This past Saturday (March 2nd), I decided to join about 150 other hikers on for the 2019 “Ididahike,” an almost eleven mile hike on the Florida Trail as it runs alongside the Suwannee River. I found out about the hike via a local REI events email and impulsively signed up. The annual hike is one the Florida Trail Association‘s larger fundraisers, so it seemed like a good cause.
Heck, I didn’t even really know there was a Florida Trail, but I suppose there is, all 1100 miles worth between its two termini in South Florida (Tamiami Trail) and Pensacola in the western panhandle. Not as sexy a thru-hike as the Appalachian or Pacific Crest, but still, that’s a lot of ground to cover.
Anyway, there was what seemed like a good turnout, and everyone was in positive spirits despite some pretty nasty Florida thunderstorms all morning. Much of the hike was in a downpour, but it’s Florida, so while it was wet, it was still plenty warm.
As for me? My phone said I completed the hike in a little under four hours. I probably could have finished sooner, but I lost a half an hour at the multiple checkpoints along the way stopping to talk to many of the other hikers… one guy was all the way from Ontario! I was also somewhat surprised how sandy the banks of the Suwannee were. If the weather was nicer, it could have been a beach day.
Heck, I’ll even toss in an unsolicited recommendation, Altra makes some damn good trail shoes (Lone Peaks). I was a bit achy after the hike, but my feet felt great!
In any event, here are some photos and a little video.
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Here’s a map, we hiked along the river starting in the bottom right near where it makes that last bend toward I-75, northwest to the upper left where the river crosses Route 129 at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park Campground.
Back in the day, the Tamiami Trail was just a two lane road from East to West. My how things change. Glad you had a good time.
MichaelQuite an adventure; have you thought about making a return trip to fish some of those streams using a nymph or small popper? Thanks for sharing
A lot of things change I suppose. Maybe I'll get down to that end one of these days and check it out.
Bill… you know I stopped and looked at every fishy place I passed. I don't know how much would be in some of the feeders, looked more like run-off than a consistent creek, but there's definitely fish in that river.
Looks awesome. That river looks like it would be fun to swing a fly in, while dodging gators 🙂
LOL, that's the truth. Who knows whats in there. I hear sturgeon!