A Long Florida Walk

[pshaw_raven]

We're heading over to REI today.

Several weeks ago, we started talking about one of my bucket list runs, a cross-Florida trek. These come in basically two flavors - 116 miles and 200 miles. Fox has been pondering how best to support me as I try this, and by that I mean practical support, not emotional support. So "here's some hot coffee and dry socks" as well as "you can do it." Anyway, somehow in all this we started talking about hiking, which I've always liked doing.

I grew up around the Smokies and for a while I live in Kentucky, on the Cumberland Plateau. I was surrounded by places to hike and explore, and I did. So when Fox suggested we start doing some local hiking, I was in. Then he threw out a crazy idea, which is we thru-hike the Florida Trail.

I wasn't sure how to express the fact that I'd wanted to do this ever since I found out it was a thing. I think I'd stopped at an information kiosk in Jennings State Forest and found a brochure about the Florida Trail, and it had the different sections, maps, and the website. I just didn't mention it at the time because neither of us had started running or doing much then, and it was one of those ideas that make me say to myself, "That's stupid, Bird, don't tell anyone about this. You're stupid for even thinking about it."

So we're gonna thru-hike the Florida Trail. But first we gotta buy some stuff.

I thought our local REI was up near Jacksonville Airport, conveniently located in Georgia, but there's one in Towne Center now. (Near Bento Cafe!) Fox has actually had experience camping, which I never did. We went hiking and stuff when I was growing up, but I was never allowed to camp. Like, not even a tent in the backyard kind of thing. But I've always wanted to at least try it. The general idea today is to go put our grubby paws on some backpacks, hammocks, and tents. Maybe talk to some people there. Maybe buy some gear, maybe put it off until January. But it will help the planning stages that we're in right now.

The first thing will probably be a test-run for me literally camping in the yard. I might set up camp here one night, then break it down, load up, and hike over to one of the primitive campgrounds in Belmore, a whole four or five miles. This is the same Belmore I go on trail runs in, LOL. But I should find out pretty quickly if I enjoy it, or if camping is the dumbest thing ever. From there, we will likely do another, longer test hike down in Ocala National Forest for a week.

This weekend, it's about to get damn cold, just in time for the Christmas weekend. Santa is going to bring us a massive mosquito die-off, if we're lucky. With temps in the lower 20s, it also means I'll need to protect my citrus trees. The lemon and calamondin are old enough to withstand it, but the Key Lime and new yuzu trees need to be covered, and the yuzu is still just a sapling, so it will get a small heater, as well. I already picked the calamondins, and now have a couple of huge baskets of them, one of which I plan to pawn off on give to my neighbors. Then I'll be making some orange-glazed white chocolate scones.

We might even drive over on Saturday or Sunday and pick up a section of the Florida Trail that runs near us, in Gold Head. It crosses the highway and goes onto Camp Blanding - I run past the trail markers all the time on my long runs. That will be a shorter day-hike but it'll be fun to get out and do something active.

Comments

[cdayzee]

I love that you & your husband do these things together! It's so nice when you have a willing companion :)

[pshaw_raven]

It *is* pretty great when you're both into the same things. We were even reading over some of the guide books and laughing about how much some of it's going to suck. But we both like doing "badass" things, and his parents walked the Camino del Santiago a couple of years ago. So we'd all have "long walk" stories then.