Pilot Trail

Rose Verbena (Rose Vervain) — Bit of a nothing picture. At the time, though, I’d just finished hiking through a section of dense trees, and the colors in the sudden patch of sunlight really popped.

I’ve taken pictures here before also, but, again, each time the light, the vegetation and the trail are different.

Fire ring by the trail. Look at all the flowers! You might think the trail goes straight on. It doesn’t it runs to the left of the fire ring.

Pilot Trail — I’ve taken pictures here before, but each time the light, the vegetation and the trail are different.

Here’s where I leave the Pilot Trail — Everything has gone green in the last few weeks. This is the point where the forest road I take to my ‘Deep Hollow’ campsite joins the Pilot Trail. Neither are that obvious from this viewpoint.

Trailside curiosities: ATV Tracks and a marker sign has been attached to a new tree. +1

Dusk at Hercules Glades Wilderness and some Shenanigans on the trail — On the Pilot (Tower) Trail at Hercules Glades Wilderness. Definitely time to turn on my headlamp. No more pictures, because — darkness — but my night hike was not without incident, and you’ll have to read the full post to find out what happened. 10-minute read.

Sunset Glow — On the Pilot (Tower) Trail at Hercules Glades Wilderness. I’m going to have to turn on my headlamp soon.

Sunset on the trail — Five minutes into my hike and the sun has almost dropped below the horizon.

Hercules Glades Wilderness. Pilot Trail, Around a quarter mile east of Lower Pilot Knob. And some end of trip notes. Two-minute read

On the Pilot (Tower) Trail to the north of the Lower Pilot Knob. Cheesy grin indeed. What I didn’t realize then was that in a couple of hundred yards I’d walk straight past the old forest road I take to get to my ‘Deep Hollow’ campsite. I obviously realized my hat was in need of some TLC. It’s looking a whole lot better now. Two-minute read

Distant Hills – The view to the northeast from the Pilot (Tower) Trail, near Lower Pilot Knob.

On The Devil’s Den East (Upper Pilot) Trail – The fall light is wonderful. However, I need a blaze orange cap or a blaze orange hatband, because the low angle of the light makes it impossible to see where I’m going at times. Plus a bonus stereo image version! +1

View to the southeast from the Pilot Trail, and the hike out. One-minute read

Ginger disappearing around a corner on the Pilot (Tower) Trail

Flowering Prickly Pear Cactus. +1

Unexpected ice – there was a lot more ice on the trail than I expected. Hercules Glades – Day One. +1

The gate at the end of the trail – It’s exactly what I imagined, but still a bit of a letdown. No pot of gold or welcoming streamers. I can, at least, say I’ve hiked the entire length of the Pilot (Tower) Trail now. 2 pictures

Fall at the far end of the Pilot Trail – On a whim, I changed my plans and decided to venture into uncharted territory and hike down to the end of the trail. One-minute read, 2 pictures

Gary at the junction of the Pilot and Devil’s Den West Trails – I encountered the second and last person I met during my three-day sojourn at Hercules Glades, here at the junction of the Pilot and Devil’s Den West trails. One-minute read

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