The Laker/Lutz News

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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Appalachian Trail

Annual Hiking Spree features new trails, challenges

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Hillsborough County’s annual Hiking Spree is back, with some new twists, turns and challenges.

The hiking extravaganza, now in its fourth year, encourages people to exercise, explore the outdoors, and experience nature through the county’s numerous parks and preserves.

The 2020 Hiking Spree trail list features 24 trails at 21 locations throughout the county.

Five of those parks sit within The Laker Lutz News coverage area: Carrollwood Village Neighborhood Park, Lake Conservation Park, Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, Upper Tampa Bay Trail— Lutz Lake Fern, and Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve.

Lettuce Lake Conservation Park is included in this year’s Hiking Spree. It is one of 21 parks and 24 trails people are encouraged to try out this fall and winter. (File)

The Hiking Spree is designed to offer something for everyone from hiking rookies to seasoned outdoor enthusiasts. Hikers can walk paths near their homes, but also are encouraged to explore new terrain throughout the county.

Here’s how it works: Hikers who complete at least eight trails between Nov. 1 and March 31, 2020 can earn a patch, a medallion for a walking stick or a dog tag. Hikers may repeat any trail twice for credit provided they occur on different dates. Participants may hike on their own, with a dog, with others or on guided park staff hikes.

Most trails range from less than a mile to more than 4 miles, labeled from easy to strenuous.

To captivate more daring hikers, lengthier trails ranging from nearly 7 miles to over 9 miles are new this year — at Alafia River Corridor Nature Preserve North and South locations in Plant City and Lithia, and Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve in Plant City.

Incorporating some longer trails was requested by Hiking Spree participants last year, said Hiking Spree program coordinator Chris Kiddy, who also works for the county’s conservation and environmental lands management division.

Said Kiddy: “We’ve introduced a lot of people to hiking over the last few years with this, and some of the feedback we were hearing from last year was, ‘Hey, I love this, but I’d really like some longer hikes.’”

The Hiking Spree has shown to be a hit since introduced in 2016 by the county’s parks and recreation department.

About 1,000 people participated in the inaugural year, growing to about 3,700 participants in 2018-2019. County parks and recreation officials this year are hoping for as many 5,000 participants.

Kiddy has witnessed the surge over the years, as he gets trails ready each year and participates in the hiking challenge himself.

He put it like this: “What we hear more than anything from people is that they’re just amazed by how many opportunities that they have to see nature in Hillsborough County. We have over a million people in this area and you kind of think that it’s just this huge, urban area, (but) we have these little hidden places all over the county that are just places you can go to escape and get in touch with nature.”

While most parks and preserves and trails are rotated in and out of the Hiking Spree each year, a few locations are constants because of their popularity.

That includes Lettuce Lake, one of the county’s most visited parks, at 6920 East Fletcher Ave., in Tampa.

More than half of the park’s property lies in the natural floodplain of the Hillsborough River, consisting of a hardwood swamp forest. The remainder of the park consists of hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods plant communities.

Within the park is a 1.25-mile paved exercise trail and 3,500-foot boardwalk with an observation tower that provides scenic views of the Hillsborough River and the opportunity to see all sorts of wildlife, from wading birds and songbirds, to alligators.

Kiddy said of the spot: “Pretty much everything you can possibly see in nature you see right there in that small area, I think that’s why people enjoy that so much.”

Another hiking favorite is the 1.25-mile Singing Bluffs Trail at Edward Medard Conservation Park, 95256 South County Road 39 in Plant City.

“That’s another one where you see a lot of wildlife,” Kiddy said, “and that one is also really cool and unique because it uses some old phosphate mines as part of the trail, so there’s some elevation changes on that trail that people seem to really enjoy.”

Organizers this year also have added a new adventure challenge called “Trail Magic.”

Each week, hikers will be given clues and directions on the county’s social media accounts to locate a hidden “Trail Magic” spot on a trail and then become eligible for a free prize.

The hidden spot will rotate between each of the designated Hiking Spree trails and will have signs showing off the giveaway you could win, once you locate it. Giveaways will range from hiking supplies to massage gift certificates.

Kiddy said the concept derives from thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail to describe an unexpected act of kindness or goodwill that lifts a hiker’s spirits. In that environment, it’s often something as simple as being offered a snack or drink by a passing hiker or an onlooker offering a hot meal and a shower at their cabin.

“We just kind of wanted to play on that and approach providing some ‘trail magic’ of our own for the hiking spree,” Kiddy said.

This year’s Hiking Spree will be celebrated with a kickoff party on Nov. 9 at 9 a.m., at Upper Tampa Bay Park, 8001 Double Branch Road in Tampa.

