So, I just thought I’d show you the bug spray I was using in the Estero River Scrub Preserve when the flies were out to get me, Off Active. Now I’m sure there is nothing really wrong with this bug spray. The biting flies down here in the swamp can be horrendous, but in the past I had been using Permethrin for my clothing. Which I wasn’t using this time, but wish I had been. I looked to see if I had a bottle around here somewhere, but I don’t. You put that stuff on clothing only. Spray it on, let it dry and it’s good for several washings, protecting you from everything from flies to ticks, chiggers, etc.. I’ll try to get a picture of a bottle of that at a later time. In the meantime, here is a picture of what I used yesterday.
I’m going to be honest. I guess it could have worked a bit better, but I’m not sure anything would have kept that swarm “Off” me under those conditions. Anyway, in the past I used Ranger Ready in combo with the Permethrin. I walked through Big Cypress many times, basically Everglades conditions, and I was good to go. Also, it smells a whole lot better than the Off as well. Thinking though, if I had only gone with the Ready Ranger without the added Permethrin, would I have been so fortunate? Maybe not. Ranger Ready’s primary ingredient is Picaridin, not to be confused with the Permethrin.
Estero River Scrub Preserve is conveniently located west about a half mile off the corner of 41 and Broadway in Estero Village, FL. It took me about 12 minutes to get there from my house and was easy to find; parking is directly off the side of the road in a quiet residential area. I got there around 7:30PM thinking I would have plenty of time to walk about half of the looped trail and get back to the jeep. The park is open from 8AM until sundown, which on this particular evening was setting around 8:20PM. There is a portable bathroom on site, it’s $2 per vehicle to park, and there’s also a picnic table where you can rest, have a snack at, or adjust your gear.
Once I paid my fee I walked past the wooden fence line that separates the parking area from the entrance to the trail. I knew I was in a hurry to get around the loop before dark, so I skipped any equipment review and just headed out onto the sugar sand path to my right, making my way counter clockwise on the loop. I think if there had been other cars, or even earlier in the day, I may have gone clockwise, but I was kind of happy I chose this direction. Most of the trail leading away from the parking area was sugar sand or grass. Immediately to my right I could see evidence of a controlled burn which looked to be somewhat recent. With the sun quickly setting, the light left in the sky created quite a spectacular view. A lot of what you will see here as far as vegetation will be pine trees and low scrub pine. For the most part, up until I decided to cut through so I could skip half the trail, everything was fine, easy to walk and navigate.
The cut through definitely changed from easy trail to overgrown quickly. For the most part it was still pretty easy to navigate, and I was clearly not the only one who thought of doing this prior to myself. At that point, everything had been going well, except for the annoying more than occasional biting fly. Luckily, I literally had my bug spray at my hip, and had already used it several times, managing to keep the creepy crawlies at bay. That was about to change.
The sun was really getting low at that point, and I convinced myself if I turned back then I may not get back in time before the rangers would lock the jeep up behind the gate. I sort of asked for it though being inside the park after hours. I pressed on not realizing what I was about to get into. Water, lots and lots of bog and water. Not all that crazy or unheard of on the cusp of summer, but when you are in a hurry to get back to your vehicle and the sun is about to go down, it’s not a fun obstacle to encounter. Like a trooper, I pressed on. Where’s the wisdom of experience when you need it? I had no headlamp with me, and the deeper I got into the bush, and the water, the more I realized I may be in some trouble.
It’s about this time when I started texting my boyfriend with what the situation was. As I did so, I would take wrong turns, because I was too stubborn to stop, thinking I would be wasting precious sunlight. Unfortunately, after each text I’d cost myself more time having to backtrack and get myself re-oriented. At this point, I’m breathing sort of heavy trying to move quick, and the biting flies are loving every minute of it, because I’m easy to track. They were dive bombing my eyes, my ears, biting my bum, biting everywhere, while I tried to keep it moving. I was being swarmed. Not fun. I lathered up with bug spray every two minutes, and with each new layer, I thought I could hear tiny cries of laughter. The bug spray was doing nothing to protect me. That’s the last time I go out there around dusk. I should have known better.
