Ocala Part 3

“woo hoo!”

“Looks like I'm not going to make this trip unless someone within a few hours of Columbus has a spare seat for me to ride in. I'll probably see most of you guys at Sipsey in March.”

“Did you get my email?”

“Sho did.
I need to make another copy and then send it out.”

“Bummer Dub.
Next time dude.”

“. . . . need to make sure before I make that drive with the crazy one.

Can't wait to hike with some TT'ers I've not seen in a while and also meet up with a lot of new ones!!”

“tap tap tap
testing 123
testing 123

yep, It's still on.”

“Just found the foiled (lol) ground beef at the NEW area Super WalMart (WHAT A MOB!!)

So how do you anticipate using that ground beef?

(oh yeah and beyond that, am counting the moments till takeoff!)”

“So, no one has asked that I can remember. How are bugs or mosquitoes??”

“Tasty, if you prepare them right!”

“C'mon, NS. I need a better answer than that for packing. ;-)”

“They were not bad the past two years. Suggest you have OFF or something for your legs and ankles, just in case you encounter some chiggers. (Cans might leak at cold, high altitudes on the airplane.)

And please don't be showing off your toe! How is the toenail, BTW?”

“LOL, NS! Ahhhhhh the toenail!! Are you saying I should leave the polish off, so you can see it in all its glory??!? LMAO!!! (Actually, you'll probably much more enjoy my scaly - snake looking skin on my ankle... details later! hehee) (P.S. Would you like to see the dirty spot on the bottom of my foot, where I stepped on a rusty nail in my pre-teen years?? LOL!)

OK, I've done some research and see that there are two, if not three, geocaches we should be able to score while BACKPACKING!! Two are in the vicinity of Rodman Dam. A third one is "traveling." It is to move along the Florida Trail. As of right now (wee hours Sunday), it would be on our hike. However, if anyone else caches, it would be good to check to see if it has moved, say, by Thursday night.

Or maybe I'll mob onto Om's computer that night to check??! Still, it could be moved by someone, because we wouldn't be near it till Saturday, as it currently stands. And someone else could move it by then.

Also, it sounds like a cool virtual cache at a sinkhole near the intersection at Interlachen.

Anyone have a Garmin Gecko to bring on the hike? I could bring my GPS, but it's a bit bigger than that, it's the Etrex.

Happy caching!! Some TT "finds" to be had!”

“Thanks HPM!

Just five... count'em... five days until the trip. 1,2,3,4,5. You can even do it on one hand.”

“hey lizs can you forward me the chaches? i have an etrek and was thinking about bringing it. where are you driving from?”

“hey humanpackmule did you mail my maps? all i really need is directions to grassypond. looks like on my aaa map it is off 316, turn north on 88-4 to grassy pond. is there a sign pointing the way? is anyone spending the night at grassy pond on thursday?”

“I sent it last night. (I had to make more copies)

Those are the directions and every camping area I've been to in Ocala has a sign but some of them are small and kinda hard to read sometimes. So look closely.”

“thanks hpm look forward to meeting the gang and getting out in the woods.”

“thanks hpm look forward to meeting the gang and getting out in the woods.”

“Looks like I may be leavin dayton, Tommorrow!am! ICE storm movin in. Will see ya all soon.
Cyndeee- How far are ya from treasure Island? I may be there for a week. Yo bear!
HPM After the scout hike I may head to OMS, And I may meet ya at the TH seems like it is very close to OMs house.”

“Hi cyndee. I'll be riding down with gojo from Atlanta, with an overnight at Om's Thursday. And I see there's a new cache in downtown near where she lives, also. Only found by 1 person so far. I wrote that person and got an extra clue to help find it in the dark. heheee... Sounds like lots of Floridians (does that help prevent cavities?? LOL) place bizarre microcaches, the likes of which I haven't seen where I'm from.

Anyhoo, you might have to have a log-in on the website to be able to see these:

Rodman Dam Cache

Ghost Micro No. 1

FLA Trail Traveler"

Page and map listing area caches. However, I'm a premium member, so you may not be able to access this

This one sounds real neat near Interlachen”

“I see, as I double-check the links, that you only get the "stripped down" version of the map, not the zoomed in version I came up with, which has 20 caches in the area IDed. just so ya know.....”

“cyndeee - I will probably be there. I plan to drive to the area on Thursday.”

“Its almost time people.I am all ready!


8)”

“jerbear- i can spit to treasure island from where i live. i'm north of john's pass.”

“thanks lizs i will log onto to the site and get the info. the weather is real balmy here today. took a 6 mile walk dow the beach this morning. i also set up my new one-person tent to cut a ground cloth. the piece isn't quite big enough, i'll have to see if i can find another before leaving.”

“ah yes john pass, Mad beach u know.
See ya ont the hike. I may be at grassy on thurs myself. Latter! Yo bear!”

“I have the stove and the prize $$$$.


See ya Friday.


8)”

“Thank you very much..woohoo!!! OCALA bound..My first year anniversary with Trail Talk..What a wonderful year it was too..Thanks to all you great TT'ers.. : )”

“yo mike! c ya phriday!”

“No doubt Bear!


8)”

“yo bear! if you be at Grassy Pond on thurs. evening me and cmb see you there.”

“. . . and anyone else that happens to be there on thurs. evening!”

“Congratulations, trekkngirl. Glad you're here. You're loved at TT.”

“Thank You, nowslimmer!”

“i am outaa here! C Ya! Yo bear!”

“What do the experts say to wearing trail runners instead of hiking boots on this one? Sounds like the trail is not too technical.”

“I did last year Dhutch and it was easy trail walking.

8)”

“I wear trail runners for all my trips. Only hike I won't be wearing them is one in very cold weather.

Have you tried them before?”

“Nah”

“What kind do you want to buy then?


8\”

“We will be there late thrusday night. We will leave Memphis around 12 on Thrusday.”

“SS, CMB
Sorry I didn't explain my sarcasm. I almost live in my trail runners on the weekends. I really prefer to wear the boots only when it's snowy or the terrain requires some extra ankle support. All is good I'll bring my new balance. Saves me weight.”

“No problem.


I am going to be getting a new pair very soon.

Don't know which one yet.


8)”

“ahhhhh, I was wondering about taking trailer runners over the weekend. I've just never worn them for backpacking yet... hmm...... something to debate. I don't know if I have the sock system down yet for trail runners. Plus, I can turn my ankles on a dime and the ankle support of boots helps.”

“dhutch - sarcasm does not transfer to the typed word very well. ;-)

lizs - Trailrunners should work well for this trail, but if you have weak ankles, go with what works for you.”

“lizs - There are no rocks in FL to turn ankles on! Hope this helps. ;-)”

“SS, well, as ODD as it sounds (LOL, it know it's odd!), about right off the bat at Cumberland Island I had a "minor" ankle turn... one where it starts to turn and you catch it, mostly because of your boot support, so you don't end up with much of a problem. NOT a major or hardly even a minor sprain.

And why did it happen? We had just started from Sea Camp on this trail that was much enclosed with palmettos, live oaks, etc. There were a lot of raised tree roots on the trail (as well as smallish holes from armadillos rooting. LOL!) One of those two things did me in. I don't like to look down at the trail all the time (and didn't think I had to there)... and gojo was setting a fast pace, so I had to walk pretty durn fast.

**And I never said I could walk and chew gum at the same time. I even think I "twinged" one of my ankles later on that trip.

There, with all that in mind, what say ye??”

“lizs - You better stay home. ;-)”

“I am looking so forward to this hike again.


Meeting new and old friends again.


Good times!!!!


8)”