the window at the Real World. That’s when you’d hear, “TIM!!!” on the editor bellowcom.

The corpse is already picked pretty clean

See, Tim was the poor guy who had to write The Vulture Story each and every year that I can remember. To his credit, he managed to find a fresh peg every story. We old-timers would have understood if he had put his old stuff on a five-year cycle, but, no, it was always something new.

At one time we started a pool to pick how many years it would be before Tim would grab a shotgun and start blasting away at either editors or vultures. (My money and preference were on editors. See lawyer joke above.)

Fortunately for both the editors and the vultures, Tim was one of The Post 300 who left the newspaper a year ago.

I wonder who’ll get drafted for The Vulture Story this year. With the state of newspapers these days, the circling vultures may actually know something. Unfortunately for them, they’ll find the corpse has been pretty much picked clean already.

July 8, 2009

Full Moon Came and Went

I sort of let this month’s Full Moon slip past me. I noticed it was pretty big on the Third of July, but I figured everybody had plans for the weekend and I let it go.

Now I’m kicking myself

Hilary Carmichael, my former chief lab technician posted the picture above to her Facebook profile, along with some others of the spectacular sunset that night and some more ohhh and ahhhh fireworks shots.

That got me to recalling that I HAD ridden the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail one Fourth of July night. From high atop the dike, you could see fireworks from all around the lake.

Next year, Full Moon or not, I’m headed out to get LOST on the 4th.

[Hilary, you may recall, was the only one on the staff who got an actual snow picture when it snowed in West Palm Beach in 1977. (I could use some of that ice I photographed on the backyard birdbath back in February.)]