I finally got through the worst of it, and returned to sugar sand trail. Sugar sand isn’t typically the type of trail I would describe as preferential, but in this case, I was super happy to see it. I turned on the flashlight on my cellphone and guided myself in. Did I mention I forgot to bring a headlamp??? Oh, and my cellphone was running out of juice. I did have a battery pack with me though, so for the most part, I was sure I would be ok with the light from that.
Well, what a fun time… Anyway, once I emerged back into the parking lot and jumped in the van with my muddy untied boots, I had to call off the rescue troops. My boyfriend is a hero. He was already on his way to retrieve me from what I was almost certain would be a locked in jeep. Thankfully, whatever ranger that may have been in charge that night, was either lenient as to when he was going to lock up the gate, or well aware some people don’t plan well and often find themselves taking just a bit longer to get back to their vehicle. Either way, I was free to go. Whew!
Well, next time I know what to expect. All and all, its a pretty cool area to go for a hike. I just was terrible at planning my execution. Sometimes I just wing it. You win some, you loose some. I’d say this was a win though. I didn’t have to be rescued so. LOL! Fun times.
Tonight I got back out there. It’s been entirely too long and I needed it. There wasn’t much distance covered tonight, but I could tell by the end of the first lap, we completed two, I haven’t been off my duff in quite a while. My lower back and calves were tight during and after. I made sure to do a light stretch once I got home which completely relieved both thank goodness.
nights walk is through Three Oaks Park in South Fort Myers. It’s a brief, paved trail, about 1.3 miles that travels in a double loop, and is very popular with other local walkers from the area. That evening, we saw quite a few individuals, couples, and dog walkers. Some people had small children or babies with them. Many looked as though they were just looking forward to getting out for a nice evening of exercise in the warm weather.
We arrived around 7:30PM. Although on the late side, there were many people still playing tennis, pickle ball, volley ball, basketball and more. The park offers pretty much any outdoor group activity you can think of. There are also lots of soccer and baseball fields. We saw a few people taking advantage of the fields being open, using them to stretch and run in, and the park’s playground was full of kids. I imagine this park sees a number of visitors no matter what time of day. It sits very close to a large middle school and many neighborhoods. It’s convenient, it’s safe, clean and it’s got lots of options for activities.
It had rained earlier in the day. So by general standards it was pretty humid for outdoor activities, but I’m guessing better than scorching in the afternoon sun. Either way, the path meanders through a generous amount of canopy, so there is plenty of shade.
There are only a couple of down sides, the constant hum of the highway on the other side of the massive wall that separates the park from the traffic can be pretty loud, and the lake you circle toward on the north side of the park has got to breed mosquitos big time. Thankfully, we prepared with bug spray before starting our walk, but there was nothing you could do to combat the noise of traffic other than possibly wearing ear buds. We circled the path twice, completing 2.6 miles. I forgot my phone for the first lap, so I didn’t record any miles on my Strava app, and missed the opportunity to shoot photos in the better light. I finally grabbed it the second time through and squeaked out a couple of good photos at least.
All and all, I can see us returning to Three Oaks Park to walk frequently. It’s very close to where we live and it’s quite a pleasant walking experience. There are lots of things to see, plus it’s one of the only walking options my sedentary boyfriend has not jokingly complained about. We had a great time and will be going again shortly, I’m sure.
For the past month or so my boyfriend and I have been steadily working on a new floor plan for the van. We took my old kitchenette unit, broke it in two and turned it into this… Feeling excited for when we finally get the sink installed. That’s next.
All the above are the new floor plan. Below is the old.
After work today, my boyfriend and I drove up Burnt Store to pick up a used portable refrigerator for the van. It’s the Whynter FM-65G. New it’s around $600. I got it for less than half that. It’s the type that looks like a cooler, but plugs into your cigarette lighter on the dash. Of course, if you are near an outlet, you can also plug it into whatever shore power you have.
