Alex Outdoors

Another outing with the Suncoast chapter of the Florida Trail Association (FTA). I would rather hike for days than spend an hour in a crowded mall on Black Friday; and on this day we chose 12.5 miles at the popular Hillsborough River state park. We didn’t just stay inside the park though; we ventured far beyond the confines of the park and into the county’s trail system of Dead River park. Those trails however are not maintained as well as the park’s trails, but you have a better chance of wildlife sightings and solitude if that’s what you’re after. One tip – you’re almost guaranteed to see alligators here. I’ve seen at least one every time I’ve come to this park. The view along the Hillsborough River: And the ever present and familiar warning sign:  They're NOT kidding.  See? And no, I’m nowhere near that particular gator, I’m simply looking for others….. Florida's air plants. Just add rain water: Of course that wasn’t it for the ye...

Weedon Island Preserve is an expansive  3,190-acre natural area  located on Tampa Bay. This coastal system, comprised of aquatic and upland ecosystems, is home to numerous species of native plants and animals, an educational facility and a rich cultural history. Indigenous peoples occupied this site for thousands of years. Today, the preserve protects this wide diversity of natural and cultural resources for current and future generations (Pinellas County Florida website). Weedon Island Preserve is also a well-known birding and fishing site but I love this place because it’s where I started my trail running and hiking excursions a few years ago and only a half hour drive unlike most other hiking trails in the area. When pressed for time, this is my go-to hiking spot!  The official trails can be connected to just over 5 miles of continuous hiking, and if you double up you can easily hike, walk, stroll for several hours! Make sure no matter what, you climb the ob...

It isn’t always sunshine and roses. Sometimes it's fog and rain drizzle, but eventually the sun comes out to play… To be honest, I was quite alright with the weather conditions, because the forecast had plenty of sun and warm weather in store for our weekend in the woods. The last time I’d been to Green Swamp was for a trail race; one that I had loved so much I had hoped to be able to repeat it. Unfortunately, the race organizers (from out of state) decided to not return to Florida, so the opportunity never presented itself again. Lucky for me, I found an awesome hiking group that planned this weekends backpacking trip at Green Swamp – the very area I had hoped to see again.  We only had about 3.5 miles to hike to our campsite where we pitched our tents. Sadly, no actual concessions were to be found  I had just purchased a Sawyer water filter but decided to carry-in all my water for these two days, despite having a water source near our camp....

If you want to make memories, lace up your shoes and get out there! That’s been my motto for the past few months, as I seek to fill the time left open by not being able to run with other outdoor activities. Hiking and backpacking has turned into a new passion and I’ve been loving every second of it. This hike took place at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness park in New Port Ritchey a few weeks ago, just an hour’s drive north. Unlike most of my other hikes, this one was a solo outing. Just me, the sun, and my new Moment macro lens. Let’s suffice it to say that I have a lot to learn about this new piece of equipment! I started around 8:30 am and only found a few footprints in the sand other than my own: It was a cool morning from the first real cold spell that had hit Florida in 2018. But as always, once the sun rose the temperatures quickly soared.  I couldn’t wait to try out my new Moment macro lens, but the breeze moved most objects out of focus :/ Fa...