The trip started with a roadwalk along US98. It was too long, and a little under pressure to get back into the woods before nightfall, but I fnally stumbled into Hickory Hammock campsite just a little after dark, considering myself lucky to have actually spotted the blue blazes on the trees, when even the orange were pretty hard to see by headlamp. There were lots of armadillos out on the trail around dusk, and several scurrying around in the bushes at the campsite after I was setteld for the night. They didn't disturb me near as much as the airboats churning up the Kissimmee River until after midnight though! Even though the airboats kept me awake late, I was still up early Saturday morning. I planned quite a long day into Fort Kissimmee, so fixed a quick breakfast and coffee and got packed up and on my way.
My first stop of the morning was at the Hickory Hammock equestrian campground. You just can't beat orange blazes leading right up to a pair of composting toilets! The campground is currently closed, but the toilets were unlocked and stocked with paper and sanitizer. Between that and the picnic pavillion I just couldn't resist an early break. The next couple of hours took me over the high rise bridge and the long boardwalk. There's not much water round these parts right now, and the high grass on the boardwalks was more of an issue than high water, but it was a very pleasant morning. I saw a several turkeys, and a dog-fight between a hawk and a bluejay. The hawk had apparently snatched a baby bird from it's nest, and bluejay mother bird was defending her irrecoverable offspring. The action was too far away and too fast for photos, but was interesting to watch. I also ran across a much slower red rat snake, which did co-operate for pictures. After a stop at Bluff hammock for lunch I set back out on the trail, which winds through more sloughs and swamp. Again, all very dry right now, but a nice mix of fauna between the dry grasslands and cactus, and the lusher marsh plants, including this bromeliad which had fallen from a tree, but was faring very nicely on the ground. Over many more dry stranded boardwalks and I finally reached my destination for the day at Ft Kissimmee campground. It started to rain right as I reached the main camping area so I took refuge under my second picnic pavillion of the day and cooked supper while I waited out the storm. After dinner I took advantage of the cold but refreshing shower, and continued on to the north camping area to pick my spot for the night. The campsites here are close to the river and there were many large noisy gators grunting down on the beaches all night. Just at dusk a small herd of deer came racing through my campgound, scattering to both sides of my tent when they rounded the bushes to find me there. I don't know who was more surprised, me or the deer!
Sunday morning I set off north past the Ft Kissimmee Cemetery. I took quite a nasty fall somewhere on the north end of Avon Park. Right into a cow pat. Fortunately a fairly dry one, but landed awkwardly on my front, with the weight of the pack pinning me down, and an arm and hiking pole stuck up underneath me. I gave my knees a few good scrapes and bruises on the way down too. After releasing the pack and struggling up from under it, I took a short break to wash up with wet wipes. While patching up the hurt parts a hawk flew down and landed in a nearby tree, voicing his displeasure at my intrusion. My inactivity at least gave me the chance to snap a couple of shots.
My other successful bird photo of the day was the only turkey of the weekend that stood still for long enough to make its photo debut. I stalked it for a few minutes, quite surprised that it didn't fly off as I got closer, snapping shots every few paces. Eventually I was close enough to see him swivel slightly on his single leg. Yes, I had been stalking a hunter's decoy turkey! After snapping this shot I hurried on, no doubt watched from somewhere by the hidden hunter whose chances of a last day of turkey hunting kill had just been negated by my tromping through his hunt area. I'm sure glad for my bright orange tshirt and bandana covered pack! Today's lunch break was taken at the newly replaced Tick Island Slough bridge. It is the same design but shorter than the one I recently helped build at Monkey Creek. It was nice to see a completed version. After lunch I approached the Kicco area, with it's beautiful old oaks trees. I scared up an owl in one of the trees, and he flew up into a tree ahead of me. It was kind of a long shot through the trees to get a picture of him, but he turned to face me right as I clicked off a shot.
After Kicco is a long, hot, walk along a dirt road through cow pastures. It was a very breezy afternoon, for which I was greateful as there was absolutely no shade for 4+ miles in the hot mid-afternoon sun. In the first mile a passing truck stopped to offer me a ride, but I explained that the purpose of the trail was to hike, and he continued on. Two miles later, having seen nothing else but cows, sunbleach cow bones, hot dry road and no shade I may have reconsidered, given the opportunity, but none presented itself. I was oh so grateful to see the first shady oak grove at the north end of the pasture though. A half hour break here managed to sustain and re-energize me for the remainder of the hike into River Ranch.
