Truck Tire Explosion Along Road Walk

This morning we left the toasty little house to head out into some cold weather. It was in the low 30s as we began walking in the dark. Heading toward Lake Butler. Our only mission for the day was to get there before the post office closed for the night. And we had plenty of time to do so.

We set out around 6am and were walking along mostly road and bike path to start. The bike path was nice and quiet though, so I enjoyed that. I wore my alpha layers, rain gear, and gloves all morning. Then a little after 8am we passed through Hampton, a small town that the trail goes right past. I remember there being a small gas station there. The idea of a hot drink sounded so nice on a cold morning.

The gas station in Hampton.

The two of us headed inside and grabbed something quick to eat. Then mixed coffee and hot chocolate together to drink. I got a large cup so I could walk with it and drink it for a while. It was delicious and perfect for heading back out into the cold.

Walking along the bike path this morning.

After that the road turned to a double wide trail for the next couple of hours. The pine and dirt felt nice under my feet compared to the hard pounding of road. As we walked along the path the temperature warmed up a lot. The sun even began to peak out of the clouds, which felt wonderful. I wound up calling my dad briefly and chatting with him. He works in real estate, but is also a writer. So I enjoy talking to him about the blogs and how it’s all going.

Punisher up ahead along the bike path.

Later on Fresh Ground gave us a call and we caught up with him. Then we called Long Shot to see how he’s doing. He should be coming down to join us again once we reach the Pinhoti trail! Which is not that far away. We’re doing a slightly alternate route when we reach Lake Butler. I’m calling it the “Mayo route”, as it goes through the town of mayo. The trail itself goes north for a while and then drops back down south to St Marks. It’s very indirect and adds a lot of mileage. So we’re going to stay on a more direct course toward St Marks. And after that we’ll be doing a “Tallahassee route”, which cuts up toward Alabama quicker as well.

My goal for Florida wasn’t to hike every last mile of the trail. I’ve done that before! I just wanted to walk from key west all the way to the Appalachian trail to add that onto the calendar year triple crown. The earlier we get to the AT the better. That will allow for lower mileage days in sections of trail which take longer to navigate and make your way through.

Walking the road into Lake Butler.

After a while we got off of the dirt path and onto road again. Then continued along for a bit before getting back onto some trail. Eventually we popped out onto a highway which we would be walking all the way in to Lake Butler. We’d basically been going nonstop, so I was ready for a break. But my body felt good.

While we were walking on the road at one point, a very large semi type truck drove by us. And right as it passed by we heard and felt a big explosion. It literally shook your body and made my left ear hurt. I was glad to have my headphone in my right ear, which was facing the road. Both of us were shocked and didn’t realize what had happened. It literally felt like a small bomb went off right next to us. Then we turned around to see the truck pulling over, realizing that one of their tires had blown out! That really could have been way worse. The vehicle could have swerved or something could have blown off of the tire. We got lucky there. I could feel the ringing in my head for a little bit afterwards. That was wild! So of course it had us dying laughing.

Main Street in Lake Butler.

Not long after that we got into Lake Butler. The road brought you all the way into town. Along the way we stopped off at a gas station and got a fresh piece of hunts pizza. Then I hit up a CVS to get contact solution and tooth paste. This is only the second 2oz bottle of solution that I’ve bought along the whole trail. It’s been lasting really long surprisingly. After that we continued making our way through town.

The City Hall in Lake Butler actually allows hikers to camp right outside of it. So we called earlier to let them know we would be coming. They inform the Sheriff so that no one bothers you overnight. Then we went to the post office to grab our boxes. I’m so excited for new shoes! This is the first new pair of the year, so my second pair so far. The Specter 2s by Topo have held up really well. But they are quite warn down from all of the road. I’m excited for the comfort and support of a brand new pair. Then further north once we’re in Alabama I’ll switch back to the Topo Terraventure shoes. Which have vibram soles and have better traction for rocks and dirt trail.

Out with the old, and in with the new. Another pair of the Specter 2s by Topo.

Inside the box with my shoes I got 3 mountain house meals which I’m excited about. One is the granola with blueberries, then I have a biscuits and gravy, and a chicken fajita one which I’ve never tried before. I’ll let you know how it is! Mountain house meals have so much protein and are so perfect for a long trek like this one. We could use the calories and protein now more than ever.

My box had a pair of shoes and 3 mountain house meals!

After that the day was a wrap and it was only 3pm! Incredible. We did 27 miles which is lovely. And get to end nice and early. It’s mostly road walking on the alternate route we’re doing, so it’s easier to stop here where we know we can camp. Rather than trying our luck further down the road. We’re going to be at the AT likely around the 2nd or 3rd week of February. So we have nothing but time. I was originally hoping to be there by the start of march. So we are well ahead of schedule as of now. What a delight.

Nothing quite like a new pair of shoes.

Then we headed over to city hall to say hello. They were super nice and showed us their hiker box. Then told us how to get into the bathrooms, which they keep locked. After that we just chilled around for a while. There were outlets right by the tenting area so got to charge my phone and headphones. My charging brick is still fully charged after last night too which is awesome. And we’ll probably be staying in a room in a couple of days along the Mayo road walk too.

While we were hanging out by the City Hall, all of the sudden a kitty appeared. It meowed loudly a bunch of times and then ran up to us. Then for the next hour or so it was hanging out, letting us pet it, meowing, and being really playful. It kept jumping over us like it was doing tricks. We were pretty dang entertained. I love animals, so being able to hang out with one for a little while is always a treat.

Later on we decided to go next door to the Mexican restaurant in town for dinner. I wasn’t starving, but wanted to eat something. While we were there, Fresh Ground called again and we were all just dying laughing. He puts a smile on our faces immediately, without even being here. For my meal I wound up ordering chorizo cheese dip. That way I had room for fried ice cream for dessert! I don’t care that it’s 27 degrees out!

Fried ice cream in the middle of a polar vortex!

We took our time there just eating and hanging out. Then headed back over to the City Hall lawn to get set up. While I was doing some video stuff and talking to myself the kitty from earlier came back! She is so stinking cute. Then it wound up lying in the vestibule of my tent for a while. I felt so bad that I couldn’t let it inside. But my air pad, tent, and basically everything I own is easily punctured and delicate. There’s just no way. It just kept meowing at me and trying to push its way inside through the bug netting. That made me so sad. It’s so cold outside. I just can’t risk destroying my gear when I’m just getting started on this hike. After a while it scampered off. I just hope it found a warmer place to hide away for the night.

This cat was literally posing for photos.

Punisher was calling the kitty Butler, because we’re in lake Butler. I wish things were different and I was in a position to keep it.