On the fifth day, he showered

The portion of the Big Cypress National Preserve north of I 75 mainly follows well packed dirt roads and older grades overgrown with grass. To the left of the trail is canal that is buffered from the roadway by tall grasses and small trees. It is here that I encounter the first alligators thus far. They are mainly along the opposite side of the canal from me laying about sunning themselves. From this distance I have no issue stepping toward the edge of the canal to snap a few photos, taking care to avoid the more open areas where footing is less sure. Within 15 minutes I encounter no fewer than 9 alligators.
The first one I come upon my side of the canal, retreats quickly into the water. So goes for many on the opposite shore. One alligator, though, was persistent and would not leave the roadside. After a little hesitation, I cautiously made my way around him on the far side of the road.
After a short while the rumble of a motorized vehicle brakes the relative silence of my shuffling footsteps. I step to the side of the road to let it pass. The driver stopped and greeted me with a friendly hello. She introduced herself as Rebeca, and told me that she was out checking cameras. According to her, there is a lot of Panther activity here, and there are trail cameras placed strategically to capture them in action. She pulled out her laptop from a dry bag and showed me a video of a male and female traveling together. Apparently they are not a highly familial animal. After mating the male has nothing to do with the raising of the offspring. It is the mothers responsibility to feed and protect the cubs. The Florida Panther is genetically no different than a puma or mountain lion, but is considered a subspecies for propose of endangered species listing. Massive habitat destruction and hunting led to a scarce few left by the 1970's. The few that did manage to hang on were very inbred. In the 1990's, a handful of Texas cats were introduced into the wild to help revitalize the population. This initiative has worked, but they are still have a long way to go to be delisted.
Rebeca, gave me a few things to look out for ahead on the trail. To mark there territory, the males will lay down scent and "scratch" the area around it. She showed me some video of it so I knew what to look for. They will also scratch at tree trunks, kind of like a house cat will your couch.
Armed with this info I proceed north. The day passes, mostly through pine forests but always on some sort of dirt of grass roadway. At midday, I again encounter a few alligators off the side of the trail. About 200 paces off I noticed a smallish gator, laying directly in the roadway. It obviously noticed me and got up and wandered into a side canal. Shortly down the trail, another such alligator, lay sunning to the left rut of the road. Given my experience with them thus far, I thought it would be safe to expect it to leave when I approach. Like my friend the rattler 2 days previous, it stood it's ground. I tried my best to get it to move from a safe distance. I stomped the ground, thinking it could feel that. I clacked my poles together to make some noise, thinking that maybe it would react more like a bear. This, all to no avail. Finally, I realized that I would have to pass him on the roadway. The woods bordering the trail were far too dense to pass. I proceed slowly and with my trekking poles at the ready, just in case I have to defend myself. In this way I make my way around and beyond my adversary.
By late afternoon, I passed the boundary from the Big Cypress National Preserve into the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. To hike this portion of the trail, I had to first send a notarized letter to the tribe and carry a copy of it myself. The landscape quickly changes into agricultural land; citrus groves and open cattle ranges. All of the trail  is along roads and the day drags on. I had initially planned to stay at Billy Swamp Safari in a Chickie, a thatched roof dwelling, but decided to push on and make it to the Seminole RV Resort. I approached at dusk and, with the office closed, picked a site to put down my tent. I proceeded to the shower to wash off the miles. The 18 miles I did that day as well as the 38 the previous four days wore heavy on me. The next day is another road walk, but that is no burden, for now I am clean and looking forward to crawling into my sleeping bag and closing my eyes.