Otter Spotter's FtW Day Tripper Report

[des1954]

We took our bicycles to FtW earlier this morning just to see all the changes. Here are a few pictures....

The mysterious construction outside the day parking lot became a
retention pond...

The mysterious construction to the right of the outpost guard shack became a retention pond...

The lights on the walk-way have finally been installed (they only started this project last April)...

The 1800 & 1900 loops look terrific. They did engineer drainage & it should work very well. This is a site in 1800...

And this is between the sites where there used to be a tremendous drop-off...

And for the person who questioned if there were any Halloween Decorations up at FtW....

The 800 loop is closed down for refurbishing. While I didn't actually go into the loop, it doesn't look as if much has been started yet. The 500 loop renovation is "okay". As TCD reported, they expanded the size of the sites & there is no sand/coquina on any of the sites except around the hook-up's. They did install new grills & quite a few sites now have large aprons at the street side so you don't need to back over mud to get into your site.

I was very pleased with the end results of the 1800 & 1900 loops. There are no longer these huge drop-off between sites, and they have done quite a bit of landscaping and sodding. It looks very park-like. If FtWGuy ends up in the 1900 loop (as he prefers), I think he will be very pleased with the changes.

 

[auntie]

Did..Wyanotta make the trip with you?...

 

[des1954]

Did..Wyanotta make the trip with you?...

Not this time. It looked like it might rain (although it didn't) and my poor little girl can't get rained on.

 

[auntie]

An otter than can't get wet... She certainly is special, that girl!

The pictures look great Deb ...making us all jealous.

 

[lisa8200]

your killin' me Deb!!!! This will be the first October trip that I have missed in years....
Every missed trip has it's reasons,,,,Glad your getting to enjoy the fort...

 

[musicmama]

Can somebody please explain to me what a retention pond is for? And why would the Fort need 2 new (and pretty big) ones?

Aren't they just mosquito breeding places waiting to happen?
(Please don't flame, I really wanna know what these things do)

 

[2goofycampers]

Can somebody please explain to me what a retention pond is for? And why would the Fort need 2 new (and pretty big) ones?

Aren't they just mosquito breeding places waiting to happen?
(Please don't flame, I really wanna know what these things do)

It is for drainage, remember Fl is all sand. They treat the water.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Thanks for the pics, Deb. We have actually requested the 1800 loop this trip since we were not too happy in the 1900 last time, but anyplace looks good now. So keep an eye out for us if you are doing another bike trip. I think you mentioned maybe the 18th or 19th?????

 

[BRDof3]

You're up pretty late for an old guy, Jim!

Have fun at the Fort, and don't forget a few pics. I am living through everybody else's Fort trips for a year or 2. Now the oldest DD is joining my "I want to camp at the Fort" campaign. Maybe we'll get DW won over eventually!

 

[AuburnJen92]

Can somebody please explain to me what a retention pond is for? And why would the Fort need 2 new (and pretty big) ones?

Aren't they just mosquito breeding places waiting to happen?
(Please don't flame, I really wanna know what these things do)

It is for drainage, remember Fl is all sand. They treat the water.

No flames here. Florida is very flat and remember that the Fort was built on a swamp, so when there is a lot of rain, water puddles quickly and stays. Florida has had a bunch of rain this summer, even without a major hurricane, so there had to be something done. Of the several times I went this summer, there was NO time I did not see standing water at the Fort. It has been many a year since I have seen mosquitoes as big as the ones that were there at Labor Day. Mosquitoes are a health hazard they cannot afford to explore, so retention ponds are the best way to go. They drain the water quickly of problem areas and are easy to maintain with natural and man-made chemicals to keep the mosquitoes at bay. I hope this helps.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

You're up pretty late for an old guy, Jim!

Have fun at the Fort, and don't forget a few pics. I am living through everybody else's Fort trips for a year or 2. Now the oldest DD is joining my "I want to camp at the Fort" campaign. Maybe we'll get DW won over eventually!

Don't you know senior citizens always get up early? Actually, I start adjusting my sleep cycle several days before we leave so that I can go to bed at 3pm on Monday, get up at 9pm and be on the road by 10pm.

 

[ntsammy5]

When are you getting there? Damn, I wish I was going now too - the reason we changed to November no longer exists so we could have gone now, but everything is paid for.


BTW, I figured it out - you deal with pirated body parts and organs! Or you're a PT - pretty much the same thing

 

[ftwildernessguy]

BTW, I figured it out - you deal with pirated body parts and organs!

Guess I've been discovered. That's why I'm up now - just trying to get that last job in before we leave.

My ETA is 1000 hrs on Wednesday.

 

[ntsammy5]

My ETA is 1000 hrs on Wednesday.

Is that when you hit the FEBA?

 

[lisa8200]

Thanks for the pics, Deb. We have actually requested the 1800 loop this trip since we were not too happy in the 1900 last time, but anyplace looks good now. So keep an eye out for us if you are doing another bike trip. I think you mentioned maybe the 18th or 19th?????

