Cross Country Tour – Day 1

29 August 2016

The day started with finishing up little things around the house: take out the garbage, final wash of clothes, put clean sheets on the bed for my return, fasten the hurricane shutters.  It was the last one that nearly got me.  I cleaved my skull with one of the Bahama shutters (just joking) but it hurt anyway.

I pulled out of the driveway at 11:20 am and made it to Haines City then Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park (it has to be the longest name for a park) and pitched camp after a 2.3 mile hike into the campsite.  It was supposed to only be 1.7 but my Garmin GPS says otherwise.

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The trail is mostly fine sand road bed which makes for difficult walking. Fortunately it had rained earlier in the day and the sand was a little more compact than usual.  Several hikers have written this is the most difficult hike in Florida and I suspect the dry sugar sand would be a challenge. It certainly was a sweaty hike.

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One problem is the trail is marked but poorly and it is one of the more complicated systems I’ve run into.  My map said to begin with the red and white trail through markers 1, 2, 3, and 4. Then to shift to red and white trail markers 12, 11, 10, and 9.  Next follow the white and blue trail to markers 24, 23, and 21 to campsite 1.  Most of the markers were not numbered and you could not tell when the trail forked where the next marker would be. In spite of all odds, I found the campsite.

Just before the campsite I dropped my pack and walked to the ridge line of the Lake Wales Ridge.  It was a nice panoramic view from the top.  This is where you will need to come when the sea rises as it was the only place not under water in previous high water eras.  The Lake Wales Ridge is sometimes referred to as islands, which they were when Florida was under water.

At the top of the ridge is a monument to Allan David Broussard. He was a biologist and avid birder and it is a very nice memorial to him. Truth be told, I had never heard of him before. It is a little strange to see such a nice memorial in the middle of nowhere.

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Dinner tonight is Shepherd’s Potato Stew with Beef.  Just add boiling water and yum.  I suspect I’ll hear thunder all night and frogs croaking their mating calls.

Home sweet home!
Home sweet home!

Author: searcyf@mac.com

After 34 years in the classroom and lab teaching biology, I'm ready to get back to traveling and camping and hiking. It's been too long of a break. I miss the outdoors and you can follow my wanderings on this blog.

2 thoughts on “Cross Country Tour – Day 1”

  1. Sounds like a great first day for your seven week adventure. Have a wonderful journey. We will be following your blog every day. Stay safe.

  2. Eating tonight at Duffy’s. Can’t decide on veiner schnitzel or a rack of babybacks. Try to stay dry. We are floatin’ down the river here. Will send pictures of our dinner.

    Great photos. I think I saw a bear in the background of one. Is that possible? You are still missed here.

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