Friday, November 15th, 2019
We checked out then walked across the street to grab breakfast at McDonalds. We thought we would be seeing Flattop a little later on, but it turned out that he grabs breakfast there every morning, so the three of us ate together. He took us back to McVay Road where we left off. We only had a short distance to travel before we finished the Blackwater section.
It was a sunny and warm day. A much better day for hiking compared to yesterday’s cold and rainy conditions. Juniper Creek Trail was the section we passed through, and it was also lovely. Flattop suggested we take the short side trail to Red Rock Bluffs. Normally we avoid extra miles, unless there’s food on the other end, but it was justified by our short day to football field campsite. It was a pretty sight.
We took a short break at the shelter before searching for football field campsite. This section was pretty cool. It was single track along a stream that weaved through palmettos and vines.
When my GPS marked that we had arrived, I was confused. The guide said there was a view, a beach, and the site could be found 30 feet south of the trail. There were three side trails to take, so we took the one south. It led to an old dirt road. The one ‘trail south’ went over the stream. The third one just led to the same area as the old dirt road.
We figured the GPS marked the wrong junction and we gave up. So much for our short day. We continued onward. Flattop would tell us later it was the one the crossed the stream. I suppose we just didn’t go far enough back. Oh well.
The temperature dropped, the sun was blocked by the clouds, and it got windy as we moved along. We took a break at a picnic area in Blackwater River State Park before we settled down at a random campsite at mile 41.3. After struggling to pitch our tarps in the wind, we had a beautiful sunset.
Jump Ahead to The Florida Trail – Blackwater Section Part 3
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Jump Back to The Florida Trail: Blackwater Section Part 1
Stubbs Rambles On 