FT2018 Day 60: Bayview Campsite (mile 1088.0) to Northern Terminus-Ft. Pickens (mile 1103.7)

15.7 FT miles

The moon was really bright last night. I had to pull my neck gaiter over my eyes in order to go to sleep. It was hard getting to sleep in the first place knowing that today I would be finishing the trail. I was tired and ready for some comforts of civilization again, but it is still going to be a difficult transition.

I waited until it got light out to start packing up, which was what I thought Rambler had said the plan would be for today. We needed to start the day following white poles through the dunes and required plenty of daylight to do so.

Usually Rambler would be up and gone by now. I hadn't heard him packing up at all. Finally, when I was mostly packed up inside my tent, I heard him shuffling around. I took my tent down, then went over to his campsite to wait for him to finish. He was surprised to see me packed up. I think he had been waiting to hear me packing up in order to start packing up himself. We had probably both been awake for a while.

We then set out across the dunes, Rambler in the lead again. The moon was still out and the sun was starting to poke up over the dunes.  I kept wanting to stop and take pictures, as it was really pretty. Rambler seemed to be on a mission. Every time I stopped to takes pictures, I ended up running to catch up to him.

Sunrise.

Early morning light on the dunes.

Dunes sunrise.

We got closer and closer to the condos in the distance, until we finally were dumped back out onto a bike path.  The bike path then took us into civilization, first past the condos and other residences, then through the restaurants and hotels of Pensacola Beach.  I was in contact with my Trail Angel throughout the morning as Rambler had suggested we all meet for breakfast. It became clear that Ramblers plans tend to ramble as well, as the plan seemed to change to something we would pick up quickly.  That eventually changed to snacks from the last Tom Thumb along the route.

Rambler heading towards the condos.

Strip mall in Pensacola Beach.

We walked towards the Tom Thumb, exiting the Pensacola Beach area.  Soon, we were approaching a large causeway. That didn’t look right, and it wasn’t. We had missed our turn. We were supposed to keep left to stay on the barrier island. Instead we kept right and were heading towards the mainland. We backtracked, took the correct turn, and then found the Tom Thumb. I ate a lunchable, an ice cream sandwich, a pickle, and a Gatorade.  It was a breakfast of champions. My hiker hunger was hitting just in time for me to finish the trail.

After the Tom Thumb, we walked the road to Fort Pickens in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. We hit the entrance station and then looked at the GPS.  Apparently the entrance station had moved, as we were supposed to cut to the ocean for the beach walk segment a ways back. We cut straight across the dunes, which made me nervous.  Dunes systems are usually pretty fragile.

Road walking the peninsula.

Entering the National Seashore.

The beach walk was similar to yesterday. It was still very beautiful and a cool experience. We were walking a deserted white-sand beach with blue-green water with the occasional Portuguese man o’ war washed up.  Beach walking is much slower than normal hiking, but the miles just flew by. Pretty soon we reached Langdon Beach. There was a couple who were sitting on the beach, enjoying the day. The cheered us on as we got closer.  The past two days, people we have encountered have actually known we were hiking the Florida Trail. It has been a nice change of pace from all the people who thought we were homeless or former military (or both).

Shells on the beach.

Beach walk part of the Florida Trail.

Gulf of Mexico.

At Langon Beach, we crossed over the road and joined the trail on the other side of Langdon Battery.  We passed another battery, Battery Worth, and headed through a wooded trail and across some marshland.

Passing Battery Langdon.

Battery Worth.

The last section of trail.

Finally, we reached a bridge where my Trail Angel was waiting.  I had been warned that the Northern Terminus monument was hidden on the other side of the bridge.  I could see how people would walk right passed it. I crossed the bridge and had a photo session with the monument.  That was it. I finished the trail by lunch. With the amount of miles of beach and dune walking I did today, that was pretty impressive.  I became in really good hiking shape just in time to finish the trail.

The monument.

Conquering the monument.

Vlog

After pictures, Rambler, my Trail Angel, and I walked to the parking lot, making a brief stop at the gift shop to sign the trail register.  It seemed like a lot of hikers did not know about the register, as several people I knew to be finished had not signed it. My Trail Angel dropped Rambler off at a car rental and me off at the hotel. I got clean, ate a lot of food, and went to sleep.