Thanks to all whom showed interest in the July 2015 hang. It sure was fun to get many perspectives on hanging in Florida, in July. Hopefully I can have a trip report shortly and pics.
Thanks to all whom showed interest in the July 2015 hang. It sure was fun to get many perspectives on hanging in Florida, in July. Hopefully I can have a trip report shortly and pics.
Enjoy and have fun with your family,before they have fun without you
I was thinking about you guys last weekend, got homesick real bad. Can't wait until January!
I got a picture for you that you may want. I'm happy to confirm that the "lemon tree" is still happy as ever. Hopefully I can post it soon.Originally Posted by lilricky
Enjoy and have fun with your family,
Sorry guys I could not make it. It was not the weather that kept me out, it was a personal issue that I had to deal with.From the photos on the other thread, it looks like conditions where great. I hope to make the next one.
I hope all is well with you.Sorry guys I could not make it. It was not the weather that kept me out, it was a personal issue that I had to deal with.
The next hang at Hidden Pond is probably last weekend in Sept for the Summers Last Gasp hang.
I was watching the wasps hovering close to the ground and was thinking of you with last years nature show with the wasp and insect.
Enjoy and have fun with your family,
Great weekend in the woods, and amazingly mosquito-free! Missed those who couldn't make it, hope to see you all on the next hang.
j-e-m made a slide show with our pics. Enjoy!
-jimj
Slide1.JPGSlide2.JPGSlide3.JPGSlide4.JPGSlide5.JPGSlide6.JPGSlide7.JPGSlide8.JPGSlide9.JPGSlide10.JPGSlide11.JPG
Looks like a good time had by all.
Most of us end up poorer here but richer for being here. Olddog, Fulltime hammocker, 365 nights a year.
From SR40 past Juniper Springs, I turned right on the next forest road to go to Hidden Pond Short trailhead. On my way there, I saw a big black bear and it ran off into the woods as I approached. A few minutes later, I saw another large black bear. This one, I got even closer so I honked my horn to scare it into the woods.
At the trailhead, I prepared by spraying my shoes, hat, and pack with Picaridin. Tick reports were high going into the month and daily rainstorms should create a large mosquito population so I wanted to take all precautions. Clothes were already soaked in Permethrin. It was just after 8am on Friday and Jim already texted me to say he wouldn't make it until 9am and to not wait on him.
The Hidden Pond Short trail was documented by lilricky last year in a video he made and is a great source to check out for this trail. Thanks lilricky.
The hike in was easy on the Hidden Pond Short trail and only took about 45 min. This trail is pretty straight going thru several small Pine forest mixed with open scrub in between, then several dry pond beds. Heading East on the trail I saw many tracks. Big bear and little bear tracks heading East and 1 big bear track coming West towards me, both tracks meeting by an old burned out tree and both pushing North into the scrub. Whew! I wouldn't have to meet the bears out here. Also, there were Bobcat, Skink lizard, and bird tracks all over the trail. I did run into a few webs I didn't knock down and saw a real nice web with banana spider on it. The Scrub Jays were also there to greet me and a few of them were not banded. Great to see the Scrub Jay population getting bigger.
As the Hidden Pond Short crossed the Florida Trail, I turned South on the FT and knew I would be in camp in less than 10 min. As I rounded the last turn and started going downhill, I came into view of Hidden Pond and it was glorious in the morning light. I turned right at the pond and walked into the Pine/Oak mix we call home base camp. There were 2 tents near the fire mound so I announced myself as I approached to not scare them. One tent was closed up and the other had the fly off and I could tell no one was in there. I figured they were hiking around, but it turned out one of them was still sleeping. I checked out the site and had first pick of trees. Knowing I needed to hike out early Saturday for community service with my church, I picked close trees to the common area instead of venturing farther out.
My set up was at the edge of Crooked Sapling Pond and there was a constant light breeze coming in from the footend. I suspended my hammock, no bugnet, and just layed in it for about 10 min. It was a little after 9am and I suddenly felt strange. It's Florida, Summer, mid July, sunny.... and I'm starting to feel cold. I attributed this to being sweaty from the hike and the breeze was cooling me nicely. Florida A/C.
