The podcast is taking a massive hiatus in 2024! I will be back. If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, leave a comment or email me at orangeblazepodcast at gmail and we can go from where. Thanks for listening over the years! Burnout how gotten hold of me and I need to reinvigorate my interest in the podcast with a long break.

As a nature lover, I am drawn to those who share the the wonders of Florida's natural history as they document their hikes along the way. Claire's Instagram account caught my eye well before their 2022 thru-hike and still captures my interest today even though they are no longer on a thru-hiking journey. The perspective Claire offered on both their Florida Trail and subsequent Appalachian Trail thru-hike was one I deeply appreciated. We talk about those hikes but also about their background prior to coming to the thru-hiking world, life after thru-hiking, and determining whether thru-hiking is in their future and how best to enjoy a hike for oneself. We also talk about Claire's very excellent art, another perspective from their Instagram accounts I have appreciated.

For several years now I have been following the news about the push to Free the Ocklawaha River from the Rodman Dam, first via the Florida Native Plant Society, and later through other entities in Florida. The idea intrigued me because the Rodman Reservoir and the Kirkpatrick Dam as well as the Cross Florida Barge Canal are all intertwined with the Florida Trail. The reservoir was created when the dam was sealed off on the Ocklawaha River in the late 1960s, thus drowning multiple springs and severely altering the ecosystem. Almost since it's creation there has been a call to restore the system. I invited Margaret Spontak, Chair of the Free the Ocklawaha Coalition, on to talk about the history of the project and to provide insight into the coalitions goals and hopeful timeline in restoring the Ocklawaha River system. This episode is part of my greater series highlighting managed lands that cross through or are adjacent to the Florida Trail.

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A post shared by Hattie Spring (@searchingforspring)



Earlier this year I put out a call for Ocean to Lake hikers to come on the podcast and share their stories so I could get their perspective on that segment of what isn’t really the Florida Trail but I think we’ve all come to think of it is as a special little piece of the FT. We’ve heard from Sandra Friend who helped put the Ocean to Lake Trail together as well as Josh Widdowfield on his Ocean to Lake hike and subsequent Florida Trail thru-hike. Hattie Spring answered my call for folks to share their perspective and I am so glad we did. We had a delightful conversation that spans the FT but as well as adventure racing, paddling, volunteering, and about being a FTA Next Gen Coalition member. We cover a lot in our conversation!
Music: “Breathing” by Lee Rosevere

Earlier this year I asked for folks who had hiked the Ocean to Lake Trail to reach out to me if they would like to share a bit about their experience on that trail for a short series wanted to do here on the podcast. Josh '301' Widdowfield was one of those hikers who offered to chat with me on the podcast and I’m glad he did. Josh thru-hiked the FT this year (2023) but has done several LASH (Long Ass Section) hikes on the AT and PCT, and likes to combine his hikes with giving back to the thru-hiking community through trail magic and hiker outreach. It was certainly interesting to hear how Josh combines his love of hiking with giving back to other hikers and I think something we should also consider more often.

I've been wanting to get Jim Kern, found of the Florida Trail, back on this podcast since he was first on the podcast, the very first episode that launched the podcast in 2018. It took me a while but I finally made it happen. This episode is likely to stir up some thoughts and hopefully some positive conversations. I read Jim’s book Broken Promise: The Plight of our National Trails this summer with the express purpose of speaking to him about the book. If you aren’t familiar with the book or his organization Hiking Trails for America, Jim is very eager to get all of our remaining incomplete National Scenic Trails finished without any road walk gaps. As Florida Trail hikers we all know the problems with the gaps in the trail and all wish for the trail to be complete. While most hiking organizations these days rely on the process of easements or slowly purchasing trail corridors, Jim is advocating for the agencies that manage the scenic trails to use their constitutional powers of eminent domain to complete it. After all, that is how the Appalachian Trail was completed. Why not others? Another reason I was interested to hear his perspective was because I’ve been mired in some activism here in Texas this summer to save a state park that had been leased for 50 years by the state and had been located on an energy company’s property. Needless to say, I've had a crash course in eminent domain law and reading Jim’s book added another dimension to the whole subject. I think I’ll save more commentary on this for a longer podcast episode--–I’m contemplating a round table discussion with folks about how we should feasibly move forward in completing all of our national scenic trails. It certainly seems like we should be pushing Congress to do more than they've been doing the last several decades. Even if you haven’t read Jim’s book this is a fascinating subject and if you pair it with the goals we heard a few episodes ago from the FTA, I think we can all reasonably find a solution to closing the gaps in our long trails.

Today's podcast guest is Sandra Friend, someone you all should know well by now! If by some chance you are new to the podcast and new to Florida hiking, well this is your lucky day and you caught the right podcast to listen to! Sandra Friend and her partner John Keatley are the folks behind Florida Hikes and much of the guidebooks related to Florida’s hiking trails out there in publication. John wasn’t able to be interviewed for this episode due to other life constraints but Sandra and I had a wonderful conversation. The primary purpose for our conversation was to talk about the development of the Ocean to Lake Trail in the early 2000s and her involvement in its beginnings. We pivot to her Florida Trail guide as well as her fiction writing, too. As always, a conversation with Sandra is a great way to spend some time and I hope you’ll find as much value in her words as I do.

