I used to think that if you made a plan and could not successfully execute it on the first attempt, you had failed. I now know that some plans take several iterations before they are successful, and that’s what Judy and I experienced on our first attempt at hiking the Florida Trail from Clearwater Lake to Rodman Dam. Here’s our original plan and our first set of modifications. There may be more to come . . . who can say?
The Original Plan
Our original plan called for 7 days of hiking with one short shuttle around flooded Farles Prairie and one day in camp at Salt Springs. There were two opportunities to resupply from the back of my car, driven in by Steve, who dropped us off at Clearwater Lane and would also pick us up at Rodman at the completion of the hike. Simple! We planned our stops around available water and the likelihood of good camping.
Why Change the Plan?
For several reasons, we have modified the original plan. First, although we chose February for our hike because we wanted to hike in cool weather, temperatures have been in the mid to upper 80s. I’ve spent the past year really dreading heat — it has knocked me down in ways it never used to. So the heat has been a real limiting factor for me. After I could not complete the entire hike the first day we knew we had to make some changes even though the first day was the longest hike. The first day was planned to be our longest to get it out of the way, and I came within 2 miles of the finish, but the last three hours were miserable. And I don’t choose to be miserable!
Our Modified Plan
Our modified plan calls for us to use our own vehicles to shuttle back and forth between campsites. This way there will always be a car full of resupply at the end of the day, and if we need to call it quits we will be able to do so without poor Steve having to navigate spotty forest roads trying to find us. This will also allow us to carry day packs except for tomorrow when we need to carry our big packs because it’s the only day we need to carry our tents and sleep kits. The big packs, though, don’t have to have two days worth of food and clothing, so they’ll be somewhat lighter.
Weather Concerns
Last night’s weather predicted rain and mid 40s, so we slept at home and used the down time to re-think how we have packed our packs. More on that later – it is amazing how much you learn with practical experience! But the last two days of the hike, way up at the north end, are anticipated to be high 80s or low 90s. So you know what? We’re just not doing those two days of the hike. I feel like it’s a real health risk for me, and even Judy is not comfortable at those temperatures.
Why Bother, Then?
So, you may be asking why we’re even continuing if we have had to make such drastic changes to our plan. Well, that’s easy . . . we love hiking! And we’ve learned so much in the past 48 hours that we can apply to the rest of our week. My pack has been completely rearranged, I’ve jettisoned lots of weight (mostly in the area of food) and made room for additional water. Unlike our first night, I’m confident I’ll sleep well because I’ve resolved some comfort problems. I have an amazing hiking partner in Judy — she is always thinking of how things can work better.
POST SCRIPT
Well. It has taken a couple of months to get this article finished. The second day of hiking was not much better than the first. I think Judy could have kept going, but I could not. My body was just exhausted, it was hot, and my feet hurt. I bailed a couple of miles in, Judy decided she would hike as far as the Pat’s Island Trailhead, and I left to get the car and check in at Hopkins Prairie Campground. There were no open campsites so that was a huge disappointment. I decided to park at Pat’s Island and enjoy the pretty day, but soon the heat made sitting in the car unpleasant. I had plenty of water with me so decided to hike in and meet Judy to make sure she had water. I’m so glad I did — she needed company if not water.
So, there it is. The hike that simply didn’t happen. I hope we are able to try again next hiking season!