Ocala 5 trip thread

“This is worse than I expected. Looks like I'm out.”

“Dang.. Nigal signs signs up for a trip and now HE has to bail...

You guys buy careful, this is one time when Im happy we are just having rain..

'32oz”

“i'm out, my knees are really killing me and i just looked on my calendar and i have an event this weekend. i was off on the trip dates. have fun, looks like a nice weekend, good weather.”

“Well crap.
Who is still going?”

“I am still pissed over not being able to go.”

“I'm still looking for a trailhead somewhere in the south. I could be on the road Wednesday afternoon or Thursday. I don't know if I can make it back in time from Ocala to get to work on Monday.”

“It's horrible here and tomorrow is going to be worse. It's not going to end until 7pm Wed. and I needed to leave by 3am Thurs. to make it in time. Eff my life...”

“BTW-
The weather is absolutely beautiful here in Orlando. It really sucks that you guys are stuck up in that mess.

~said in sympathy not sarcasm~








Ok, maybe a little.”

“Im still down”

“The Univ. of Florida Hospital went over me pretty good Monday and Tuesday. Because of a tire problem on my car, I let me daughter and granddaughter drive me to the Hospital. The drove lots of needles into me, set me with ECG wires for use with the treadmill, heart echo (about 2+ hours of it), x-rays(the girl with whom I flirted there, could be US Miss Hospital.) and I had to walk as far as possible in six minutes. I used my walker and had to stop and rest for about 30 seconds about half way through. They left four wires on me connected to some sort of recorder. I had to leave it on 24 hours.

I ordered a new tire today; It should lbe here by noon tomorrow. I expect to return to ONF Friday morning.”

“It's a pretty night here at juniper springs”

“Wish we were there with you.”

“well at least the forecast has improved - just rain in the morning on Sat instead of the thundershowers”

“humanpackmule - GO BACK TO SLEEP!”

“I'm out for the hike. I've got a rouge wireless survey tomorrow that can't wait, so I'll be see-ing everyone hopefully some other time.

Best of weather and hiking to you all.”

“Light rain here last night kinda foggy right now.
I'm waiting on folks to arrive”

“did anyone show up?”

“Nope, not yet”

“At this point I'm weighing my options”

“go hiking anyways - its what I did last weekend when I screwed up”

“I wish I were there....would be better then this crap load of snow!”

“So where did you hike to HOI?
last edited: 2/04/11 7:45:37 AM”

“I hiked up to Pat's Island and back”

“Damn.. you can blame Nigal for all of this.. He signs up, people start bailing, storm of the century hits, and now HPM is all by himself...

'32oz”

“I still need to pet a wild gator....I'll make it there eventually, that's on my bucket list lol”

“My last day on the FT hiking through Seminole Forests I took a side trail to check out a campsite... Across the river was a gator..

I spooked it before I could get a picture, but it was pretty cool.

Also saw what I think was a Kingfisher.. It made 3 dives into the water, but when I had my camera trained on where he was diving, he didnt do a fourth..

Still planning to do a long FT section through Ocala around Christmas..

'32oz”

“the cranes were the highlight of my time in FL - some at Buck Lake during the hammock hang and some more near Hidden Pond (the pond behind the major campsite on the far side of Hidden Pond)”

“Say three of them doing some king of dance in a field.. It was raining and I didnt want to screw up my camera, but I regret not vidwoing it.. They were slowly going around in a circle weaving up and down.

Pretty neat...

'32oz”

“Say three of them doing some king of dance in a field.. It was raining and I didnt want to screw up my camera, but I regret not vidwoing it.. They were slowly going around in a circle weaving up and down.

Pretty neat...

'32oz”

“Some of those cranes flew low over my head this morning making a terribly loud racket. Several of them live in town. moving from place to place during the year, including my home trailer park. They spent a few months at each location.

Sorry HPM, I'm going to stay in Melbourne. Predictable nice weather in ONF may not arrive until Tuesday. That's a weak excuse. A better one was provided at Gainesvile. The doctors want me to take it easy until a week afterI receive the stem cells in my heart on the 15th.”

“Sad to hear that, Paul.