I probably should not have purchased my fridge first since I can think of several items more urgently needed for the van, but what the hell? It looks practically brand new and I’m pretty darn excited about it. No more buying endless bags of ice over and over!!!! Yay!!!
It looks like my next trip is on. Tonight my boyfriend informed me that he finally called his friends Alexy & Bobby who live in Titusville to confirm our stay. We will be making their place base camp for four days starting on November 26th and finishing up the 29th. The hike should include approximately 50 miles, with an average of only 12.5 miles per day. If I’m feeling up to it, and the weather and heat permit, I’ll attempt to go further, of course.
The part of the trail I will be completing is mostly road walking unfortunately. I hate road walking. It’s not typically very scenic nor do I like the attention I get from the occasional creepy driver. On the other hand, something I am looking forward to is having my boyfriend pick me up every night. Which means I’ll have the luxury of getting a shower and sleeping in a real bed every evening instead of on the ground. It’s going to be great!
Now the one thing I worry about is the fact that I have done pretty much zero training for quite some time. I completely stopped working out, hiking or anything for at least a few months. (Minus hiking in Maine on the AT with my friends Stefanie and Garrett for three weeks in August/September. I’m not counting that. 😜)
It’s time to get back on track. I’ll need to commit to some sort of workout routine over the next couple weeks. I have to get back on my game. Although twelve miles a day isn’t a lot, it’s more than likely still going to be brutally hot out there, and the sun is always a motivation killer. Fingers crossed by the end of November we start seeing some Fall weather.
One day at a time. Tomorrow I start a new day and a new regiment.
Within the first mile I saw the beginning signs of water and mud, but nothing remarkable. Watch out for cypress knees and a few roots. For the most part this section of the trail is well maintained, and very well traveled. I assume a lot of day hikers traverse the area often. I am still very close to the visitor center, and the airport. In fact, as I hike in a helicopter took off from the runway and flew overhead. Kind of cool to watch. Wish I was slightly closer though. Still a nice shot for the video.
Mile one marker! I must be hiking “like a girl”. My boots are not dirty although I have passed a significant amount of mud. I had trekking poles though. So, it made it super easy to bypass without incident. I’ve already peeled back a few of the layers I was wearing. Today is cold by Florida standards. I have removed my blue puffy jacket, gloves and scarf. Warming up thanks to body movement and being under full sun. There are fresh tracks from another hiker. I can’t tell if they are coming or going, or what. Just going to remain aware I’m not alone out here.
Between one and two miles in there’s a much more even mix of limestone, mud and pine needles underneath my feet. There are more holes presenting themselves in the limestone, offering more opportunity to twist an ankle. Keeping my nose down. It is way more rocky versus muddy. If you are not looking down, you could very well possibly eat it. I’m so glad I brought trekking poles. I’m always glad to have them though. They keep me out of the mud and help me not slide into the solution holes in the limestone. I do not need to break an ankle. Thank you.
Mile marker two. Decided not to eat anything just yet. I’m going to wait until mile marker three. Beginning to chug more water. Loosing the sweatshirt. Getting hot out. Wish I had replaced my beanie cap with a baseball cap earlier. I’ll do it at mile marker three.
Another hiker just passed me. He looks to be in his early twenties. He has sandy blonde hair with a tapered beard and mustache. He’s about five foot ten to six feet tall, and says he’s just beginning his through hike of the Florida Trail. He actually scared the living daylights out of me, since he came up to me from behind, and I told him as much. We exchanged pleasantries and spoke of the mud and water yet to come. I wished him luck, and off he went. Seemed to be keeping a good pace as he left. Friendly kid. Hope he makes it. Not to self: He’s out here and judging by the tracks I have seen so far, so are at least a few others. I’ll keep an eye open for more hikers as I go.
Mile three. Chugged some more water, ate a coconut bar, and took a picture of my feet just to prove the ground between mile two and three is a bit more on the soft side, and much more muddy. Finally exchanged my beanie for the baseball cap. Got a little more dry as I started out passed mile marker three.
