T-Minus 12 Days Til Ocala

Thank God it’s not in a national park

Our dysfunctional government is still shut down, primarily due to President Shitgibbon caring more about what Ann Coulter thinks than what the rest of us want. But that’s ok- this section hike of the Florida Trail is looking better all the time.

I’ve got my gear picked and my itinerary all planned out. I have the Guthook Florida Trail app and 400 roots reggae tunes loaded on my phone, a fresh oil change for the car and a shuttle all set up. All I need now is some reasonable weather. Typical weather is supposed to be highs in the 60-70 range, lows around 40 with possibility for occasional frost. Sounds better than tromping through snow on the AT.

Crucially, the all-important menu has been finalized as well. I’m looking forward to trying out some great new dinner recipes and posting them for you guys. I’m also going to be trying various commercial oatmeals and granolas from Good2Go, Patagonia Provisions, Heather’s Choice and TrailFork for breakfast, which I will post reviews for. I figure with the easy terrain of this hike I have some extra time to boil water for breakfast. Plus, I may hurl if I ever see another granola bar in the morning.

What are the things I’m “worrying” about? Honestly, not much. Bears maybe. Ocala National Forest has Florida’s largest population of black bears, and there’s at least one campsite that has an ongoing problem bear. I am therefore bringing the dreaded bear can with me. Maybe Baloo will break a tooth on it.

Rain- I really don’t like hiking in rain. But it’s Florida, so SOME rain is probable. I’ll deal.

Ah, what about skanky water sources? Swamp water! Do. Not. Care. Nasty water has never really bothered me. I have NUUN tablets to help mask any funky taste, a water filter of course, and a few AquaMira tablets for any extra sketchy water.

Getting lost? Pretty hard to do with the Guthook app and a well-blazed trail

Snakes? I suppose if it isn’t truly cold I could encounter a rattlesnake. Probably equivalent odds to the gov’t re-opening before I depart.

We’ll see how it goes. Even though I’m a meticulous planner, fate always seems to throw me a curveball on a hike. But whatever it is, it’ll still beat working.