Episode 88's guest is Florida Trail Association Executive Director, Royce Gibson. It’s been a while since I’ve had a representative from the FTA on the podcast and when I saw the latest campaign from the FTA, the Close the Gaps campaign, I knew I needed to get someone on to speak directly to this. Royce was the natural fit and it was great to sit down and hear what the current plans are for closing the approximately 300 miles of gaps in the Florida Trail. Road walks are the number one complaint about the Florida Trail, probably followed closely by loose dogs, and there’s no shortage of people looking for answers on how to close these gaps. Since it had also been quite a while since the FTA has had an Executive Director, this was a wonderful opportunity to get some insight into how the organization is run. If you aren't a member of the Florida Trail Association, consider becoming a member and supporting the work to keep the trail maintained and accessible to hikers!

Darby Calm is a hiker based in SE Florida and this interview with her is probably long overdue as I’ve long been a fan of her Instagram account and persistence as a hiker. Darby is a day hiker and by day hiker I mean, she is out on a trail most days of the week. And if she’s not out on a trail, she’s walking through her neighborhood or out on the water exploring Florida’s waterways. When Darby isn’t out exploring in Florida, she’s a Conflict Coach, and as you’ll hear in our conversation she often employs some of the techniques she uses in coaching on herself while out hiking. What I love most about Darby and her account is that she shows the rough and tough stuff and that you don’t need to call yourself a thru-hiker or section hiker to have some kind of meaningful experience on trail. Just get out there and start hiking and make it the experience you want it to be.
We talk about the Ocean to Lake Trail, her explorations around the state and much more! Let’s hear what Darby has to say!
Music: “Breathing” by Lee Rosevere

Earlier this year I interviewed Mills Kelly, historian and host of the Green Tunnel Podcast, which as the podcast website declares, "delves into topics including the quirky history of trail food, the shelters and structures built along the trail, and dangers you might encounter during a hike". Mills and I have kept in touch over the last few months and we’ve decided to do a podcast episode swap today–an episode of the Green Tunnel Podcast will play on the Orange Blaze Podcast and an episode of the Orange Blaze Podcast will play on the Green Tunnel Podcast. I’ve chosen an episode from February of this year entitled The Lost AT. I love these tidbits of Appalachian Trail history and think you will too.

This is a bit of a different episode, one from my gardening podcast, The Garden Path Podcast. You are probably already familiar with Valerie Anderson as she has been on the Orange Blaze Podcast before to talk about the plight of Split Oak Forest near Orlando. I had Valerie on my garden podcast to talk about the Florida Native Plant Society and thought it would be relevant to many Florida Trail hikers and wanted to share the episode here. I’ve left the original introduction to the podcast so you’ll hear that episode straight through…now. Thanks for listening!

Today's episode features the Florida Madcaps, a trio of Florida outdoor enthusiasts some of you may already know: Chris and Chelsey Stevens of the Sunshine State Seekers and Ryan Worthington the Florida Excursionist. Chris and Chelsey have already been on the Orange Blaze podcast before, in February 2019 and May 2020, but this is the first time I’ve gotten to speak with Ryan. Chris, Chelsey, and Ryan recently launched the Florida Madcaps podcast, a recreation and conversation podcast about Florida’s outdoors. I for one am so glad they had the idea to do this podcast because it was a niche that needed to be filled! Florida is full of wonderful public green spaces for residents to explore but the trio offer a unique point of view on the subjects they cover, from conservation to education and even the environmental activism required to keep these lands open for public use. We had a great conversation and I really hope it will lead you to add the Florida Madcaps to your podcast feed! Alright, onto my conversation with Chris, Chelsey, and Ryan.

Hello hikers! I have a fun and different episode than usual—this is the book club episode I mentioned in my last set of episodes released. I chose Life and Death on the Loxahatchee by James Snyder for the book club and several folks reached out to say they were interested in having a zoom book club discussion about it! My guests in the conversation are David Magness, Paul Arsenault, and Leslie McConachie. All bring interesting insight and viewpoints to the book discussion and I was delighted they were interested in chatting with me! Since this is the first time I’ve had so many people on the podcast I wasn’t quite as used to juggling different conversations and people talking over each other at the beginning so there are some areas that were too difficult to edit where one person started chatting while another also chimed in. I think there was also some lag with everyone’s internet connections in who could hear who when it came time to chime into the conversation. It’s a little messy in a few spots is what I’m trying to say! Hopefully I’ll get better at managing it in the future! Now, if you didn’t get a chance to read the book, I suggest listening to the author interview first. But if you enjoy spoilers and wild speculation without having read the book, then go forth and listen to this episode!

