Go your own way (ect day 57)

• Hiked today: 18.9 miles

  • Stevie Beach Alt. (0.2 – 19.1)

• Total hiking: 1,205.7 miles
• Totally paddled: 99.5 miles

Weather: Sunny, 52-72 ° F, perfection!

Electricity lines spot to the TopSail Hill State Park

Today would be the first day of my planned alternative route. I take it back, yesterday I cut off a whopping 0.2 miles from the FT … that can't forget. On the way there is never a day when you know what you can expect. I assume that also applies to life in general, but if you go off the designated route to go my own way, it feels as if there is another level of strangers. Especially this time it has the feeling to fly it because I had only planned it for a few hours.

During my first round, the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), I never did such things. I stayed all the way in the books and covered every accessible and open centimeter of this path. On the second trip I walked the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) when my eyes were opened for the idea of ​​the alternative.

In a sense, the CDT trail is a route for the selection with an adventure, as there are so often divisions with more than one option. There is always an “official” red line, but it's not always the most popular. According to the 2024 after half an anywhere survey result (a large resource), more than 90% of the hikers in New Mexico took the Gila River alternative, and I was surprised to see that over 78% prompted the challenging cirque of the towers in Wyoming's Wind River range. My experience is that sometimes the alternative is taking great and wonderful and worthy diversions, but sometimes not so much. I have regretted not staying on the red line a few times. For me it seems a bit like a coin tower.

There are various reasons why people strike a different way … maybe it is a shorter mileage or easier or better cared for, or maybe it is safer. At the CDT in Colorado, I made the hard reputation of bypassing many of South San Juan Mountains with the “Creed Cutoff”. I was really looking forward to the fact that this section heard that it was one of the best in the entire trail, but in mid -October, and hiking again, it was dangerously happy in this 12,000 to 13,000 foot. I still plan to return there!

In general, I would like to have the feeling for the fact that the alternative supposedly better or perhaps more unique landscapes offers, and that's what the “go your own way” is about “go your own way”. This time it is not so much that the Eglin part is not good. I actually hear that it's a really nice section. It is more that I am dressed to the ocean! And I sacrifice a good way for a road walk to get.

This will be the third time that I drive my own unique path through considerable mileage. I got out on the CDT and the road went around the National Forest Land in New Mexico after mass fire closures. At the beginning of this ect trip, Team Al-Li-Gator took over the Everglades Kajak adventure. And here I go again. It seems as if I treat the ect along the strategy for the selection of adventure. It is important for me to lead a continuous way (if I can help), but I will continue to be relaxed to be this way or that, etc. Every time I go like this, I have repeated Fleetwood Mac in my head: “You can go your own way).” ”

A trip to the dentist

I continued the power supply corridor and immediately felt potential difficulties that were only out of sight. Large truck noises. I thought I could be here, but could also see how some private supply companies could land it. There had been no signs like “no violation” or “did not enter”. I would deliberately search for it.

When I said goodbye to the hill and found a large building site with huge excavation equipment, I just continued. It seemed like putting the underground network of pipes for an entire housing estate (I think anyway). Nothing moved yet, apart from a few cars and pickup trucks that enter the area from the opposite direction. My guess was that you wanted to start for the day … a planned start time at 6:00 a.m.? It was about ten minutes earlier. Maybe because it was a cold morning and nobody climbed out of his vehicle or even rolled over her window, I was not insulted because I was there and strolled through. Really, the whole thing worked out great, it was nicely packed sand to the streets I tried to reach!

With this first obstacle, my next task was maneuvering next to a huge highway. I had a few miles to get to the city of Freeport, FL, where I wanted to visit a dentist.

This also passed without incident! There was a widespread area in which I could walk 20 to 30 feet from the asphalt scand. There were some exceptions where I was forced to get to the street shoulder, mainly on bridge crossings.

