Florida Trail: List of Terms

Here are definitions of terms heard on the trail, usually during building or maintenance. These terms may have started in a general vocabulary, but have been customized for the Florida Trail. If you know others, please comment (see below).

• blaze, blazing. A blaze is a mark to show the trail route. A Florida Trail color is OSHA Orange. Size is 2"x6" vertical. It is placed 5.5" above the ground. Along with several other rules for standarization. Blazing is the act of creating or maintaining a blaze or blazes.
• brush, brushing. A 1.5" wide paint brush is a standard blazing tool. Brushing is clearing vegetation from the trail corridor. It includes lopping and sawing as well as removing debris.
• corridor. There are two meanings for corridor. A standard trail corridor is a 6' wide by 8' high pathway. A corridor can also mean the area that the land manager has designated. The trail must be located within that area.
• flag, flagging. A flag is a length of plastic tape or ribbon used to mark a new trail. There are preferred ways to tie and locate a flag. Flagging is either the material of flags or the act of placing flags.
• grub, grubbing. To grub is to remove obstructions from the ground under the trail. Grubbing is usually done with a Mattock or a Pulaski axe, but includes pulling up roots, clipping, cutting and digging.
• pin or pin-flag, pinning. A pin or pin-flag is a stiff wire with a brightly-colored plastic triangle temporarily stuck in the ground to mark the edge of a new trail corridor. Pinning is the act of placing pins, which is really trail design.
• stob. A stob is a stub of wood left in the ground. Usually it is either waist-high to be easy to grab during root removal or a short stub that is a tripping hazard that should be dug out.
• thru-hiker. A thru-hiker walks the entire length of the Florida Trail, from Big Cypress Preserve to Ft. Pickens or the reverse. The hike can be done without a break or in sections.
• trail hog. A trail hog is someone who works on the Florida Trail, building or maintaining it.
• treadway. A treadway is the surface of the ground where people walk within the trail corridor. It is a foot path about 18-24" wide.

These views of the Florida National Scenic Trail are from NW Florida, the panhandle. Back to Florida National Scenic Trail views.