The pads are to small in the 1900 ( was it always prefered cause it is now )theres not even enought concrete to have the picnic table under the awning.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Is that when you hit the FEBA?

Roger that. I'm going commando.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Deb! You get a TCD junior deputy badge!

Seriously, great photos!

The construction fences were still up around the retention ponds when I left the Fort on 10/6/08. It is amazing how much is changing and how fast it changes.

I think that these ponds were the source of the fill used on the 1800 and 1900 loops. It looks like these were dug a lot deeper than necessary. I think this was an easy place to get the fill that was needed, and that this was more of the purpose of these ponds than drainage. There were no expansions to the parking lot or roads in the area of these ponds. I doubt if they are used to drain the campsite areas- I think that overflow goes into the canals, and into Bay Lake.

I am surprised by your comment that it didn't look like much was going on in the 800 loop. In my most recent TR, I posted photos from just last week that shows the loop is torn up. I guess they are not working on weekends, but I am still guessing that the 800 loop will be done and re-open by the end of this month.

TCD

 

[des1954]

Deb! You get a TCD junior deputy badge!

Seriously, great photos!

The construction fences were still up around the retention ponds when I left the Fort on 10/6/08. It is amazing how much is changing and how fast it changes.

I think that these ponds were the source of the fill used on the 1800 and 1900 loops. It looks like these were dug a lot deeper than necessary. I think this was an easy place to get the fill that was needed, and that this was more of the purpose of these ponds than drainage. There were no expansions to the parking lot or roads in the area of these ponds. I doubt if they are used to drain the campsite areas- I think that overflow goes into the canals, and into Bay Lake.

I am surprised by your comment that it didn't look like much was going on in the 800 loop. In my most recent TR, I posted photos from just last week that shows the loop is torn up. I guess they are not working on weekends, but I am still guessing that the 800 loop will be done and re-open by the end of this month.

TCD

You could be right about digging a retention pond for fill dirt. I mean...the Fort has been opened for 37 years & never needed retention ponds before now. Maybe they had to put them in because of the new condo's going in or a trade off because they filled in 1800 & 1900. Who knows? If you look behind the sites on 1900, it looks as if they dug out a drainage ditch on the east (exit side- I think that's east) side of the loop. It must hook up with the canal behind 1800 somehow. Next time I'm at FtW without the DH, I can explore more thoroughly. He likes to exercise & I like to spy!!!

I didn't actually go in to the 800 loop...I just peeked in from the main road & from the 700 loop, and there were no workmen. On the front side of the loop nothing was going on - not even form boards or anything. Perhaps they are enlarging the sites in the back, first. I'll know more this weekend. I'm going to try & get over to meet FtWGuy sometime - so you can be sure I'll have the camera!!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

You could be right about digging a retention pond for fill dirt. I mean...the Fort has been opened for 37 years & never needed retention ponds before now. Maybe they had to put them in because of the new condo's going in or a trade off because they filled in 1800 & 1900. Who knows? If you look behind the sites on 1900, it looks as if they dug out a drainage ditch on the east (exit side- I think that's east) side of the loop. It must hook up with the canal behind 1800 somehow. Next time I'm at FtW without the DH, I can explore more thoroughly. He likes to exercise & I like to spy!!!

I didn't actually go in to the 800 loop...I just peeked in from the main road & from the 700 loop, and there were no workmen. On the front side of the loop nothing was going on - not even form boards or anything. Perhaps they are enlarging the sites in the back, first. I'll know more this weekend. I'm going to try & get over to meet FtWGuy sometime - so you can be sure I'll have the camera!!

Deb- There is a lot of work going on in the 800 loop. I have a new trip report over on the main camping board- with lots of photos. When you go back, take another look. Even from the road, you will see that the first sites as you go around the loop have already been expanded with new concrete poured.

When is FW guy going to be at the Fort? I am planning on being back on 10/30, but maybe I will have to plan something else so I can try to catch him too.

TCD

 

[des1954]

Deb- There is a lot of work going on in the 800 loop. I have a new trip report over on the main camping board- with lots of photos. When you go back, take another look. Even from the road, you will see that the first sites as you go around the loop have already been expanded with new concrete poured.

When is FW guy going to be at the Fort? I am planning on being back on 10/30, but maybe I will have to plan something else so I can try to catch him too.

TCD

Jim is coming in this Wednesday & IIRC, leaving around the 23rd or 24th. BUT...I'll be there from the 30th thru the 2nd!! Maybe...just maybe, I'll get to meet the TCD!!! Yippee!! (I won't take any pictures if you wish to remain incognito!) We will be coming in sometime around 7Pm the 30th. Here's a picture of our rig, so you can be on the lookout! It's a 32' Itasca Meridian. We probably won't have the truck with us, but we'll have a green e-z up awning in front with the gem car underneath. (If we're not out looping, that is.)