No one showed up by 11 am. HPM was about to bail, but found another group doing a south to north trip. He joined up with them.

I'm sure Florida weather is s--tloads than here right now. Just at 32, and a steady rain all day. I guess it's not that bad, since we're officially in moderate to severe drought conditions again.”

“so treebait - I hear a nice 2 feet of snow is great for relieving drought conditions - especially if it melts slowly”

“I wish we had that here. I remember reading somewhere that 4 inches of average condition snow equals one inch of rain. Don't know the validity of that but it's interesting. ;)”

“treebait - The sandbill cranes were OK. I'm OK, too. The doctors simply don't want me to get sick before two surgeries on the same day.”

“True that, Paul. Take it easy for the next couple of weeks. Let everything set in rather than exerting yourself and cells getting displaced.”

“looking at the drought monitor http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html I now understand why the ponds were so low in Ocala - I was talking with another backpacker at Hidden pond with his comment that the pond was rather low.”

“oops,
I mean rogue.

The survey isn't red or cosmetic and that's not very precise ;”

“Just talked to HPM. Looks like the rainbows have taken over a huge area and ruined the experience for everyone else. IMO, they gotta go. Other than that, he had a good time with the group he hiked with. Not many details yet, but they will follow.”

“The first crane I ever saw was at the Disney Wilderness Preserve. I suggest a visit...especially if you are stuck in Orlando for a conference.
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/florida/preserves/art5523.html”

“is there going to be a trip report?”

“I came, I saw, I meet a nice group of folks and I hiked the entire southern section of Ocala from Clearwater Lake up to Juniper Springs with them. 27+ miles total. Camped by the banks of the Alexander River one night and the northern end of Farles Prairie the second night.

The "Rainbow family" has completely #&%!$ed up the FT from Buck Lake to the northern end of Farles Prairie. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a dozen of them. Everywhere you looked there was a shanty squatter camp. The trail is twice as wide as it should be from them dragging firewood. The trees are littered with hand made signs advertising whose camp is where. Garbage all over the place. Random yelling all night. The place is trashed.

Despite the those a-holes it was a really good hike.”

“Wish I could have made it. It's cold and snowing here.

Those dirty hippies are shameful.”

“Don't tell SC that. ;P”

“Wisht me and my hubsand Gizmaeioux was ther. Gizmaeioux wuld get all them hibbys some perty good ressel ups I promiss! BOL!

I seen plenny of them hibbys be for at Wyodaho so I kno what yall are sayin a bout them hibbys. I will ammit they got my nervs perty good at Trale Days that nother time to. TO MANY YELLS AND WHATNEVER ALL NITE!”

“I'm still working on the details, but I am planning a Section Hike from the northern boundary Buckman's Lock.

Total Miles are would be 86 and I would like to do it in about 4 1/2 days. I would start no later then Dec 23 and end no later then Dec 31.

Trip could be adjusted to include Seminole Start Park (I've already hiked it) as well as to continue North.

In addition I would like to hike some combination of Seminole Ranch, Little Big Econ State Forrest as well as visit Fort Christmas..

Mileage will be in the high teens per day, but I would shorten it some what if anyone wants to meet and do part of the Ocala North/South Section.

Let me know if youy are interested..

'32oz”

“I would like to, but we have our corporate training session set between Christmas and New Years.”

“D@mn Mouse..

First Sentence should have read:

I am planning a hike from the northern boundary of Seminole Forest north to Buckman's Lock.

'32oz”

“I am planning on doing the Panhandle Trace hike in April.. And am looking at the Bradwell Bay Swamp hike in march...

'32oz”

“You are aware that dispersed off trail camping in ONF is restricted outside of the wilderness areas to designated areas and developed campgrounds during that time right?

They limit during general gun (deer) season.”

“Yes, thanks...

I have been looking at that hike for 15 months and have the maps and guidebooks...

Which of the sites do you recommend? There are a couple of days where I have either/or scenarios worked out...

If I do all of Seminole I was looking at Clearwater, Farles, Hopkins Prairie, Grassy Spring, unless some TTer's want to do the missle part with me in which case i may hit Juniper Springs.

THanks,

'32oz”