Because this hike was to be Monday - Friday with no holidays nearby, I didn't think I would be meeting too many folks on the trail - if any. There was also a drought going on, so I needed to carry more water than I normally would (1 gallon rather than 1/2). Partly to compensate for the extra weight, and partly since I planned to stay nude, I packed no clothing except for socks. I did have a couple of towels, but I always have towels anyway. I figured if I really needed to cover up on the trail, one of my towels would do the job.
My first stop was to be the area around Grassy Pond (about 11 miles). Those first few miles were very non-typical for Central Florida hiking. The terrain was mostly rolling hills. In one area the hill was so steep there was actually a switchback! (I'm used to switchbacks in the mountains, but this is practically unheard of in Florida.)It was basically easy hiking with a temperture in the upper 80's when I started to the lower 90's by afternoon. My first "challenge" was hiking by the Lake Delancy Recreation area. While it is managed by the Forest Service, it is basically like your commercial campgrounds with people driving the family car to their campsite. I had the towel available (tucked between my back and my pack as extra padding) in case I encountered textile campers, but all but one of the campsites I saw were deserted, and that one was too far away for them to see anything without binoculars. So my concern was unfounded.
After Lake Delancy, I concluded (as I had in 1980) that the chances of meeting anyone this week would be negligable. I considered putting my towel inside my pack to allow more airflow between the pack and my back, but decided I'd rather be sure of not chafing my back than to have that extra little bit of airflow. (The end of the towel is just visible between my left arm and side.)
The rest of the hike to Grassy Pond was during the hottest hours of the day. If I had met anyone at this point I was sure they would understand my desire to hike nude just from the heat. Just before Grassy Pond was a large clear-cut Sandpine area. (Ocala, like most National Forests, is multi-use and permits logging.) The total lack of shade and seemingly endless vista of low scrubby bushes made this part of the trail seem to take forever.
After the rise and fall of several major civilizations, I finally emerged from the clear cut area into a "normal" sandpine scrub. I knew Grassy Pond was nearby. I passed a side trail with a marker post, but no sign on the post. Rather than check it out, I pressed on. Eventually, I saw what must be Grassy Pond (although almost totally dried up), but I saw no water pump or camping area like the map indicated. I continued hiking on the theory that maybe it wasn't Grassy Pond after all.
That was until I came up on FR 88. According to the map, that was in fact Grassy Pond I had passed, but I was too spent by this time to go back. I crossed the road and found the first spot by the trail I could set up camp. (The word "Monday" in the map picture indicates where I camped.)
After cooking dinner, I saw I really needed to refill at least one of my water bottles before hiking on the next day. It was now after 6 PM and I could see that the hike back to Grassy Pond might be shorter if I followed the road rather than the trail. I had heard no traffic go by since right after I set up camp, so I figured I would go ahead and take the road. I grabbed my empty 2 liter bottle, and one of my trusty towels (in case a car did come by) and went to find Grassy Pond.
The reason I had not seen the Grassy Pond campsite before was that the campsite is on the West side of the pond, and I had hiked on the East side. This is some of the terrain you are hiking through before reaching Grassy Pond area. (Turns out that side trail I had seen came straight into the campsite behind the Latrine area. If I had followed it, I could have had the whole Grassy Pond camping area to myself with all the cold well water anyone could want, plus several picknic tables and an actual flush [chemical] toilet.) Though I didn't get a picture of this campsite, I would highly recommend it during warm weather weekdays for naturist camping. Weekends, I don't know. The site is accessible by any good off-road vehicle. Any truck with good ground clearance, some weight over the back wheels, and wide tires could probably navigate the loose, thick sand road to get to the campsite. My guess, supported by several beer bottles and cans I saw, is that on weekends it's a redneck party spot. (Probably not the best neighbors for a naturist camping group or individual.)
