This started out interesting and then got out of hand. On the way to the park, I received a phone call from my brother asking if I was OK with Hurricane Hermine bearing down on Florida. The last I heard it was still several days away and I would be well clear of the big bend area of Florida by the time it reached the coast.
I checked in with the park ranger and her last words to me were “Keep an eye on the weather.” Strange, I thought. The forecast was for clear skies.
I backpacked in 0.9 miles to Rock Bluff camp site and pitched camp overlooking the Apalachicola River. It was a very scenic spot. I prepared my dehydrated dinner, ate, washed utensils and was about to crawl into the sleeping bag and I thought “I better check the weather.”
There was a hurricane warning specifically for Bristol, Florida for that night beginning at 8 pm (it was already 8 pm) with predictions of 55 mph winds (my tent is rated to 50 mph) and 4-6 inches of rain and threats of tornadoes. I packed up and hiked out in the dark to drive inland and sleep at a motel.
It was a warning sent in mistake by the National Weather Service. It never did rain, the wind didn’t blow and the hurricane didn’t strike that night. Oh well, better safe than sorry.
