January 29
End: Rice Creek Hilton
Miles: 30.7
Total: 675.9
The walk for the day required me to get to Buckman Lock while the lock tender was still there so that he could let me cross the lock. Therefore I left the laundry shack at the 88 Store as daylight took over, and didn’t take any real breaks.
A Sunday in the national forest means that I ran into a few people, but mostly I was alone in my walk to the northern edge of what has been a miniature adventure in my long trek.
I found out at a ranger station that the data book’s hours for the lock tender were an hour off, and I had that much more time. I got to rest, then continued on and left the Ocala National Forest.
I hit the lock a half hour before the tender left, not to return again until Thursday. Apparently there is a combination available to FTA members, but I don’t know it.
After walking a bunch of dirt roads on what was probably private property with ATVers all around, I got out to the Rice Creek Area, where I saw a map with a picture of the Rice Creek Hilton, and I instantly knew where my hiking day was ending.
I pressed on for the shelter, but getting there proved difficult. The data book opted for tricky language that I didn’t understand, so I ended up making a few phone calls to a couple trail angels with maps and a computer to figure out how to get there. I stumbled in after dark, crawled up into the loft, and tried to get to sleep.
