After getting a good night’s rest at Hillcrest Baptist Church Hostel last night and having a bowl of cereal with milk for breakfast, Marion drove me to the Althea Trailhead where I hiked about 3 miles and saw several deer. The trail markers were sometimes difficult to spot, so this was a little more difficult than expected. Marion then drove me through trail on several highways, and I hiked an additional 9 miles to Bonnet Pond Campsite. Today was modest mileage of 12 miles.

I was very fortunate to get to the Camel LakeCampground which had a beautiful lake and a swimming area which I really enjoyed. They also had hot showers, and the camp host and another camper offered up lots of free ice to cool me down.

 It was just a short three-hike longer to the Bonnet Pond campground where I’m staying tonight. Bonnet Pond is located about a tenth of a mile away and has great water for filtering. This pond likely has alligators, so Idid not attempt to swim!

Today’s hike was marked by several bogs in which my legs sunk almost knee deep into mud and water in the boggy areas. I also found several areas that were poorly marked and had some difficulty finding the Florida Trail without using the Far Out app for direction finding.

 Shortly after returning to camp from the pond, a huge thunderstorm lasting about 45 minutes gave me a chance to clean up and wash clothes. After the rain stopped, I was able to set up the camp successfully and keep my dry things dry. Other than lots of mosquitoes and other insects swarming around me despite insect repellent, this should be a great place to camp tonight! I even have 1 bar of Verizon signal and could talk with Kathy and Sarah. Photos later when I have more signal.

With great support from John and Marion today, I was able to hike 17.5 miles from Brown’s Grocery in Holt (SOBO mile 67.3) to the Pearl Trailhead at 84.8 on the northern edge of Eglin AFB. After reviewing the PAM (public access maps), we discovered that the Florida Trail is closed in multiple sections. Therefore, we will travel nearly 2 hours tomorrow to begin the Eastern Panhandle section on the Far Out app maps.

I enjoyed hiking on US 90 through rural America with many farms, homes with large lots, well-shaded hiking paths near the road, beautiful river crossings, and helpful small businesses. I eventually came to Crestview, a much larger town than expected with nearly every known chain business. We ate breakfast at a wonderful Mom and Pop restaurant, Tropical Palm, in the gorgeous historic downtown Crestview. An old friend from F3 Island Coast, Kyle “Moose” Waltz, met us at the restaurant and shared news about his recent marriage to Heather and the selling of his pest control company to a large UK firm, Moose could retire at age 38, it he still plans to continue working.

I was able to meet John and Marion every 6-8 miles, rehydrate and eat a snack, and easily walk 17.5 miles today by 12:30 PM when the temperature rose to 95 degrees.

Marion Hoffman, his friend John Hafer, and I began hiking the Florida Trail at 5:30 AM from Fort Pickens through Pensacola Beach followed a bike ride to Navarre Beach, a total of 27 miles!

For 2-3 hours we were entertained by the US Navy’s Blue Angels who were practicing for an upcoming air show this weekend. I cannot recall ever seeing this amazing team operate at such a low altitude performing stunts in very tight formations, inverted, and high G maneuvers.

The Florida Trail was very urban after Fort Pickens and before the 13-mile segment to Navarre Beach. Unfortunately, the bike I rented was heavy, very slow (slightly faster than walking), and very different from my personal road bikes. Despite drinking about 5 liters of Gatorade and Liquid IV electrolyte containing drinks. Recovery came quickly with lots of fluids, air-conditioning, and snacks. Tomorrow will be interesting since several sections on Eglin AFB are closed. We hope to make it to Holt and Crestview before returning to the east side of Eglin AFB.