FT2018 Day 27: Billy Goat Day

0.0 FT miles

I was able to get a nice sleep on a very comfortable couch in Joan’s house. Around sunrise, people started stirring. Since I had a good network connection and an outlet,  I worked on updating blogs and vlogs before getting up to join everyone else.

Good Man Gramps and Joan were making frittata for breakfast. Sugar Rush was doing some cleaning/organizing. I volunteered to help wherever I could,  then packed my bag and hung out with the others.

We had a big breakfast.  The frittata portions were huge. We also had large slices of cornbread, leftover from last night, and strawberries. It was a challenge to finish it all.
Chopsticks, Woodchuck, Sugar Rush, Joan, and Good Man Gramps at breakfast.


After that we sat around, chatted, did various tasks around the house, then loaded ourselves (and things we were bringing) into the car and headed to Lake Mills Park.

When we got there, there were already quite a few people there milling around in various groups. We didn't know or recognize most people so we headed down to check out the lake first.

Lake Mills
Sugar Rush and Chopsticks posing by the lake.



When we came back we slowly started to meet and mingle with other people. As I looked around, I noticed someone familiar. It was Day Late! I hadn't expected him to be there. We had to wait for a few announcements to be over, then we were able to catch up a little.

Day Late is a little over 40 miles ahead of Woodchuck and I. That is at least 2 days. With my plan to make a stop in Juniper Springs, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to catch him. You never know though, I didn't expect to see him at Billy Goat Day either.

Next came food. I wasn't even hungry, but I was still in “hiker needs calories" mode and ate a lot of food. Between the Clearwater Campground, Joan’s cooking, and the day’s spread, I may have put on some weight. I know I was overly stuffed and having trouble finishing food.

Snapper (me) at Billy Goat Day.

Vlog 


After some more eating, mingling, and group photos, it was time to leave.  We went back to Joan's house to grab our packs, then dropped Chopsticks off at Clearwater Recreation Area.

Sugar Rush, Chopsticks, and I got off at Alexander Springs. The rain that was originally supposed to hit this morning, finally hit on our way there. It had eased up, but I figured we might just be experiencing a lull.

Because of this, and because it was an hour until sunset, Woodchuck and I set up our tents at a nice camping spot just inside the spur trail that leads from Alexander Springs to the Florida Trail.  Woodchuck and I had more girl talk time until the rain picked up again and we retreated to our tents.

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