The Best Section of the Trail - Florida Trail Thru Hike ep2
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- čas přidán 2. 04. 2020
- Part 2 of 3, the thru hike across the Florida Trail continues! Entering the best sections and hiking anywhere in the entire state.
We start today along the Aucilla River, in the Aucilla Sinks Section. Surrounded by sinkholes, hiking along a river that disappears into underground caves, only to appear again further down the trail. This is one of my favorite sections, lush and green in a jurassic kind of way. As if you'll see dinosaurs while in this area, it is actually known for giant armadillo much further back in time.
After the Aucilla we begin the longest roadwalk on the florida trail, but it's not so bad! 48 miles, but they're all farm roads, back roads, dirt, without many cars, or traffic. We breeze on through the Madison City area. Excitement is high as soon we will enter what many say is the best section on the entire Florida Trail.
The suwannee river is a favorite of many. I've personally hiked this section 4 or 5 times, and it never seems to get old. Hiking along this ancient river that many like to kayak or canoe. Underneath old growth oak trees, high up on the banks of the river. Through the sugar sand beaches on the waters banks and edges. This section is 60 something miles long and is just incredible. There are even multiple shelters for hikers to stay at and get out of bad weather! Holton Creek River camp, and the Randy Madison Shelter. Most of the river is pretty slow moving, you probably won't see any alligators in the winter, but there are some pretty cool rapids at one point, and of course the rivers banks just have the most incredible limestone walls. Could be good for some rock climbing over the water!
After the suwannee we enter osceola national forest. It isn't my favorite section but it is a great are fr bird watching, and is pretty cool to see the endless matrix of slash pine trees. Home to the oldest shelter on the Florida Trail as well! In this section we were hearing of a nasty storm coming our way, we decided to stay out there in it, and in the end I sure was glad we did! It was awesome to be in the tent during such a storm, high winds, heavy rain. Sometimes it's experiences like that which make the journey what it is.
We pass through Camp Blanding, gold head branch state park, etoniah creek, and then enter rice creek conservation area! Home of a two story shelter. It was here lotus got attacked by a bat, owl, flying mouse? We still don't know but she hasn't turned into a vampire yet, so think we're safe.
Leading into Ocala National Forest, for the longest time this section was known as the area to come and do. The area to come and section hike. The best section hike on the Florida Trail. I personally dont agree with this, though it is an awesome 100 mile section of single track hiking trails. Just off trail on short blue blazes you can visit all sorts of springs. Silver Glen springs, Salt Springs, Juniper Springs, and Alexander springs so that really is a huge plus. Florida actually has more natural springs than any other state in the country! And the Florida Trail just happens to go right by a few of them.
This is part two of three. The hike continues!
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Filmed before any of the Corona virus precautions were in place, I am currently home, self quarantined, and hope everyone out there is being safe and staying well! Cheers
Awesome to see you and darwin on that stream, it was like a fan fiction for thru hike videos
Hey Jupiter, I'm planning a through hike on the Florida Trail next year. Should I camp with my duplex or hammock? Or both. Really appreciate your videos! Super Swoop Trail Runner!
@@stevenshepherd4114 both would work! So whichever you like more. The one thing with hammocks is the southern 200 miles there are parts where finding spots wouldn't be as simple as a tent, but there's definitely still spots. An option is to start in a tent, and send the hammock ahead to river ranch or Okeechobee. I like the hammock a lot for the nights where it's not as cold you can get a good breeze under you
You pointed out before that you like the FT I never understood that but this series really shows the diversity and beauty of this trail. You are a great Ambassador for this Trail👍 and the Sport in General👍👍
The Suwannee River holds a very special place in my heart ❤
Perfect with my beer and fire pit this fine evening! 😊 Thnx! ✌
Did a solo hike of the Ocala section in the late '90s when I was a student at UF. It would be neat to go back again. Thanks for the great vids!
How long did it take you? I’m trying to make a plan!
Thank you. These videos are amazing for those of us in lockdown - just had my letter from the prime minister - and do a great job of showing the Florida Trail off.
Many of our trails are in need of volunteers to help out.. Everyone should consider checking with local trail groups and see what you can do.. I volunteer on the Allegheny Trail here in West Virginia.. We can all make a big difference..
Thank you for sharing your passion
Wonderful. Thank you, sir.
Epic vlogs. Thank you.
Looks like you had a good time! Thanks for sharing your experience
Some beautiful scenery.! Thanks.
Thanks for another great video!
Beautiful hike!
Beautiful takes and great editing. Thanks for sharing how great this trail is!
I think this is one of my favorite videos you’ve put out yet!
Beautiful work you two. A much needed escape and reminder that there will be better times ahead. Stay safe and well! Much love
I knew nothing about this trail until now. Super insightful. Looking forward to more episodes. Great work!
Hey thanks! I didn't get to record much the first go other than photos so I'm really happy now I can share this trail with others. I appreciate the kind words!