At this point, one of the tenters walked in and we chated awhile. They were here for a few days and were leaving today since one of them had to go to work later. I showed him my rig since he was interested in hammocks and is looking forward to checking out Hammockforums.net and future group hangs here. His buddy woke up and then Jim came into camp. Just like that we doubled the population here and the greetings begin. As Jim found his trees and the tenters broke camp, I continued on my set up and pitched my tarp, gear hammock and changed clothes.
Sink hanger came into camp and we showed him several sites. He usually goes out solo so I mentioned a point to the West into Crooked Sapling Pond. A great stand of trees on the little peninsula had his site looking very nice. Zukiguy came into camp and said he started with Tropikal, but they were separated. Tropikal was tired and told Zuki to continue without him. Later, O-Boy walks in and said he had passed Tropikal resting on the FT since they had all come in from Juniper Springs 5+ miles to the South. As teh rain started, we started filtering water for the day and decided to go rescue Tropikal after cameling up. Luckily, the rain on the trail helped get his spirits up and he limped into camp with a big smile on his face. After that, Mark and his son came into camp soaked from the rain, yet smiling great big smiles. Then Grinder walks in also with a big smile on his face. This sure is a great group of folks that lifts up one's spirits. Jim had set up his wife's tarp in the common area since she was not able to make it. This tarp was home base for us in the rain as we greeted hikers throughout the day as they arrived.
After the rain, we set out to collect wood, but the whole site seemed to be picked clean. We collected scraps here and there and waited to start the fire since there was such little wood. The temps were great due to the rain cooling it down and with the breeze, it was a little cool with each small gust that came through. I've had enough so I just had to go out and start the fire. After a while the rain started up again, so we made a fire lean-to to keep the coals under the wood lit throughout the rain. It sure was something else watching the fire build higher as the rain got harder. I love fire.
It was after 4pm and Wild Berry Pop Tarts were just very yummy. Later, I started making a late lunch, or early dinner, under the communal tarp. Fettuccine noodles and loaded mashed potatoes with Vienna Sausages and warm tea with honey was on tap. Since I was already feeling a little bad with a headache on it's way, I knew I had already exceeded my tolerance and needed Tylenol. I had gone too long with little sleep in the last 2 days, almost no food since the day before, and not enough water since arriving in camp even thou I was completely hydrated by the time I started on the trail. That meal sure did make me feel a little better. Camp chores and some talk passed by and I was feeling the headache really kick in.
Next came supper. Butter and Herb pasta with loaded mashed potatoes. While that was rehydrating, I went past the point, where sink hanger had set up, on a bathroom break and noticed his tarp was not covering his hammock. It had rained really hard a short time ago and knew the storm had moved his tarp. Sure enough, later he said his hammock was soaked, but his SB was still in his pack and dry. My head hurt too much to eat my supper and I just drank water with Crystal Lite poured in for flavoring. I felt so bad I just went to my hammock a little after 9pm while the last of a little light was still in the sky.
As I lay in the hammock, I was getting concerned that I never put up my bugnet, but was in too much pain to do so now. There was a constant wind coming from Crooked Sapling Pond and almost no bugs before now. Only had 1 or 2 quick buzzing sounds under the hammock and I was out. I woke up after midnight with cold shivers on my shoulders and back. Too cold. At first, I thought it was almost time to hike out for Church until I noticed the time. Feeling sick, cold and almost 5.5 hours until I had to leave for a hard half days work... So... I cheated. I got my UQ out. Yes, I used an UQ and a Summer TQ that I had finished just for this hang. After that,I slept great until my alarm went off at 6am. Even though I did wake 3 times to pee throughout the night from all the rehydrating I was doing, I woke completely refreshed, rehydrated from water I drank before going to bed, and hungry. No headache. I love my hammock.
