hikes

Nels Parson, Regional Recreational Lands Manager for the St. Johns River Water Management District, recently received the Friend of the Florida Trail Award.  This prestigious award is presented to non-members or organizations that have made significant contributions to the Florida Trail Association.  Nels’ job is to assure reasonable access to recreational lands for public groups and individuals with interests in hiking, wildlife viewing, game hunting, waterfowl hunting and preservation, horseback riding, bicycling, fishing, boating, canoeing and kayaking.  Recently, at Rice Creek Sanctuary, Nels and the District provided the inspiration and the materials necessary to widen the boardwalks, bridges and side trails to the Florida Trail, and to encourage construction of a viewing boardwalk to what is now known to be the eighth largest cypress in Florida.

I've mentioned before my participation in crafting a 27-minute video slated for PBS broadcast to showcase the natural wonders and activities you encounter along the Florida Trail. A bit of an out-take ("DVD extra") about the designation of White Springs as the first Florida Trail Gateway Community was created by our team at Seidler Productions and while I was out of town, posted online. I got a cheerful note from them this morn that it was - within 24 hours - the "Pick of the Day" from YouTube's editors for their Travel section. Pretty darn cool for White Springs AND hiking the Florida Trail! Here's the video short, see for yourself...

Looks like a great weekend for a backpacking trip! Back when I was working on "50 Hikes in Central Florida," discovering the Citrus Hiking Trail in Withlacoochee State Forest was like unearthing a lost gem. I cut my teeth on backpacking up in the Appalachians before I returned to Florida to live. And here, scarcely a half hour from home, was a place where there were big, rolling hills, deep valleys, rocky footpaths, and caves along the trail! At 43.3 miles, it's a heck of a loop hike and takes some serious logistical planning, since the karst topography doesn't hold much surface water. You can also bite off smaller chunks, since it's planned out as a set of four interconnected loops. It's certainly the most unique place to backpack in Central Florida, and lies just southwest of downtown Inverness.

More news: I've started an online forum for hikers, If hiking's your passion or you're just curious about it, feel free to drop by and chime in on the discussion.

I'm just as guilty as the next person when it comes to looking for a place to hike: I head to the rural areas, well away from the noise and traffic, to find the best hiking experience. I turned that typical behavior upside down this past Sunday when I explored some of Gainesville's Natural Treasures, as outlined in a brochure from the City of Gainesville. All three of the parks were firmly within city limits, one even being within a stone's throw of one of the busiest intersections in town, and yet ... it was a different Gainesville, a forgotten side where rapids (yup!) burble and Appalachian wildflowers grow on cool ravine slopes.

I was waiting for my car's oil change to be done this afternoon and had a chance to read the February 2007 issue of Backpacker magazine, which had a great article on taking children hiking and getting them used to being outdoors. I can't say it enough: kids love the woods! Take them outside any chance you can. I know my love of hiking came from my parents taking me on trails when I was little ... as I grew older, I started wandering off on my own. One of my blog readers posed a question regards great places for a child's first backpacking trip, and I offered some suggestions in Central Florida.

It's a beautiful time of year for hiking, and I've been busy - managed to visit 7 trails this weekend while attending a couple of special events in North Florida. I'll post details soon. But in the meantime, I wanted to remind you of Florida's biggest annual gathering of hikers, coming up on March 16-18 in Umatilla: The Florida Trail Annual Conference.

Why go? You'll meet hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of hikers from around the state and have a chance to chat about gear and trails. There are more than 20 seminars and workshops led by pros, ranging from Nature Photography and Beginning Birding to Tracking the Florida Black Bear and Plein Air Painting, as well as Family Adventures for the kids. If you own a tourism-related business, the workshop on the "Sustainable Green Dollar" may be of special interest to you. And lots of us will be clamoring to go out on the guided hikes and paddling trips.