The Pathway to Sopchoppy (ECT Day 49)

• Hiked Today: 25.8 miles
  • The Florida Trail (789.3 – 794.6 & 800.8 – 816.3
  • Spring Creek Bypass (5 miles)
• Total Hiked: 1,025.2 miles
• Total Paddled: 99.5 miles

“But it seems that lately everywhere we go is more beautiful than the last. Perhaps we are simply falling deeper and deeper in love with the timeless beauty of the present moment.”

– Scott Stillman (Wilderness, The Gateway to the Soul: Spiritual Enlightenment Through Wilderness)

Wakulla Field Campsite to Sopchoppy River Martian Camp

Maybe some of you have wondered, does he come up with these camp names or are they legit places or what? Most of the time I’m using the name of the spot that’s listed on the FarOut app. Occasionally, I won’t be at any specific waypoint or there just isn’t a name, so then I make one up. The site I left from and where I ended up today, those were both FarOut names 🙂

Another cold morning getting going. It was nice dry trail thankfully and pretty, through a pine forest. I didn’t take many photos of the early morning since I was trying to keep my hands warm! To help with that, yesterday at the DG I purchased these…

Nice mittens you say? Thank you, although these are actually “women’s cozy socks.” There was a two pack for $2 and I figure I could have one pair for sleep socks and one for makeshift mittens and maybe both if really cold! The forecast is showing a bit of colder weather for a while, so trying to be prepared for that. This ought to do the trick 😉

The Spring Creek Bypass 

Around quarter to nine, I turned off the official Florida Trail. There is a closure for a bridge that’s out over Spring Creek. Sounds like it’s been out for years and the section is particular muddy and deep. So, I had no problem in taking the recommended road walk around.

On the road walk section, I took a break along side the road to sit and have second breakfast. I was quite excited to have coffee again! I’d been out since white springs maybe? It was rough folks. 

A bonus of this reroute is that it takes me right near to yet another DG. Of course it does. Apparently, DG’s are life down here. But hey, it meant that yesterday I only had to get enough food to get me here to the town of Medart. So for a while my pack has been in Bruce Banner form. After my shopping today, it was nearing Hulk size again.

I took my time at the store wanting to charge the power bank some more. At a certain point I checked how many more miles still to go if I wanted to reach my goal. Quite a lot, so I got to boogying! I’ve been trying to relax some on picking exact campsites to reach and distances to cover, but today had more reason to get there. I’m wanting to set myself up to be in a good position to take on the infamous Bradwell Bay tomorrow! More to come on ole Brad, but generally it’s supposed to be the deepest wading section of the Florida Trail.

Back on Trail

The post Medart hike was pleasant. When I use that word I’m talking about nice trail that’s kind of cruisy. The views were nice, but nothing super out of the ordinary from what I’ve been seeing. This section, for instance, was a lot of the palmetto pine situation we’ve seen a lot of. 

With a Name Like Sopchoppy, It’s Got to be Good

The last few hours of the day were along the Sopchoppy River and it was spectacular. Hiking along each one of these rivers, I start thinking that this one, this one is the best one yet. The reality is each is super unique. The Suwannee, bigger with the rapids and limestone features and white sand beaches. The Aucilla, literally disappearing within the rock only to pop out again, current flowing through it all. And the Sopchoppy, which was smaller, even more meandering if possible, and had giant wide rooted cypress trees all throughout. This river also had a steep channel, so I was usually about 20 feet above.

I got to camp a tad later than I’d hoped just because I kept stopping to take photos or check out some weird tree. It was awesomely bizarre. The other thing that might have slowed me down slightly was an odd pain in my left lower shin. It kind of felt like a shin splint, which I used to get sometimes playing soccer, but not sure. Hoping it calms down overnight. If you don’t hear about it ever again, that means it probably went away 🤞

Also… 1,000 miles of hiking on the Eastern Continental Trail woot woot. To celebrate, I made an absurd video and posted in my new YouTube channel. I expect it’s probably gone viral now, although maybe I have to join the world of TikTok for that to happen nowadays 🤷. Anyways, here’s the link to my cheesy 1,000 mile Celebration Video.

Podcasts of the Day: “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau” – LibreCast Audiobook and “Episode #083… Henry David Thoreau” – Philosophize This!