FT2018 Day 45: Ring Dike Campsite (mile 760.8) to Shell Island Fish Camp (near mile 770.4)

9.6 FT miles

Sugar Rush and I had planned to have a later morning than yesterday. I was only going to do a half day into St. Marks to get my resupply and catch up on my internet research and uploads.

We had heard the sunrise at our campsite was really nice, so we thought we would enjoy it before we left for the day.  One of the complaints of the campsite we were at was that it was exposed and could get really windy. We were lucky enough to have no wind.

Unfortunately, we didn't get the sunrise either. We were covered in a blanket of thick fog. It meant our tents were soaked. To add to the fun, a lack of wind apparently meant that every gnat in the reserve came to our tents in the morning. They were absolutely covering my mesh netting.

Gnat city.

After I packed everything up, I finally unzipped my tent. The cloud of gnats entered the moment they had the chance. I actually had to put my headnet on while packing up to keep from choking on them. They weren't so bad when we started walking, but we weren't able to enjoy our morning at the campsite like we had imagined.

The walk along the dike and canals was cool. The fog actually added to the ambience, making everything a little more mysterious. The canals eventually turned into ponds that the refuge called “pools.” I was excited to see cormorants in this section, as they are an ocean bird.

Morning canal reflections.

Bags packed and ready to go at the Ring Dike Campsite. 

Walking the dike.

Moody morning.

Sugar Rush walking next to the canal.

Another foggy canal picture.

One of the reserve's "pools."

Florida Trail sign on the dike.

Another view of a "pool."

We passed the pools and headed towards the park office. At first we didn't want to. It was almost a mile off trail, meaning we would do an almost 2 mile detour to stop there. However, because the water in the immediate area has a high salt content, we needed to go to the office for water. We were both low and couldn't make the next 5 miles into St. Marks. We also needed to pay for the camping permit.

The camping permit in St. Marks is annoying. I understand why you need to notify them as to which campsite you are staying at, as they need to know where people are when they do their controlled burns. However, you have to pay a dollar for each night, which is such a small fee it makes me wonder how much it was worth paying/collecting.

I also got some flack about my plan to stay overnight in St. Marks. The woman I was talking to said they did want to issue permits to people going in and out if the reserve, just those going through. I tried to explain the whole thru-hiker situation and she said something about being willing to make it work.

What I didn't realize is that after town the trail goes back into the refuge for almost 30 miles. That meant Sugar Rush needed to pick a campsite for tonight and I was going to have a long day tomorrow getting to the border with Apalachicola National Forest. It also made me wonder why staying in St. Marks was such a big deal, since the trail dipped out of the reserve and back in anyway.

When we finally got campsite permits sorted, we walked back to the trail. At first we were on a long road walk, but eventually that shifted into an old railroad bed again. Eventually, we were dumped out onto the St. Marks River.

Sugar Rush walking the railway.

Looking across the St. Marks River.

We had been warned that the crossing could be difficult. Normally, you had to flag someone down to give you a ride across the river to town. It could be difficult to find someone if boat traffic was sparse, like it was today. People have been tempted just to swim across, but it is not a good idea because a) the current, b) the river is utilized by bull sharks, and c) just why?

Luckily, a frustrated hiker ahead of us had talked to the marina across the way and they had offered to help ferry hikers across. I had a package at the post office, which has very limited hours in this town, and I was in danger of getting there too late. Sugar Rush called the number for the marina and we got ferried across.

Pelicans hanging out at the marina.

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I dropped my bag at the marina and ran, something I haven't done in a long time, to the post office. I got there with about 5 minutes to spare. I returned with my box to the marina and repackaged the contents while Sugar Rush worked on gear repairs.

I got some snacks from the marina store while she worked on repairs, but I then got pretty hungry and headed for the appropriately named Riverside Cafe, which had its own dock upon the river. I had a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a local beer. It tasted so good. Sugar Rush came to join me, but didn't see anything on the menu she wanted. She still had a long ways to go to get to her permitted campsite and it was getting late in the day, so we said our goodbyes and thanked each other for being hiking buddies.

Dock at the Riverside Cafe.

I finished lunch and made a call to the fish camp a mile outside of town. A lot of hikers had stayed there. I had called the bed and breakfast in town, but they had not gotten back to me. I was able to get ahold of the fish camp and they offered me a room for $55. Done. I got a call on the way there from the bed and breakfast who was willing to offer me the “Flamingo Room” for $120 instead of $130. Yikes. No, thank you.

On my way to the fish camp, I stopped at the state park, San Marcos de Apalache. It was the site of the original Spanish fortification here in the late 1600s. Some of the limestone foundations from the time were still there. The Confederates had taken those Spanish foundations and built their own fort on top during the Civil War. Everything was now a ruin, but it was a cool piece of history to walk through.

Sign at the state park.

Confederate ruins.

Spanish bombproof.

Park at the site of the first wooden structures were constructed by the Spanish.

Ruins of rooms belonging to the old Spanish fort.

After that, I walked to the fish camp. It was started in the 1940s and was a sprawling expanse of boats and buildings. I was staying in a seemingly random hotel on property. The sun had finally come out while I was at the state park, so I considered going back into town. It turns out that I did not have that kind of time. I was incredibly behind on my journals/blog/vlog and I also had to shower, do sink laundry, and go over my resupply. I put the Olympics on in the background, thinking I would be able to watch some, but that was wishful thinking.

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