Day 2, Sunday Dec 4, 2022

Pine Island campsite to another pine island campsite - 8.8 miles today, 20.2 total FT miles.


I got an early start this morning, breaking camp before 7 and heading out.  The day was a bit more challenging, partially because of fatigue from the first day, and partially due to the changing trail conditions.  Today was 50% water, 40% mud, and 10% dry ground.  It was the mud that was the toughest.  Yesterday I noted how mud wasn’t much of a concern.  Today it was that and more.  I sunk into the mud constantly on those sections, slowing forward progress to a snails pace.  

By noon, I had only covered 5 miles, and wanted to get another 6 miles before  stopping for the night.  That didn’t happen.  After 4 more hours and a measly 3.8 more miles, I called it a day.  I was whipped.  I set up camp in one of the rare high and dry spots and crashed.

Although the day was grueling, there were some high points.  Again, the weather was perfect, the wildlife constant and varied, and the views (when I was able to lift my head and look) were amazing.  I had two close encounters today, one with a rattlesnake about 4 feet off of the trail, and the other with a deer who wandered through my campsite as I set up my tent.  Both started me, but were not a real danger.

Tomorrow is a 9 mile section of road swamp that is mostly under in water, mostly thigh deep.  It’s listed on my hiking app as “one of the most difficult stretches of trail in the USA”.  We’ll see. The good news is that at the end of that section, I’ll hit I-75 and a rest stop for bathroom and vending machines.

Until next time…












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