Christmas was a cold walk in the morning sun. The buff covering my face from the frigid wind looked like a Rorschach test from the condensation in my breath. Merlot, another hiker, mentioned craving eggs and bacon, and I began thinking about it too much. A side effect of hiker hunger, burning more calories than […]
Road Walk to Christmas, Florida
It was Christmas Eve and I’d failed to get a nap in at Hurky Huffman/Bull Creek WMA. I couldn’t fall asleep because I kept watching the traffic on on US 192. The idea was that we’d night hike the road walk into Christmas, and doing it overnight instead of sleeping would mean less traffic. Only […]
Herky Huffman / Bull Creek WMA, Florida
The flooding along the Florida Trail will not drown fire ants. Instead, their colonies emerge from the soil, form a loose ball, and float with the water until they reach a dry area or object they can hungrily crawl up on, and that could very well be your leg if you happen to walk into […]
Three Lakes WMA, Kenansville, Florida
We camped with Morning Wood, who offers assistance to hikers from his van, and who cooked cheeseburgers to lift our spirits. Then it was right back to the swamp and the underwater Florida Trail to hike in rain for most of the day. You hope to setup your tent during a break in the rain, […]
Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida
You are going to get wet. That’s the first rule of the Florida Trail, and something to take to heart, even in a normal year. Not only will you be hiking in water almost every day, but for Central and South Florida, this year’s El Niño is shaping up to be one of the strongest […]
Herbert Hoover Dike to Okeechobee, Florida
We woke up to find a regularly scheduled trash fire burning behind our tents, welcoming the warmth as we packed, and hiked the Herbert Hoover Dike north towards Okeechobee. We’d hiked on and off with Forrest, who was hiking across America with his Gump for President message, suggesting to people that there was something wrong […]
Uncle Joe’s Campground, Moore Haven, Florida
There was a storm coming that had many hikers concerned about spending the night outside. Personally, I was more concerned that I’d finished the last of my water before we broke camp at the STA-5 water management complex. We’d be walking the levee along the canal, where water without agricultural runoff would be scarce if […]
Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, Florida
At Nobles Campsite mosquitoes hung on the tent, waiting for me to emerge. I ate Crunch n Munch for breakfast, hiking through spider webs stretching across the trail, north towards the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. On the first Sunday of every month, Big Cypress New Testament Baptist Church offers a free meal for anyone who […]
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida
Twenty miles through the swamp took all day, with knee to thigh-deep water slowing every step. Unseen holes beneath the surface threatened to slow progress, or worse, bring you to an ankle breaking stop. Every step demands attention, pushing through knee-deep water while searching for solid footing. That alone will wear you out, but the […]
Florida Trail Thru Hike Kickoff
Picked up by two of the finest people you could meet, @adventurepreacher and @boxcar_hikes, to camp with a bunch of friends, old and new. Fed, and fed some more by the incredible @ftthruhike#trailangels Strangers providing food, information, and assistance with logistics to ensure that everyone can embrace the trail in a way that resonates with […]