Re: [ft-l] Dan Smith

As past section leader of the Big Cypress section of the FNST and have
hiked that section every year since 1983, I would like to make a comment.
There are only a two areas that possibly can be waist deep when the weather
drops a lot of rain. And both of these areas can be walked around in knee
deep water. The first area is caused by swamp buggies digging out the trail
and making a trench.  This is just about 5 miles north of Oasis Ranger
Station.  (We tried re-routing several time, but the buggies keep finding
and using the new trail.)
The other area is north of the fence line thru the edge of a cypress slough.

The only possibility is that Dan Smith went thru a few areas off the normal
trail since the blazed on this section of trail are currently in poor shape
or absent.  It is easy to walk in an area with deeper water.  This section
of trail is also currently officially closed until maintenance can be done
to the trail.

I personally enjoy that section in any level water and there are others
that feel the same way.  It is part of the Florida environment.

Daryl Wells


At 09:56 AM 12/19/1999 EST, you wrote:
>As you may know, Dan Smith of Dan Smith and Karen Berger fame (numerous
trail 
>books to their credit) is hiking the FT this year.  He started at Loop Road 
>about December 9.  He reported walking through waist deep water.*  We (Jon 
>Phipps & I) were to pick him up on SR 60 on December 21.  However, he called 
>last Thursday to report that he was off the trail and heading home early for 
>his planned Christmas break.  He had poison ivy so badly over both feet that 
>he was risking a massive infection.  He'll be back January 1 and picking up 
>where he left off, near Clewiston.  
>
>He plans to write a couple of articles and perhaps a book about the FT.  His 
>spirits were still up, but he was heading to the doctor to get some help in 
>getting rid of the poison ivy.
>
>*about that water--I guess I can ask this question and risk the flames I'm 
>apt to get, but WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE WE DOING PUTTING IN A TRAIL WHERE 
>PEOPLE (in what seems to be a "normal" year) ARE WALKING IN WAIST DEEP 
>WATER??????  Don't we need to re-think that section below Oasis?  Nimblewill 
>Nomad's journal of that section is even worse.  We are endangering folks 
>calling that kind of swimming a trail.
>
>On my soapbox,
>Joan
>bluetrail@aol.com
>* From the Florida Trail Mailing List | http://www.backcountry.net *
>
* From the Florida Trail Mailing List | http://www.backcountry.net *

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