Arrested!

The next morning, Amanda drove me out to the Seminole reservation once again, this time with the intention of hiking south from where I started the day before to the I-75 rest area. Only the first three miles or so would be in the reservation, along a bad dirt road that looks like it is rarely ever visited, and I was optimistic I'd see no one along the way who would challenge my being there.

I was a bit sad, however, to be hiking southbound. I never hike southbound. I did the entire Appalachian Trail northbound. I'd done the entire Florida Trail (until today) northbound. It seemed kind of wrong to do this section southbound, but it would be easier for Amanda to wait at the rest area on I-75 to pick me up than on the reservation where I'm not supposed to be hiking. Not to mention that little technicality my book mentions that says you only need a permit if you enter the reservation on foot. By hiking southbound, starting in the reservation, I can honestly say I did not enter the reservation on foot. I left it on foot--twice, in fact--but I never entered on foot.

Amanda dropped me off at the junction of the well-graded gravel road and the badly maintained dirt road, and I touched the small tree with a pink ribbon on it, then started hiking south.

I touched the pink ribbon, because I used that to mark my starting point the day before, touching it before hiking north. By touching it on my way south as well, I could be sure of not missing so much as one single footstep across Florida. =)

The road, as predicted, contained no people or cars, and I reached the reservation boundary after about an hour. The reservation was done! I was free of them! Free at last!

The trail continued to follow dirt roads all of the way to the rest area, and I made much better time than I expected. I knew north of I-75, Big Cypress wasn't as wet or muddy than to the south, but I had no idea it would be completely dry and on dirt roads the entire time!

I told Amanda I expected the hike to take about five hours, which included a half hour break for me to rest. Instead, I hiked all the way through, non-stop, in three hours.

Predictably, Amanda was off sight seeing somewhere, and not waiting at the rest area for me. I called her from a payphone--the same one I called DebBee when I needed her to pick me up--and when she answered, I asked, "Can you bail me out of jail?"

She didn't believe me for a moment, though, but said she was about an hour drive away and she was on her way.

I bought a Coke from the vending machine, the same vending machine I used while waiting for DebBee, except I selected the Coke from A-4 this time. (I got it from D-1 while waiting for DebBee. I like to shake things up when I can.)

Then I sat at the picnic table with the least bird poop on it, and started typing away my adventures.

Amanda pulled up about an hour later, with a large burrito and chips for lunch, and I dug into them while telling her about the hike.

It was still early in the afternoon, however, and Amanda asked if I wanted to hike more today. "Yes," I answered.

We drove back through the reservation, to the northern boundary where I had stopped the day before, and continued hiking. North, this time, after slapping my hand against the street sign that I used to mark the end of my hike the day before.

Amanda drove up the road about three miles, about an hour worth of hiking, and occupied herself with reading, cross stitching, and sleeping until I caught up to her.

The road walk was tediously boring, with large vehicles speeding by which is never fun. The hike southbound was rather nice, with no traffic and scenic views. The road had nothing compelling to enjoy.

I found Amanda, parked off the side of the road about an hour later, and told her I'm good for another hour of hiking. "Meet near the intersection with highway 835?"

And so the road walk continued, with vans packed full of migrant workers driving by all afternoon. I wondered how many of them were illegal, suddenly proud that I was no longer in the reservation and on the right side of the law. =)

Once again, Amanda was waiting, and offered a cold drink from an ice chest and ask if I wanted to continue on.

I said no to the drink, but did continue on, this time a couple of miles down Highway 835 where the road and the trail finally splits into two different directions.

This segment provided a small dirt path parallel to the main road, alongside a canal, and I walked on the dirt path happy to finally be away from the speeding vehicles.

About 45 minutes later, I found Amanda, parked behind a bush. I walked around it, pounding the top of the post behind the car to mark the end of my hike for the day, then jumped into the car, startling Amanda who had not seen me behind the bush or at the back of the car. =)

It was now sunset, and since the road split from the trail, it was no longer convenient for me to hike further this day.

We drove back to our hotel in Clewiston. The day was done.

Reporting in from Christmas, FL. =)