My end-to-end hike of the Florida Trail turned into a flip-flop soon after St Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge. I caught a boat ride across the river, where I found Longshot, Nana Man, and Gas Monkey trying to win prize money by playing Cornhole against locals. The first place cash prize was suggested as going towards an Uber to finish the trail early.
I wanted to hang out, to slow down, but I’d chosen to hike the Florida Trail for a handful of reasons, not the least of which were to see the end again, from Navarre to Fort Pickens, and to eat BBQ at Hamaknockers, which was only a days hike up the trail from St Mark’s.
The problem was that if I wanted to make the end of the trail before my time was up, I’d have to push. So while they stayed to watch the Super Bowl and play Cornhole, I hiked out of town dreaming of BBQ.
Of course, we all arrived at BBQ at roughly the same time, having hiked out of St Mark’s together. We’d also been caught in a rainstorm on the way and talk turned to options…
“We don’t need prize money to get an Uber,” Longshot said, which is how I found myself in an Uber headed to the coast.
Once you’ve already thru hiked a trail, each return hike becomes more of a choose your own adventure, trying to see the things you missed on the previous hike. But this was a completely off-trail adventure to Panama City Beach, to hike along the beach, play pool, and take advantage of off-season hotel room prices and walk the road to Navarre.
I got my BBQ, now I just wanted to see the end.
#FloridaTrail #FTthruhike #yellowblaze