Hiking the Ocean to Lake: Day One
Sue “Hammock Hanger†Turner, North Florida Trailblazers
DAY 1: Hobe Sound Beach to Kitching Creek Campsite, Jonathan Dickinson State Park (12.7 miles)
I managed to pull a few strings and stayed at the FTA worksite in Jonathan Dickinson State Park. I awoke at 2:30 AM to the sound of a pack of coyotes, about 10 yards from the jeep. It was neat to listen to them.
I was unable to really go back to sleep. I knew that I needed to be up at the front gate by 6 am sharp! Not use to sleeping with an alarm and not willing to trust it I just could not dose off. Around 4:15 am I drove over to the campground bathhouse for a nature call. Then I moved my car up to the front gate parking lot to wait for the group. I dosed a little off and on but not much. Finally I heard voices and knew it was time to begin the day.
We locked up the cars that were to stay and shuttled over to the Atlantic Ocean. The beach that we chose was Hobe Sound approximately four miles away from the state park.
It was still pretty dark when we arrived. No one but a few diehard fishermen were about at that time of the morning. A few reporters showed up to document the group’s departure. This trail had just been put in and this was more of a can it be done hike. Yes, we were the OTL guinea pigs. Soon there was a beautiful line of pink on the horizon. I walked down to the surf to put my toe in, have to make it an official ocean to lake hike don’t ya know. As I turned to leave one of the fisherman asked me where I was going. I proudly said Lake Okeechobee. He looked at me like I was nuts. By car that is over 100 miles away. You can’t walk a hundred miles. At first I wanted to do a little bragging and say hey man I can walk 1000’s of miles when I put my mind to it. Instead I said it’s only 70 miles the way the crow flies. Yeap, we were walking to the lake.
Of course we all wanted to get pictures, so the departure didn’t start right away. The press wanted to do some interviews. Paul our trip leader wanted to wait until there was a full sunrise, so we all just mingled around on the beach. Around 7ish Paul final gave the let’s go wave and off we went. 
The first four miles were street hiking of which I am not too fond, however, Debbie, Lwop and I jabbered away with our AT antics and we were crossing the highway to the state park before I knew it.
Shortly upon entering the park we came to our first water source of the day. Here we took a break and waited for the group to reconvene. Today we have the 10 thru-hikers and a number of day hikers hiking with us. After breaking for what felt like a long time to me I decided to move out. Maybe it wasn’t as long as I thought; I think I was just antsy to be on the trail.
As I was coming up to the second water source of the day I found Gordon Johnson hanging in his 
hammock taking a little nap. He had hiked in from a different trail and would be spending the night with us. Lwop is the trail master for this park and had installed some very nice benches at this point. I took this opportunity to sit and get some of the sand out of my sneakers and air my feet. I had worn New Balance sneakers for this hike. Knowing some of it would contain bushwhacking I felt the sandals wouldn’t have enough protection. As the whole group regrouped we did a lunch break. Then it was onto our final destination for the day, Kitching Creek.
Once again, I headed off leading the pack. Then it hit me! It wasn’t even noon yet and we had less then four miles to hike, so why was I moving so fast. Truth be told once you get a long distance hikers pace it is sometime very hard to readjust and just take it easy. Hiking out of your “pace†can actually tire you out. I did, 
however, wait for the others to catch up. Bea, Debbie and I hiked together. Soon we came to a trail sign that stated Kitching Creek Campsite 1.8 miles in one direction or 3.8 miles in a different direction. It was early, not even midday. I opted for the longer route. There were no other takers. I came to hike so off I went alone, once again.
It was okay I was really enjoying the day. Funny thing is I arrived at the campsite right behind the last person in the group that took the shorter way. We spent the remainder of the day getting acquainted with each other; there were new hikers I had never met before. It was a great day. 
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FTA Staff @ March 15, 2004