The Plan
Steve dropped Judy and me off at Juniper Springs right on the dot of 7 AM on Easter Saturday. Our goal was to hike in to a primitive campsite 12 miles from Juniper, prepare our evening meal, sleep well, and hike out the next morning. Destination: Alexander Springs, 18 miles from the starting point. This trip was a major milestone in our preparations to hike the sections of the Florida Trail that pass through the Ocala National Forest.
This was an ambitious undertaking for us. We have covered 12 miles in a day before several times. We have hiked under full pack weight several times. But we’ve never before hiked 12 miles under full pack weight!
The Things We Carried
Back to the beginning of this hike. Each of us carried packs weighing in at about 35 pounds, including water. Ocala National Forest requires that food be kept in a bear can or hung from trees, so I carried a bear can with our food for the weekend. My fanny pack holds my ID and a little cash, snacks for the day, hygiene wipes, and an external battery and cable for my phone; I estimate the weight of that to be a couple pounds. Our packs contained our tents, sleeping bags, a chair or stool, first aid kits, water filtration equipment, and other small items. Judy carried the poop scoop, a 4 liter bag for collecting water to filter, and a Thermacell mosquito repellent device.
Tick Protection
“Tick-treat” my tent, packing, tights, shirts, socks and gaiters with Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent was a new thing for me. This product is specifically made for treating clothing, gear, and tents. I also used a 40% DEET spray on my waistline and exposed skin right before we got on the trail. This is the first trip into the Forest where I have not come home with at least one embedded tick. Steve did find a tick on his leg the day I got home, so I assume it came in on my equipment, but I had no ticks on me. This is not a promotion but I’m a believer in the Sawyer spray and DEET as a way to protect myself from tick-borne disease.
The Menu
I had originally planned to dehydrate food for all of our evening meals because purchasing the dehydrated meals intended for backpackers is so expensive. However, testing the rehydration of my homemade meals indicated that this might not be workable for every meal. It takes more rehydration time than I want to spend, and sometimes the food cools before it completely rehydrates. I’m not a fan of lukewarm food, so I’ll keep working on my recipes to find the ones that really work for me. We planned on instant Irish oatmeal and coffee for breakfast.
In the meantime, I had read that Knorr side dishes make great dinners, and if you pick the ones that are meant to cook in 7-8 minutes, they work well for backpackers. I packed tea and sweetener, and planned to enjoy an afternoon cuppa.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and the Unexpectedly Beautiful
The Good:
The Florida National Scenic Trail through the Ocala National Forest consistently delivers well-marked, scenic, pleasant trails. This day was no exception. Our hike began before the sun was fully up, and enjoyed spiderwebs bedazzled with dew, clouds of fog, and the sound of water dropping from the wet forest. We hiked through a hammock of oak until we reached SR 40. There is a lot of traffic and it moves fast without regard for the occasional hiker. Visibility was not great. We relied on our ears to let us know when it was safe to cross, andcrossed without incident.
Before we stopped for lunch, we walked through some beautiful sandhill scrub. Coastal scenery frequently knocks my socks off, but until this, only the Grand Canyon had land-based scenery that took my breath away. How can a few acres of scrub habitat be as awe-inspiring as the Grand Canyon? I don’t know, but it is true! The spot is about halfway between Juniper Springs and Farles Prairie, and you’ll recognize it immediately. A family of Florida Scrub Jays arrived and let us know they did not appreciate our presence in their peaceful paradise. It was a privilege to stand in such a beautiful spot on such a beautiful morning. It is, so far, my favorite place in the Ocala National Forest that is not a springhead.
Shortly after that, it was time for lunch. Without an obvious spot to stop, we parked ourselves right on the edge of the trail and happily dropped our packs.
The Bad:
Ticks. Running out of water.
The Ugly:
After we stopped for lunch, we found ourselves in bright sun, and the day was growing warm. We had hoped to make camp by 2 or 3 pm, but I was slowing down and at two points simply had to stop, drop my pack, and get cooled off. Heat exhaustion is no picnic and I was really trying to avoid that. It’s not a problem to stop hiking, but we were running low on water even though we both started with more than we usually carry.
When we reached Farles Lake on the south end of Farles Prairie, we were dismayed to find that the pump has been closed. I went about knee deep into the lake, splashed my face, took off my shirt and soaked it and put it back on, and was refreshed by the cold water. Thank goodness, because with only 2.5 miles to camp, it would have been a shame to fall out at this point.
The Unexpectedly Beautiful:
While we were getting ready to leave Farles Lake, when I started walking to the pump, a fellow who was there with his family brought me two nearly frozen bottles of water. . .32 ounces of icy heaven! I think of it as Angel Water. Judy and I enjoyed that water as if it were the finest wine.