Late last year I decided to start a book club for the podcast and chose Life and Death on the Loxahatchee, for a few reasons, one of them being that it had been sitting on my bookshelf for far too long and I knew I needed to read it. Another, because of the interesting folk history of the area along the Loxahatchee River, an area that the Ocean to Lake Trail traverses and an area that many Florida Trail hikers explore, particularly in the Jonathan Dickinson State Park area. But who was Trapper Nelson? I had read the book but I wanted to talk to the author himself, to find out why he was curious enough to devote the time to write about the mysterious man who lived for decades along the Loxahatchee River, and to hear his own thoughts about the man behind the legend. If you didn’t get a chance to read the book but wanted to listen go the book club discussion, I think this is an excellent episode to jump in and get an idea of who Trapper Nelson was and maybe it will entice you to pick up the book to read yourself, or any of the other many historical books Mr. Snyder has written as well.

Eleni McDaniel was first on the podcast back in March of 2019 and a lot has changed in the four years since then. She’s changed trail names for one and expanded her career and hiking life beyond Florida, though as you’ll hear her ties to the Florida Trail still reel her back into the state every Florida Trail hiking season. I love chatting with Eleni, not just because we are friends but because she’s someone I can talk about the hard aspects of hiking with, the uncomfortable truths we all need to face on the trail. We talk about the growing pains the Florida Trail is experiencing as well as Eleni’s hiking adventures in North Carolina and New York in recent years and her hiking ambitions for the future.

Day hikers make up the bulk of hikers on the Florida Trail, just like on other National Scenic Trails. I think we all tend to focus heavily on thru-hikers for these trails because of their epic nature and the way long distance hiking intrigues a lot of us, but the day hikers are the ones getting to know certain localities of a trail in a more intimate manner. They are out there for quick weekend jaunts or short overnights, often becoming familiar with trail maintenance and feeling a sense of pride in their local trailheads. I would love to start showcasing more Florida Trail Day hikers on the podcast and David Magness was a great person to start propel that idea forward! We had a great conversation about his hiking adventures in Central Florida and I think you’ll enjoy our conversation. Also, stay on at the end of the podcast for a special bit of music that David created and mentions in our conversation.

New this season is the Orange Blaze Podcast Book Club! Our first book will be Life and Death on the Loxahatchee: The Story of Trapper Nelson. If you have spent any time around Jonathan Dickinson State Park or the Loxahatchee River you may already know the legend and lore of Trapper Nelson. I've had this book on my shelf for years and it is about time I read it! Reading along and if you want to participate in a book club discussion email me at orangeblazepodcast at gmail dot com or leave a comment below. I'm looking for 4-6 folks to have a zoom chat with about the book and those who don't want to participate in the zoom chat are welcome to read along on their own and listen to the episode airing in April! We'll have another book club this fall! Book suggestions wanted!

After our 2011 thru-hike I wrote a post on my blog detailing some of the more important notes needed for thru-hikers on the Florida Trail. There wasn't a lot out there at the time on social media, though there were Trail Journals and the books produced by Sandra Friend---there just wasn't the community in 2011 that there it today. That said, I think this episode is long overdue and should have been one of the first episodes I produced when I started the podcast. If you have questions about hiking the FT, I am always here to answer questions and point you in the right direction!

When the Green Tunnel Podcast debuted in late 2021 and I began listening to episodes I quickly realized this was not your average hiking podcast. Mills Kelly and his team at R2 Studios at George Mason University have put together a stunning series of podcast episodes that rival some of the NPR-style podcasts out there. Covering history of the Appalachian Trail from Benton MacKaye to the Roller Coaster section of the trail and everything in between, every few weeks we get to learn in-depth history about the AT we may not have known. Mills and his team dig deep into the archives of the ATC and local trail club chapters to come up with their stories and as you’ll hear Mills say, it is easy to fall down rabbit holes to get new stories.

Jason ‘Out and About’ Tompkins is a 2022 Florida Trail Thru-Hiker and progenitor of a new eastern route called The Carolinian. A Florida native, Jason has spent many years living and exploring regions outside of Florida but returned to Florida in late 2021 to begin a year of thru-hiking. He first kicked off by hiking the Ocean to Lake Trail and getting his legs literally and figuratively wet for the Florida Trail which he started a few weeks later. From the Florida Trail he continued on to many other trails including putting together the Palmetto Trail, a Carolina Road Walk, the Mountains to Sea Trail, the AT, and the Bartram trail to create the 2200 mile Carolinian route. Even with all of that done, Jason wasn’t done, and went off to hike the Superior Hiking Trail, too. It’s been a big year for him!

2023 isn’t going to be any quieter as Jason has plans to complete the Eastern Continental Trail, which includes another thru-hike of the Florida Trail. We talk about the ups and downs of trail life, hiking with a trail family and then hiking completely alone, and his goals for future adventures. I think you’ll love the conversation and Jason is an all around interesting and inviting person to talk to! Maybe you’ll come across him on your own hike this year!