FTA Volunteer Trail Crew Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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In the early 1960s, Jim Kern, a Miami resident, visited the Appalachian Trail for a backpacking trip and came back to Florida with a burning desire to create a long-distance hiking trail in his own backyard. Founding the Florida Trail Association (FTA) to pursue that goal, Kern rounded up like-minded Floridians and set to work. The Florida Trail’s first blaze was painted in the Ocala National Forest near Clearwater Lake in October 1966.
Today, Kern’s original dream of a 500-mile long distance hiking trail has grown to a federally designated National Scenic Trail more than 1,500 miles across the state of Florida, with volunteers from all over Florida seeing to its maintenance, expansion, protection, and promotion. After 40 years, more than 1,000 miles of “Florida’s Footpath Forever” lies within a protected corridor, connected by orange blazes along back roads where we have not yet been able to protect the corridor.
Five years ago I came to these woods with my kids to help FTA volunteers cut this trail. I remember this trail crossing because we discussed the bridge that would eventually be here. I hope to find the pictures I took then to post on the cache page. East of the bridge I led the way with a weed whacking saw thing. I don't know what it was called but I started clearing the way through tall caesar weeds and grape vines. We cut all the way to Snow Hill Road and later we cut more trail on the east side of Snow Hill. I think it's pretty cool to come here now to a trail that my kids and I helped cut.
I missed out on building this bridge. Probably because I was out of town at work. I've built and repaired other bridges and know that a great deal of work is involved with it.
We are currently cutting new trail through the Culuota Wilderness and the Charles Bronson State Forest. I hope you enjoy the trails.
The cache, an ammo can, is anchored but not attached to anything solid. You don't have to take the anchor out to open the cache. I gave it plenty of chain. If you are here when it's warm you will need bug spray.
This cache was placed with permission of the LBESF. Caches here must have a permit. There was a five year moratorium on new caches. They just recently started to allow new ones. Thanks to Clan Riffster for the work he has done to keep caches here in the forest.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Trg ba lbhe unaqf naq xarrf.
Treasures
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