I had 3 1/2 days left on the Florida Trail - piece of cake really. Only the last stretch posed some logistical challenge. The FT ends on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island south of Pensacola with beautiful white beaches and incredible views. The down side of this is that there are no camping possibilities for 37 miles - it is either protected National Seashore or expensive beach motels. Other hikers had already complained about that. I did not want to spend a fortune on a motel and I did not want to stealth camp in the dunes either, especially since I have a non-freestanding tent that would be impossible to pitch in the sand. So I came up with what I thought was an incredibly clever idea. I would hike as far as I could and then take a taxi to the end of the island (and the FT) to Fort Pickens, where there is a state campground and hike back the next day.
So I hiked 27 miles on my last day, called a taxi and was confronted with a most talkative driver. He had just moved to Pensacola three weeks ago, but was already driving a taxi (hey, what are GPS for?) Luckily, you just have to follow the beach road to get to Fort Pickens campground, so he did not have a chance to get lost. Things started to get wrong when we came to the park entrance and there was already a sign saying "Camp ground full". Well, that does not deter a thruhiker. The problem was that the Ranger would not let us through because the camp ground was full. I pretended having a reservation. "Great", said the ranger. "What is your name so I can check with the late arrival list?" I made up a story about sharing a campsite with friends who were already there and was eventually let through....
I had hoped to find a quiet corner somewhere at the campground but it was absolutely packed. Luckily this was not a problem. This end of the island was wooded so I just hiked on a bit and found a spot in the forest to pitch my tent for free. I guess I was not exactly legal there, but considering the wind that came up that night I was extremely happy to be sheltered among trees. Early next morning I went to the Northern Terminus and visited historical Fort Pickens where I was totally alone - no one there to take my finishing picture either!
Last road walk |
At Pensacola Beach I was picked up and stayed for two nights with Tom and Anne in Pensacola in the most beautiful house with a sea view to die for. Tom is a the section leader for the Florida Trail and I learned a lot about the trail, its background and maintenance. I was spoilt rotten with great food, interesting conversations and 5 paperback books that will be my reading material for the Arizona Trail. What a great end for an adventure hike thanks to Tom and Anne!
So today I will fly to Phoenix, AZ and start the Arizona Trail on April 1st. I have already received an email telling me that there is still thigh deep snow on the trail due to the El nino year....Aren't I lucky?
2 comments:
After hiking through swamp that came up to your waste, snow is going to be super easy.
Maybe I told you this before...
Nimblewill Nomad is starting the Arizona Trail 1st week in May. Too bad you'll miss him...unless you hike SOBO, in which case you'd cross paths.
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