Day 6 Panhandle Trace Hike 2013

Click image for Google map of starting locations as planned. PHOTOS.

4/03/2013 The plan has changed because of Eglin activity in the air. Military. So we are doing Day 7, followed by Day 8 and if Eglin is OK at the end, do this day on day 9.

I have to leave at 8:30, skip the first part of the hike and drive to Sailor's Grill. Then walk 6 miles to Opal Beach. There Peggy will drive me back to my car and I'll drive back to my motel. All this on hwy 87. Except maybe hwy 98 to the Navarre Bridge.

That was the plan. Actually I woke at 4:45, packed like mad to leave the campsite, made coffee and potato mix and got everything in my car before it started to rain hard. Linda drove up to see if I wanted to follow her back to the hikers' end point. They had started at East River Bridge and were walking to the restaurant in the rain. I thought how hard her packing would have been and went over to help her. It was a good job, at least an hour of hard work. Followed her to the grill where the hikers had already arrived.

They left, heading to Opal Beach. I would not have been able to do it. I wasn't cold at the forest campsite, but would have been walking in the rain and wind by the beach. So I got some photos from my car window. I'm not sure if any of the hikers completed today's route, but several braved it for a long ways. I found Opal beach 6.8 miles from the Sailor's Grill. Not labeled. I could not find a sign with that name. Peggy wasn't there. I called her and we renegotiated tomorrow. I am to meet her at Fort Pickens at 1p.m. to take over her campsite. Tomorrow's hike is canceled. Driving back I photographed her van with four women hikers on the street.

I'm still completely iffy. Surely am not staying here in the Comfort Inn motel where I would have to pay lots of money to launder and the TV is impossible and the Internet frequently drops, and slow as can be. Acts like dial-up. Certainly not high speed Internet. I think I'll try the 1p.m. meeting with Peggy. If it looks like I can camp, OK. Then Friday's hike has changed to the Eglin, 5.6 mile portion. Meeting at the bridge at 7:30.

I posted to Meetup, today's hike and Monday's fire pix. After reporting to the front desk, I got a workable chair, liked the desk, the Internet improved greatly. I did enjoy the comforts, especially bath and bed, and was completely revitalized.

Back to intro and links to Meetup sites: FTA Panhandle Trace Hike 2013.