Alex Outdoors

Wait.....it's the end of August already? Where does time go? And I look like a major slacker since I haven't posted a peep since July! Well, I have been hiking - I just haven't blogged. Perhaps, this weekend, with a major hurricane approaching, I'll get the chance to deep-dive into writing.....want a little taste?  7/20 - Croom, Loop C: 7/27 - Hole In The Fence with Suncoast FTA: 8/3  - Beach hike: 8/10 - Tenoroc, Red Loop: 8/17 - Croom, Loop C & overnight camping: 8/18 - Croom, Loop A (partial: 8/24 - Citrus Cave hike: If those sound a little repetitive that's because they ARE. The trails at Croom and Citrus are almost guaranteed to be dry trails in just about all of central Florida, even during the most rainy season. We take what we can get :)

Another new-to-me trail event! I would never have expected such fun, elevated trails to be around Lakeland, but that just goes to show you that you have to go out and explore. Because you never know........

I don't think I would have chosen this park as a solo hiking destination, but why not give something new a try? Especially when I have less than an hour to my destination! Even if the trail around the lake here is only a little over 2 miles long, we enjoyed our little hike just the same (we repeated the loop 3x)  :)

Whenever I don't feel like driving far and look for a nearby trail I end up here in Thonotosassa, FL. Only a 45 minute drive, it's never a dull hike. The full loop is over 15 miles long; along with several MTB trails you always see something new & interesting.....

What would I do without the adventurous folks from Suncoast FTA? I’m pretty certain I would NOT leave the beaten path and go bushwhacking criss-cross through the burned forest in search of a geocache signaling the virtual center of Florida. Because that’s just what we did. We had quite a chilly start of the day; temperatures hovered barely above 45 degrees and yes, that’s COLD here so don’t laugh! But the sun warmed the air quickly and we soon stripped all our  warm layers and enjoyed the sun.  After approximately three miles we reached a trail junction where we stopped for a snack break. From here we left the "official" trail and followed our leader's compass. That’s definitely a skill I need to learn and master.  This is what the forest looks like two weeks after a prescribed burn. It pretty much turns the area into somewhat of a ghost forest:  Tip : When stepping over fallen logs, watch out for wildlife hiding underneath…....

Green Swamp backpacking/camping, take three! I feel like I really know this place now; this was my third time backpacking and spending the night at the Concession Stand campsite and it’s easily a place I’d visit solo. All pieces fell into place – great company, beautiful trails & perfect weather. What more can you ask for?  Green Swamp offers FREE parking at the trail head and lots of it. Make sure you stay clear of the horse trail and check hunting dates before heading out to this area; most of the area is closed to backpacking during certain hunts. T hose live oaks…..aren’t they just amazing? These giants have been through all the crazy weather that Florida can dish out, but they remain beautiful and strong. My first tent from Eureka has really served me well but I have recently upgraded to a Zpacks Duplex with the optional flex poles. I’ve yet to take it out on the trail and I’m a bit nervous to switch to a completely new shelter, but there’s o...

Blackwater Creek Nature Preserve is a fabulous little hiking gem right at the end of a residential road in Plant City. If nobody had told me about it, I would never have suspected it’d be there! This was another outing with the Heartland chapter of the FTA. We got lucky – if it hadn’t been for the overcast skies we would have gotten roasted. There is hardly any shade on this trail, and an umbrella might help save the day if you head out here during the "warmer" months. I have officially given up trying to go around any puddles and now rather just walk right through them. It seems almost impossible to find any 100% dry hiking trails in Florida. As the popular saying goes: if you can’t beat them….. LOTS of wide, open spaces here on these trails. No shade to be found until we reached the creek.   And finally – probably why  Blackwater  Creek is called just that: (and the only spot on our route that provided shade) ...

I was first introduced to Alafia River State Park in December of 2016, during my first (and to-date my only)  Ragnar Relay  experience. Just one short month after this awesome team event I returned to Alafia for a trail 10k because I had loved the park’s trails that much. Naturally, I would jump at the chance to get back on these trails, even though this time instead of running I would hike the course (and still walk away with a medal :)) Best of all? Approximately 60 runners ahead of me, clearing spider webs off the trails. This was also the first opportunity to try my brand new  Dirty Girl Gaiters , and let me tell you – they’re worth their weight in gold. I did not know I would love them that much, but after years of collecting sand and rocks in my shoes this is a whole new experience. Alafia River State Park is also a great and popular place for mountain bikers and they were out in full force. Luckily we had the trails to ourselves thanks to our sanctioned ra...