Florida Trail: CRS Work Days in 2010 and 2011

The Choctawhatchee River Section (CRS) of the Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST) is nearing completion. Florida Trail Association (FTA) volunteers have worked on it for eight years. In November 2010, when I heard that a new segment of the trail was in the works, something flipped in my brain. All my life I have walked on trails without knowing where they came from. Who made them? When? How did they do it? I wanted to follow the story from the beginning.

I learned about the work midway. The land was donated, explored, and a preliminary path had been flagged. When I got on the trail with FTA crews, I kept my video camera on most of the time. There are hours of movies. I'm editing them to tell the story. It is engaging and exciting. But the engagement is learning about this trail specifically; it's not about great trails. The excitement is things relating to this one. A fall would be action, but in this case, in the Cypress Swamp that has a particular meaning. Some parts are included simply for history so people can keep track of changes . On November 30, 2016 there are three movies but I'm planning more. The first movie details the project with Ron Rich. Next Tom Daniel explains flagging. Lastly I get on the trail with a rerouting adventure into the trees.

Florida Trail: Choctawhatchee River Section introduction from Caroling Wholeo on Vimeo. Ron Rich, who was the project lead, describes the project location and status. Tom Daniel says the individual in the dark shirt with glasses is Jim Schmid the then USDA-FS / FNST Administrator. The lead and administrator have changed. The people who actually build the trail were there and still are.

Florida Trail: Flagging by Tom Daniel from Caroling Wholeo on Vimeo.

Tom explains the use of flags for trail markers.

Florida Trail: Rerouting the S access to the CRS trail from SR 20 from Caroling Wholeo on Vimeo.

On April 5, 2011 the first task was to reroute 300 feet of the southern access to the trail off State Road 20. We hiked in a meandering route to a creek. Ron Rich with compass, flagged the new route straight south. Bob Deckert and JP with loppers started clearing the path so people could get through. Demonstrates rerouting, bushwhacking, lopping, flagging with a little compass, GPS and teamwork.

This view of the Florida National Scenic Trail is from NW Florida, the panhandle. Specifically the trail section will stretch from SR 81 at Seven Runs to SR 20 west of the Choctawhatchee River. See this Google map. Note there will be YouTube versions when I finish the videos. These are subject to change.

Back to Choctawhatchee River Section.

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