On this our last hitch together, we joined forces with the local volunteers of F-Troop and got a lot of work done in Torreya State Park. Named for a species of tree that exits solely in the park, the terrain here was spectacular, overlooking the Eastern and Central time zone boundary, the Apalachicola River. Here the crew experienced trail work unlike any other in Florida. There were hills! Ups and downs and elevation that made you think you were most definitely somewhere other than 'flat, sandy Florida.' The trees there were larger and more diverse as this is Florida's first State Park.
The work we were doing was a hefty reroute of a spur trail leading to four campsites along Rock Bluff. The existing trail intrudingly went right through each succeeding site. We cut new bench trail for a few thousand feet to allow more privacy to the campsites, and also provide a sustainable route to a small rock outcropping overlooking the river.
This event was special because we reached a record number of volunteers 31! and were able to efficiently keep busy and make progress on the project. Thanks to the Florida Trail Association for such a great season, we all learned so much and really enjoyed our time in Florida.
Manateem Out.