The event will include games, nature arts and crafts, outdoor workshops, and classes on orienteering, knot tying, how to make your own hiking stick, and more. A variety of hikes will be offered, including a plant ID hike, birding hike, bug walk, and kids hike.

Registration for the Hiking Spree is available at hcflgov.net/hikingspree. Cost is free, though there is a $2-per-vehicle fee to enter some parks.

Also of note: The county is seeking volunteers to join its new Trail CATS (County Associated Trail Stewards) stewardship program, to help county staff maintain existing trails and explore new trail opportunities. Duties may include blazing and trimming trails, inspecting trails, installing signs, and other trail-related tasks.

For more information, email Chris Kiddy at .

Here is the list of parks and trails for the 2020 Hiking Spree:

Neighborhood Parks and Recreation Centers — short, paved, trails with water and facilities

  • All People’s Life Center: All People’s Fitness Trail (0.4 miles)
  • Branchton Neighborhood Park: Gray Fox Fitness Trail (0.75 miles)
  • Carrollwood Village Neighborhood Park: Laurel Oak Fitness Trail (1 mile)
  • Dover District Neighborhood Park: Arrowhead Fitness Trail (1.2 miles)
  • Jackson Springs Neighborhood Park: Conejo Fitness Trail (0.5 miles)
  • Ruskin/Baudette Neighborhood Trail: Quiet Pines Fitness Trail (0.5 miles)
  • Stephen J. Wortham Park: Bluestem Hiking Trail, Sand Pine Trail (3.1 miles total)

Conservation Parks — mid-range, well-maintained paths and trails

  • Alderman’s Ford Conservation Park: Two Rivers Loop, Rivers Edge Trail (2.2 miles total)
  • Edward Medard Conservation Park: Singing Bluffs (1.25 miles)
  • Eureka Springs Conservation Park: Peaceful Paths Trail (0.75 miles)
  • Lake Conservation Park: Tortoise Trail (3.2 miles)
  • Lettuce Lake Conservation Park: Limpkin Loop, Cypress Dome (2.2 miles total)
  • Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park: Bobcat, Eagle, and Otter Trails (1.7 miles)
  • Upper Tampa Bay Trail—Lutz Lake Fern: Robin Trail (3.3 miles)

Nature Preserves— No facilities, subject to daily conditions

  • Alafia River Corridor Nature Preserve-North: Old Mine Trail (7 miles)
  • Alafia River Corridor Nature Preserve-South: Chito Branch Trail (6.7 miles)
  • Alderman’s Ford Nature Preserve: Riverbend Trail (3.5 miles)
  • Brooker Creek Headwaters Nature Preserve: Ramblewood Trail (3.6 miles)
  • Camp Bayou Nature Preserve: River Ramble Trail (2 miles)
  • Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve: Cone Ranch Trail (9.5 miles)
  • Wolf Branch Nature Preserve: Salty Trail (2 miles)

For information or to register, visit hcflgov.net/hikingspree.

Published October 30, 2019

Renowned hiker to share his stories in Tampa

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Twenty years after he hiked the Appalachian Trail, Jeff Alt’s expedition lives on.

Alt hiked an average of 17 miles a day, for nearly five months in 1998, to walk 2,160 miles, from Springer Mountain, in Georgia, to Mount Kadahdin, in Maine.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail was not only a personal goal but also a way to support people with developmental disabilities, including Alt’s brother, Aaron, who has cerebral palsy.

It took Jeff Alt 147 days to trek the entirety of the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine and 12 other states in between. Relatives in Lutz and Carrollwood served as his support system along the way. (Courtesy of Jeff Alt)

Because of that commitment, as fellow hikers in his group quit, Alt persevered.

He made a trek of an estimated 5 million steps, overcoming everything from extreme weather and scary wildlife encounters, to persistent aches and pains.

The achievement since inspired the Sunshine 5K, Walk, Run and Roll which just celebrated its 20th annual event in Greenville, Ohio, and has raised more than $500,000 for people with developmental disabilities. It benefits the Ohio-based Sunshine Communities, which supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as they live, work and play on their terms. It’s also where Alt’s disabled brother lives.

Alt will be in town this week to share stories and sign the 20th anniversary edition of his best-selling memoir, “A Walk for Sunshine,” on March 29 at 7 p.m., at Barnes & Noble Carrollwood,11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

The renowned hiker shared a few of those stories and anecdotes from his long, arduous 147-day journey in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

Born, raised and still living in Ohio with his wife and two children, Alt has several familial ties to the Lutz and Carrollwood area. These family members served as his support system during the adventure.

His brother, Larry Alt, of Lutz, greeted him at the beginning and end of the Appalachian Trail.

His sister Stephanie Pitts, of Lutz, served as his “unofficial, official public relations person,” updating friends, relatives and media throughout the journey.

