Under the fallen leaves, below the murky water of swamp, beneath the pure white sand seen only where plants have been removed, Florida is a block of Swiss cheese, a termite-riddled log. Limestone bedrock has been so dissolved-away by ground water over millennia that it’s a network of branching, twisting caves and cavities. That was book knowledge until today.
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| Santa Fe River |
I rode only 26 miles from Gainesville to High Springs today because I wanted time for hiking into River Rise State Park. The Santa Fe River is wide like the Colorado, big like the Rio Grande, as you see in the picture. Yet all of its water rises from the earth, if I can believe the story. I had to see this!
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| Swamp Cypress |
I hiked through forest of pine, oak, and swamp cypress toward River Rise. Cypress trees have mysterious looking structures that grow up from their roots, a few feet away from the trunk. Known as cypress knees, they have rounded tips. Even after much research, scientists still debate the purpose of cypress knees.
Where the trail had worn down to bare soil, I walked on sand,
fine and white as salt. After a mile or
two, I came to what looks like a lake with a river running away from it. A very strange sight. The upwelling of water was so slow that I scarcely
noticed it rising upward from below. I
did not go upstream, overland, for three miles to where the river drops
underground, but seeing all this water rising from the earth was amazing. Early settlers in this area were looking for
a way to cross the Santa Fe River and after much trekking, found this section
of dry land which utterly solved their problem.
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| River Rise |
Go to http://goo.gl/maps/e2fS5 for an interactive map showing the places I have slept and intend to sleep. Thanks to Michael Angerman for preparing and updating this map. He plans to keep it current, based on information he gleans here on the blog.
I love your choice to stay in High Springs, so near the place where the River re-emerges and where you can be inspired by this amazing sight and mysterious feelings of River Rise and cedar knees... both very beautiful and the photo of River Rise is fantastic and an inspiration even from afar. These photos will be wonderful show on our big screen... we will do it often here. I think you will inspire some poets to write and yourself included! I love what Michael is doing,keeping track of you for us. Just what we wished for! Thanks for sharing your adventure, which is already filled with wonder.
ReplyDeleteIt may be the southern entry to the underworld, guarded by ancient statuary of river gods (the cypress knees). Not my idea, but by email another thought of it.
DeleteSharon,
ReplyDeleteThe photo of River Rise is stunning. I'll share this on my FB post. Cypress Knees are interesting, but as you mentioned, I have no idea why they are there. I would say that the natural wonders are like people, some are helpful, others are just there. Smiles.
I said to a cypress today, "If you will tell me why you have knees, I will tell you why I am here before you, alone in a forest, far from home, risking many things just to ask you this."
DeleteHahahahaha! Thank you. Now I feel better that you asked for me, and they
Deletewere quiet like none of our business!
Beautiful picture of the River Rise! Enjoying this journey!
ReplyDeleteA strange and beautiful sight indeed. Water emerging as if from another universe, rising into my living space through some quirk or wormhole in the way things usually work.
DeleteI have cedar knees and I live in Los Angeles. Los
ReplyDeleteLois
DeleteHello, Lois Angeles, my knees creaked today, happens sometimes. Cypress knees creak too, when wood carvers make them into art forms. Are we being carved?
DeleteYes, by Old Man Age :) - Lois
Delete