Pico Peak / Inn at the Long Trail

Another summer in Florida so its up north hiking for this flatlander.

We hopped on the trail on Route 4 in Killington Vermont

The Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail run together from the Vermont / Mass border to about 1 1/2 miles north of the Trail Head on RT 4. The Long Trail Continues north, while the Appalachian Trail Heads to Maine. I guess that's why they call it the Maine Junction.

This is Moose country, however this is as close as we got to seeing one. The bugs were huge, and carnivorous. I thought Florida had some nasty flying critters.

Pico Peak, while a beautiful ski resort, is privately owned. By skirting the other side of Pico, the AT and LT can travel over public lands. Many through hikers still like to use the old route, as we found out by reading the journal in the pico camp, There was even a post from Fraggle who we had met at the camp under mount abe the year before.

The Camp was an original. The "Quill Pig" that lived underneath the structure had wreaked Havoc on the old wood building. We decided to climb up to Pico before we unpacked.

Nervous about getting attacked by porcupines, we decided to take a nap, then continue on to the Inn on the Long Trail. What a beautiful view of dear leap and beyond.

We got some good food and a hiker suite for the three of us. They treat the hikers really good. We had a good dinner and watched the 30 for 30 ESPN story about the Escobars. The US was playing Algeria in the morning, and the Inn was showing it in the pub. The US ended up winning in dramatic fashion.

We hiked back to the Gifford Woods State Park (The AT goes right through the campsite) and hiked to the nearby pond and waterfall. Nelly loved swimming with the loons.

On the back we stopped at Warren Falls. Check out the video below of Kyle jumping off the cliff into the pool bellow.

It started to pour as I was leaving. Here is an angry shot of APPGAP on the way to New York.

Green Swamp East

This was supposed to have been the great Suwannee River hike. Then the rains came and flooded the Suwannee making the trail from White Springs to Spirit of the Suwannee impassable. We decided to go to Osceola National Forest near where Kyle was landing. There is a nice stretch of FT there. Then I get the call from Kyle, his plane malfunctioned and there are no other flights into Jville, so we switched plans again while Kyle switched planes to Orlando. A glow round of disc golf at Turkey Lake, a sunrise round in the morning and then on to hike the Green Swamp.

We parked our vehicle in the Colt Creek State Park and did the short road walk to the start of the trail on right just before the Withlacoochie river bridge on 471. We actually did a stretch along the road the wrong way before we turned around (add 1 mile to trip).

We did the froggy sign in at 471 and proceeded to make our way through the swamp.

8.7 miles to Mott Hammock, time check... oh shit not another night hike.....

The resurection fern was bright green as I had mentioned we had some nice rain.

Green Swamp West was dryer. This trail lived up to its name.

Three ibis and one great white. The bird activity was respectable.
The Coochie was flowing, and marked well by the SWFWMD..

Its getting dark and we are not going to make Mott Hammock. How far is it from the remnants?
I am just getting my second wind and ready to hike the 1/2 mile in the dark and I tell kyle to get the head lamps out, cause we are going to make Mott Hammock. Kyle says nope, lets camp here in the Pines (and the water). Ok I guess we will camp in that clearing.

We get up early the next morning, we have to meet the Kiz. "OOPS, Sorry dude" kyle screams from ahead. "Mott Hammock is a killer campsite". We should have done the extra .5 last night.

The Oak at Mott Hammock got beat down (probably by the Hurricanes of 2004), but it still an impressive tree. Much of the swamp was old growth Florida Forest and the trees were amazing.
The FT mentions that this stretch is a favorite of hunters. You could tell by all the trash on the ground. Luckily we decided to go the day before hunting season, and did not see a single hunter.

Swampy indeed with all kinds of nasty water everywhere.

We met up with the Kiz after he realized he was at the wrong parking area. Needed that 30 minute rest after the long hike. Its off to the celtics regional final game against MCC.

Here is a little dillo action.