Heard a couple of thuds behind me, but kept walking. Didn’t necessarily startle me, but I made a mental note to stay aware. As I walked I kept looking behind me, maybe about four times or so just to ease my mind. At a point I just stopped, waited and gave it a solid look in every direction. Nothing, but it did prompt me to take my bear bell out and attach it to one of my trekking poles.
Somewhere around 4.3 miles into the hike, according to Strava, I grabbed a sandwich, took a pee and chugged more water. Pretty uneventful so far. Just way more wet than I have experienced this part of the trail in the past. Finally got my socks wet and my boots finally look dirty. Now I’m hiking!
The trail between mile 5 and 6 doesn’t seem too bad. It’s a bit easier to traverse since there aren’t as many holes in the ground and more on the dry side. It’s about 2PM and I’ve been on trail for a little over 3 hours. It’s going pretty good, feeling well and trying to drinking eat every mile or so. Had a sandwich the last stop. Might have some trail mix next. I don’t need to pee yet. So, the next break is going to be quick. I’ll chug some water, grab the trail mix and go.
Checking the GPS SPOT Tracker. The last time I got a text from Matt he said my GPS was only pinging every half hour. It can do that when the batteries are low.
Just stopped at Seven Mile Camp. It had a picnic table and a fire pit, was well cleared, and high and dry. A little ray of sunshine from all the cold and mud. Chugged some more water, took the opportunity to pee, ate some more trail mix and a seaweed snack. I got a text from Matt reminding me sunset is a little after 6PM and to make camp before dark. This was the plan anyway, but I appreciated the concern. He’s a keeper.
Changed out the baseball hat for a beanie and couldn’t be happier. The temperature has dropped a little bit, plus there’s an added wind chill. I currently don’t have service on my cell phone, so checking the weather conditions is not possible. I just knew it was cold.
Past mile marker 7. The trail resembled something you would find in a state park. Touches of grass and pine needles, flat with little to no exposed root or limestone. Only brief touches of both every now and then. Just enough to let you forget they were even there, tempting an epic face plant. The brush was lush and green. It couldn’t have bene a more spectacular day to hike. It was gorgeous out.
Stopped at mile 8 to eat another coconut bar. The trail was pretty nice minus the occasional limestone pits, but for the most part it was pretty solid. Not very muddy and still quite lush. It began to look a bit more jungle like, pretty dense ground cover. The cell service was still almost non-existent. Would try every now and then to check, but otherwise just moved on to mile 9.
10 Mile Camp. My feet were screaming. Decided to take some Alieve, eat a gluten free Rice Krispy bar and some California Medley trail mix, chug water and take a pee. Wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at this point. Had to decide whether or not I was going to spend the night at camp, or push on. This was the last campsite before the supposed gator hole that I was not so excited about having to pass, especially at dusk. Made the decision to eat something and think about it. Making camp that night meant having a longer hiking day on day 2. If I pushed on the next campsite wouldn’t have the amenities this one does, fire pit and picnic table. Thought to myself it might be kind of nice to have a fire since it was most definitely going to be cold that night. Someone conveniently left some logs at the edge of the pit, good camper etiquette meant if I decided to use them, I would forage in the morning for more wood for the next camper. (Which is what I ultimately did.)
I ended up deciding to initially push on to spite it being dusk. I ended up turning around at mile 9.9. It was about a half mile past 10 Mile Camp. (Which wasn’t at 10 miles, by the way. The mileage could be a bit confusing at times throughout Big Cypress. Take note.) It was my first introduction to lake like conditions on trail so far. There was no way I was going to be able to pass this area without completely submerging my hiking boots. Since it was after 5PM and daylight was going to be disappearing shortly, plus I had no idea how long I would have had to wade through the muck, I decided it would be better to just turn around, head back to 10 Mile Camp, and deal with the water in the morning. Besides, I could more easily pop on my waders in the morning while sitting at a picnic table, rather than having to do it on muddy ground. So I returned to 10 Mile Camp, made a nice hot meal, set up my tent and hung my bear bag. I went to bed around 7:30PM. I would say I got some sleep, but I woke up randomly between 1:30 and 2AM. It was very hard to go back to sleep after that. Luckily, I was warm enough, but I could have had a better pillow. Also, my allergies at this point were kicking in big time and I was finding it hard to breathe freely in a horizontal position. I finally took a Benadryl at around 3AM. Hoping that would do the trick and help me get back to sleep. Unfortunately, not really. Just a mention, there was pretty much no wind that night. There had been earlier while I was hiking, but since it had subsided, it made for quite a silent evening. Literally, there was not even a branch creaking, no animal noises, nothing.
