SECOND ANNUAL FLORIDA HIKE-N-HANG (planning)

[FLRider]

Some images to help

1. Area map with SR 50 Cortez Rd marked from I75.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...&cutoffdate=-1

2. Map with trail head parking marked
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...&cutoffdate=-1

3. Photo of approach to Trail head parking at the Fire Tower. The turn for the lot is on the right, the trail head is just behind the brown and green signs on the left. You can just make out the little orange FT shield.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...&cutoffdate=-1

4. Photo of trail head showing the trail. We will up this trail on Friday night.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...&cutoffdate=-1

5. Photo of driveway to trail head/fire tower parking lot. Cars will be on the far side along that circular path near the fence. The signage in the right middle distance is the sign in box. The trail head is right opposite all of this across the road (behind the "photographer's" back).
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...&cutoffdate=-1

Thanks, Flackfizer. Gotta love Google Maps...

[MAD777]

I don't need to go on the hike now because, thanks to Flackfizer, I've seen it all

[Flackfizer]

I don't need to go on the hike now because, thanks to Flackfizer, I've seen it all

I'll send you a small jar of mosquitoes and tannic water just to complete the at home experience.

[lilricky]

What was the google car doing there? Did it get lost?

[Flackfizer]

What was the google car doing there? Did it get lost?

Does kind of make you wonder.....

[olddog]

Does kind of make you wonder.....

... Was he looking for a location to hike&hang?

[Grinder]

Flackfizer says:
"We will be there weds or thurs with an eye towards an extra 10 or more miles. We were quietly planning that all along. I was thinking of just doing a loop, but I am very interested to know if there is a logical remote site."

I have found the Green swamp west parking lot that Ed Hess referred to. It's just a few miles off of US 98 just south of Dade City.

Google map. http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Au...ra=ls&t=h&z=12

The bee line walking detail is weak

It looks to be about 10 to 15 "crow flies" miles to the fire tower area.

I haven't yet found detail trails connecting A to B. Each area map seems to only show loop routes in that area. But, surely there are tie ins???

My rough plan is to park at Green Swamp West in the morning and hike to the fire tower site.

Sunday, depending on how "chipper" I feel I will either hike back to the car or bum a ride back from another hiker who has parked at the fire tower.

[olddog]

Grinder, here is a link to SWFWMD's site and the Green Swamp Preserve.http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recrea...reenswamp.html. Not sure of the mileage from the entrance just above the Withlacoochee River park, but the FT goesnorth from there to connect with the portion we did last year. When Sandra picks me up Sunday we can give you a ride back to your vehicle. Check out the rest of the SWFWMD site there's alot of info available.

[lilricky]

I'm not familiar with a parking lot on US98, I do know there is a West Green Swamp parking lot off of SR 471 that is about 10 miles south of the Richloam Fire Tower. Here is a map of the area, as you can see, the Green Swamp parking lot is connected to the Richloam area by the Florida Trail. Is this what you were referring to? And if this is the parking lot you were thinking of, I'm going right by there on my way back home, so I could drop you off there, if you're not feeling chipper that is.

[Flackfizer]

This map is great. It highlights the fact that Day 2 for us takes us southward through the wetter areas.