Harold Williams Cooney

Thursday, December 4th, 2025. Room 105 at the Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Florida City. Way off m22.8 of the Eastern Continental Florida Trail Connecter. 67°, overcast, amazingly great.

I probably shouldn’t complain about my seedy hotel, but I did. It was the room not having any toilet paper that set me off. The no towels thing, no problem. Beds that might be dirty, but maybe that’s me. People parting in the neighboring room to 345am, probably I’m just insecure and jealous. But, can’t shit because no toilet paper? There will be complaints!

I don’t sleep well because of mental health. I have a couple of good stretching sessions to try and settle me out and ease my physical discomfort, which is good. But, yeah, grumpy at wake up. I pack my stuff and complain at the front desk. Eye rolls in return. That makes sense.

I walk to Cracker Barrel (lol, fuck) for breakfast. I charge my stuff and update this blog. I don’t have any trouble explaining the obvious to myself: I am so lucky to have the life I do, NO COMPLAINTS!

From Cracker Barrel to Walgreens. I get bug stuff and manage to make important water bottle change. I was carrying 6x 1l bottles, which is something out of New Mexico. I buy 2x 1.5l bottles and ditch 4x 1l bottles. So now, 6l max in 4 bottles. Still, a lot of water. Map says I need it.

Starbucks for coffee and water to fill my old bottles. I call for a Lyft, it costs less than yesterday and arrives almost instantly.

Just before 930am, me and my lucky, lucky Starbucks life is back on trail. Warm and sunny.

Wonderful walking. Hot in the sun but not exhaustingly so. I make decent time and enjoy watching the world on the far side of the canal.

Farming in Florida is crop diverse, trying to understand what is growing, what is being harvested, and is quite impossible for me. I have a hard time distinguishing for certain between human food and landscaping plants.

The businesses seem quite small, 10s of acres. I see a few workers here and there and wonder what their schedule is like this time of year.

Just before SW 168th Street / Richmond Drive, I walked past a model airport. AMPS R/C Club is one of the coolest experiences I have had on trail. While walking, I have dozens of flyovers from jets that perhaps have a 4 foot wingspan. So great!

After the airport, I turn right and am quickly at an outdoor Cuban spot that to me seems built to cater to the agricultural labor that works the fields I have been passing. They don’t speak English but I manage to order asada and black rice, it was pretty good. Two Mexican like frozen dessert bars and fill my bottles. El Pirata Ranch, do recommend. If one is less gringo than me, probably the food situation is even better.

Up and out at 4pm. Good times.

No bugs all day. Not a one. As soon as the sun goes down, it’s a mosquito world. Yikes. But, I did buy a bottle of bug stuff, and even though I’m against wearing it, I find myself rushing to get it out of my pack and on my skin. Real quick. Lol, fuck.

The trail crosses the Tamiami Trail (Highway 41) to be on its north side. It’s quite a busy road and under construction. The trail crosses a canal that’s north of the road and travels west in a straight line for some time.

There is a campsite proposed in FarOut less than 3 miles from crossing the  highway. I get there, and it is definitely not great. Trash, including broken glass. Tall grass that already had beads of moisture on it. Looks unappealing. But I set up anyway.

I’m in my tent at about 10 pm. It’s not long after that a car of some sort comes. They use a handheld beam to light my tent up. Someone in the vehicle says something about running the tent over. I yell back at them and get out of the tent to go face to face. By the time I do, they have driven off.

I get back in my tent, and a few minutes later, there is another vehicle. I do not know if it’s the same one. Things feel sketchy. The second vehicle drives a little ways looking to gage my response.

I make the decision to pack up and move. Nightmare, but I do an okay job. I go not very far to a gate on a lock. I reset camp beyond the gate and a little control building of some kind.

At both locations, mosquitoes in the tent tent tequire much killing after getting inside. Takes time and effort.

Also, at some point in all of this, I feel the sharp strain of accute back pain. Nightmare.

It’s now 11:10 pm. In tent exhausted ish. Worried for my back. Also concerned about returning tent visitors.

Milage

Started at m22.8 and am tented at the “water control structure” on m53.0, so 30.2 for the day. I’ve only had a few incidents in hundreds and hundreds of nights backpacking where I’ve been openly threatened. Quite unusual. I’m thankful to end the day alive and well enough.