Getting Stuck Camping in a Florida Snowstorm! - Florida Trail Thru Hike 2

The Florida Trail is a 1,100 mile hike across the southern most state known for deep swamps, alligators, sunshine, and.... snow? We get caught in the biggest snow storm Florida has gotten in over 100 years. Reports say that more than 7 inches fell in our location, and now we must deal with it to be able to keep progressing down the trail!

My Florida Trail Gear:
Pack - Handmade! w help from MeadowPhysics
Tent - https://tinyurl.com/3x8ckvw7
Sleeping pad - https://amzn.to/4mikLVY
Sit pad - http://tinyurl.com/3wn5zuh2
Sleeping bag 20* - https://tinyurl.com/yc2h5d54
Pillow - https://amzn.to/3NZnELp

Hat - https://amzn.to/4fGQ8Ft
Shirt - https://tinyurl.com/napbwspv
Shorts - https://tinyurl.com/mvzfb459
Socks - https://amzn.to/3DDlk73
Watch - https://amzn.to/4fJiXAW
Shoes - https://amzn.to/3wvKKnm

Beanie - Melanzana
Rain Jacket - Montbell Versalite
Fleece - MH Airmesh Hoody
Wind Pants - https://amzn.to/3Sbp8o6

Umbrella - https://amzn.to/44PLxie
Knife - https://amzn.to/3r3psb7
Trowel - https://amzn.to/3u6VIMr
Wallet - http://tinyurl.com/3bbsup83
Blister Tape - https://amzn.to/3qZ55f9
Trowel - https://amzn.to/3u6VIMr
Chafe Stick - https://amzn.to/458sRKX

Flashlight - http://tinyurl.com/5n6jkrmd
Headphones - https://amzn.to/4dqIfUO
Battery Bank - https://amzn.to/4mweExC
Wall Outlet - https://amzn.to/438Fcgz

Camera - https://amzn.to/3SRtBMM
Fanny Pack - https://amzn.to/3YUrWd8

Skateboard - Purchased from a small skate shop in Salida Colorado. The biggest thing I can say is that you want as light of a deck as possible, while still being large enough to be stable on it. Trucks don't matter beyond how light they are. Very nice bearings, ceramic if possible. Wheels you want 80 - 89a softness and 62mm or larger to roll over rough terrain I recommend these https://amzn.to/4jiDA8V

We start out this section near the Econfina River, a beautiful black water river which has carved its way deep into the land. High bluffs above it is where our trail takes us. Deep ravines to traverse, and dense foliage with beautiful bridges surround us. The Econfina area, Bristol, and Blountstown all got hit by a pretty bad hurricane nearly a decade ago and the damage still shows.

Around this time we start hearing whispers of a snow storm which may hit Florida. A true winter storm with temperatures in the 20s for more than a week. Surely that can't happen here right? The Sunshine State! Known for beaches, and cold blooded reptiles, snow birds, tropical plants, and all manor of life trying to escape this kind of weather. As the storm got closer we started to take it more seriously. We bought extra clothes from a thrift store, gas station, and hunting store. As in middle of nowhere Florida (blountstown and Appalachicola) there are no hiking stores.

We both bought extra pants, gloves, hot hands, neck gaiters, and sweaters to hopefully help with the impending cold and snow before heading off into Apalachicola National Forest.

Police stopped us to ask if we would be ok. All of the locals were very scared for us and the cops said they had received multiple calls asking them to check on us.

We found a nice campsite under a very sturdy oak tree as I was worried about wet snow weighing down and breaking tree limbs on top of our tent. The snow began to fall around 6pm, and didn't stop until sunrise the next morning. It was surreal to be in Florida, and be camping in the snow. Reports said our area got 7 inches over night, and the temperature got down to the teens. Our coldest night of the next few days was 14 degrees, where the high that day was still below freezing.

The strangest thing was seeing the swamps frozen over. A layer of ice on top of a Florida Swamp, with piles of snow lining the sides of it. Worse was when we realized we had to hike through that ice swamp.

In the end for the sake of our safety, and because I fell in the cold swamp soaking myself from the neck down and all of my clothes... we decided it would be best to just walk dirt roads through the National Forest instead of the trail. A gut wrenching decision as we both really wanted to see more of this area. But hypothermia is not worth it!

We made our way towards the town of St Marks, the temperatures still freezing at night, but slowly beginning to warm.

Hiking Essentials Shirt! http://jupiterhikes.com/product/hikin...

THE BACKPACKING GEAR I USE:
http://www.jupiterhikes.com/gear/

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