Harold Williams Cooney

Saturday, December 27th, 2025. Tented on a ranch entrence, a gated field drive off the road, on m504.2 of the FloridaTrail. Short grass over sand, overhanging trees. I wake naturally a few minutes after 5 am. 62° and calm. 29.741713,-81.788208

I’ve gotten into the habit of feeling way too tired in the evening to complete these journals, and so first thing waking up, that’s what I take care of. It takes quite a bit of time compared to just packing up and walking on, which is how it should be.

Pack on and walking, 608 am.

I pass the Iron Shelter without going in. It would have been interesting to check it out, but I want to make good miles today.

Coming away from the water cache, I met a section hiker named Puzzler who told me that there are “multiple hikers” ahead of me. This is very good news, I am thrilled.

I do run into a hiker about an hour later, a day hiker. We chat briefly. I enjoy seeing people on trail. I really hope this is not who Puzzler was talking about.

The trail takes its sweet time, making Highway 21, bucking away from the road after coming close for the entrance to Goldhead Beach State Park.

The Florida Trail has experienced some sort of closure, I don’t have the details on it, but the FarOut red line numbers are messed up starting at the highway.

I do not care. I continue south west on the highway. At Circle K I get a terrible coffee and two stale doughnuts which I eat on the toilet.

I’m further down the highway to Johnny’s BBQ by 345. I have ribs, collard greens, and a sweet potato. Not the best. Thankful for the chance to sit and charge devices. Out at 550pm.

I grabbed a few snacks at the CVS. I go across the street and buy shit tickets at Walgreens (packaged facial tissues, like for the car or someone’s purse. they are square as opposed to having a continuous roll of toilet paper and so I call them shir tickets.) I go over to the Dunkin’ Donuts and get a large coffee with cream.

A little bit further down the highway is McDonald’s. Lol. I get a bacon double quarter pounder value meal and some ice cream. I’ve finished this caloric debauchery by 730pm.

I have the unusual luck of getting to talk to a friend on the phone as I walk, which really helps.

The trail continues to be bike path for quite some distance. All but the very last stretch asphalt. The last little bit where I camped is like gravelly two track.

I go until midnight, and I’m pretty happy with that effort.

Milage:

It is difficult to make any sort of accurate measurement of mileage without putting out more effort than I want to. In the years past, I’ve used up a lot of electricity and my time to digitally track my walking, and while that gives me an accurate number, it takes up a lot of resources and pack weight. But it also controls the motif, I guess you could call it of my hiking. It becomes all about the miles, and I don’t want that. I just want to walk. That being said, today is a great day where it’s hard to figure it out unless you have a track.

Started at 504.2, end at 546.8. So, 42.6 miles. However, I’ll lose some distance because of the closure thing on FarOut. I probably also gain some distance by going down into Keystone Heights and taking the highway out of town.

I feel pretty confident that the day was over forty miles.