February 27th, 2006 Sandra Friend
Dangling like an anchor into the waters of Tampa Bay, Mullet Key is known to the world as Fort De Soto Park, home of a rare find: unspoiled Suncoast beaches. I’m sorry to report that this quiet natural destination may not remain so for very long. Take a look at the plans for “improvements” on the Pinellas County Government website. They include a 225-seat restaurant and rentals of beach chairs and umbrellas, among other plans. I must concur with columnist Howard Troxler in the St. Pete Times that this beautiful natural destination does not need to be “upgraded” in any way. And if the plans go through, you won’t find the peace and quiet out there you’ll enjoy on a journey right now. So, in the interest of one last look at a relatively unspoiled corner of Pinellas County: hike it now!
LEARN MORE >>> Take a Hike!
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February 18th, 2006 Sandra Friend
Hiking through Corbett: On the Ocean to Lake section of the Florida Trail
At the crack of dawn this morning, two groups of backpackers left two significant bodies of water (the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Okeechobee) and headed towards each other on what’s become an annual Florida Trail Association tradition, the Ocean to Lake Hike. I had the privilege to be part of the very first journey several years ago, when we tested out the 72-mile route for its suitability. For more than a decade, volunteers from the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association have worked with a variety of land managers to make the dream of a broad greenway corridor between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Okeechobee a reality.
The Ocean to Lake Trail links together a number of shorter trails that have been existence for years through Palm Beach and Martin Counties at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Corbett Wildlife Management Area, and DuPuis Reserve. You can enjoy any of these trails as a backpacking trip or series of day hikes. However, the Ocean to Lake Trail is not open to the public in its entirety yet since it crosses Riverbend Park west of Jupiter, which I hope to see fully open this year. There are some crossings of private land near Lake Okeechobee as well. But I expect this trail to open fully within the next year or two, and it is heartening to hear of forward movement on the project with the announcement of a trailhead at the new Sandhill Crane Park in Palm Beach Gardens.
As a veteran of the hike (who wishes she were out there right now on this beautiful day!) I can vouch for the beauty of the trail, where rare and colorful Everglades wildflowers emerge from the prairie grasses in Jonathan Dickinson State Park and Corbett WMA, where hanging gardens of bromeliads await in the Hole in the Wall, and where you experience the unique by walking between sugar cane fields and stands of banana trees in the agricultural lands near Lake Okeechobee. 
It’s an experience worthy of any backpacker interested in the habitats of South Florida. The annual hike underscores the importance of this trail to the local communities, and is your most enjoyable way to take the trek with a group. One of our group called ahead and arranged for a pot of chili to be bubbling at the campsite on the last day out! It was a nice wrapup to two cold days of hiking … you can see me warming my wet socks over the campfire in the photo below.
Take a Hike! Announcements and signups for the Ocean to Lake Hike go out in January in the Florida Trail Footprint, or you can check the Loxahatchee Chapter website. Space is limited, and you must be a Florida Trail member and an experienced backpacker to attend. Meanwhile, if you want to enjoy a little bit of the trail for yourself, head on over to Jonathan Dickinson State Park and take a walk on the East Loop Trail! The park is located along US 1 between Tequesta and Hobe Sound.
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February 17th, 2006 Sandra Friend
It was a cold, cold morning last Sunday when Rob and I took a stroll from the Sand Lake trailhead at Wekiwa Springs State Park into the open pine scrub. Good thing that the canopy is relatively open as you head out on the hiking loop, although it’s disappointing that the main trail (blazed white) is still relocated onto old forest roads and jeep trails. We discovered that the east-west and north-south connector trails (blazed blue) are a better alternative for the beauty you expect along a hiking trail. Rob calls those blazed forest road trails “driveway trails” and he’s pretty much on the mark about it: a walk down a narrow footpath winding through the forest and past scenic features sure beats a broad, often sand-churned set of tire ruts anyday. So a left turn onto the connector trail gave us what we’d hoped for: a narrow, well-packed, well-maintained footpath leading us through stands of saw palmetto under a canopy of oaks, pines, and past a line of loblolly bay and cabbage palm along a small stream. It might have been 49*F out that morning, the air crisp and the calls of birds strong across the open sandhills where the orange-blazed trail works its way back towards Sand Lake. We had only an hour to spare, so we spent it making left turns on footpaths until we found our way back to the car. I appreciated seeing other folks out for a hike, too.
