Ocala Part 4- Cletus strikes back!

“jim Morrison?”

“Gentlemen never tell.... ;-)”

“Ha!! Stovie.."dayhiker used this one at Sipsey and I liked it a lot. Loads of room, freestanding, two doors, and if you split it between two, about 2 & 1/2 pounds each."

What kinda deal is that?..A real backpacking woman is already carring a light weight tent.( 3 lbs )..lol..hmmmmmmm”

“Well, the 'snuggle factor' would be higher in that 3 # tent. ;-)

Now, all I gotta do is find me a 'special someone'.
last edited: 1/28/05 1:10:09 PM”

“NM
last edited: 1/28/05 1:10:01 PM”

“Better thinking yet,Stovie.”

“i placed my order with campmor yesterday. getting a marmot precip jacket, some new shirts and matching fleece for me and my daughter. btw she sleeps in my tent!”

“LOL@cyndeee, no worries, I prefer more mature ladies.

It will be nice to see you again, cyndeee, and meet your kid.”

“I can see! this is going to be fun.”

“About this time next week we'll all be stitting around the fire.”

“http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/tenday.html?locid=USFL0355
looks like perfect weather.
so stovestomper are you out playing with your new gear? i'm waiting for surfergirl to get here so i can get her pack adjusted and pack up some of her gear.”

“I can't wait.”

“s.s. is playing with something alright.”

“Ok, Anyone going to be at Juniper Springs on Thursday night. I thinking of heading on down there.”

“mike and I will be htere by then but CMB refuses to stay at a "car camping ground" So we'll be spending the night on the trail.”

“we may be there, but it looks like we are going to stay with my cousin that lives in ocala. i will know later on this week.”

“we are already packin!”

“Yea!!!!
I'm packing and planning today also.
Made a trip to Wally World for some food and misc junk. I'll decide on which sleeping bag Wed night when the temp forecasts should be better.
Looking like lows in the mid 40s now.”

“I cant wait to get chiggers, WOHOO!”

“Just back with my food. I have to load my film, my pack weight should be about 65 lbs.
Spirit Coyote, if your going to park at Juniper the FT is about 100yrd from the gate and the parking lot. The trail going north, there is a couple of nice camp spots the first few 100 yards.”

“Hey FL, since my back is so bad why don't you drop your pack weight to 44 and take 20 of mine?

It's not looking good for me for this trip. Right now I am flat on my back on ice!
last edited: 1/30/05 1:41:52 PM”

“bummer”

“HPM are the campsites for Friday and Sat night near fire roads? If they are I could come in and bring water and stuff
last edited: 1/30/05 2:32:57 PM”

“Both nights we should be about 3 or 4 miles from roads”

“Damn!”

“Problem is I can't get more specific cause I can't find my maps.
grrr.”

“Don't count me out yet! That may work! I'd only have to carry my tent and sleeping bag.”

“Count out Tenacious Tango?
Heck no.
I expect a 4th period comeback.”

“Once you find your maps if you could give me an area and road to be on maybe I can find you guys.”

“No worries Tango, I use a 12 x 12 tarp, all you would need is a bag and a small piece of plastic. I can put three hikers under it. If you don't mind sleeping out in the open. You can use my stove no need to carry two, that should cut you down to 10 or so. I plan to hike from the side trail in salt springs, so this will make it about 9,10,5. I will be hiking slow, loaded with camera stuff. This is a easy hike, We could park at Hopkins and hike up 4 the first day hike back to the car and hike in from the yearling trail. this would be 4,4,5. Just pack your stuff and be there, we will figure it out when we get there.”

“THANK YOU! Sounds great. I will be iced down for the rest of the week! I'll be there. My stuff is pretty ultra lite I was more worried about the water situation. But if you really don't mind going back to the vehicles that worry is taken care of.”

“Cool Tango, This isn't a problem. I've hike this section many times. I was just down there in December at Sweetwater cabin. So I want be missing out. In fact this works better for me, I will have more time to make an extra set or two. We can hike from the west on Saturday from the forestry road, from there it's only about a mile. But with the high water the road maybe under water and we would have to hike around the Prairie. From the east on the new Yearling trail, it goes across the burn of 94. Their are allot of Scrub Jays and few eagles here. I haven't hiked the trail all the way, But two of my hiking partners hiked it in December and said it was a easy hike. I bushwhacked to the south west to Juniper run, I would not suggest this route.”

