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For the past few years I have been toying with the idea of backpacking in a long distance hike.  I originally learned of "thru hikers" who would hike the entire length of a national trail, only stopping for supplies along the way.  This idea intrigued me, as I have always loved hiking.  So I started with the idea of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail.  I bought backpacking gear and decided to start practice runs on a trail here in Florida.  My first experience was a near disaster that turned me off of the idea for a while.

Well, the desire to try again has returned.  I have set my sights to something that is a little more doable than the Appalachian Trail.  To hike the Appalachian Trail in one shot would take 4-6 months, depending on the pace.  To do this, I would have to have enough money saved to quit my job for 6 months, and would probably have to look for a new job when I returned.  It didn't look like this was the most feasible of ideas.  Since then, I have learned of another national trail called the Florida Trail.  I can drive to part of the Florida Trail in about an hour.

So I am currently section hiking the Florida Trail on the weekends starting at the western end of the trail.  As I hike further east and south, it will get more difficult to do on the weekends, but I can at least get started and see how long I can do it.

I have also joined the Florida Trail Association (www.floridatrail.org).  It is a private organization that works with the upkeep and creation of trails in Florida.  They have events almost every week from hiking to trail maintenance.  I hope to be able to meet others who enjoy hiking through this organization.

To begin viewing this website, click an item on the menu at the upper right to go to that section of the website.  NOTE:  If you have dial-up (slow) internet, the video sections of this site may not work properly.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for the website, feel free to contact me at floridatrailproject@cox.net.  Thanks and hope you enjoy the site.

Joel (Whitesnake)