Trail Miles 160 to 235
Trail Angel Doug picks us up and delivers us to the red line trail. (Red line trail is the official Florida Trail, blue line is re-routes around temporarily closed sections). He gives us lots of helpful information. Thank you Doug! We skip a bit of the blue line walk, but decide we walked enough around town yesterday to do the miles of the closed red line trail. Hike your own hike. Choose your own adventure. (We plan on returning and hiking the section that was closed)
Songbird flies back to us today too, from her visit home. It’s nice having her back. We also meet a hunter on an electric bike and a huge group of Boy Scouts, as well as a trail angel named Uncle Buddha. We also discover that the Kissimmee River is full of huge gators; a congregation of them. We were going to get water there, but it was already late in the day and the gators were big and came toward us as we neared the river. We were very thankful to find a cattle trough to filter from. For those hiking behind us there is a little crick around mile 186.4 on the guthook app or you can always brave the gators!
Kissimmee Prairie Preserve: Cowboy Camp to KICCO:
Today is a special day for me.
It’s my 56th birthday and I’m shouting for joy at being able to be out here hiking with my beloved. I’m truly grateful. I’m also grateful for my trail friends who deliver to my bed a double chocolate coffee and for Songbird who runs miles out of her way to get me and others a beer from Hippie Chick at the State Park campground. Celebration.
This sculpture is at camp headquarters. It’s of the extinct Carolina parakeet. It’s been gone for one hundred and one years. The sculptor who made it goes around the world placing sculptures of extinct creatures where they were last seen. It is so sad. I read in the book, "A Land Remembered", that hunters shot these birds for sport and their brilliant colored feathers. (We highly recommend this book for those hiking this trail as a history of the development of Florida).
We cross the lock as the shadows start to lay low and hike towards our camping destination of the town KICCO. It stands for Kissimmee Island Cattle Company. One of Hawkeye’s shins is hurting, so we are walking incredibly slow. When we finally arrive, we find our trail friends and Bayou, a friend of Sunset. We also find that there is very little left of the once thriving cow town. Just a few sidewalks in the tall grass along a bend in the Kissimmee River. I share my beer with my man and watch the river and think about how good, but fleeting life is. Grab it, savor it while you can.
Kicco to River Ranch:
A cool and beautiful morning along the river. I awake after a fitful sleep dreaming about a bygone time along this river and a woman who has a disfigured face. It's an interesting dream. My imagination is apparently vivid. We pack up slowly and then hike even more slowly towards the River Ranch Resort nine miles away. Since Hawkeye is still hurting, we’ve decided to stay at the hotel there tonight. It is quite expensive, so we hope it is nice. We are thankful our budget allows for such extravagances. (there is also camping, but it is pricey too).
Bayou drives up and offers to carry Hawkeye’s pack forward, he hesitates, but then loads his pack in the van. Easier walking without his pack and we hope to be able to stay out here hiking quite a bit longer. Shin splints are no fun and nothing to take lightly.
First thing you see at River Ranch is Tepees.
Thank you Miss Emily Rose at the General Store!
Lesson learned: Things change; adjust and move on.
Three minute slideshow of this part of our hike:
Okeechobee to random camp:
Trail Angel Doug picks us up and delivers us to the red line trail. (Red line trail is the official Florida Trail, blue line is re-routes around temporarily closed sections). He gives us lots of helpful information. Thank you Doug! We skip a bit of the blue line walk, but decide we walked enough around town yesterday to do the miles of the closed red line trail. Hike your own hike. Choose your own adventure. (We plan on returning and hiking the section that was closed)
It’s a quiet paved road walk at first. We chit chat with a man walking his dogs. We enjoy the cool morning. Soon enough we hit real dirt trail and wander through prairies dotted with oaks and palms and palmettos. Cattle scurry out of our way.
Today is hot and for some strange reason every time I hear the bay of hounds or a dog bark I think of slaves fleeing to freedom. It's weird. I feel a strong urge to run and hide. A primal fear overtakes me. I’ve obviously read one too many books, but am struck by the courage it took for any slave to have tried to run away. I've never before realized how hard it would have been to escape and it would have taken a lot of courage and grit.
