Every year I know there will be a last hike. This year, I combined Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge followed by Green Cay Nature Preserve.

Loxahatchee is a sprawling 160,000 acre wetland in the Northern Everglades with amazing kayak and canoe access as well as levy hiking with spectacular birding opportunities. It is one of my favorite places to watch the sunrise. It is a place where you can find the peace and quiet needed to contemplate the disastrous political climate. Currently, Lox unfortunately is in its own battle for control between the Federal and State Governments. I’m not sure who should win the battle. Normally, I would be fighting for the Federal Government (US Fish and Wildlife Services) control as it affords this unique environment the greatest protections as a National Wildlife Refuge. With the clowns now entering Washington DC with control over the direction of land and wildlife protection, maybe the State (South Florida Water Management District) will better protect this vital watershed of the Everglades. The problem is that Florida State Government had a record second to none in screwing the environment in favor of development and profit. Cross your fingers. It is going to be a bumpy ride.

I started the day about half an hour before sunrise by heading north of the boat ramps in the morning fog. After watching the sun rise over the morning fogs, I hiked about 6 miles through the trails east of the levies that border the largest Cypress Strand in East Florida. Anything west of the levies requires a boat as this is the classic River of Grass in the Northern Everglades. I have yet to run into another human hiking this area so as always, I had the place to myself. There are lots of gators and waders and other sorted critters populating this area. I followed up with a few miles on the Marsh Trails closer to the refuge entrance as I know I will see at least a few Purple Gallinules wading through the grasses and lilies of the wetlands. I was not disappointed.

After exiting Loxahatchee I drove a short distance to Green Cay Nature Preserve. There is something special about this man-made gem in the middle of hard core suburbia in Palm Beach County. Basically, the Florida Water Management District needed to develop a water treatment area and I am happy to say that they did it right. They created a marsh area surrounded by gated communities that is a paradise to wildlife. They cut a few miles of boardwalk into the marsh lands to provide community access to the new park. The result is this strange balance where crowds of often loud and oblivious people are able to get up close and personal with wildlife and the wildlife seems to ignore the presence of the people. I have never seen this strange balance before but do appreciate the honor of getting up close to some of the normally shyest and most bashful marsh residents. As this place can be about as crowded as a Mall the week before Christmas, my limit is about an hour before I run for the parking area and a quick escape.

So, we now exit 2016. We all know that the next few years can potentially destroy world peace, devastate the environment and eliminate recent advances to the cause of equality for the LBGT community. These are just a few of the fears for the future and we all know there are so many more possible calamities that can befall us all.  It is time to choose our battles and clearly there are many battles to choose from. I still cannot understand how this clown was elected. My only current hope for the future is that we survive the next four years and regain our national sanity and “Dump the Trump in 2020”!