Braising Cane
As I hike the Florida Trail past Moore Haven, a sugar cane field bursts out in flame after my discussion with my friend Steve, a sign from above that he's along for the walk.
3x3x3
Okeechobee's history runs deep. Today's walk slips past many ghosts, of fish camps and fish canneries, an early Florida toll road and more shoreline where the lake waters once lapped.
Sweep of Blue
At Port Mayaca, the shape of Lake Okeechobee is obvious, even at dawn, the curvature extending off to the horizon line at the only place in Florida with horizon to horizon views.
Pounding Pavement in Pahokee
For the first time since the Big O Hike started in 1992, the Army Corps of Engineers denied our hikers access to the dike. So to kick off the 2011 Big O Hike, it's a roadwalk through Pahokee.
Butterfly Magic at EPCOT
The magic is floral at EPCOT each spring when Walt Disney World trots out the International Flower & Garden Show with its thousands of blooms.
I Did I-Did-A-Hike
On the 2009 I-Did-A-Hike, 40 participants enjoyed special access to a portion of the Florida Trail that is not formalized yet, but when it is, will lead hikers right past the famed Big Shoals.
Happy (Belated) Birthday, Ocala National Forest!
On November 24, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside a large piece of land east of Ocala for future generations by declaring it the Ocala National Forest, one of the first in the eastern United States. We celebrate its centennial.
Back from the Big O
During the 2007 Big O Hike, Ocala resident Cliff Moody set a new bar for future hikers by walking all the way around Lake Okeechobee at age 90.
Day Nine: Pelican Bay
The final day of the 2007 Big O Hike sweeps us around the curve of Pelican Bay into Pahokee as the details sink deep into my memories.
Day Eight: Torrey Island
After a moonlight walk the night before with fellow hikers, I arise early for a walk to Torrey Island on Day 8 of the Big O Hike.
Day Seven: Surreal
Day seven of the 2007 Big O Hike is a counterpoint to the previous day, entertaining family with the highlights of Clewiston.
Sunrise and Fog on Lake Okeechobee
Sunrise unfolded ever-so-slowly through the fog-shrouded marshes at Moore Haven, making for the perfect start of Thanksgiving Day during the 2007 Big O Hike.