This trip was a last-minute decision for me. I found out about it about a month back and thought--for some reason--that it was some time next month. So, I figured that I had a while to talk to the wife and find out if we were doing anything over Labor Day weekend. Well...fast-forward to a week before the hang, and I realized that it was, well, a week out.
Fortunately, we didn't have any plans (she was going to Atlanta to visit with an old friend from her days down in Broward County), so I tried to get an idea of where everyone else wanted to start from for the trail head. Unfortunately, it seemed that everyone's schedules were up in the air until Sunday morning...so, I winged it.
I woke early on Sunday (5:30) and began trip prep--mostly because, being the lazy idiot that I can be, I hadn't found time earlier in the week. By 9:45, I was done and headed out the door--without my bug spray or wristwatch
I stopped in the small town just east of the forest on SR 40 to purchase a wristwatch (I hadn't yet realized that I'd left my bug spray at home) and arrived at the Pat's Island trailhead around 11:40. Pulling my ditty bag to apply sunscreen and bug spray, I realized my mistake with the bug juice. Well, crud.
I set out on the FL Trail southbound towards Hidden Pond. This was to be my first trip in my Vibram FiveFingers; I'd been using my Keen knock-offs at work since my work shoes ripped apart on me one night, and various domestic animals' responses to my shoes convinced me that they smelled like pizza. Since I didn't want Smokey and Friends to be sniffing at my footwear at night, well...
They turned out pretty okay. I think that they're a much better running shoe than a walking shoe, though. I want a little more cushion under my foot when I'm carrying more than my bodyweight; however, they definitely made finding my balance on tricky footing (not that there was much of that except for deadfalls on that section of trail) easier than most shoes. The scrub I picked up between my toes was an annoyance, too.
I quickly made my way across the prairie, killing two liters of water in an hour due to the heat and direct sunlight. I arrived at Hidden Pond only ten steps after finishing my Camelbak off, and met up with Black Wolf, lilricky, and zukiguy at camp there.
After razzing me a bit for my...off-kilter...clothing choices (I was wearing a kilt, a visor, a t-shirt, and a pair of FiveFingers, none of them in matching colors), everyone but lilricky (who'd been out there for a couple of nights already) got to setting up camp.
We jawed over hammocks for a while, and I learned quite a bit from looking at everyone's gear. Soon after, a young couple who'd been intending to camp at Hidden Pond and found the planning thread wandered in. They were hammock-curious and had multiple questions about things, which, of course, everyone was happy to answer. (Note: I think I found her sunglasses along the trail back up to the car on Monday. PM me if you find this thread, and I can work out a way to get them back to you.) They had a beautiful Nemo two-person t**t, which I might actually have to give a try in order to get the wife out into the backcountry...maybe someday...
We decided to go for a swim while they set their t**t and hammocks (no bug net or tarp yet, though) up. The pond there is very relaxing, and I enjoyed it thoroughly while conversing on everyone's favorite topic at hangs: gear. A young man came through to get some water on his through-hike of the prairie, and I hope that he enjoyed his trip. I have to say, this is the greatest number of folks I've seen on that trail: I did it last August and saw, literally, no one on the trail proper. Same thing when I did it this July.
Soon after, I decided to go for a run; I've been working hard on my cardio training, but it's still not quite where I'd like it to be. As I left the campground, another young couple came hiking in to Hidden Pond; I said hello in passing.
I jogged about two miles before the heat and my shin splints got to me, so I slowed down and turned around to head back to the campsite at a walk. After cooling down and getting my heart rate back under control, I sipped half of my water and started running again. There was a t**t set up in a stand of pines along the trail on the way back, so there were even more folks out there. I'm surprised so many folks were willing to brave the Florida heat in late August/early September.
Arriving back at Hidden Pond, I immediately jumped in the pond (which was hotter than the air temperature at this point...meh...) and made my way back to camp. On the way, I noticed the foreign couple (well, at least, he was from his accent; I never heard her speak though both seemed friendly enough from their body language) had started a small campfire. Apparently, they'd not heard of water filters or chemical treatment and had packed all of their water in
After reaching camp, I pulled my bear bag down and started dinner: field shepherd's pie. One excellent dinner and discussion of cook kits later, and I was getting eaten by the mosquitoes. lilricky had lent me the use of his DEET, which was helping, but I was tired (up since 5:30...). I decided that bed was for me, hung the bear bag, and laid down.
It was perhaps 80 when I went to bed, but it dropped to at least 69 overnight (lilricky's thermometer helped with that), and I was a little chilly on the bottom. Not cold, just cool enough to notice it the couple of times I woke up during the evening. My poncho liner and general space heater tendencies kept me warm enough, though, and I woke refreshed just before dawn.
I spent perhaps twenty minutes watching dawn's rosy fingers (thank you, Homer) touching the campsite before deciding to get up and make coffee. I enjoyed During Coffee from the hammock, Shug-style, and BSed with everyone for a bit before the young couple took off for the morning. That was my cue to pack up: it was getting on in the morning, and I had to pick up Mrs. FLRider at Jacksonville's airport in the early afternoon. I added a discarded camp stool that was probably as old as I am to my pack in order to leave the campsite nicer than we'd found it, lilricky packed out some clothing that had been left, and zukiguy took a kid-sized sleeping bag. Some folks...
Soon, everyone was packed up and ready for the trail. Only at this point had any of us realized that we'd forgotten to take photos. I suppose that's the indicator of a great hang: everyone had too much fun to remember to haul out the cameras!So, I pulled mine for a pair of group shots (though, for some reason, the one with me in it didn't save...not sure why...
...).
We headed back down the prairie toward Pat's Island, occasionally clearing a bit of brush here and there along the way. We soon arrived at the trail head (sorry if it seemed like I was pushing a bit hard there, guys; I let myself get carried away now and again), and packed up for the road.
I said goodbye, since I had to pick the wife up, and hit the road.
I had a great time, and I would love to hike with any of you guys any time! I really look forward to the next one!
lilricky, Black Wolf, and zukiguy at Hidden Pond:
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Caveman
Bookmarks