Section Hikes of 2016: The Florida Trail

My travels found me in the Orlando area for much of November and December. My folks needed some help with the drive from Kentucky to the resort area around Disney to utilize their time share points, and I volunteered. But I would go crazy if I did not get away from that situation for a bit.

The Florida Trail has been on my radar for a while now, and by nearly all accounts, the most favored section cuts through the Ocala National Forest. I plotted a 100-mile hike whereby I could end at the Amtrak station in Palatka. From there, I could make my way back to Disney without asking anyone to come pick me up.

Tuesday, November 15th:

After dropping my sister off at the Sanford airport for her early flight home, I was dropped off nearby at the Bear Pond trail head in Heathrow. I was on the trail by shortly after daybreak and was set up for a lot of miles right out of the gate on Day 1.

Full moon setting over Bear Pond

Thanks Mom and Dad!

I was able to knock out close to 20 miles on the first day, all the way through the Seminole State Forest section. The day featured lunch at Black Water Creek, a quick visit with a crew of trail maintenance volunteers, a good bit of road and highway walking, and a long stretch without a good water source. Early in the evening, I finally found a spigot next to a maintenance shed at the La-no-che boy scout camp. I dumped out the filthy water I'd collected from a canal a few miles back and watered up for the night. I pitched my tent just as the sun was setting about 5:30. I was too worn out to eat after hiking that far. I opted for a nap before supper, but I didn't wake up until after midnight with the bright full moon beaming down.

More than a handful

Wednesday, November 16th:

I had a quick midnight snack and then slept straight through until 8:00 a.m. That's about 14 hours of sleep, quality sleep, too. Even though there are no mountains, 20 miles on the first day of any hike is a bit much for me. With a later start, this day would be much more manageable.

Good morning, tree!

Pretty early in the day, I entered the Ocala National Forest. I stopped for a long break at a small spring, and decided to stay at the campground at Alexander Springs, about 12 miles for the day. After a nice dip in the spring fed lake, I fixed a hearty supper of tuna and potatoes.

Thursday, November 17th:

I took advantage of the shower house at the campground, but I couldn't get the water to heat up, and the morning temps were chilly, in the 40's I would guess.

Day 3 on the trail featured a lunch break next to Farles Lake and a trek through Farles Prairie. It's gun season in Florida this week, and I have my orange shirt on. This was the first day I came upon hunters, and it did make me a bit nervous as a hiker passing through. After about 14 miles, I set up camp along an overgrown dirt/sand road.

Farles Prairie

Friday, November 18th:

It's a bit strange that Florida has a population of 20 million, plus 5 or 10 million tourists on any given day, and I saw only a few of them all week. Today, I would get an early start and hang out at the Juniper Springs Recreation Area for a few hours.

The park staff at the front gate let me use a couple outlets to charge my devices, and off I went to explore. The store was open, and I gorged on microwave cheeseburgers and ice cream. The swimming area was beautiful, but only a few guests. I learned that a wild fire had closed the highway leading to the park, so only the folks staying in the adjacent campground would be around. Also, I learned about a mother bear and three little cubs that had been hanging around the area. While I was checking out the canoe launch dock, one of the cubs climbed out of the water and checked me out. I cursed my luck that my phone camera was on the charger, but it was cool to see.

Juniper Springs

I hiked on after lunch and quickly made my destination, Hidden Pond. There was one other camper, and we chatted a bit. I was entertained by a pair of sandhill cranes and I nearly stepped on a pygmy rattlesnake. I set up my tent overlooking the prairie, but I didn't even use it because it seemed like a nice night for cowboy camping in the moonlight. A pack of coyotes sang to me later that night.

Silly cranes

Saturday, November 19th:

Once I got moving, I made good time, other than an unfruitful side trip down a trail where I thought there was a sinkhole where I would water up. It wasn't there. An hour later, I reached said sinkhole.

There is a nice campground at the south end of the Hopkins Prairie where I took a long lunch break. The day turned uncomfortably warm, too warm to hike along an open prairie, but that was the agenda. The trail skirts by the eastern edge of the prairie, which floods frequently in the spring and summer, but is bone-dry this time of year.

I finally reentered the forest and stopped after a 15-mile day. Again, I decided to cowboy camp under the moon and stars. A cold front moved through late that night, with some wind and a few clouds. Then clear skies returned, and the temperature plummeted.

Sunday, November 20th:

I'm pretty sure it was in the 30's, but I cowboy camped anyway. Once the sun came up and the hiking started, I warmed up quickly. There is a place called the 88 Store, a pretty famous stopover among Florida Trail hikers, and I arrived late in the morning. I had read great things about this place and its proprietors. They were preparing to host a birthday party later in the day. Deer hunters from the local area popped in frequently, and it seems they could keep their kills in a cooler outside for a fee, not sure. There was a lot of hunting permit type business going on, and I didn't care enough to ask anyone. The food options were basically microwave sandwiches and candy bars, not what I was hoping for. Anyway, the place was way more of a dump than I expected, even by thru-hiker standards, and I didn't get a warm and fuzzy welcome vibe. So I stayed to myself mostly while taking advantage of the internet and following NFL games on my phone. I left around 4:00 to camp somewhere a few miles up the trail.

My plan was to check out Grassy Pond for possible camping. I took a side trail down to a nice grassy area by the pond, but a man and woman were getting it on there, so I decided to take advantage of the remaining daylight to push further along. Because of the long stop at the store, I put in only about eight miles total for the day.

Monday, November 21st:

I noticed a pain in my middle toe over the previous couple days. The pain is manageable if I scrunch my toes into kind of a fist, but this would not be a great solution if this were a much longer hike. I guess I strained a tendon somehow.

The highlights of the day's hike included the completion of the Ocala section at Rodman Reservoir, crossing the dam, and hiking along the canal greenway. There is a canal operator who escorts hikers across, but I arrived after his shift had ended. So I had to camp at a state operated campground next to the lock, which I had completely to myself. About 16 miles today.

Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway

Tuesday, November 22nd:

The lock manager was on duty bright and early, and I chatted with him a bit about the history behind this place (see video link below). Several manatee were frolicking around the upper pool and playfully greeted us.

Hiking outside of the national forest was not as great. Much of the day was spent on muddy logging roads, zig-zagging through mosquito infested wetlands for about eight miles to the highway, Rt. 100. From there, another eight miles along the highway, in the baking sun. At the first gas station I came to, I had a huge soft drink and two corn dogs.

The daily train to Orlando departs before noon, so I decided to pamper myself with a hotel room overlooking the St. Johns River. This concluded my 100 mile hike along the Florida Trail.

One day, perhaps, I'll attempt a thru-hike of the entire 1,100 route. Until then, here is a video from my YouTube channel covering this hike's highlights, the importance of the aquifer, and the history of the ill-fated Cross Florida Canal.