We hike pretty fast all day trying to catch our hiking buddy Sunset, but no luck. As we approach the Cracker Trail Store late in the day, we find out he is behind us. Somehow we passed him. This is so strange, but he has met up with another hiker and promises to catch up to us soon.
The Cuban sandwich at the store is great and all the folks wish us well and tell us to be careful out there. It’s sweet. This neck of the woods is cattle country and dare I say, a bit redneck. Being a bit of rednecks ourselves we can relate and we talk a while in the gathering shadows on the big covered porch. (The conversations we have along the way are a highlight of this trail).
The Cuban sandwich at the store is great and all the folks wish us well and tell us to be careful out there. It’s sweet. This neck of the woods is cattle country and dare I say, a bit redneck. Being a bit of rednecks ourselves we can relate and we talk a while in the gathering shadows on the big covered porch. (The conversations we have along the way are a highlight of this trail).
We hike back to the trail and stealth camp in the woods under a huge oak. The sunset is amazing and we sit quietly and enjoy the show. Hawkeye even has a BARKalounger.
Cypress Strand to Oak Creek Campsite:
The squirrels wake us by raining acorns on our tent. Or so it seems. When an acorn hits a saw palmetto it sounds a bit like a snare drum. Who knew? A glorious sunrise awaits us with the mists rising and birds flying off to work. It’s so special we linger over a second cup of coffee and some honey buns. Honey buns may be heavy to carry, but they sure taste good in the morning with strong cup of Joe.
The walk is lovely today with big live oaks spreading their branches festooned with Spanish moss. I’m in love with Spanish Moss and the grasses of the prairies we pass through. We also see are first armadillo and hear turkeys and wild hogs in the brush.
Songbird flies back to us today too, from her visit home. It’s nice having her back. We also meet a hunter on an electric bike and a huge group of Boy Scouts, as well as a trail angel named Uncle Buddha. We also discover that the Kissimmee River is full of huge gators; a congregation of them. We were going to get water there, but it was already late in the day and the gators were big and came toward us as we neared the river. We were very thankful to find a cattle trough to filter from. For those hiking behind us there is a little crick around mile 186.4 on the guthook app or you can always brave the gators!
Oak Creek Campsite to Cowboy Crossing Camp:
It rains in the early morning hours and we lay snug in our tent and enjoy the sweet sound. Lightening and thunder liven up things and then drift farther and farther away. Mayor , Katana and Schweppes depart camp before us (they had arrived after dark) and we laze around until Sunset rejoins us and we swap stories of our time apart. The earth smells sweet from the rain and our hearts are light as we load up and head out on another adventure on the Florida Trail.
We soon come to Uncle Buddha's camp at Starvation Slough. We also meet up with Mayor, Schweppes and Katana there. We all dry our gear as Uncle Buddha feeds us well on hard boiled eggs, kielbasa and more freshly percolated coffee. He sends us off loaded down with fig newtons and other treats. Thank you Uncle Buddha! He’s from New Hampshire, “live free or die”, and has hiked 500 miles on the AT and we sincerely hope to see him again further up the trail. I cannot say it often enough, but it is people like this that make this trail so special.
A Cathedral of palms awaits us and the morning light shines bright through the palms and oaks covered in ferns and is a perfect spot for praising our creator on a Sunday morning. Hallelujah! Our hearts hush and we are filled with peace.
We pass quite a few bow hunters today and we tell them of the hogs and the wild turkeys we heard the day before. The hunters are all very friendly. The air boats on the nearby Kissimmee River occasionally make their presence known with their noise.
The trees give way to prairie when we enter Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park and we lose the Florida Trail orange blaze a time or two. We gather water from Duck Slough and get off trail on a shortcut road and get to the primitive Cowboy Crossing Camp quicker than expected. We are happy to see a fully functioning pitcher pump and gleefully dump out our brown slough water. The barred owls hoot and holler early in the evening as we enjoy our camp fire. Mayor, Katana and Schweppes join the four of us after dark, as they didn’t get off the official trail. We are very impressed with these young men and their integrity and trail finding ability.
Kissimmee Prairie Preserve: Cowboy Camp to KICCO:
Another blue sky day. We now think Florida should be the Big Sky State. It is so flat that the sky stretches as far as the eye can see and being surrounded by water and full of water it creates the most voluptuous and beautiful clouds I’ve ever seen; day after day after day.
