October 31st, 2007 Sandra Friend
Last weekend, I headed for the hills– the Hocking Hills, to be exact, in southeastern Ohio. It was a day’s respite from hanging out in downtown Columbus while hubby was at a conference, and ever since I read about Hocking Hills State Park a decade ago, I’ve wanted to go there.
The state park is broken into segments scattered across the hills, each surrounding a signifcant geologic feature. I managed to hike at six of the eight locations, mainly by sticking to the trails that took you deep into the gorges instead of the hikes up on top of the cliffs. The formations, from Old Man’s Cave to Ash Cave to Rock House, are incredible rock shelters and deeply eroded ravines with winding streams, and the trails often lead you up and down steps carved into the solid rock and sometimes even through tunnels.
What I wasn’t expecting was the constant parade of hikers. Yes, it was the last hurrah of fall leaves, but the day was extremely overcast and misty rain fell several times. But every parking area was full to overflowing, and every trail was downright crowded with hikers. A surprising sight to someone used to hiking solo for miles and miles. Hikers of every age, size, and ethnicity, out enjoying the brisk temperatures, the stunning scenery, and each other’s company. As it said near the Old Man’s Cave trailhead, these are “The Most Exciting Trails in the State,” and it seems that everyone knows it. Which gets me to thinking … where in Florida is the most exciting trail in the state? My vote would be for the Florida Trail through Big Cypress, Loop Road to Oasis. Or perhaps Torreya State Park. I think I’ll start a discussion on it…
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October 29th, 2007 Sandra Friend
Years ago, I did an overnighter on Springer Mountain and looked out over the monument that marks the start of the Appalachian Trail, spending the night not far from the shelter in my then brand-new Nomad tent. It was an experience not forgotten, and I plan to return to finish the AT in Georgia. And now, there’s an excellent online resource for planning that hike, thanks to an old friend, trail name “Pittsburgh,” who’s been on the AT-L mailing list for more than a decade. He’s run a measuring wheel down the trail and created a detailed mileage chart with info on water sources, privies, and types of camping available, plus plenty of asides with general info. Check out the Appalachian Trail Mileage Chart in Georgia, and bravo, Pittsburgh!
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October 22nd, 2007 Sandra Friend
Earlier this year, when I was learning the ins and outs of my new content management system, I purchased an add-on product called IJoomla Magazine, figuring that eventually I’d figure it out. It’s a content aggregator, which enables me to take content I’ve already created and put it together on a single page in a way that makes sense: say, the best beach hikes for summertime, or all of the hikes in the Ocala National Forest. The best part? It looks good, too! I launched it this evening with my first edition: Trek Ten Trails! Check it out and let me know what you think.
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October 19th, 2007 Sandra Friend
The third edition of the Florida Trail Companion Guide for Long Distance Hikers is now available, and it’s grown by a third from the last edition to 224 pages, and includes full-page town maps with pinpointed services, more towns covered, and greatly expanded information on lodging, restaurants, and attractions in towns and along the trail. With more than 100 photos and 50 maps, it’s as detailed as you need to plan a weekend, a week, a month, or an entire season on the Florida Trail! Available now from the Florida Trail Association … resellers welcome.
On a more personal note, this is my third time working on this guidebook, and I’m pleased to say it’s the best yet. We found a Florida-based publisher that specializes in small press runs, A&A Printing in Tampa, and now have a product worthy of any bookstore: the exterior does the content proud. I had eight field editors canvassing their home areas, plus a lot of fact-checking by fellow FTA employees and myself while traveling. I did the design of the cover and the layout of the interior. While I receive no royalties on this book, all profits benefit the projects and programs of the Florida Trail Association, so pick up your copy soon!
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October 7th, 2007 Sandra Friend
Having noted that my little newsflash on Florida Hikes! bumped up to the top of Google for the Trek Ten Trails program, I thought I should do the community a service by providing information about the hiking trails that are a part of this new Polk County Friends of the Parks program. It’s meant to get people outdoors, and according to Tom Palmer of the Lakeland Ledger, did they ever! Said he:
Organizers estimated the turnout at 1,000. Not bad for a morning when it looked like rain.
Indeed! I’d thought of attending, but the skies over Ocala didn’t impress me enough for an early morning drive down to Polk County. The program, however, is off to a great start. The idea is to get residents and visitors to hike 10 trails throughout the county, some paved, some natural, with fun prizes and games involved. Using a Nature Passport, you keep track of where you hike. You can hike them yourself, or on these group hikes scheduled over the next year. The links lead to my information on these trails. Also, you can read the aggregated information on my first issue of the Florida Hikes! online magazine.
Oct 6: Fort Fraser Trail (paved), Bartow to Lakeland
Nov 10: Lakeland Highlands Scrub, Lakeland
Dec 8: Hickory Lake Scrub, Frostproof
Jan 13: Crooked Lake Prairie, Babson Park
Feb 10: SUMICA, east of Lake Wales
Mar 8: Gator Creek Reserve, Lakeland
Apr 5: Saddle Creek Nature Trail, Lakeland
May 3: Lake Wales Trailway (paved), Lake Wales
Jun 7: Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland (paved)
Sep 13: Auburndale TECO trail (paved), Auburndale
See more details at the Friends of the Parks website.
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