Her husband, Dan Pitts, of Lutz, joined Alt in hiking the final leg of the Appalachian Trail.

And, his stepfather, Ron Almendinger, of Northdale, often shipped supply boxes to Alt on the trail.

Each gesture kept him motivated and boosted morale, Alt said.

“Everybody played a role…so I could focus on the journey. They were like my cheerleading squad,” Alt said.

He recalled his adventure getting off to a shaky start.

On the very first day, Alt had to wrap his feet in duct tape, after several blisters formed on both feet, as a result of placing his boot orthotics on the wrong feet.

“One blister is extremely painful,” he said. “But, this was excruciating.”

Alt gave himself the self-deprecating nickname “Wrongfoot” to bring a bit of levity to his own error. “I just reminded myself that I just needed to laugh it off,” he said.

The next day, Alt was close and personal with a skunk on top of his sleeping bag. Luckily, he was able to shoo it away without getting sprayed.

That wasn’t the only “hair-raising” encounter with Mother Nature.

He was charged by a mama bear in Maine, before it abruptly dashed off into the woods with a pair of baby cubs.

Another stress-inducing — and painful — moment came while traversing the Great Smoky Mountains. That’s where Alt suffered a bad ankle sprain in the middle a 12-foot snowdrift, while trying to balance his 55-pound backpack on one leg.

“I thought at that moment, ‘My journey just ended.’ That was the only time that I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Alt said.

He took a few days off, to reduce the swelling, then resumed his journey.

Every day was painful, Alt said, joking that ibuprofen is referred to as as ‘Vitamin I’ in the hiker community.

“Literally, when you took your pack off at the end of the day, your body would say, ‘What did you just do to me? You’re going to feel this all night,’” Alt said.

Cold and hungry
The majority of fellow hikers that year quit because of frigid temperatures, which sometimes dropped to 20 below zero.

“It was so cold, at one point, if you took your boots off at night and didn’t put them in your sleeping bag, they would freeze in the position your foot was before you took it off, and then the leather would cut your feet open because it was still frozen in the morning,” Alt said.

He had never-ending food cravings.

“Your appetite quadruples,” Alt said. “I could eat a half gallon of ice cream as a snack. I could eat a whole pizza and then go eat dinner.”

Even so, he lost 30 pounds, which he refers to as “the Appalachian Diet Plan.”

He also has many positive experiences on his trek.

He marveled at the friendliness and kindness of people he met along the trail.

Complete strangers would invite him into their homes, and would offer something to eat and drink, and the use of their shower.

“It left a very warm feeling in my heart,” he said.

Along the way, he crossed paths with military folks, recent college graduates, a wealthy stock trader, to name a few.

He met a man who had abruptly quit his job to hike, and a fair number of homeless people, too.

“You meet all kinds of people. It’s America, really,” he said.

He also observed there was something to appreciate about each of the 14 states he walked through, including breathtaking views and varying geology.

Even after walking 5 million steps, Alt said the expedition wasn’t truly complete until he could share the news with his brother Aaron, back in Ohio.

His brother doesn’t speak, but he does communicate through gestures and smiles.

Seeing him, Alt said, ended his journey — “knowing that he understood and smiled.”

Jeff Alt book signing event
What: Jeff Alt will share stories about his Appalachian Trail journey and sign the anniversary edition of “A Walk for Sunshine.”
Where: Barnes & Noble Carrollwood, 11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa
When: March 29 at 7 p.m.
Info: (813) 962-6446

Appalachian Trail Facts

  • The Appalachian Trail spans 14 states, covering 2,190 miles, from Georgia to Maine.
  • The Appalachian Trail was inspired by Benton MacKaye in 1921.
  • Earl Shaffer became the first person to walk the Appalachian Trail from end to end in 1948.
  • Emma Rowena Gatewood, also known as “Grandma Gatewood,” became the first female solo thru-hiker at the age of 67 when she first hiked the trail in 1955. She hiked the trail three times.
  • Each year, an estimated 2,000 hikers to 3,000 hikers attempt to walk the entire Appalachian Trail in one season (during a four-month to six-month time frame). Just one in four succeed.
  • Hikers carry backpacks weighing 30 pounds to 75 pounds and supply in towns along the way.
  • Hikers burn 4,000 calories to 6,000 calories a day, comparable to running 2 marathons.

Jeff Alt’s Appalachian Trail statistics:

  • Carried a pack that weighed 50 pounds
  • Went through three pairs of boots
  • Averaged 17 miles a day
  • Had 22 boxes of supplies shipped to him along the way
  • Slept mostly in three-walled shelters, though did carry a tent
  • Completed the trek in 147 days (nearly five months)
  • Lost 30 pounds

Published March 28, 2018