As they were leaving, he said, “We’ve got to take care of each other out here!” and I was moved by the sweetness of that moment. And the refreshment of cold, clean water, too. This was a small gesture that I will never forget, and I want to someday make the same impression on someone. Never doubt that angels exist, especially Trail Angels, and be one yourself when you can!
Finally – CAMP!
Judy made it to Buck Lake before I did. By the end of the hiking day, I was exhausted and hot. All I wanted to do was to throw myself in the lake and, having long finished my Angel Water, get something to drink. As I walked up on the lake, I was disappointed to see a large group set up at water’s edge with hammocks. They had clearly claimed not only the large campsite but also the lake. The large campsite can be reserved by group campers, but the lake is supposed to belong to everyone.
Neither Judy nor I felt comfortable going to the water (although our neighbors probably would not have minded), but we did filter plenty of water from the public pump. And wow, did it taste good. Also, pumping water directly onto your head is refreshing and should be experienced by everyone at least once.
Honestly, the rest of the afternoon is kind of a blur. I know we set up our tents before we ate dinner, and I know we spent a good bit of time knocking ticks off our equipment and bodies. My tent was very inexpensive, a traditional dome shape, and sleeps 2 (if they are very good friends). Judy’s tent is a single-person sort of mummy shape with a tall section over the head so you can sit up and get dressed inside. Each tent is under 5 pounds (I did not pack tent pegs for this one-night trip), and we are both happy with our trail housing.
We were, at first, very worried about our camping neighbors. A very large group of adults, they had numerous tents, a canopy, large grills, a small dog, and a bosun’s whistle. Clearly, they had reserved the group campsite with the intention of having a whale of a good time, and we hoped it would not be too rowdy. By dinnertime, they had stopped blowing the whistle, and honestly, we didn’t hear anything from them after we got into our tents. They were either a sedate group or we slept more than we thought.
Full Moon
The full moon rose at about eight pm. Neither of us slept well through the night, and I watched the moon make her arc across the sky until I finally got some good sleep between about two and five in the morning.
Nature called at about nine, and I left my tent to pee. Fireflies were everywhere in the transitional area at our campsite boundary. There were at least two varieties. One of these preferred to sit in the grass while the other flew at the bottom of the tree canopy.
Whipoorwills called all night long. There is, I am convinced, no better way to spend a sleepless night than watching and listening to nature. I dozed off and on, often waking to find that my sleep mat had climbed halfway up the tent wall somehow. By the time I fell into a restful sleep, it was well past midnight and the moon was starting to sink into the western half of the sky.
Heading Home
We both woke early and were out of our tents before the sun was up. We watched the mist on the water as the sun rose. This mist rose and then moved again. A few rosy clouds made for a beautiful morning sky, even though they presaged rain. We decided that we had accomplished our goals for this trip, and that instead of hiking to Alexander Springs we’d stop at SR 19, just about three miles short of our originally planned destination.
That turned out to be a good decision. It got hot quickly, and though I felt good when we started, I struggled with both the heat and my pack adjustment. By the time Steve came to pick us up, he had to load my pack into the car for me.
Lessons Learned and Other Takeaways
I won’t wear black again if temperatures are expected to rise above 80, even in the cooling fabrics. I’ve added salt tablets to my pack so that I can keep my electrolytes in balance because I suspect that was why I was so wiped out Sunday, even after fully hydrating. We’ll see if they help.
We’re going to keep most meals very simple. We didn’t feel like eating breakfast, and we didn’t cook the oatmeal I packed. Next time, we may just grab a spoonful of peanut butter for some good hiking protein.
Treating my equipment and clothing is a must for me from now on. I am very happy with the level of tick control afforded by the Sawyer spray.
I’m not going to try to keep up with faster hikers if I start to feel too hot or very tired. I can keep hiking for a long while, but not if I push too hard. I’ll continue to work on my endurance, but I don’t need to reach the end of the trail if it means going beyond the end of my rope. This may mean that on the second half of a long hiking day, Judy and I are just checking in with each other via text messages — and that’s okay.
A cup of tea after a long hike is just as refreshing as you’d expect, and I’ll always carry my Pocket Rocket stove, kettle, and teabags when I’m hiking over 10 miles.
My long silver hair is pretty, but it’s a real pain on a hike under full pack weight. After cutting my hair short again this morning, I have not one single regret. I will also not be as worried about ticks on my scalp with this cut.
There is much to be said for sleeping in one’s own bed with one’s own husband and dogs. Walking into the shower stinky and grimy, knowing that you’ll emerge smelling good and without dirty feet, is a wonderful thing.
And finally, as glad as I was to get home and off the trail, I already can’t wait to get back out there! I’m looking for opportunities to hike, to work on the trail with Florida Trail Association, and to serve as an ambassador to the area. We are so fortunate to live so close to what must surely be some of the best hiking Florida has to offer.
