It's that time of year when it just isn't as easy to hike in Florida. The mosquitoes get bigger and meaner, thunderstorms roll through like clockwork, and when it isn't pouring, it's blazing hot and … [Read more...]
Celebrate our National Parks during National Park Week!
Did you know that tomorrow, Earth Day (April 22) kicks off five days of free admission to all National Parks across America? Here in Florida, Everglades National Park is THE park that springs to … [Read more...]
Walking the Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail
This week marks the 9th Annual Ocean to Lake Hike. It was a delight to learn last year that the 61-mile Ocean-to-Lake Trail is finally fully complete and open to the public. Last winter, John and I … [Read more...]
Preventing Blisters
This guest post is provided by Bryce Layman of Lightweight Backpacking, who has been an enormous help with transcribing hikes from my audio field notes for the website. He sent it in response to the … [Read more...]
Filling in the “50 Hikes” Blanks
When it came time to write the second edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida, there was a need to generate new interest in the book by adding new hikes. In all, I exchanged 17 of the original hikes … [Read more...]
Backpacking: the weight of things
With backpacking, there are needs, and there are wants. Most of the wants speak to concerns about safety ("just in case" items) and comfort ("I'll sleep better if" items). The difference between them … [Read more...]
How to prepare for a backpacking trip
As one friend is getting ready for a first-timer foray to Cumberland Island, and others for a full-blown thru-hike of the Florida Trail, discussions of gear are swirling around. What does a hiker need … [Read more...]
Personal safety paramount when hiking alone
It pained me to see a news item come in this morning regards a young woman that was murdered on a "hiking trail" in Winter Haven. The trail in question, the Chain of Lakes Trail, is a paved rail-trail … [Read more...]
Getting ready for the Big O Hike
Every year since 2001, I've started piling up gear and goodies around the house this week in preparation for my annual trip to Lake Okeechobee for the Big O Hike. This year is a little different, … [Read more...]
Keeping alert to hunting season
Fall: it's that time of year when hikers in Florida hit the trail, and it's also when hunters take to the woods for their biggest season of the year - deer hunting season, also known as general gun … [Read more...]