Being a Sunday night there was little activity at the Ranch. There was one other occupant at the campground, a large popup camper with a 3 generation family out for a long weekend. As I set up the tent and prepared to wash out some socks (and the cowpat encounter t-shirt) they came over to my site and offered to share their evening meal. Great trail angels. After my shower (I think I used up the full $11 for my tent site in hot water in that shower) they re-appeared with foil packets of real food cooked over their fire, chicken, fresh veggies, apple salad, and cookies. It was a wonderful change from everything dried and prepackaged I had eaten the past couple of days.
Sunday night was the quietest of the trip. The strong breeze from the afternoon died down completely immediately after I had just washed out everything I was carrying and was hoping to air dry! So Monday started out with wet clothes and a bag of wet laundry to be carried. It was also to be a long road walk for the majority of the day. Walking along any road is never much fun, but walking along one as busy as SR60, with not a single spot of shade or place to get off the road in 5 miles or so was gruelling. Fortunately for me, the breeze from yesterday reappeared early. It was cloudier than yesterday, but during a break under the SR60 bridge over the Kissimmee river I managed to hang up my wet laundry and tent to dry out, lightening my load somewhat. The breeze and clouds also made the road walk a little more bearable for the first couple hours, but my luck gave out and the sun came out strong again shortly before I reached the turn north into Prairie Lakes and another two mile road walk along another dirt road.
After lunch was more hot sun and dry, treeless trail. The one shade tree I found in several miles was shared with a wary turtle, who just chose to stand stock still while I took a break and some photos. The absolute highlight of the day, and possibly of this whole trip, was the sight of Godwin Hammock. After a whole day in the sun, this Oak hammock in the middle of the seemingly endless wiregrass and palmetto scrub fields is an oasis. The entrance to the Garden of Eden could not have been more enticing or welcome than the two massive trees, one complete with a hunter's tree stand (empty) guarding the trail's entrance to Godwin Hammock. I was so grateful for the shade I collapsed on the spot. Absolute paradise: lush, green and tropical. I swear I saw parrots! What I neglected to do, in my semi-delirious state, was take any photos of the entrance to this Oasis. After my break, enticed deeper into the lush greenery, I realized only miles later that I had forgotten to go back out in the hot sun to capture this idyllic spot.
There is supposed to be a campsite somewhere in Godwin Hammock, but I confess I never found it, despite looking. I had lingered long enough in this beautiful mile or so of meandering hardwood hammock that by the time I reached its end, and the emerged back out into the grasslands it was late enough to warrant stopping, campsite or not. I pulled out my GPS, took a reading and consulted my maps, and was apparently right on top of the campsite. I dropped my pack and wandered back for a few minutes, but still did not encounter the campsite. Returning to the pack, I pitched my tent right on the boundary of hammock and prairie for the night.
I fell asleep quite early in the quiet campsite, only to be woken at around 10:30 by what sounded like a dog size animal walking around the back of my tent, sniffing and scratching around. I assumed it was probably a fox. My stirring inside the tent sent it running off. A few minutes later a single coyote howled not to far off, followed by a cacophany of howls from all around. The serenade lasted well into the night, and was a little scary for a while when it was close by, but drifted away as the night went on. Each time I woke in the night I heard the coyotes calling across the prairie.
The final day of this trip is through the main area of the Prairie Lakes/Three Lakes management area. The trail blazes were a little sketchy, misleading or missing in places, and I got off the trail a couple of places, but managed to make my way back to it with the compass and dead reckoning. There were also a couple of places where the trail was rather overgrown, but in general it was a good trail. In the afternoon, after lunch at the dry pond campsite, the oak trees turned to tall pines with little shade. The strong breeze of the past several days did not materialize today, and the last hour or so of hiking was very hot. I was glad to see the trailhead parking and kiosk, and just had time for a quick shower down with my remaining water before my ride arrived.
Thanks to Mark for driving out all that way into the middle of nowhere to take me back the 80 miles back to another middle of nowhere to pick up my car.
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