Month: May 2021

CHALLENGE:90 Trails in 100 Days

Challenge: 90 Trails in 100 Days

Sunrise over Myakka River State Park

In the fall of 2020, I went on a wonderful, adventurous, hike down from the rim of the Grand Canyon into Phantom Ranch on the river. The trip was arduous and the climb out was tough given my hailing from the vertically challenged state of Florida. Prior to this undertaking, I had begun training, in Florida, including perhaps Florida’s most vertical trail, the Torreya Challenge in Torreya State Park. After this adventure and the two months of training leading up to it, I became a bit of a couch potato in December and January. About the middle of January, I decided to do something about that. Seeing all the wonderful trails in my area, I set myself a challenge, to hike or bike 90 different trails in 100 days. I gave myself a hundred days to account for weather, work or other impediments to doing a trail each day.  

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Now you may be asking, what this has to do with privacy. The short answer is not much, but there is always an angle. In using AllTrails, the trail mapping application, I discovered a nifty way to stalk people. See my previous blog post for more.

In February, thanks to Publix Supermarkets, I procured a large amount of trail mix. By the end, despite adding some more in March and April, I was down to one container.


My typical kit consistent of day pack with water reservoir, bear bell, bear mace, Chapstick, headphones to listen to Privacy podcasts, snacks (not pictured trail mix), and trail maps. Also not pictured are optional sunscreen and insect repellent.

Off I set on January 30th. The task seemed simple but, as with many things, implementation was more fraught than at first imagined. I tried to do longer trails or those  farther away when I had more time (like weekends) or during nice weather. One early trail, Pond Loop, at Okeeheepkee Prairie County Park, I completed on a rainy afternoon was only 0.5 miles. I decided after that to only include trails over 1 mile long. This lead me to a few times combining short trails into one “trail” or stretching a trail to it’s extreme (exploring every nook and cranny) to try to get that mile in. Trying to define a “trail” also led to some creative interpretations. Not all trails are simply laid out in the platonic idealized state. Some are based on forest service roads, some intersect and loop and figure 8. Some are out and back, retracing your steps. I had to break some long trails, like the 30+ miles of the St. Marks trail into more manageable pieces of about 16 mile chunks (8 out and 8 back). Some of my trips weren’t trails at all, but I counted them, like when I walked 6 miles home after dropping off a truck at the rental car company. I learned about new trails, which weren’t easily found, like the Capital to Coast trail still under construction, which when fully complete with be 120 miles of biking or shared use paths from Tallahassee to the Emerald coast. 

It was perhaps the best time to be out hiking and biking in Florida. Spring weather meant it wasn’t too hot, the parks were green and flowers were in full bloom. I saw so many animals, many that your rarely see as a weekend warrior.  In addition to the usual squirrels and lizards, I saw a bobcat, a family of boar, water moccasins and other snakes, a mole,  a red pileated woodpecker, a gopher tortoise, giant mosquitoes, ticks, spiders, and many more. I did not, however, see a bear. Not to say they weren’t there, but ever since I encountered a bear last year, I’ve been hiking with a bear bell and bear mace, so they’ve thankfully kept their distance. 

What lurks beneath? Creature from the black lagoon? Manatee? Large alligator? Something was moving fast and leaving a wake under the Crooked River in Tate’s Hell State Forest.

As a capstone to my challenge, I returned to Torreya State Park to take on the Torreya Challenge. It was a wonderous exhausting 4 hours which left me with a terrible head ache, but I made it. 90 different trails. 98 days in the making. 478 miles covered. Challenge complete. Level UP! 

More Galleries

Animals and Insects
Flora and Fungi
Doll's Head Trail
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Georgia
Econfina State Park
Emerald Coast
Torreya State Park - Torreya Trail and the Torreya Challenge Trail
Panoramas
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# Location Trail Miles Type Links
1 Lake Talquin State Forest – Lines Track West Loop 3.8 Hike favicons (16×16)
2 Ellinor Klapp-Phipps Park West Loop 2.9 Hike
3 J.R. Alford Greenway Bluebird Loop 3.9 Hike
4 San Luis Mission Park San Luis Park Loop 1.98 Hike favicons (16×16)
5 Apalachicola National Forest GF&A Trail 5 Hike