You have me hooked! What a beautiful landscape. Jupiter and Lotus , Cheers!
very nice, I enjoyed that
Cool hike
Great vid as always man
Nice work.
Crazy y'all met the Shaws! When I was in middle school I was best friends with Poet's nephew and I met them quite a few times. Amazing people who really inspired me to thru-hike.
This is some of your best work thus far. There were sections where I remembered taking a picture at that spot or thinking I camped right there; however, when you showed Econfina, it was unrecognizable. Glad you were able to finish again before everything got crazy. I left you a message in the logbook at Rice Creek when I went there to help work on the bridge. Look forward to more videos of my favorite trail.
If you were working in the bridge I probably just barely missed you! Another hiker/cyclist said the trail crew was just back on the trail, but I guess due to all the side trails in the area we must have gone a different way. I love the rice Creek section! Thanks for volunteering!!
Great video. Exciting to see warm weather and open water to this northern hiker. (It snowed yesterday.) The trail would be a lovely winter getaway. Thanks!
Love seeing the scenery there, so different from here in Norway.
Florida is such a wild landscape!!! So swampy!
Nice tshirt, very usefull, difficult to forget what to take with you while prepering to hike on the trail. Very interesting film. Peace.
What a awesine edit buddy! Love thid style of videos/doc.
Looking farward to the next one already!
Sick! Love the documented style of vid, had no idea those Armadillo moved that quickly. Trail looks really varied. Can’t wait for the 3rd instalment dude ✌️
Me neither man, they sure are easy to scare. I've had some run directly into a tree after startling it. Others jump straight up into the air
JupiterHikes haha crazy things! Never seen any in real life. Only been the FL once, those huge crickets where allover.
Damn son. Just one great video after another.
Excellent vid, man! Great pace, narration and information. I was supposed to be in Paris today and take a train down to the border with Spain. Then, start the Camino Frances on the 7th. Your vid makes me want go hop on the Florida Trail in Kissimmee. But, I'll wait. Not just Covid, those pesky noseeums, mosquitos, and snakes would degrade my experience. Thanks for getting my mind off social distancing for a while.
Good point about the warm blooded aligators
I can not get there right now, real great to see the trail .may be next year .
I love the Suwannee section from Big Shoals west. Great old Florida and a bit different for us natives with the cliffs and rapids.
This was my favorite video. I actually found your CZcams channel from your comments on Guthook through this section.
Thanks for this, most of Europe in lockdown for a while so had to cancel a hike but nice to see this. Best thing I took from this is that you can tickle an alligator under the chin and hug it for a selfie, but only in winter. Thanks, will do.
The Suwannee River section is the best. I'm also bias since I live in the area lol.
My buddy and I just did a section hike 2 weeks ago which was 17 miles from alexander springs to juniper springs. We did 4 miles the first night and 13 the next day to finish and I ran out of water and became severely dehydrated. (We thought we were closer to our final destination then we actually were and didnt refill enough water) Anyway, I learned a ton on that overnighter and its good practice for my upcoming Pinhoti and AT thru hike ill be doing in the next couple of months. We also plan on doing the FL trail thru hike later on. Love the videos man!
this is my home track! i live about 5 miles from that pepsi machine!!!
Do you stop often? We heard the price was about 75c but got there and it was a dollar. I was wondering if maybe they up it when hiking season rolls around lol
@@JupiterHikes Yo this is some DAMN good content brotha! You a real one
There is something about the Florida landscape that calls to me. My father is buried in Orlando, my grandmother buried in Miami, great grandparents buried in Apalachicola, and more family buried near Tallahassee. I lived there for a while when I was very young but haven't been back there for a long time. I think I would love to do the Florida trail at some point, although I am getting a bit old, and I need to do the AT first. That was my first love and I have wanted to thru hike since I was 8-9 years old and got lost on it with my brother while my family was camping in the Shenandoah.
Oh boy, talk about crossing paths. I was concieved on Sanibel Island and re-visited it many times though out my life. Now it's just a commercial sand bar. One of my childhood vacation spots also was the Smokies. I was 8 when the family went to Clingmans Dome and I started to wander the paths. I ran into a through hiker who stopped me and told me about the trail. That trail I want to walk again as well but I have to finish up another chapter of my life to do all of these things. Hike On! Cheers!
@@berniebroering7438 oh I spent a lot of time in the Smokies as well! My mother used to take us camping every year, but it was always family campgrounds and we went all over Virgina and NC. We were in I believe Big Meadows campground and my brother and I decided to explore the campground and took a trail to the amphitheater only to miss a turn and ended up on the AT. Never did find the amphitheater, and started seeing little tents along the trail. Couldn't figure out why they were camped so far from the bathrooms! We were eventually tracked down by a park ranger. We told her we were just going ti o the end of the trail and she said that it didnt end until Georgia in the direction we were going, and in Maine in the other. Been wanting to hike it ever since.
