If you love to hike, you probably don’t mind getting down and dirty. But there are a few good reasons to practice good hygiene while out in the woods.
Our second Florida hike together was at the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve in the middle of winter. It was a breathtaking expanse of grassland below an infinite blue sky above.
Karen took me to her favorite place in Florida, where the Florida Trail ambles through the Ocala National Forest in north central Florida.
We set out on a mini-adventure to Jennings State Forest to hike two new trails – The Dunn’s Farm Trail and The Pioneer Trail – and help get them online for more people to explore.
We have hiked several sections of the 1,280-mile long Florida Trail, which we love. But while we were staying at a campground in the Lake Okeechobee area in the early spring of 2019, we decided to hike a connected spur trail, the 61-mile Ocean-to-Lake Trail.
I’ve visited Cumberland Island so many times I feel I could hike the backcountry blindfolded. But Troy had only taken a day trip there, and was eager to explore the trails with me…
The first half of our 1.5 mile ascent back up Big Frog Mountain was straight up as we knew it would be, stopping every few hundred feet to catch our breath. We’d gone less than a quarter mile before the rain started to pour again and the trail slowly became more muddy and slippery…
The rain ended overnight. But it was so dark on this slope under the trees we woke up late. Still, we made time for coffee, love and breakfast before we packed up and started back the way we came…
Once, when the trail dipped down below the ridge, we spooked a bear that was on the ridge only a few feet above us. We didn’t see it through the brush but it sounded big…
As the path turned upwards again to climb Big Frog Mountain there was no rest from the ascent. Our hearts started pounding and we started to sweat pretty good..
We are Girl Hobo and Rusty (Ren and Troy), two greys who met on the Appalachian Trail. We started a life together, converted a van to travel and hike across the country, and we like to eat well. Now, we’re sharing what we’re learning on the road, and we’d love you to join us!