Day 2 (Sunday, January 30th, 2022)
I woke up in the morning and it was freezing outside. Inside the tent was comfortable, but also everything had condensation on it. Welcome to the swamp. As soon as my head touched the top of my tent it was soaked, so were the edges of my sleeping gear, my backpack shell, and anything else that happened to be touching the sides of the tent from the night before. Fun. When I emerged from my shelter, I put on my Frog Togs rain jacket. It helped a bit to protect me from the cold. Then I proceeded to put on my waders. They didn’t protect me from the cold as well, but slightly. Which was enough. After I had them on, I realized I probably should have put on a second pair of socks, but they were already on me, and it would have been a pain in the ass to redress. So, I decided to go with the one pair anyway. I figured it would warm up as I walked. When I got to my bear bag, which wasn’t all that far from camp, I quickly realized the built in boots of the waders were definitely not made for hiking. On the other hand, they do have a good amount of traction. The fit is just all wrong. I also realized I had forgotten to pack any sort of silverware, which left me to mix and eat my breakfast, miso ramen, with only the buck knife I brought. Not very efficient. Another realization, I brought the 55 degree sleeping bag with me, not my 25 degree. The second would have made for a much more comfortable night’s sleep, although I was fine last night, I was also wearing all of my clothes from the day before. And another whoops… I didn’t bring the correct trekking poles. The ones I had with me did not break down small enough to support my tent. I use a ZPacks tent and this model doesn’t come with a pole system. You use your trekking poles to support it. Since my trekking poles didn’t break down small enough, I had to get creative and find some sticks that would suffice. Luckily I found some. After breakfast, I eventually organized my gear and stuffed it all back in the backpack. By the time I headed out for the day it was well after 8:30AM. Whoops. So much for an early start.
I had to pack up my tent and footprint, plus a couple other items I had that were dewey this morning. I’ll dry them out when I get home.
8:56AM Finally heading out from camp towards the water at mile 9.9. Wish me luck!
After mile 10 its pretty much nothing but mud slinging. More water than not. When there’s no water, it’s mud. The type of mud that swallows your feet whole. I’ve never before been so happy to own a pair of waders. These things really came in handy. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to use them, so I debated even bringing them, but now I couldn’t see doing this sort of wet hiking without them.
Stopped to eat a handful of trail mix at mile 10. Took a picture of my feet. Chugged a little bit more of what was left of my breakfast, the miso soup, and pushed on. The time is now 10AM. I’m making really crappy time, but I was expecting that it would be slow moving through all this mud. Especially with the limestone underneath as a contributing factor. You never know where your foot will land or what kind of terrain it will slink into through the mud. Spending time making sure I’m on solid ground with every step takes time.
Not sure if I included this or not, but at mile 10 I got rid of the gloves and puffy jacket I had been wearing. Also, the two hats. I took off the waders for a quick change of my pants. I made the move to a more spandex work out pant. They fit way better while walking in the waders. I’m discovering the waders have a pretty solid toe box. I ran directly into a couple of good sized rocks with my feet and felt nothing. Still lots of muddy terrain on my way to mile 11.
Although it’s awesome to have on waders through this all day mud fest, they are very restrictive when it comes to quad and knee movement. I’m feeling the resistance. I tried to do a couple squats to hopefully release maybe somewhere where the waders were maybe trapped by my backpack or other gear, but that didn’t help much. It’s the fit. These a re made for fishing, not hiking. Still making it, but slowly. Still lots of mud.
