June 12th, 2008 Sandra Friend
Here’s a brand new one for this relatively trail-starved section of the state: according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, a new five mile trail provides free public access to the northwest corner of the Babcock Ranch, one of the state’s largest preservation deals of all time. Called the Footprints Trail, it is now open and a guided hike will be offered this Saturday by volunteers from CHEC. I look forward to visiting the trail when I head to Punta Gorda for my annual Florida Outdoor Writers Conference!
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December 2nd, 2007 Sandra Friend
I’ve transcribed my written journal to the website this week and tied it all up in one package as the November 2007 edition of the Florida Hikes! online magazine … take a look and let me know what you think by leaving a comment here.
I can assure you one thing: hiking around Lake Okeechobee is never boring. This year’s journey included unusual bird sightings, fabulous morning mists, a string of offbeat hikes planned at the last minute - including walks by moonlight - a trip to the movies in Clewiston to see Beowulf at a classic 1920s theater, and the best weather I’ve ever enjoyed on the Big O Hike.
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November 26th, 2007 Sandra Friend
There’s nothing quite so refreshing as unplugging for more than a week … until you return to 500+ emails to deal with. I’ve been enjoying the cool breezes and sweeping views of the Big O Hike this past Thanksgiving week, and although I didn’t walk every step around Lake Okeechobee, I took prime advantage of hiking at dawn to capture some awesome sights (which I still need to catalog).
I thought about blogging from the trail, but I truly wanted to be computer-free. So as I have the time, I’ll assemble a little walking tour of the entire Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee, leaning on my daily journal and photos, and post it on the main site. Meanwhile, congrats to all who finished, including Cliff Moody, who set the bar at age 90 as the oldest hiker ever to walk around the lake!
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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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April 22nd, 2007 Sandra Friend
I’ve been doing a lot of hiking, driving, and writing the past couple of weeks, and still working on wrapping up my latest book. Still, I’m keeping up with adding hikes to the site, just no time to do much blogging. Here are the new hikes in the past week:
Garden of Eden Trail at Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, Bristol
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, Fort Myers
Juniper Springs Nature Trail, Ocala National Forest
The Yearling Trail, Ocala National Forest
I spent this morning on a foray into the Forest with folks from the Florida Native Plant Society. It let me look at my favorite habitats in a very different light, plus explore a number of places I hadn’t seen before.
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