March 30, 2017
Trail Angel Sarah Leigh met me early this morning while it was still dark out. Our rendezvous point was the intersection of a small street and a county or state highway. I parked my rental car on the side street for the day, then hopped in her car for the ride to my starting point.
Sarah Leigh got into hiking from a work colleague and is still trying to learn the ropes, so to speak. We had an enjoyable chat during our 45 minutes together. We found the spot on US 129 where I should have emerged yesterday, and after bidding her farewell (and taking a selfie), I headed out under the viaduct and into the forest.
The terrain was much like yesterday's: It wound up and down along the edge of the Suwannee River. There were lots of cobwebs in the morning -- ugh! -- but not many in the afternoon. Maybe they burn off/dissolve by then? They do seem to be worst in the mornings.
There were a few spots where the blazes were down or not right in sight, so I had to retrace my steps a few times. But nothing serious. The weather was pretty warm -- 86 for the high, I think -- but it actually wasn't too bad because it got cloudy in the afternoon. There were even a few sprinkles for a few minutes.
Re: wildlife, a huge turkey was in the woods near me (I didn't see it) and suddenly flew off, which was startling. Ditto with a deer that was only a few yards away. But no snakes or bears or gators. Oh, I also saw a rather large (empty) turtle shell.
With about 2 or 3 miles left, the trail spit me out of the woods and into some dirt roads that eventually led to my car.
Tonight, after showering and soaking in an Epsom salt bath, I found one tick on me about 2 hours later. Not sure where that came from ...
Only four days left of hiking (100 miles!) before I head back home. For now. :)
Snowshoe
No comments:
Post a Comment