Last year over winter break an friend and I rode our bikes from Key West to Fort Lauderdale over five days. (posts here, here, here, here, and here)
This year has been a weird adventure all by itself, with covid, race rights protests, and a Presidential election for the books.
But I’ve still been craving a more traditional adventure. Fortunately a friend said she’d be hiking a portion of the Florida Trail for a few days next month. I’ve never gone hiking like that, but I asked if she’d mind if I joined. She said I could come!
I should mention here that she recently through-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, which goes from Mexico to Canada. No pressure to keep up with her, or anything…
We’ll be hiking 73 miles over 4 days. That will very likely be a challenge for me, with 20 miles a day for most of the days. I figured I could handle it since I’ve done bike tours where I’ve had to challenge my body with miles (and hills, and cold, and…), though in a different way.
Of course, the bike carried my gear on bike tours. Yes, I had to pedal that gear up hills when they presented themselves. Carrying it on my back will be a different sort of challenge.
I bought a bear canister. That’s intimidating. I’ve never done primitive camping before. Never camped anywhere I’d need a bear cannister. Though I have camped in places where one would be a good idea for raccoons.
I’m going to have to poop in a pit that I dig myself. Not saying I’ve never pooped in the woods, but in general I’ve tended to be someone who likes to have a bathroom and shower nearby at campsites.
I’m very much looking forward to the silence and dark of the trip. One thing with bike trips is you have to go where there are roads. Which means cars. And sometimes streetlights. To be truly out in the wild will be wonderful.
I’m so thankful for my friend for letting me tag along on this adventure. And I’m looking forward to getting away for a few days in December.