For breakfast, I ate yesterdays supper that had been sitting in my hillbilly pot inside it's coozie. Not a sign of bug, nor ant insight. And it was good. I drank more water, brushed my teeth and time to head out on the trail. Since I was in a hurry, I only took a bottle of water with me, picked up a stick on the trail for spiderwebs and hiked out in 42 min.
On my way back in from Hidden Pond Short in the early afternoon, I was racing an approaching storm and made it back to camp in 40 min. It's a nice hike with the Scrub Jays lining the trail and I saw a big Doe bouncing across the prairie in the middle of the day.
At camp, it was very breezy and it was time to batten down the hatches due to the upcoming storm. I pitched low and tight and closed the doors on the foot end, only to have the storm change directions later, so I opened the doors on the foot end and closed the head end. This was mostly wind with some rain, so it didn't do too much to the fire. After the storm, it was surely a wonderful afternoon with plenty of colors in the sky. With no storms on the horizon, I completely opened the back of the tarp and porch mode in the front. I stowed the doors and was now in hex tarp, porch mode wide open completely capturing any and all small breeze.
We had 9 folks come into camp the day before and today we had a 10th. Tom has found the forums and came out for the day to check out what its all about. We showed our rigs and demonstrated our likes and offered our opinions to give him ideas for the future hangs.
Supper time brought chicken pasta and loaded mashed potatoes with Vienna Sausage. Yum. Later, I explored the area in the afternoon finding a marble way out in the Southern side past all campsites. Amazing how we leave traces anywhere. The day hikers had stories of the dry sinkhole with large trees growing at the bottom. We found a machete someone had broken and left. Camp stories until night when the stars came pouring out.
That night, it was a little cool in the hammock, but just about right. Still no bitting bugs and once again, only 1 or 2 buzzing mozzies and me again without my bugnet. A small breeze, lighter than the previous night kept the temps perfect and bug free. Later, like the night before, I awoke cold. I slipped the UQ into place and slept until the daylight hit my eyes at 7:25am. I never even got up to pee this time. Just perfect sleep.
After a few visits this morning, it was time to break camp. Since I was one of the last to wake up, I started to pack up after some where already done. Luckily I finished in time for the group photo before the first group set out. Good byes were exchanged and plans were made for the next hang in Sept for the Summer's Last Gasp Hang. After the rest had left, Jim and I waited for sink hanger. He missed the group picture, but had a great time for his first hang despite getting his hammock soaked by the first nights storm. Jim and I started out and sink hanger filtered water as he was headed North on the FT to Pat's Island trailhead. As Jim and I hiked out on the Hidden Pond Short we caught up to Zukiguy and Tropikal and finished together to the trailhead where we shuttled them to their cars at Juniper Springs.
Thanks to all that attended for a great weekend in the Piney Woods of Florida in July. We missed those that were not able to be here and only talked fondly of you.
Pictures to come.
Last edited by Floridahanger; 07-22-2015 at 16:21.
Enjoy and have fun with your family,
Great weekend....not nearly as hot as I was expecting. I came armed with a battery powered fan and tons of insect repellant. As it turns out I didn't really need either. This was an extremely relaxing weekend between dips in the pond and checking out the wide variety of ways to get a good night's sleep in mid air.
Along with some great tarps and hammock ideas, I spotted some interesting DIY water filters systems. It seems the Sawyer Squeeze has taken over the woods but everyone has their own ideas on how to push water through the system. This spawned a few new ideas of my own I hope to put into practice soon.
The guys were nice enough to give Tropikal and myself a ride back to Juniper Springs, shaving almost 3 miles off the trek. We managed to only get "turned around" a few times on the way out Hidden Pond Short. As it turned out we were all looking forward to a dip in the springs but a gator had other ideas. We gave up waiting on the trapper to arrive and extract our reptilian buddy so we cleaned up a bit and hit the road.
Great pictures j-e-m. Made me feel like I was there!
I'm missing everyone terribly.
Mike
"Life is a Project!"
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