On the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike
The 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike was the last that hike founder Peggy Grantham led, with about 15 people showing up on a daily basis to follow the Florida Trail south from Alabama towards the Seashore.
On the Reservation
Leaving the wilds of the Big Cypress Swamp, the trail followed an old road for most of the distance. After a right hand turn on a large main road, I followed the blazes and other hikers footsteps. I stopped while crossing a canal to tend to a few hot …
Pat’s Island
A ramble through Pat's Island on the Yearling Trail brings home the reality of forest fires sweeping across a once-lush landscape.
Prairie Reflections
Walking the wilds of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park means hours spent in blazing sun and a landscape that makes you feel inconsequential on this earth.
Return to Juniper Prairie Wilderness
A return to the Juniper Prairie Wilderness seven years after my last hike finds things very different after wildfires scour across the landscape.
Return to Scouting
Getting back into service as a volunteer for Boy Scouts of America, JK brings Sandy along to become a trained volunteer couple, teaching their first University of Scouting classes this weekend.
Season’s Sojourn
It’s April, and that means one important thing in Florida: our prime hiking season is coming to a close. We can tell from the number of ticks we’re pulling off our hiking pants; we can tell by the heat and humidity, too. So …
Section Hiking the Florida Trail
Section hiking the Florida National Scenic Trail provides some logistical challenges, but a sense of satisfaction in being able to complete an 1,100-mile walk across Florida at your own pace.
South to Florida!
Kicking off the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike at the Alabama border is no small task without help from a lot of friends. It's not easy to get to the terminus, but the hike south is beautiful.
Still Life, with Cows
Walking the whole Florida Trail means miles on pavement where the trail follows roads. On this lonely dead-end road in Basinger, your companions are cows.
Summiting Lake Okeechobee’s High Point
Views from the top: this connector piece of the Florida Trail between the two sides of Port Mayaca across the highway bridge offers an excellent perspective on the lake.
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.