FT2018 Day 14: Kissimmee Prairie State Park Campground (mile 210.8) to Rattlesnake Hammock Campground (mile 225.0)

14.2 FT miles

Throughout this last stretch I have been getting up as early as possible to try and get a jump on the day. Today, even though I still woke up around 5:30/6 am, I didn't even start moving until 7 am. I was only going 14 miles.

Originally, I was going to push 20 miles to get to the campsite nearest River Ranch Resort, or go 21/22 miles to the resort itself. However, after consulting my calendar, my current pace would put me into my next resupply stop on Sat. evening or Sun.

The post office in the town of Christmas was my next maildrop. I would not be able to get my packages until Monday and it did not appear that Christmas had any place to stay or camp. Therefore, I needed an extra day. I decided to do a shorter day today and a nero (near zero mile day) into River Ranch Resort and stay the night there.

I took my time getting ready, paid my camping fee (Day Late had offered to hand over my fee if I left early), and started down the trail.

The trail followed well defined buggy roads through the prairie again, dipping in and out of sloughs. My socks and shoes were soaked most of the morning and I had to empty out sand from them at one point.

Sunrise and a slough.

Trail dipping in and out of water.

Buggy road in Kissimmee Prairie State Park. 

Eventually, the trail was a mowed corridor through the grasses, following a fenceline out of the park. Once I exited the park I was on a trail reroute. There had been a levee breach at one point so the trail had to be routed a different way over lock 65-A.

Exiting the state park. 

The section of this reroute before the road over the lock was a bit of a challenge. In the best parts it was soggy. In the worst parts there were soupy parts masquerading as solid mud, complete with grass growing out of it. I did pretty well at picking my steps, but hit the soup once, having to lift myself out. My leg was coated in black mud from the shin down.

I've made a mistake. 

Next, I hit the road and crossed the lock without issue, even scaring a small alligator into the water. I am very intimidating. It was after the lock that I decided to take a break.

Near lock 65-A.

Lock 65-A.

Vlog 1

Physically, I didn't need a break. Mentally, I did. I had kind if been looking at the same prairie/grass landscape for a while. I had also let my mind wander and was stressing out about the logistics of the upcoming days. I saw a tree and figured I could lay down and clear my mind.

After resting in the shade for a little while, I heard kind of a strange, rumbling animal sound. Not knowing what it was, I figured that was my cue to leave. I packed up and walked back up the the trail to come face to face with a bull.

Most cattle that I have run into have ran away quickly. This one did not budge. It didn't show signs of anything, it just stared at me with its eyes and huge horns. I definitely felt like I was way too close to it.

The trail itself was on a levee, so I first tried going down the opposite side to skirt around it. I still felt like I was too close and now my feet were in water. I didn't know what to do. Genuinely scared, I started backtracking to the lock. The bull watched me the whole time. When I got far enough away, it went back down the slope of the levee.

I now figured that if it was on one side of the levee, and I was on the other, I may be able to skirt around it after all. That is just what I did despite the bull watching me the whole time.

I walked down the trail about a quarter mile, only to find a large shape that looked like a sleeping bull. My heart still pounding from the last encounter, and I gave it a wide berth. It wasn't wide enough for the smell. The animal was clearly dead.

Though my cattle encounters had not been pleasant, they were appropriate for the location. I was heading towards the town of KICCO, which stand for the Kissimmee Cattle Company which operated in these lands on the bank of the Kissimmee River.

Town of KICCO. 

Kissimmee River. 

The structures of the town are gone, but the property is still available for recreation and camping. It has beautiful oak trees with wide spaces (presumably where the structures had been) in between. Just passed the town I ran into a herd of cattle again. This time they ran away.

The Florida Trail. 

KICCO Grade Road.

The trail continued through oaks about another mile and a half until I reached my permitted campsite for the night. There was still a couple hours a daylight left so I took my time setting up my tent. I was the only one there. I couldn't enjoy sitting in the shade of the trees for too long, unfortunately, because once the sun started to get low, it started to get cold again. I spent the rest of my time in my tent and under my warm sleeping bag.

Rattlesnake Hammock Campground.

Vlog 2