Yeah boyyyyyyy
Definitely adding the Suwanee and Ocala sections to my list of short hikes to take as my first backpacking experiences locally this winter. (The list so far was Ocean to Lake. Haha!)
It actually sounds like a perfect 2-week excursion to hike the Ocala section and take all the side trails to springs. Springs are my single favorite thing about Florida.
Really nice commentary. You do a nice presentation that makes the Florida trail even more inviting. What was your timeline in hiking this scenic trail?
I'm planning a walk from Upper Peninsula Michigan down to Key West starting this July (I walked across America west to east last year), getting to Florida in December or January. A couple questions: 1) on the Aucilla and Suwanee Rivers I noticed you drinking the water without filtering - is that typical for most of the trail or just mostly those sections; 2) for December/January from White Springs down to the end, is it possible to comfortably cowboy camp or would you recommend a tent all the time?
most people would filter, and i would recommend doing so. I cowboy camped a lot on my first thru hike of the FT, probably most nights. If the weather is good, and you don't notice the bugs on a particular night I say go for it! Just don't sleep in an open field, always have good tree cover to avoid the morning dew. Some areas you'll need a tent either for the exposure, or the bugs, but not always. Sounds like a killer trip!
If you look, Florida has massive limestone, but it's mostly underground. There's your river. Cheers.
1:13 My man looking like Sufjan Stevens
Lotus wishes
I was thrilled to see the rattlesnakes and alligators in Florida. But the mosquitoes were terrifying.
Great videos! Thank you for sharing. In your opinion, for a first hike on the FLT, what section would you choose between Pensacola and Jax?
Suwannee, got it! Thanks man!
This makes me iss Florida so bad!!!
Looks like a great trail to do in winter. It’s one I’m definitely considering for the future. How much money would you estimate this through hike would cost?
It takes about two months, we did about 6 motel stays, so it depends on your style and motivation but it's certainly much less of an investment both with time and money than something like the appalachian or pacific crest trails
ive got all my backpacking needs( i think, watching you tube tips,ideas😁) since december. but gators in my mind keep me away from doing it.
Hey, Jupiter, I've sectioned a lot of this, but thinking about doing a thru.
Mainly did west Croom area, Greenway, ONF, and Suwanee section hikes, but wanted to know what you thought for the best thru-hike East or West?
I am leaning East since I already saw quite a bit of the west side with Croom, Greenway, and Eagle trails/MTB.
Would love to hear your thoughts on thee ideal FT Route!
Awesome video, what hat are you wearing?, I like it.
I have to lmao everytime I see those two dogs in everyone's videos they are so cute 🥰. How about those killer dogs the 3 white ones did you get attacked they seem to bite several people on current videos ?
Is there a safe place to park your car to begin the Aucilla River Section going east for 7 days hiking?
Sounds like that could have been an owl that hit Lotus
Possibly an owl, we thought maybe a screech owl, a nite hawk, or a rat that dreamed of flying. The first reaction was that maybe its a bat, and naturally we freaked out over rabies for a while but in the end she shows no signs and all is good.
JupiterHikes yes rabies is very scary, glad everything has turned out well and was just another part of the adventure.
Not the same exactly but the Mighty Mojave river spends a lot of time underground as well. Always there but often underground.
• BTW Palmetto Bugs ever a problem on the FT?
We never had a problem with palmetto bugs but saw a couple on the outside of the tent here or there. Lotus was also attacked by a flying grasshopper, which because she was screaming, made it into her mouth. Bad luck with the animals this trip! But could be worse
@@JupiterHikes Glad it was only a grasshopper. But kinda dark and you don't know, geese no wonder she was screaming. 🦗
The Swanee River probably has more elevation gains and losses and most places along the Florida Trail
Absolutely! Eglin AFB, and Ocala NF do give the suwannee a run for it's money in elevation tho
@@JupiterHikes I've also hike the Ocala National Forest section you're right the only difference is the Swanee has more share drop offs oh my god I've also heard up around Blackwater river is pretty hilly as well
Still wearing the NB minimal shoes?
Until I run out of them it's what I'll wear. They just fit me so damn good. It's unfortunate they don't have just a bit more cushion
@@JupiterHikes I was thinking the New Balance 706V2 postal shoes... Can't seem to wear them out! My only modification was to replace the laces with Lock Laces (Robert Killian OCR). Cheers!
Tshirt source?
Jupiterhikes.com for the tshirt
JupiterHikes Order executed.
Her back pack looks so wrong to me (the top pulling away from her) I would imagine her back and/or shoulders are sore AF after this hike
Did i miss it? Wtf attacked her?
We don't know, could have been a bat, a night hawk, a screech owl, or any other bird who is awkward and may be trying to eat a big from her headlamp. Could have also been a rat who dreams of flying. We freaked out cus if she had rabies that would be either really expensive, or fatal
You pronounced Etonian wrong kind sir. It’s pronounced Et-nya creek. Or at least that’s how we say it. I’m from Palatka