Hi,

 

On this list serve I have seen mention of the Oleno to ISSP trail.  Searching allowed me to find the map and a youtube video made by GCC members.  So, using this today we rode it. Thoughts/impressions:

 

-We parked in Oleno in the day parking. We talked to the ranger about our plan and naturally we are not the first to think of this strategy. We did this for the safety of our vehicle. There IS a small parking area with 6 slots at the trail head. These slots are located off 41-441 on SE Sprite Loop. A single car there could well be an easy target for someone. So, by parking deep in Oleno...the entry fee was $5...we got to ride an extra ~2.5 miles in shaded cool forest seeing lots of deer and a gopher tortoise to the trail head.

 

- The trail is scenic, period. It is rolling with lots of easy gradual hills, false flats, open vistas, open pastures, country homes, etc. It parallels 41-441 north for about a mile, then runs west on CR 18 to Ft. White. Heads up in Ft. White or you will miss the signs for the trails, but Ft White is so small, you will figure out where the trail continues west out of town. At that point leaving town you will parallel US 27.  Keep going and you will reach the south entrance of ISSP.

 

-The trail runs up to the 27 bridge. Wait for the cars to clear, the bridge is a narrow two lane...then zip across that ~50 yard distance and on the south side you will see the white posts marking the beginning (or end) of the Suwanee Greenway Trail. That trail runson west to Branford, then a short portion runs north out of Branford about 3 more miles, parallel to US 129, and seems to stop at the intersection of US 129 and CR 248. We did not make it that far so please feel free to update any new sections of this trail or other conditions which would be helpful.

 

-We stopped at the 27 bridge and headed back to Oleno. Round trip to the bridge and back was ~30 miles. To Branford from the 27 bridge would have added ~9 more miles. So, from Oleno to Branford and back will be ~48 miles round trip.

 

- We considered a future trip riding to Branford, spending the night, then riding back to Oleno.  But, there seems to be very little in the way of lodging in Branford, surprise, but too bad. It would be a round trip of 48 miles and I am not sure my wife is ready for that yet.

 

- But riding out and back, then spending a night in the High Springs Country Inn and eating at the Spring Diner on US 41 in High Springs, as we did for our lunch today, could be another good possibility.

 

Anyway, if you have not  ridden this trail, go for it.  It it not really a trail for hammering, too many intersections and cross streets, but you could easily cruise at ~18-20 mph...my wife and I only cruised at ~12-15 mph. It was a real easy ride, being visually open is really a nice mental thing compared to the walled-in ride you experience on GHT. Despite the sun, the openness contributed to breezes so we stayed relatively comfortable rolling along between the hours of ~845 am to ~1100 am.

 

C U on the roads...spin the hills...Bob Howland