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boardwalk at Chinsegut WEA

Articles on Hiking

Gear recommendations, hike planning, where to hike, and how to get the most out of your hike

Day Six: Giving thanks

Sunrise and fog at Moore Haven

November 22, 2007    Sandra Friend

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.

Day Five: In the pink

Sunrise over Eagle Bay Okeechobee

November 21, 2007    Sandra Friend

On Day Five of the 2007 Big O Hike, sunrise over Eagle Bay was the event of the morning before a move to our southerly campground in the afternoon.

Day Four: Halfback

Rosie and Gordon at Buckhead Ridge

November 20, 2007    Sandra Friend

Day four of the 2007 Big O Hike evolved into a relaxed walk from the halfway point back into the campground in Okeechobee, greeting hikers along the way.

Day Three: Hiking with Cliff

Sandhill cranes near Okeechobee

November 19, 2007    Sandra Friend

On the third day of the 2007 Big O Hike, I walk with Cliff Moody, the oldest man to ever complete the walk around Lake Okeechobee.

Day Two: On Vacation

Marshes near Chauncey Bay

November 18, 2007    Sandra Friend

Discovering that the Big O Hike can be a vacation immersed in the beauty of Lake Okeechobee, I take the time to slow down and enjoy nature at my own pace.

Day One: Kickoff!

Never pass a restroom on the Big O Hike!

November 17, 2007    Sandra Friend

Day 1 of the 2007 Big O Hike around Lake Okeechobee starts off with sunshine and a walk to Port Mayaca along the glistening lake waters.

Mike, mist, and the Cherry Cabin

Inside the Cherry Cabin at Gold Head Branch State Park

March 1, 2007    Sandra Friend

On Tuesday evening after work, I took a trek up to Keystone Heights to meet up with my buddy Mike DeWitt, whose sole purpose in life these days is to hike the Florida Trail, absorb the essence of Florida, and blend it all into a blog and features for the Tampa Tribune. I’m envious of …

Torreya: No Wimps Need Apply

February 9, 2007    Sandra Friend

Spent last Sunday hiking a kick-butt section of the Torreya Hiking Trail about 1/3 of the way around the loop, going counterclockwise from the blue trail out past the Confederate gun emplacements near the Gregory House. A living history group had just decamped the night before. Joining me was Judd from our FTA Tallahassee office, …

Panhandle Puttering

Low light over scrub at dusk

December 17, 2006    Sandra Friend

Just back from a trip to Destin for a Visit Florida board meeting, between which I availed myself of a couple of quick hikes at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Eden State Gardens.

Paradise, Palms, & Mosquitoes

Curry Hammock Trail

September 9, 2006    Sandra Friend

My first exploration on the hiking trails of Marathon lead to thatch palm hammocks: the Curry Hammock Nature Trail at Curry Hammock State Park, and the trails of Crane Point Hammock, including the beautiful Palm Hammock Trail.

Early Birds on the Greenway

Hiking the Land Bridge Loop

July 26, 2006    Sandra Friend

The Land Bridge section of the Florida Trail has a special place in my heart since I helped create it under the tutelage of Kenneth Smith, ‘Mr. Greenway,’ who retired last year from being a section leader.

Panther Prowls & Gator Growls

Leslie Duncan Memorial Trail gate

May 21, 2006    Sandra Friend

Will you see a panther when hiking at Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge? I was fortunate to hike with a panther biologist and go on a tracking expedition, but we still came up empty-handed when it came to finding a big cat.

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