I Did A Hike

I’d been invited to walk the “I Did A Hike” fundraiser put on by the North Florida Trail Blazers Chapter. Hearing about the geographical treasures I’d be seeing: Big Shoals Rapids, Robinson Branch Falls, Bell Springs, Waldron’s Landing’s Walking Man Bridge and Little Shoals sparked my interest.

Born and raised in Florida, I’ve always been dazzled by the mystique and beauty of the Suwannee River, but I’d never seen rapids or water falls, Bell Springs or foot bridges along the river. The idea of spending the day hiking along the picturesque Suwannee River enchanted me.

But how? I have a spinal cord injury. From being paralyzed, unable to hold my head up or to move my left side, I’ve re-learned to walk, but not like I used to and seven miles is a huge distance for me. I wondered if I could possibly even do it...

Hour later...

At a snails pace, I walked across the finish line. Janie and the others hooped and hollered, “You did it Deborah! You did it! Congratulations!” They immediately provided me with a chair and a drink of water. "You just hiked 8.4 miles! Three GPS’s taken on the trail measured the distance at 8.4 miles.”

I couldn’t believe it. I sat there in awe, in sheer glory…incredible!

In Alaska there’s a song called, “I did, I did, I did the Iditarod Trail.” Here I can say, “I did, I did, I did the I-did-a-Hike-Trail!”

105 hikers completed the hike that day, raising $1,500.00 for the Florida Trail Association. Hope ya’ll will join us next year so you can say; “I did the I Did a Hike Trail.”

For information contact randy-at-inkyfingers.biz.

The full text of this story appears in The Florida Trail Footprint, Fall 2009 issue.