Brand new boots

With my last day of work scheduled, the clock has begun to count down.  First order of business; breaking in these fresh new hiking boots that I picked up at the wonderful Weatherford's in Pensacola.  Rather homely at first and very European.  Vastly different from the Vasque- Switchback that my heart was set on (Vasque decided it would be a smart business move to discontinue the Switchback), the Salewa - Alp Trainer is fully equipt with wire support built around the heel and into the lacing system, 3 combos of insoles, Goretex moisture protection, and Kevlar.

So yesterday started the process of breaking in these pumped up kicks.

The Juniper Creek Trail is an 8.8 mile section of the Florida Trail within Blackwater River State Forest.  I hiked this portion of the Florida Trail about 2.5 years ago when I was breaking in my Vasque Switchbacks.  Then, I hiked with a room mate, Mike Doyle, and Layne, who was the first person to tell me about the Appalachian Trail.  BTW, those Switchback boots, were like angels on your feet and in 12 miles, not one blister was given that day.

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day for anything outside.  Sunny  with a light breeze and a high of 70? Yes, please!  I hiked from North to South with the intention of either meeting friends at BWR State Park or hiking back to my car at Red Rock Rd.  Since this is the last week of hunting season, the camo clad good ol' boys were out in full force.  So, I wore blaze orange and toted a very large blade in the "safety first" manner my parents instilled upon me.

This was also the first time trying out the trekking poles my parents got me for my birthday.  As far as Florida goes, this trail has ups and downs, and some tricky footing (as FL goes), so the poles were and will prove to be a priceless tool.  Not to mention, they work great as a spider web defense mechanism!  I carried an extra heavy pack (as far as a day hike is concerned) just for funsies.

I didn't see much wildlife.  While I was taking a break on a beach along the Blackwater River, I heard a hog rutting in the distance, but never saw it.  A Red-cockaded Woodpecker head banged against a young pine and a Blue-jay was singing beautifully as I trucked along.

1,000 miles away, Kris was also working on breaking in his new kicks on the Florida Trail.  Now folks, if your not hooked on this blog yet, wait until you start to see some of the photos that man takes.

As for the hike yesterday, it went well.  I wasn't shot by a hunter, and I learned that my boots are breaking me in rather than me breaking them in.  When I made it to Black Water State Park I took a break to cool my feet in the river.  Two very nice gentle men landed their rental kayak and canoe on the bank at the beach and we began the regular chit chat.  Next thing we knew, an oar was on its way downstream.  Since I was already wading, I ran across the the shallow area to grab it.  At that point I was trying to prepare my sore and blistered feet for the trek back to my car.  But, since I had rescued their oar, they offered a ride back to my car.  Mr. David and Jim (God, please help me if I messed up their names, guys, I'm horrible with names!) were my very first experience in trail magic! Thank you both so much, and don't forget to check out Econfina River!

After the hike, a delicious blue cheese burger at Applebee's made me wonder what the heck I'm gonna do on the trail without the comforts of delicious greasy food that someone else prepares for me.  But, I was also able to think about how excited I am to begin this journey... Now if only I can get these boots to get along with my feet...