Yo-Yo-ing on the trail from ocean to lake

This morning we got up very early and started packing our things. I was really worried about Slide and hoped he was feeling a lot better this morning. We’ll have to have a big day today to make up for the shorter day yesterday. There would be nothing worse than waking up this morning and still feeling terrible. Once we got going, it seemed to feel pretty good. Sometimes all you have to do is throw up and it makes you feel so much better! Especially if you’re just sick because you ate something bad. And we were already able to joke about how funny it was that he got sick from that sandwich. I made a joke about how we probably shouldn’t have breakfast or dinner anymore. I think ordinary people give a completely different definition to that phrase. But I will never think about it the same again.

We got underway around 5:30am and the sunrise was beautiful on top of the dam. I started my day with a canned strawberry and banana protein shake. It reminded me of those trendy low-fat smoothies that everyone was drinking in the early 2000s. I remember my parents drinking them when I was a kid. Looking back on them now, I feel like those businesses were a pyramid scheme similar to Shakeology. But this protein shake was really delicious and was made by some kind of Spanish company. I’ve only seen them here in Florida. And I had never noticed them until I was walking this time. They’re probably not the healthiest, but when you burn as many calories as we do, they’re probably great for you. It was a delicious and surprising way to start the day. For the next hour I enjoyed the beautiful sunrise as we continued walking along the seawall. Overall, we were heading toward a trailhead where we would begin the Ocean to Lake Trail this morning. From where we camped last night, we were just 7 miles and eight miles from the start of the Ocean to Lake Trail.

The fun thing is that we won’t just be doing the Ocean to Lake Trail. In fact, we’re going to Yo-Yo-ing the Ocean to Lake trail. That means we’re going to get on it today and walk from Lake Okeechobee all the way east to the ocean. Then when we get out to the ocean we will start the Ocean to Lake trail again and walk all the way west back to Lake Okeechobee. When you make a trip in one direction and then return in the opposite direction, it is called Yo-Yo. In fact, I’ve never done a Yo-Yo on a trail before, so this will be my first time. And I’ve never hiked the Ocean to Lake trail before, so it’s also very exciting. I’m excited for some new scenery. And I’ve also heard that the Ocean to Lake Trail is like a mini version of the Florida Trail. Apparently, it has road rides, pine forest, palm trees, swamp and beach. So, I’m excited to see how well it reflects the Florida Trail as a whole. I’ll be sure to let you know.

The strawberry banana sports shake I drank this morning.

When we reached the trailhead where the Ocean to Lake trail begins, we stopped for our first break of the day. Slide looked like he was still feeling better, which was great news. I had a little less energy compared to normal. Which makes a lot of sense because last night he threw up everything. And then we immediately went to bed, so we didn’t even have a chance to refuel on those calories. While sitting at the trailhead, we saw three hikers passing by. Which means we’ll be passing some people very soon! We’ve hardly seen anyone on the Florida Trail. But the Ocean to Lake Trail is apparently much more popular than the Florida Trail. It’s only about 70 miles long, so I think it’s much more digestible for most people. It would be easier to go out and do a trail like that on a long weekend than to hit the Florida Trail. I hope we see a lot of people while we are on the Ocean to Lake trail. That would be great.

This morning we saw a beautiful sunrise from the dam.

The trail began with a dirt road that took us to a kind of field. There were men with equipment doing something. But I can’t really tell what they were doing. We then ended up entering a forest which was really beautiful and provided great shade. We were walking through an area with a mix of pine trees and palm trees, and it was really pretty. We passed multiple picnic areas and lovely places to stop and rest. I was already loving the Ocean to Lake Trail. We also passed this cute little gnome who was leaning on a trail marker. It was absolutely adorable. And we continued until we stopped at our first water source of the day. Which was just a huge puddle of water right next to the trail. Just before we had passed the three hikers in front of us. We walked behind them for a few minutes until they finally let us pass. And then, when we stopped to get water from the fountain, they passed us again. Which makes a lot of sense because they just started the journey today. Therefore, you won’t really need water for the first hour or so. After drinking water there, we ended up passing those hikers again. I guess this will be the trend for the next few hours.

This adorable little gnome was leaning on a trail marker.

Around 1:00 pm the beautiful, dry trail ceased to exist and we headed into the swamp once again. If we had chosen to stay south on the Florida Trail, we would not have had to go through more swamps to Big Cypress, just before the end of the Florida Trail. I love that we decided to add extra miles and chose to do it on the Ocean to Lake Trail. Definitely not the easiest mileage we could add. We probably could have gone extra time around Lake Okeechobee and it would have been the same mileage but much easier. Instead, we’ll trudge through the swamp for a fairly significant portion of the Ocean to Lake trail. And whatever swamp we have to cross on our way east to the beach, we’ll have to cross again when we return west to Lake Okeechobee. Which is funny and doesn’t happen very often during long distance hikes. You almost never do a round trip.

It was so much fun heading into a section of swamp that I had never encountered before in Florida.

When we first entered the swamp, we trudged through the water for about half an hour. Then we went out onto a dirt road and passed under some huge electrical cables. And just when I thought the swamp was over for good, we went back in. For the next 3 or 4 hours we walked almost exclusively through standing water. From time to time we would stop briefly at a campground and enjoy a rest on dry land. But the swamp was practically continuous for the rest of the day. Around 3:00 pm the trail passed a really nice campground with a campfire area and benches. Slide And I decided to meet there for our next break. So I continued and headed to the campground. I got there first and took the opportunity to edit a video. When he caught up with me, he said he wasn’t feeling very well, which was a huge shame. He had done pretty well throughout the day, so at least I was optimistic. By this time, we were already 25 miles into the day, which was great for how early it was. So we decided to take a very long break at camp in the hopes that it would make him feel better. He laid down and took a quick nap which seemed to help.

I loved the way the lush vines reclaimed this tree with a Florida Trail marker.

We spent most of the day walking in knee-deep swamp.

By the time we were leaving there, it was closer to 4:00 pm, which was a bit of a bummer. But it really doesn’t make much difference. I was glad we stopped there to take a break because after that we ended up heading back to the swamp. And we were crossing swamps on and off for the next hour or so. Later in the afternoon we ended up hitting some dirt roads that were at least on solid ground. But around this time it also started raining on us! We are really getting a little bit of everything on the Ocean to Lake Trail. We ended up moving forward in the dark for a couple of hours. We then set up our tent on a nice flat spot and called it a day. Tomorrow we will continue along the Ocean to Lake trail and head to the beach, where the trail ends. Then the next day we will start the Ocean to Lake Trail again!

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By the end of the day, I felt pretty comfortable walking in the murky water hgtgdfgdtr10.

Endless swamp as far as the eye can see.

Slip past me walking through the swamp.

Luckily, we didn’t have to go through this!

The good Ocean to Lake trail.

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