Croom 21 mile weekend, 3/9/2019

Possibly my favorite group backpacking event yet......

It took me six months, but I finally managed to (almost) complete my gear list on LighterGear. Check it out here if you’re interested in the stuff I’m taking on my current weekend trips. The plan was to do a comparison of my old, heavier gear and the new, lighter gear but let me just say that by upgrading only my backpack and tent I saved a whopping 4 pounds and that’s one big change. I want to eventually upgrade my sleeping pad & bag as well but that will have to wait until later this year. 

Aside from those two items I’ve gotten a lot smarter overall since my first backpacking trip with a backpack weighing almost 32 pounds. You might think that’s not that heavy but my back wasn’t having it, at least not beyond a very short mileage weekend trip. And since I plan to backpack for years to come, including a section hike on the AT or somewhere else, it was a smart decision to lighten my load now and by as much as possible. I never have and never will laugh at “gram weenies”. Heck, I might already be one. 

The weather with daytime highs in the mid 80's posed a bit of a challenge and was the reason I had to load 3 liters weighing 6.5 pounds on Saturday morning. I wasn’t happy about the weight but there was really no choice. I didn’t want to be carried out for dehydration complications….. 

My view driving into the campsite Friday evening where I met the rest of the group. Immediately, I had that peaceful, easy feeling:

I found a fairly flat spot to pitch my tent and after using it for the third night I’m still 100% LOVING it! ! Ultra light, easy setup & takedown, and absolutely worth the money spent. Also can’t hurt that it kinda matches my backpack (although I'm not loving that backpack all that much anymore, but that's a story for another day):

The start to our hike the next day was just divine. The High Water trail is almost all shaded, snaking past cypress trees under thick leafy canopies.

To reach the loop trail we had to first get past just a wee bit of water…..and while I usually traverse water puddles with my shoes on the edge of the lake came very early (and I didn’t want to risk a blister), so off with the shoes and into the darkness we went……….

Random dead animal on the trail. Since the skull was missing we figured it might be a wild pig?

The first steps onto the official trail are always the best. 

We took our sweet time, stopping every 2-3 miles for a snack and water break. And as much as I always itch to keep going (I get ANTSY) I do realize how important those breaks are to get to camp with energy left to spare.

Since we’re still in the Winter season (hard to believe) there isn’t much sprouting yet, but Lupines seem to be one of the first flowers to bloom here in Florida. If you’re hiking at Croom you will see a lot of them right now.

We had lots of time to relax once we got into camp. 

I ate my dinner, finished the rest of my wine, and just at sunset Kathy arrived with hot dogs and chili. But that wasn’t the only surprise of the evening. Just a bit later Joe & Jon sauntered into camp with nothing other than…… adult beverages. Man, I could get used to this….

Perhaps needless to say that a night fueled by Vodka & Lemonade tends to last a bit beyond hiker's midnight (9pm). We didn’t get into our tents until after 1 a.m. and our start the next morning wasn’t as springy as I had hoped it would be. Extra hydration was definitely a priority.

“Turtle & Pup”. Probably the most amazing human-animal bond I’ve witnessed in my life. Those two are amazing, in every sense of the word. And, they’re currently making their way northbound on the AT – fingers crossed they make it all the way…..

And thanks to Turtle I actually came away with a photo of myself for once!

We looped back to finish at our original camp site, but had to cross the water once more. This time however we were all grateful for the cooling effect of the water, having hiked several hours in temps beyond 80 degrees…..

Where did I end up hiking next? Keep reading!