[ft-l] Dickinson S.P.

[ft-l@mailman.backcountry.net (John F. Meyer, Jr.)]

#Ask for an updated trail map at the ranger station. Follow that, and
#you'll be fine. The last version of the FTA map is pretty much on the
#mark, too. Blazing and signage should keep you on track except when you

#first start the East Loop ... they've burned  the scrub so the blazes
#are missing. Just follow the straight and narrow (sometimes straight
#and wide) path paralleling the road back to the ranger residences, and
#watch for blazes on pavement when you reach road crossings.
#
#Enjoy ... and remember, that first few miles of sand pine scrub is hot,
#dry hiking!

Thanks for the info.  Any info is helpful, especially concerning water
levels in the park.

Actually I'm not hiking this weekend, I'm racing in the Howl at the Moon
12-hour adventure race starting at 4:00 Saturday afternoon.  I'm just
trying to get any info I can for 2 reasons:  1.  The race map is a USGS
topo of the park, so it doesn't have the FT on it, although the race
director will draw part of it in if the race course follows the trail.
2.  To get an idea of what kind of trail conditions to expect.  For
example, during least year's race on the first bike leg we rode the
Eagles View trails out to the FT bridge over Wilson Creek (data point 13
on my Tampa Repro map), then out past the campsite (data point 12) to a
point where we dropped our bikes, and bushwhacked south several hundred
feet, fording Kitching Creek during that bushwhack.  During many parts
of the bike, the entire chain line was under water.  The water level was
only inches below the planking on the Wilson Creek bridge.

________________________________________________________________________
John F. Meyer, Jr.          jfm@johnmeyer.net          www.johnmeyer.net
NASO, PSOA, GCFOA                          USARA, CFAR, NORBA, USAT, FTA