FL>Hidden Pond, ONF>Sept 25-27>4th Annual Summer's Last Gasp Hang

**Floridahanger** · 08-11-2015, 00:56

At this time of the year, Summer is rolling along and we know that leads to Summer Lite here in Florida when most are calling Autumn a cooling time up North.

FLRider has started a wonderful tradition in this second installment of hanging in the Florida Summer at Hidden Pond, a spring fed lake on the Florida Trail in Ocala National Park. This is such a great place with many hammock ready trees, prairies, pond and animals in the area with access from the North or South using the Florida Trail. I have always enjoyed the time with old friends from the "No UnderQuilt Hang" and "Summer's Last Gasp Hang" and all the new hikers that have braved the Florida Heat during Summer to be here.

The past few years we have experienced some hot days and warm to slightly cool nights. This hang may be the last chance to use your hammock with no UnderQuilt before the cool nights take over. This past July, I needed to use my UQ due to a constant cool breeze and it can go either way here at Hidden Pond.

Here are some links to past hangs for 1st Summer's Last Gasp, 2nd Summer's Last Gasp, 3rd Summer's Last Gasp. These links have great intel on the locations and how to get to the different parking areas. Go to the trip reports and see the fun for this trip.

Have a great time with a wonderful group of core hangers and new hangers alike. We welcome anyone that enjoys the outdoors and if you don't have a hammock yet, come anyways with your tent, bivy, or just a tarp and bugnet. This hang will have plenty of choices of hammocks to look at, a wide variety of tarps to peruse and plenty of conversation and a few lies around the fire.

If you have a desire to hike out more than a few miles to see the Natural Florida, this hang is for you. Come on out with your gear, rig, food and anything that you need to hike. This hang location is a great way to shake out any bugs in your gear for long hikes.

The hang is from Friday 9/25/15 thru Sunday 9/27/15. Access from the North is at Pat's Island with a 3+ mile hike on the Florida Trail. Pat's Island has free parking and can hold about 8-10 cars or so. From the South, pay-to-park at Juniper Springs with a 5+ mile hike on the Florida Trail. From the West there is parking at Hidden Pond Short and can hold 5-7 cars with about a 2 mile hike East until it crosses the Florida Trail, turn right (South) for about the last .5 mile or so to Hidden Pond.

Hope to see you there.

**kev138** · 08-11-2015, 01:57

Oh man i so want to go. Am off that weekend and woukd jump on it, but my wife will be at nine months pregnant, and due around that time. Hard to justify being hours from home having fun without her at a time like that. Oh well. Always next time right?

**WaffleBox** · 08-11-2015, 06:27

I'll probably be there.

**Life Scout** · 08-11-2015, 06:38

Sorry we will miss this one. We have signed up for the SC Santee fall hang the same weekend. Catch you guys later in the year.

**57koop** · 08-11-2015, 08:24

Looking forward to this one! I'm in.

**craigc** · 08-11-2015, 10:08

I'm planning on it. Hopefully it'll cool off enough at night so I don't regret coming out of hibernation early. I don't know if I'll take the day off work so either arriving late morning or early evening Friday which will probably dictate where I hike in from.

O-Boy or any other fishermen that have been to hidden pond, is it worth bringing in a fly rod to catch a few fish?

Looking forward to my first hang at Hidden Pond.

**MoonBear** · 08-11-2015, 11:40

Sounds interesting...

**olddog** · 08-11-2015, 12:04

Sounds interesting here also. Not so sure about the heat but at least there is the pond to sit in if it's too hot. Dragging the pole along and grilling some fresh fish sounds good.