View Full Version : 2 week trip
Hiker8261
02-27-2011, 19:50
I am looking for a trail and specifically a section to get some weight off and trail legs back for a longer trip this summer. Two weeks of hiking from mid to late March. I am leaning toward the FT because of weather and easier terrain figuring I can adjust the mileage as I feel I need to.
Looking for minimal road walking, reasonable access for air traveler, 4 to 5 days between resupply stops.
Any suggestions?
chris
Walkintom
02-27-2011, 23:02
Look at the sections around Orlando. There is a lot of trail within accesible distance of a shuttle ride. MCO usually has decent flight prices and schedules.
The wife and I have had lots of fun at Myakka River State Park as well but that would be coming out of Sarasota airport. And it's sort of small for more than a few days. Though I believe it has adjoining properties with continuous trail.
WingedMonkey
02-28-2011, 00:43
I love the Florida Trail, the Florida Trail sucks. I love the Florida Trail, road walks suck. I love the Florida Trail, access sucks.
It's difficult to find a ten day hike without some serious road walk. The longest stretches without roads are the Everglades, and the National Forest, Ocala NF, Osceola NF, and Apalachicola NF.
Forget the Everglades you don't have time to get a permit to cross the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. And none of the National Forest are very close to any kind of large airport.
Are you planning on renting a car? Are you willing to take Amtrak once you get here? Even that has been cut in half, since Hurricane Katrina more than five damn years ago Amtrak still doesn't go from Jacksonville to Pensacola. Use to be one of my favorite ways to hit the trail.
What airports does your airline fly into in Florida? Like Walkintom says Orlando is about the closest to more trail heads, but not right on them either. If you can do Ocala Nation Forest Trail it's the best bet for a ten day, but will take some figuring as to getting to the south end, and back from the north end.
Are you willing to break up your hiking and do different sections?
Not to put you off of doing a ten day journey on the FT but it will take a little more planning than just flying to Florida.
Hiker8261
02-28-2011, 20:51
Thanks, that is what I was afraid of, no easy way to do a longer hike. That Ocala NF section would be a possibility.
chris
eArThworm
03-01-2011, 11:28
Fly to Tallahassee. Get FT trail angel (me) to shuttle you to north end of Aucilla River/Sinks section, hike the Aucilla, St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, and as much of the Apalachicola National Forest as time permits. Shuttle (me) back to Tallahassee and fly out. How's that?
Tipi Walter
03-01-2011, 11:36
I think you owe it to yourself to consider carrying two weeks worth of food and fuel and then finding a place you can explore for this amount of time. You can save yourself the long drive to Florida and instead pull a two week trek into the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests in TN/NC without resupply. There are plenty of places south of the Smokies where you can go and do some tremendous loops. Cohutta wilderness. Citico/Slickrock wilderness. Bald River and Upper Bald River. Benton MacKaye in Slickrock south to Ocoee River, etc etc. FUN WITH MAPS, etc.
WingedMonkey
03-01-2011, 13:55
Fly to Tallahassee. Get FT trail angel (me) to shuttle you to north end of Aucilla River/Sinks section, hike the Aucilla, St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, and as much of the Apalachicola National Forest as time permits. Shuttle (me) back to Tallahassee and fly out. How's that?
Great section for a "wilderness" hike. If you can get to Tally take her up on it.:sun
A little random, but have you considered a big loop in the Joyce Kilmer Citico Creek Wilderness - it'll kick your ass, but it is truly beautiful - you can do 6-7 mile days and hike pretty much the whole place in 2 weeks with minimum backtracking
You can get to Buckman dam from the Gainesville, Fl airport. The north trailhead for the ONF is at the Buckman dam. Gainesville is easy to get a connection to and it's a small airport with not much traffic. However, unless you've hiked in Fl in the summer time and are accustom to the heat and humidity it might be better to find a hike in the northern part of the country.
Hiker8261
03-02-2011, 13:35
That idea sounds very good. I read through the sections and the area seems very much like what I am looking for. I have ordered the map set and data book today. I also looked at airfare to that airport and it is reasonable. Tentative dates would be March 22 to April 5.
Perhaps I can email or call for details?
Hiker8261 (at) cox.net
Chris
Fly to Tallahassee. Get FT trail angel (me) to shuttle you to north end of Aucilla River/Sinks section, hike the Aucilla, St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, and as much of the Apalachicola National Forest as time permits. Shuttle (me) back to Tallahassee and fly out. How's that?