Florida Trail: Marking the Highest Point

For alternate options or smaller versions, see http://wholeo.net//Trips/Travel/Florida/panhandle/uncities/ScenicTrail/Highes...

This movie celebrates the events of Aug. 2 and 13, 2011 with the Choctawhatchee chapter of the Florida Trail Association. See member volunteers getting a post from Jr. Walton Pond and later installing a sign on the site of the highest point on the Florida National Scenic Trail. These events are the culmination of years of dreaming, learning, exploring, maintaining the trail, and planning. The exact elevation is undetermined but it is under 300 feet above sea level, making it the lowest high point on any national scenic trail.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.wholeo.net/Web2/nature/HighPointFNST... is a google map with GPS placemarks for 1. Jr. Walton Pond where we got the post, 2. parking for the hikers who installed a marker, and 3. the site of the highest point. The location of the post and sign is approximately 30°44'47.00"N 86°14'33.00"W. It is about a three mile hike NW from the Alaqua Trailhead on Bob Sykes Rd. See the http://westgate.floridatrail.org/CatfaceSketch.html Catface Section info. We drove up rural road 210 (called "obscure road" in the video) to intersect with the trail and hiked back on it. Here is a video map of the Florida National Scenic Trail with a pushpin at the highest point.

The temperature was one of the hot summer days. Several friends do not hike in such hot weather. My camera battery ended before the hike back. We made three stops to meet Tom in his truck on jeep trails with a cooler full of iced water and electrolyte drinks. I don't know if anyone opted out of the whole hike or not. At the last stopping point I was getting really hot so I got iced water. I had drunk two glasses of water, tea, electrolytes and the thermos of coffee.

I missed the snake skeleton pic. What else? Great photos of the events are on the http://choctaw.floridatrail.org chapter MEETUP sites for these days.

The Jr. Walton Pond is in the
http://westgate.floridatrail.org/TitiCreekSketch.html Titi Creek section of the trail. The link has photos of the
http://ft.smugmug.com/Gateway-Communities/Crestview/3007801_xtyrR/2/163227956... Jr. Walton Pond campsite.

After placing the sign and getting a photo, we honored four people who have been active Florida Trail Association volunteers for over ten years, not only maintaining established trails, but pioneering new segments and supporting Florida nature lovers, hikers, paddlers, and backpackers in untold ways. They are Tom Daniel, Paul Mayo, Bob Deckert, and Wallis Mayo. See http://wholeo.net/Trips/Travel/Florida/panhandle/uncities/ScenicTrail/FNST.htm for other Florida National Scenic Trail views.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Florida National Scenic Trail
• hiking
• Florida
• Walton County
• Choctawhatchee Chapter
• FNST

[zenabowli]

Interesting how the lightning heats and hardens the sap in the tree to form the pole. Kind of like fuglurite aka petrified lightning...