Florida Backwoods Trail (Feb. 8)

Up, into the Florida Canyon

I found myself compelled to go up the Florida Trail a couple of miles today all the way to the first active cistern, just to give Sierran’s dogs a run off the beaten track. It’s been tough. The latest challenge has been them drinking some mountain water (or eating something) and ending up with the runs. I never know where I am going to find a pile of pooh awaiting removal. Besa has regurgitated on my carpet a few days ago. It’s been no fun. But we can’t leave her out on the porch or she’ll howl and bark until the neighbors complain. Last night Gaius did a couple of rhino sized poohs out on the enclosed porch. It seems there is no end to how my patience might be challenged by these dogs. Dog hair does not even count—Gaius is a snowstorm of white hair. I am currently in my room recovering from a migrain (It happens when I don’t imbibe enough water when hiking) and now I can hear Sierran letting out a couple of expletives, probably meaning Besa has just done something forbidden, or with a little luck, maybe Sierran just lost an online chess match—who knows what.

So we took off up the Florida trail today—a trail more often than not, hiker free and greatly overgrown with 6 foot gnarly weeds. However, I was most impressed by how the trail has been completely re-done by a Forest Trail Crew. According to Russ a few days ago, the entire trail up to the pass—6 or 7 miles has been widened, boulders and apache pine trunks removed over the months! I was pleasantly shocked by the latest quality of the trail: broad, weed free, log and boulder cleared. I was stunned by the quality of improvement for such a backwoods, seldom used trail. I have forgotten how steep that trail is. Man, I ground my way across a few rushing streams, swathes of mud, and shallow layerings of snow. But the hike in general was really quite beautiful, sunny, and not terribly cold. But my march was slow, with Sierran always quite a bit ahead of me with his dogs running to and fro, up and down the trail.

It was a slow and painful slog up the ravine for me from the parking lot, but I am glad I did it. It’s been at least a year since I have tackled this semi offensive track but now I got to see for myself how pleasantly upgraded the trail is AND how repugnantly out of shape I really am. I can’t be talking about considering taking on the Camino again, or even moreso, the 750 mile Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan when a four and a half mile hike puts me to the test. I’ve got my work cut out for me if I think I am worthy of either of these hikes. )-:

Starting up the trail