Afterwards, we drove down to the spring and walked the boardwalk through the floodplain forest along the Wekiva River. It was odd to see so little activity at the canoe put-in, but the bright blue skies and crisp air made for perfect photography. I found it mezmerizing to stare down into the spring. Perhaps it was a trick of the air, but I don’t recall ever being able to look down and see the cleft in the rock so clearly before. Our schedule didn’t let us tarry long, but it’s always a good day when you can take a hike.
Take a hike! Wekiwa Springs State Park is one of Florida’s busiest state parks and easy to find, and you’ll never find it more quiet than when the gates open on a cool winter morning. From Interstate 4, follow road signs from either SR 434 in Longwood or SR 436 in Altamonte Springs to Wekiwa Springs Road to the park, or you can approach it from Apopka from SR 436. Once there, ask for a hiking trails map at the ranger station. Turn right to reach the Springs parking area and trailhead, or turn left to drive down the road to the Sand Lake trailhead. The park has more than 13 miles of interconnecting hiking trails.
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February 16th, 2006 Sandra Friend
Since last February’s excursion with F-Troop to this section of the Florida Trail northeast of Orlando, this was my first opportunity to revisit one of the most beautiful close-to-the-urban-masses parts of the trail. I had the pleasure of leading several volunteers from Hewlett-Packard Orlando and one of my writer friends, G.K., on a casual walk along the scenic bluffs above the Econlockhatchee River. Surprisingly cool and crisp, the morning left us wondering about the weather: one moment sun, the next clouds. Sweetgum showed sharp crimson and deep purple leaves against the browns of the river.
This year’s group of F-Troop volunteers were here, too, replacing shaky old bridges along the trail with sturdy structures to accomodate the increasing amount of foot traffic along these 7 miles or so of riverside footpath.
I’d forgotten just how beautiful this piece of trail is, meandering from scenic view to scenic view beneath bowers of latticed palm fronds, passing the landmark crossed palms, winding through islands of saw palmetto beneath oaks and magnolias. Since my volunteers were there to assist with photography of the trail, we went at a slow pace, which increased my appreciation even more. On our return trip, we saw kayakers coming down the river at just the perfect place to photograph them, and I was surprised and delighted, as they drew close, that they were another group of Florida Trail friends, these from the Indian River Chapter. They love to hike AND paddle, and some of them were returning the next day to help the F-Troop trail crew complete the bridges. Thanks to these volunteers for their hard work on the trail. Having swung a hammer and slammed some rebar in last year on one of these bridges, I know what hard work it is - but satisfying!
Take a hike! To find the trailhead, follow SR 426 east from Oviedo towards Geneva. The Barr Street Trailhead is only a mile or so past Lockwood Rd in Little-Big Econ State Forest. There is a $1 per person usage fee. From the trailhead kiosk, we followed a connector trail to the orange-blazed Florida Trail, which we met at a T at a bridge over a creek. Turn left to enjoy the most scenic portion of the trail, which follows the river for 2.2 miles to a broad bridge carrying the Flagler Trail across the Econlockhatchee River. The multi-use Flagler Trail runs from the Geneva Wilderness Area (farther down SR 426 towards Geneva) to Snowhill Road at Chuluota, and the Florida Trail crosses the river to utilize the Flagler Trail for another 3.4 miles to reach a prominent trailhead on Snowhill Road. There is no fee to access the trail from this trailhead. Unless you work with a friend to place cars at both ends, it’s an out-and-back hike from either trailhead. You can add to the hike by exploring the white-blazed Kolokee Loop, part of the Florida State Forests Trailwalker Program.
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February 2nd, 2006 Sandra Friend
Thanks to my friend Linda “Earthworm” Patton and a little push from my husband, I’m off and blogging for the first time ever. Granted, a writer writes, and this will keep me churning out regular information to the hiking community on a regular basis. Watch this space for trip reports and musings on Florida’s outdoors as I continue to hike and write my way across the Sunshine State!
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