I think I was a little over -zealous to take care of it and stand behind me because I was to the dentist an hour earlier. Some had warmed up things, but it was still cool when I was sitting next to the building and searching on my cell phone. I went in exactly at 8:00 a.m. and was checked in. This place was pretty nice, I thought, so I just opened and saw it. When I called yesterday, they told me that this was my best option. Hopefully I will not pay it later as an emergency visit or something. However, it was in my insurance network, so hopefully that helps.

After all the schemes to get to the dentist, I didn't really find out much. They took X -rays and nudged around in my mouth, with the light lights, but saw nothing too directly. I was told that I have two deep fillings in this area and one is located directly on a nerve. That seemed to me. They wanted me to an endodontist, a root canal specialist who referred the street down, but I didn't make sure it would take how long it would take … days? It is not hurt at the moment and I still haven't tried to change to sensitive toothpaste, so I thought I would try that first. Your general transfer would be useful later if necessary. So yes, I keep going and the dental saga continues.

The large roadside

On the way out of the city I got something McDonald's and dried out my tent. There was a lot of condensation last night. After I was filled with coffee in my hand, I met the big highway again. Fortunately, this side of city traffic was a little slower. However, I will not gloss over it, it was by no means on foot. This was more of a kind of “simply to my beach destination” for about 10 miles on foot.

There was a large bridge over Choctawhatchee Bay. It was perhaps three miles long and immediately reminded me of my Bridge hiking experiences in the key. How then did it matter to me. It is a strange feeling; Watch how all these people drive their lives in cars. What I did was strange, but it felt like a memory of how happy being outside, temporarily separated from daily grinding and responsibilities and the like. In the second thought, all of these people may have a stress -free vacation!

On the other side of the bridge there was a petrol station where I found lunch for lunch. At this point I am quite low in relation to the rations, but it works because I can simply fill myself on the way because there are so many comfort and grocery stores.

Nature is neat

After the break I walked across the street and found a two route that led in Point Washington State Forest. This would be my natural section for the day, a few miles through what has now become a fairly known forest setting for me …

Beaching it

That was only two hours or less, but it was great to be on the road! It led me to a small tourist place in the “city” of Santa Rosa. After a few short, narrow, no traffic streets, I found a public beach access area and came here …

On the phone with my brother, he could easily feel my excitement. I was pumped out to have made it to the beach and to be so breathtakingly beautiful. Wow!

This is exactly what I was hoping by going out the FT from the FT, a chance to get to the ocean! Although I didn't see a single person in the water, it didn't take long for me to jump in directly …

Great! Simply incredible. I was surprised that the water was such a beautiful temperature. I expected some to take the breath away, pull a quick jump and then withdraw, but I just stayed out there.

After I had dried, I started my walk right along the bank. My goal was a few miles on the beach, TopSail Hill State Park. For the most part, I sprinkled it all the way. The exception was a short BOP on the street to use the toilet and get a few snacks for the rest of the day. I still had dinner, but I had to add what I had.

The Shorbirds were fun.

Now you may have thought I was hoping that I might just be able to camp on the beach. No. Instead, I booked the last available campsite at the campsite a few days ago when making this scheme. So I still had to check in at the reservation office. So I was looking for the beach.

At that time it was shortly before 5 p.m. and I really hoped to get to the beach at sunset. For this reason, after I had checked in and showed where my place is, instead of being erected, I plunged back to the beach like a gazelle. However, I didn't even have to use my animistical skills, but there was a free tram that went exactly at that time to go to the beach!

The timing worked perfectly. Since I had my backpack with myself, I thought I would find a place, triggered my sleeping pillow and watch how I went down everything when I ate on a ramen bomb and drank a corona …

What kind of scene, are I right?

This afternoon was a special part of the trip and one that I will like to remember while I continue! I stayed far past the beach when the other campers went (the last tram ride was fifteen minutes after sunset), but finally turned away to find my website. When I did, I was glad that I was near a heated bathroom and my website was remote, but also had a power supply with which I could charge my phone. Perfect!

Album of the day:

“21 (2011)” by Adele

Podcast of the day:

“Alternative realities: down the rabbit hole ” – embedded