“Aew we going to need wading shoes for this trip?”

“Damn fingers, Aew = Are ;-)”

“You have mail Flatlander”

“Now I am confused as to where you are planning to camp on Friday night. It appears that I will have to just play it by ear and roll with it as it happens.

"Both nights we should be about 3 or 4 miles from roads"
humanpackmule

30.1 - Cross FR65
30.6 - Camping on pine island south of trail. Good wildlife viewing.
30.8 - Cross 90-A (which I have not been able do drive on, yet. It is shown on the map as a small "U" south from FR 90. Many nice tent sites with water from prairie ponds.
34.7 - Blue-balzed side trail to Hopkins Prairie camping area. Water, camping(fee), latrine, parking. I believe this is to the east of the campground where the hikers' parking area is located.

(Going west to about 34.0 will be the other end of the campground.)

So, 34.7 - 30.1 = 4.7 miles, within which I believe you plan to camp. If this is where you will be, I would call it at most 2.35 miles from the nearest road. Please find your maps.

I am not trying to argue. I am concerned with just where you will be on Friday night. If I knew, I could make my plans. I plan to return to my car and meet two more people, who will be joining us, probably at Hopkins Prairie Campground on Saturday morning. We will then hike from there to Hidden Pond or do it from Juniper Campground. I don't want to add a long distance(more than about one mile) from Friday's camp to my Saturday's distance. So I may just visit some on Friday and return to a site near to my car. Then my legs will only have to cover one of the following on Saturday:

Hopkins Prairie to Hidden Pond - 5.6 miles.
Hidden Pond to Juniper Springs Recreation Area - 5.4 miles.

flatlander matt - If you can help me with a shorter hike to Hidden Pond, I would appreciate it. My great-nephew and his girlfriend are joing me on Saturday morning. They have never backpacked previously and I want to take it easy on them, as well as myself. Thanks.

I am planning to arrive in Ocala NF on Thursday.
last edited: 1/30/05 6:28:03 PM”

“i have maps that i can fax, not sur if i can scan and e-mail, but i will give it a try.
millsande@hotmail.com, i thought we would be a little closser to the roads. hope we don't have 4 wheelers.
surfergirl and i played with the packs last night to see which one would fit her. shes using my sons that he went to philmont with. volume wise it's a little big but i'm giving her the bulkey stuff. jall our stuff is laid out upstairs, and witing on our campmor order. she's really pumped about the trip. we have always done special trips together, good bonding time, even at 21.”

“No problem Nowslimmer, A few want to shorten the route some, we are talking about parking at Hopkins lot and hiking to the north west end were HPM is going to camp. This will be a beautiful place with the waning moon the stars should be bright. Then back tracking out to the car, driving over to the yearling trail or from the west and hiking to hidden pond. Or something like that. anyway it would shorten up the hike. I hope to make it down Thursday, but it will be late.”

“HPM you have mail.”

“Tango, my reply keeps getting returned. When are you coming up? I'll try from another address.”

“Friday morning. What time do you want to be on the trail? Try Tango331 at hotmail
last edited: 1/30/05 7:43:41 PM”

“tango313@planet-save.com is still on your profile.”

“Yeah, but FL Matt is having a prob. That is still my addy.”

“I can't find my FTA map to save my life.
However I have found my Forest Service map.

My intention is to camp at the earliest nice spot along the northernmost reaches of Hopkins Prairie as one hikes south along the FT.

Those who are concerned about the distance can begin the hike at Hopkins and go north via the FT to meet up or take the Salt Springs blue blaze to the FT and go south to Hopkins to meet up.

Those who get to the northern part of Hopkins first can just pick a site.”

“I'm gonna hike nakid :)”

“Oh gosh, another one of the Rainbow Group.”

“

I can't find my FTA map to save my life.
humanpackmule

Is it too late to get your check to the FTA returned?”

“ns, I am actually hoping to see some old frineds if they are still out there :)”

“They should reconize me nakid.”

“Cottonsocks has made the trip from Marion to Townsend four times this month and is coming back for the fifth (and final) time today.

Given her excessive travel, we decided to stay home next weekend and take a trip in the Smokies. I will miss not seeing everyone, but she is really tired of travelling and I fully understand.”