6 Maclay Gardens State Park Shared Trail Loop 5.5 Bike https://www.floridastateparks.org/maclaygardens
7 Lake Talquin State Forest – Lines Track Talquin Loop (Blue) 6 Bike
8 Okeeheepkee Prairie County Park Pond Loop 0.5 Hike  
9 Apalachicola National Forest Munson Hills 8.4 Bike
10 Governors Park Fern Trail 3.4 Hike  
11 Three Rivers State Park Eagle Trail 3

Bike
12 St Marks Trail North Trail 16 Bike
13 Ochlockonee River WMA Old Cemetary Rd 3.9 Hike  
14 Lafayette Heritage Trail Park Lafayette Heritage Trail 6.9 Hike  
15 Wakulla Springs State Park Wakulla Springs Park Trail 10.1 Hike
16

Orchard Pond

 Orchard Pond Trail 6.9 Bike  
17

Silver Lake Recreation Area

 Silver Lake Habitat Trail 1.4 Hike
18 Timberlane Ravine Nature Preserve Timberlane Ravine Nature Trail 1.5 Hike
19 San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park Moonshine Creek Trai 1.6 Hike
20 Lakeland Highlands Scrub  Lakeland Highlands Scrub Trail 3.1 Hike  
21 Catfish Creek Preserve State Park Campsite 2 White Trail 5.5 Hike
22 Black Creek Preserve Red Trail 4.9 Hike  
23 Tom Brown Park Magnolia MTB Trail 3 Bike  
24 Central Park Central Park Lake Loop  1.9 Hike  
25 Apalachicola National Forest Camel Lake Loop 8.2 Hike
26 J. R. Alford Greenway Yellow Loop 5.3 Bike  
27 Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway Miccosukee Greenways Trail 15.5 Bike  
28 Bald Point State Park Loop 3.1 Hike
29 A.J. Henry Park A.J. Henry Park Trails 1.9 Hike
30 Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park Bike Loops 5.7 Bike
31 Wakulla State Forest Nemours Trail 1.6 Hike
32 Ochlocknee River WMA Cut Through Lewis Loop 2.5 Hike  
33 Kolomoki Mounds State Park Spruce Pine Trail 3.1 Hike
34 Wilson Hospice House Wilson Hospice House Trail 1.3 Hike  
35 Marjorie Turnbull Park Trail 1.6 Hike  
36 Tallahassee Morning Hike from Budget 5.4 Hike  
37 Gil Waters Preserve at Lake Munson Trail 1 Hike
38 Bald Point State Park Sandy Trails 4.2 Bike
39 Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park Redbug Trails 4.6 Bike
40 Tate’s Hell State Forest High Bluff Coastal Loop Trail 9 Bike
41 Ochlocknee State Park Pine Bluff Trail 1.2 Hike
42 St. Joseph Island Loggerhead Trail and Maritime Hammock Nature Trail 21.5 Both
43 Tom Brown Park West Cadillac Trail 3.1 Bike
44 J.R. Alford Greenway Long Leaf Trail 4 Hike  
45 Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park Ravine Trail 1.9 Bike
46 Cascades Park Cascades Park Loop 2.5 Hike
47 Apalachicola National Forest Oak Park Bridge Trail 4.8 Hike
48 St. George Island State Park Gap Point Trai 5.5 Hike
49 St. George Island State Park Sugar Hill Beach Old Road 7.3 Both
50

St. Marks Trail

 Wakulla Springs to St. Marks 16 Bike  
51 Myakka River State Park Fox’s Low to Mossy Hammock 3 Hike
52 Myakka River State Park Mossy Hammock to Fox’s Low 9.5 Hike
53 Plant City Dean’s Ride 8.5 Bike  
54 River Rise Preserve State Park River Rise Preserve Trail 2.9 Hike
55 St. Marks Trail North Trail 9.8 Bike  
56 Tom Brown Park Subaru to Tom Brown 3.5 Hike  
57 Apalachicola National Forest Wright Lake White Trail 5.5 Hike
58 St. Mark WMA Plum Orchard to St Marks Via Port Leon 8.2 Hike  
59 Capital Circle SE  Captial Circle SE Shared Use Path 13 Bike
60 Econfina River State Park Blue and Orange Trail 12.5 Bike
61 Anita Davis Preserve at Lake Henrietta Park Lake Henrietta Trail 1.8 Hike

