2024-03-25 29 -81

Location

130' into the woods off FL-314A in the Ocala National Forest, Florida

Participants

Improv

Plans

Grab some lunch, then drive up to the closest point to the hash point, then walk in

Expedition

Lunch - Check
Drive up - Check - I even drove by the airport and hashpoint from 2024-03-22 29 -81 that I didn't attempt
Walk in - Well ...

really more like climbing and stumbling in. It's springtime in Florida and the wild grapes and palmettos are full of new and thick growth. Not to mention 4-6" of leaves on the ground and fallen trees. I fought through all of that until I reached the end of the tree trunk I was using for balance and noticed a drop-off ahead. Looking toward it, I could see water in the bottom and it didn't look shallow --- swim the slough to go the other sixty feet? Nope, not happening. I looked northeast and southwest but couldn't see how far it extended. Rather than wander the woods further, I started the slog back out. Somehow, it seemed shorter going out but the grapevines were more dense. On multiple occasions, I lifted them to go under as it was easier than pressing them down to go over.

When I reached my car, I felt something was moving in one of my shoes, so I took them off while driving. When I reached my next stop and needed to put them back on, I pulled the insert out to shake them out. Attached to the top of the insole was a tick. I instantly felt like more things were crawling on me. After a thorough check, that feeling was proven to be hypochondria.

Photos

Done with Nature - Foiled by a slough
Slough stops me 60' short
So close but no cigar