Dry season, my ass. When I see stones, I try to use them for leverage.
When I can, I walk on the sides the trail where there is a little more vegetation. I can get more traction. Sometimes it doesn’t help though as I find myself still slipping back into the bog. Every little bit helps though. One step at a time.
There’s a part of me that’s happy to be doing this by myself. Although, it would be a bit more fun with company. When you can chat and hike the miles seem to disappear much more quickly. The distraction can work toward your advantage. On the other hand, doing this hike by myself reminds me that I can be a strong person. I don’t need others to help me accomplish my goals. I can, through my own power, be successful. Well, we will see. I still have 19 miles to go before the end of my day.
Mile 11. I’ve decided I’m going to get rid of the beanie cap. Maybe not. I don’t know. Maybe I won’t. I do want to take another chug of miso though, and take a moment to adjust.
10:27am… Mile 11 I did end up getting rid of the beanie cap. I ate a rice crispy treat and had a handful of nuts. I downed some more miso and sent Matt an update from the trail. Getting back to the walking, 10:42am.
I thought about taking off the waders, but every time I do I come across more water. I can never tell if the water will go on for a significant stretch or if its just going to be for a short distance. I don’t want to take them off just to put them right back on. I’ve decided I’m just going to keep going for as long as I can with the waders on for now, no matter how uncomfortable. It’s just more convenient. They are also keeping me pretty warm. At mile 11 I did get a chance to feel around on the inside of the waders and noticed some condensation. It’s really cold outside and inside the waders I’m almost hot. I’m pretty sure by the end of the day all my clothes will be soaking wet from the sweat I’m creating. Good thing I have a change of pants inside my bag for later. I’ll do that once I’m past walking through the really deep portions of swamp. Unfortunately, that won’t be for a while. I am not making extremely good headway, but I’m still moving forward none the less. Checking the time, it’s 10:48AM. It’s still not even past noon, but I’m not even close to half way. I have some ways to go. I better start becoming more mindful of how many and how long my breaks are.
Mile 12… I sent Matt a notice of where I’m at again. Strava says I am 4.2 miles in for today. At this moment I’m going to skip chugging water. Texting Matt another hiker, a young guy maybe 20 or so years old scared the crap out of me, by passing me on trail. I always think I’m aware of my surroundings, but its times like these where I realize I’m not. He passed by and I didn’t see him right away, so I nearly jumped out of my skin when I finally did see him. There aren’t a lot of people out here, in fact I haven’t seen anyone else so far, just foot prints and tracks, but no people. he was friendly enough, but damn. Aged me three years in 30 seconds. Good thing he wasn’t a serial killer, LOL. The young hiker exclaimed he was going for it and thru-hiking the FT. So, basically he just started. I hope he makes it. This portion is the worst of it though. Good luck young man! I warned him how muddy it’s supposed to be up ahead, but we both chuckled about it. I’m pretty sure he knew what he was in for. Onward!
Stopping to cool off from the waders. They’re getting a bit hot to wear at this point. I’m sweating a little more than I’d like. Planning on eating a sandwich and chugging more water at mile 13.
Mile 13… It’s 12:05PM. I just looked at my SPOT Tracker. I must have walked through an area where I had service because I can finally see what mileage I have covered so far on the map. Earlier when I didn’t have service, it was a mystery. So yay! I just ate my sandwich, chugged water, and I need to pee, then I’m taking off again.
So ,the last. time I was out on “safari” with my boyfriend, aka hiking the swamp, after the day we wanted a nice hot shower. Well, that was possible, but not without effort. The Coleman HWOD unit would put out pressurized water for only about two minutes, then drop power. I kept having to turn the unit back on, over and over. Not the most relaxed shower situation.
So, fast forward to being back home, a couple weeks have gone by, and finally I bring the unit upstairs to plug it in, and let the battery charge. I’m thinking if this doesn’t work, I’m going to try changing out the propane tank. It’s got to be one or the other.
Wish me luck trying to figure this one out, before my next hiking trip.