62 Goose Pond Trail Goose Pond Trail 2.7 Hike  
63 Wakulla State Forest Double Springs Trail with Petrik Spur 4.7 Bike
64 Fred George Greenway and Park Fred George Loop 1.5 Hike  
65 Lake Talquin State Forest Long Leaf Loop 3.9 Hike

favicons (16×16)
66

Guyte P. McCord Park

 Sculpture Trail 1.2 Hike
67 Ochlockonee Bay Trail Ochlockonee Bay Trail 31.2 Bike  
68 Optimist Park Indian Head Trail 2 Hike
69 Chase Street Park Monticello “Ike Anderson” Bike Trail 4.5 Bike  
70 Apalachicola National Forest – Bradley Bay Wilderness Monkey Creek Trail Head on Florida Scenic Trail 4.9 Hike
71 FSU Bike Path Ocala Rd to Stadium Drive 2.3 Bike  
72 Seminole State Park Gopher Tortoise Nature Trail 1.8 Hike
73 J.R. Alford Greenway Wiregrass and Beggarwood Loop 3.3 Bike  
74 Lake Talquin State Park Lake Talquin State Park Trail 1.6 Hike
75 Capital to Coast Trail St. Marks to 319 24.3 Bike  
76 Constitution Park Dolls Head Trail 2.4 Hike  
77 East Roswell Park Park Loop Trail 2.1 Bike  
78 Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Andrews Cove Trail 3.8 Hike
79 Unicoi State Park Bike Trail 3.5 Bike
80 Unicoi State Park Anna Ruby Falls 1 Hike
81 Brinkley Glen Park Brinkley Glen Trail 1 Hike
82 Letchworth-Love Mounds Archaelogical State Park Letchworth Mounds Loop 2.7 Hike
83 St. Marks WMA Florida Scenic Trail 5.5 Hike  
84 Econfina State Park River Loop (Red Trail) 3.3 Hike
85 Torreya State Park Torreya Trail 6.6 Hike
86 Lafayette Heritage Trail Park East Cadillac Loop 2.6 Bike
87 Governors Park Fern Trail, Kohl’s Trail and Blairstone Multi-Use Trail 4.4 Hike  
88 Apalachee Regional Park Cross Country Loop 3.3 Hike
89 St. Andrews State Park Road and Pine Flatwoods Trail 5.5 Both
90 Torreya State Park Torreya Challenge 9.3 Hike
      478    

 

Google Calendar Privacy Vulnerability

Its interesting how events can lead one find privacy and security vulnerabilities. I’m reminded of the old Connections show, where James Burke would connect seemingly unrelated events in human history and show how one led to another. During my Winter 2021 Strategic Privacy by Design course, the United States did a time shift known as Daylight Saving Time, an anachronism from the days of agriculture where the government thought changing the time twice a year to adjust to changing sunlight would help farmers use time more effectively. As a result of this shift, some students in Europe showed up at the end of a lecture because I had adjust my clock, but they, obviously being in Europe, had not.

As a result of this timing error, I thought it might be good to create calendar items in Moodle (the LMS I use) for the Spring 2021 Strategic Privacy by Design course. The plan was to export the iCal file and send it to students so they would each be able to insert the important course events in their own calendar. I did just that into my calendar as well, which, unfortunately is in Google.

My eagle eyed assistant instructor, Maria, noticed when she was checking my schedule to send me an invite to a meeting, that should could see these items, even though I had set up to only share Free/Busy calendar (see below).

After digging around, I finally figure out what was going on. Visibility on each calendar item has options of: private, public or default visibility (meaning to default to the overall calendar’s visibility).

However, these calendar items had a class in the iCal file of public, which overrode my calendar’s default of Free/Busy only.

Those events were imported. I wanted to check, so I had my security intern invite me to three event, one she set to private, one she set to public and one she set to default visibility. As expected, despite my calendar set to Free/Busy only, the “public” event showed as public.

Your reaction may be, well this event is public, but two problems persist. 1) It still shows MY interest or possible attendance in this public event, not just whether I’m busy or free; and 2) when the sender has their calendar default to public and doesn’t realize that but sends you an invite to talk. I would suggest that my calendar settings should override the imported event’s settings, just to be on the safe side.

By the way, if anyone has a suggestion for a privacy friendly online calendar (so I can share my free/busy schedule), I’d appreciate hearing from you. I haven’t found a good alternative yet.