Hiking the Florida Trail for the second time this year

Last night I arrived in Pensacola around 11 pm and grabbed my bag, took an uber and was at the hotel at 11:30 pm Not bad at all. The travel day wasn’t as brutal as it could have been. So this morning it was pretty easy to wake up bright and early. If we are going to walk around 38 miles a day, then we should definitely start early.

Slide and I got up and started packing. I still had a lot of my gear out of my backpack because I had put it in checked luggage. I also had some food from Trader Joe’s to pack. But it didn’t take them long to get situated. We then set out to walk directly from the hotel room to Fort Pickins. That’s where the northern end of the Florida Trail is. So we’ll add a little extra mileage by doing it as a round trip. Once we walk towards Fort Pickins, we will walk again past the motel.

The Florida Trail is only 1,100 miles long. Therefore, hiking the Florida Trail alone wouldn’t be enough for any of us to hike 10,000 miles a year. But if we add extra mileage wherever possible, then it could be done! So moments like this are going to be perfect. Yesterday, Slide uploaded exactly this section as a round trip at the end of the day. Now he’s doing it again today so I can officially do the whole Florida tour. How nice! I’m excited to be able to do the whole trail again, and then some.

Seeing the beach for the first time, again. What a year it has been.

The sun was rising when we left. I forgot how beautiful these Florida sunrises were. It’s fun to be back in Florida in November. Just 2 years ago I was here finishing my longest hike to date, the Eastern Continental Trail. Now it seems like a lifetime ago. And yet, it was incredibly recent. I think this will be a unique chapter of the year just because of those memories. I formulated the plan to increase B2BCYTC when I was finishing up the Florida portion of the ECT in 2023. That was the first time the idea crossed my mind. And from there the idea grew and grew until it was much more than just an idea.

Walking towards Fort Pickins.

It was a beautiful start to the day as we walked from the hotel in Pensacola to Fort Pickins. We walked along the beach with views of the ocean for most of the way. Sometimes we were further from the water and other times closer. Slide wanted to walk on the beach for a while at some point. Maybe later that day, when we were walking around sunset. For now we have chosen to stay on the shoulder of the road. Walking on sand can be absolutely exhausting!

Beautiful white sand beaches.

It was a strange feeling to get back into the rhythm of walking. Of course, I only took leave for the last 3 days to travel. So it wasn’t a particularly long break to come back from. But for a long time this year I had been planning to end my hike now. When I finally reached the south end of the CDT, I was able to go home and finish. And now here I was, back in Florida for the second time this year! How does this always seem to happen to me? I just can’t help it. Here I am once again finishing a hiking season adding extra miles that I never intended to do. It seems like a tradition at this point.

It was really amazing to start the day by sitting on the beach. But we were saving the miles of beach walking for later. That’s a time-consuming business!

After walking along the road for a while we finally reached a side road. That took us toward a camping and recreation area that was close to the fort. It was nice to be in the shade and on a quieter stretch of road. And it wasn’t long after that we reached the official northern terminus of the Florida Trail. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever be here again. Especially after hiking through Florida again earlier in the year. Yet here I am.

The good old Florida trail!

There were many areas along our route where we could stop and get some water. That was very nice and we took a short break from time to time. It’s really cool to walk with Slide for the first time all year. We have both walked over 8,000 miles this year. And none of those miles were together until now. If we both want to hit 10,000 miles by the end of the year, then we’ll walk 1,600 miles together over the next 6 weeks. That will be my biggest mileage boost of the year. One last challenge to close a year of endless challenges. How appropriate.

At the northern terminus of the Florida Trail! Let’s do this bad boy again. Only this time I’ll do the entire red line, plus about 450 bonus miles.

Once we marked the terminal, we started backtracking towards where the hotel was in Pensacola. It was fun just looking at all the beautiful mansions along the way. And it was great to be able to talk and share stories. Especially on a section of trail like this where we were frequently on the sidewalk or walking on a wide shoulder. It was a really fun way to kick off this next and final chapter of the hike.

I missed the amazing trees down here.

When we returned to the city we stopped and had something to eat. There was a subway right along the route which was nice and easy. And we stopped again here and there to top up water when we passed by a fountain. For the rest of the day we would be traveling in and out of Pensacola. Then we would pass through a quieter area as we headed towards Playa Navarra. Which, as it turned out, lined up absolutely perfectly to finish our drive. A 60 kilometer day would take us to the Days Inn in Navarra, which was ideal. I don’t want to sneak camp in areas like this if I don’t have to.

We are no longer too far away to reach great Cyprus.

After entering and leaving Pensacola, we continued walking along the highway. Mainly on a bike path which was really nice. And eventually the sun started to slowly set and we decided to go out on the sand. We both took off our shoes and walked barefoot in the sand. Going down closer to the water, where the sand was more compacted and easier to cross. It was certainly more difficult to walk on the sand than to navigate the asphalt. But it was worth it. The ocean was absolutely stunning as it reflected the glow of the setting sun. For the next hour we walked on the sand and watched the sunset. I walked too low on the wet sand so that the occasional wave would come up and splash me. It felt so wonderful to let the salt water splash across my skin. To think I was in the New Mexico desert just a few days ago. How did I get here?

Pensacola Beach! It was great to be back.

The ocean looked amazing as the sun began to set.

The night was absolutely perfect as we continued along the beach. Finally, the sun set completely and sank into the endless sea. As I walked I observed tiny pipers scattered along the beach. You would approach them and then the entire group would take flight and glide just above the crashing waves. What a wonderful sight! I feel very lucky to be here again. I think this time I’ll really be able to appreciate the Florida Trail for all it is and all it has to offer. It will also be interesting to experience the contrast and juxtaposition of walking this trail to begin and end my year. The emotions surrounding these two chapters are radically different. It will be a completely new experience.

Tie my shoes to my backpack so I can walk barefoot on the sand for a while.

Sitting on a small dip in the sand that made the perfect bench.

Finally, Slide and I headed towards a parking area with tables and pavilions. Walking along the ocean was incredibly beautiful. But it would be nice to relax and not exert so much energy. Plus, we weren’t necessarily having a great time. And it would be good to get to Navarra beach as soon as possible. That way we can check into a room and have some dinner!

One of the most incredible sunsets of the entire year. I feel very lucky to be back here.

Once we got back on the sidewalk, things started moving faster. The sun completely set and we turned on the flashlights. Then we continued along the side of the road and finally crossed the bridge towards Navarra beach. There is a walking path, so it is not dangerous at night. On the other side we headed to the Days Inn. I actually stayed here on my Florida Trail hike in 2023!

Heading towards Navarra beach.

After checking into a room, we ordered some dinner. There was an Indian place nearby that also delivered! That sounded amazing. When the food arrived we were defeated. It’s crazy to think we’ll be doing this mileage every day for the rest of the year. I know very well the cost this will have! But the first week will be particularly difficult as we adjust. Then, hopefully, things will feel a little easier. It will be interesting to see how I get involved this time. Will I do better after my previous 9 week stint doing 37 miles a day? Only time will tell.

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What a wonderful first day back on the Florida trail.

Glide into the distance.

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