Palmetto and Pine in Osceola National Forest (ECT Day 41)

• Hiked Today: 27.8 miles
  • The Florida Trail (579.1 – 606.9)
• Total Hiked: 825.2 miles
• Total Paddled: 99.5 miles

Weather: 55-80°F, foggy and overcast until 11:00am then sunny with few puffy clouds rest of the day, light wind.

Olustee Creek Campsite to Jeep Trail Site

I’m learning to know when there’s extra dense fog in the mornings before even unzipping my tent. It sounds like it’s raining, but really it’s just the saturated branches accumulating so much water they form droplets. Big ole fat sounding droplets. Due to such observations this morning, I felt like getting going in daylight. Coffee in the vestibule it was. I’ve been adding my very nutritious “breakfast essentials” packets in since the last resupply, so I’ll probably be running up the trail today.

It was a peaceful packed down sand road this morning. Maybe this area is removed from towns and such because it all seemed quiet and I could hear insects and the occasional bird call. Everything seemed still.

Mid-morning I entered into Osceola National Forest. I thought this sounded familiar and sure enough, after looking it up, there’s an Osceola County in Michigan. Both are named for the Seminole leader (not sure why the Michiganders went for that naming… Maybe there’s a connection?).

I followed several forest roads and got to the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park where they do reenactments. There weren’t any going on when I went through, but I tried imagining what that would’ve been like.

My app says that here in this pine forest on February 20, 1864, “Confederate and Union troops met in the bloodiest engagement in Florida… Union casualties totaled 1,861 while Confederate casualties were 946.” Probably the first of many Civil War sites I’ll come across on my way north. I got water here at this interesting stables-looking spot and had a short break.

Once walking again, I got right into some feet soaking swamping.

First there were some nice boardwalks.

Then, not so much.

Up to my knees here!

I-10… Could head to L.A. 😎 “I think you should go home now, Devin! Get back on San Vicente. Take it to the 10, switch over to 405 North and let it dump you onto Mulholland where you belong!” – SNL The Californians sketch

I had lunch right alongside a road. It was nice actually… short grass, a little stream, and very little traffic. I set my tent fly out to dry, which has become a daily ritual for me at this point. Afterwards, I entered into straight palmetto and Pine territory. It was quite expansive, miles and miles of the same forest type.

Pileated Woodpecker! I saw one earlier on trail, but was unsuccessful in documenting. This one was very focused on pounding holes into that tree. These are one of my favorite birds… they’re so big. On rare occasions I’ve seen them in Northern Michigan.

My spot tonight was in a little clearing with pine needles spread throughout. I had time before jumping in ole Tanya the Tiger Walk, so that was nice!

Album of the Day: “Highway Prayers (2024)” by Billy Strings