Sandra Friend's Page

Just saw this news story about a 60-year-old Florida hiker found dead on the Appalachian Trail. They mention he was complaining in a journal (TrailJournals, perhaps?) about medical issues. A heads-up in case anyone knows this person, whose name has not yet been released.

I'm dashing out of here to be a part of my first Relay for Hike, but wanted to let you all know that on Earth Day, Apple released my comprehensive Florida State Parks iPhone app! It works on iPad, too, and is the guidebook I wanted to write - but didn't - a couple of years ago when I realized just how out of date "Florida State Parks" the guidebook is. This is a more fun and helpful way of presenting the same information, given the built-in GPS, ability for multimedia, and the fact that users ca… Continue

Okay, here's a place where I blew it on my first visit. I stopped here back when I was writing "Hiker's Guide" and it looked pretty dreary - lots of crispy scrub, torn-up sandy trail leading from the trailhead, and well, no roadside appeal. I checked the kiosk, did a short walk around the oak hammock - signage wasn't existent - used the restroom and left.

This time, Shortcut and I slipped out of Florida Trail Days to tackle this as a candidate for "50 Hikes in Central Florida." I'm so… Continue

I learned a few days ago from some of my political insider friends in Tallahassee that the Office of Greenways & Trails is on the chopping block within the budget committee of our state Senate. I wrote a blog post about it earlier today and then sat down to write a letter to the committee members. Their vote could be as soon as Tuesday, so if you can chip in your two cents with the committee, please do. Here's what I wrot… Continue

You outdid yourself with quantity and passion of posts on the site during Florida Hiking Trails Month, footTRAX, so you're the winner of the dynamic duo of out-of-print Florida hiking books ... and yes, I'll sign 'em, too. Drop me a private message so I can get your address and ship it out.

My favorite post for the month: Fakahatchee Strand.

Thanks to everyone who participated ...… Continue