Seniors Hiking Across Florida

Susan Latham Carr writes under the headline "The Walk of Their Lives; Hikers over age 80 plan a 2-week trip across Florida" in The Ocala Star-Banner of 26 October 2007. The story centers on a cross-Florida hike organized by Kenneth Smith to celebrate his 80th birthday. In pulling together the half dozen hikers going along, Smith advertised in the Florida Trail Association that hikers need be 80 or older.

One of the hikers is 83-year-old Loretta Copeland of Ocala, FL. She relates how she has hiked all but 280 miles of the Appalachian Trail, having only started when she was 68.

"It broke her heart, she said, when she had to give up the trail last year because she can no longer climb the rocky areas."

There's a 90 year old hiker in the group going from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico on the 2 week, 132 mile backpacking trip. He hiked 116 miles of the A.T. back in February. Sounds great!