Today is a special day for me.
It’s my 56th birthday and I’m shouting for joy at being able to be out here hiking with my beloved. I’m truly grateful. I’m also grateful for my trail friends who deliver to my bed a double chocolate coffee and for Songbird who runs miles out of her way to get me and others a beer from Hippie Chick at the State Park campground. Celebration.
This sculpture is at camp headquarters. It’s of the extinct Carolina parakeet. It’s been gone for one hundred and one years. The sculptor who made it goes around the world placing sculptures of extinct creatures where they were last seen. It is so sad. I read in the book, "A Land Remembered", that hunters shot these birds for sport and their brilliant colored feathers. (We highly recommend this book for those hiking this trail as a history of the development of Florida).
We have a big group of hikers today (Songbird, Sunset, The Mayor, Schweppes, Poet and us) when we head out from camp headquarters. I feel a bit awkward and shy but I am really in awe of Katana, the dog. She pulls at my heart and soul. She’s 8 1/2 years old and has only been completely blind for a few months. She does well. Exceptionally well considering she has had her eyes removed due to developing glaucoma! She is completely blind. Her best bud, The Mayor, has her walk a few miles a day, but mostly she rides high on his shoulders sniffing the air. She is a princess and she is adorable and she is an inspiration on adjusting to the changes life inevitably brings.
We cross the lock as the shadows start to lay low and hike towards our camping destination of the town KICCO. It stands for Kissimmee Island Cattle Company. One of Hawkeye’s shins is hurting, so we are walking incredibly slow. When we finally arrive, we find our trail friends and Bayou, a friend of Sunset. We also find that there is very little left of the once thriving cow town. Just a few sidewalks in the tall grass along a bend in the Kissimmee River. I share my beer with my man and watch the river and think about how good, but fleeting life is. Grab it, savor it while you can.
Kicco to River Ranch:
A cool and beautiful morning along the river. I awake after a fitful sleep dreaming about a bygone time along this river and a woman who has a disfigured face. It's an interesting dream. My imagination is apparently vivid. We pack up slowly and then hike even more slowly towards the River Ranch Resort nine miles away. Since Hawkeye is still hurting, we’ve decided to stay at the hotel there tonight. It is quite expensive, so we hope it is nice. We are thankful our budget allows for such extravagances. (there is also camping, but it is pricey too).
We are walking through a hunting and fishing area today and more cattle lands. The cattle watch us and we talk to them, “come on ladies, come on now, ” and they walk towards us. Just like home. Somebody is feeding these cows.
Bayou drives up and offers to carry Hawkeye’s pack forward, he hesitates, but then loads his pack in the van. Easier walking without his pack and we hope to be able to stay out here hiking quite a bit longer. Shin splints are no fun and nothing to take lightly.
First thing you see at River Ranch is Tepees.
The River Ranch Resort states it is the largest dude ranch east of the Mississippi, although it seems more like a resort to me. It’s a big place. Looks a bit like Frontier Land at Disney. There are rodeo grounds, lots of paddocks and stables and animals and a saloon and church and store and laundry and restaurant and marina and post office and RV spots and Lodge and glamping tents and tepees and cabins and a rock climbing wall and skeet shooting and a mechanical bull and zip line and probably lots more. For us it is a place to pick up a resupply box and a place to eat and rest. I’m typing this in the bathtub now.
Thank you Miss Emily Rose at the General Store!
Lesson learned: Things change; adjust and move on.
Miles hiked in this section: about 75
Total Miles: about 235
Along the Florida Trail we’ve hiked from Big Cypress to Big Sugar to Big Water to Big Dude! What’s the next big thing?
(There is camping at River Ranch as well, but it too is expensive. You do get use of pool, hottub and bathrooms with showers, so it might be worth it. The store has some resupply options, but it is fairly expensive too. Our resupply box took time to find and it was at the hotel check in. Check there first if you send yourself a box. The General Store did serve a good lunch. It was Mexican food the day we were there and not overly expensive. Hiking out of River Ranch we discovered that soon after you leave the property you exit the road and cross a fence and there is plenty of random camping there. Bring water.)
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