Multi-Chapter Gathering at Pine Log/Nokuse

May 16 – 18, 2008

Click here to see the flyer: pineloggathering-flyer041908.pdf

Our chapter has been invited, by our neighboring chapters (Choctawhatchee, Panhandle and Western Gate), to a weekend camping trip from mid-afternoon Fri. May 16th thru mid-afternoon Sun. May 18th at the Pine Log State Forest (PLSF) north of Panama City off S.R. 20, just east of Ebro. This is a social event, organized to give us the opportunity to meet each other and go hiking.

The gathering will begin at the Youth Camp in Pine Log about 3:00 PM, Friday. People can hike the Pine Log trails on Friday and Sunday, with the main hiking events at Nokuse on Saturday. The Friday and Saturday night meals will be prepared by the local chapters. Donations to cover these meals will be accepted! All other meals are on your own.

Pine Log State Forest has a beautiful camping area and a really nice covered pavilion. If you can’t join us to camp, but wish to hike Saturday, come to the Youth Camp by 7 am Saturday morning.

Please RSVP the following with your intentions for attending, and your plans for dinner, by 12 May:
Ed Williamson of Western Gate (edwill34@bellsouth.net),
Tom Daniel of Choctawhatchee (PerdidoTCD@aol.com), and
Linda Mooney, Panhandle (lamooney@aol.com).

CAMPING:

Car camping at Pine Log State Forest (PLSF) Youth Campground Friday and Saturday nights, May 16 and 17. Restrooms, showers, & sheltered picnic tables are available. $3 per person fee to cover facility costs. Please give this to organizers on arrival.

PAVILION INFORMATION:

Pavilion with grills and picnic tables have been reserved for May 16-18.
Available for all to use.
Easy walk distance from Youth Campground.
Fire pit for evening social - a campfire will be provided both nights.
Bring camp chairs.

MEALS:

May 16 evening – at the pavilion – all members - BBQ chicken meal provided.
May 17 breakfast – on your own.
May 17 lunch – pack your own lunch for on-the-trail.
May 17 evening – at the pavilion – all members - burgers and hot dogs meal provided.
May 18 breakfast – on your own.
May 18 lunch – pack your own lunch for on-the-trail.
A donation jar will be provided to cover cost of Fri/Sat evening meals

HIKES:

May 16 Fri. afternoon – PLSF Campground and Boardwalk Trail.
Includes about a 1/4-mile boardwalk over the beautiful Pond Cypress swamp. About 1 hour. No guide needed.

May 17 Sat. all day – Nokuse Section.
Day hike various sections of the newly developed FNST route. Exact segments to be determined.

May 18 Sun. morning / early afternoon - PLSF Dutch and Faye Trail.
Lovely walk through a longleaf pine forest on mostly level ground, well marked and maintained trail. About 5.5 miles, would require 3-4 hours depending on stops. No guide needed.

Before signing up for an activity, please read the “Guidelines for Outing Participants.”

June 7 Sat P/L National Trails Day Hike. “Join Us on the Trail” and hike about 5 miles within the Leon Sinks Geological Area in celebration of the 16^th Annual National Trails Day, sponsored by the American Hiking Society, and hosted by the Apalachee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. You will see five major sinkholes, a disappearing stream, a natural bridge, and gum swamps. Bring your lunch and stay for refreshments after the hike. Terry Tenold (850) 877-1612 totenold49@aol.com

June 10 Tue Apalachee Chapter Meeting Program: “Carnivorous Plants of the Panhandle.” These plants are fascinating because of their great beauty and intrigue. The Florida panhandle has 30 of the 33 naturally-occurring Florida species of these animal-eating plants. Dr. Loran Anderson of FSU will present a program of color slides of most of the thirty and discuss their life histories and the variety of mechanisms through which they attract, capture, and digest their prey. 7 p.m. at Woodcrest Office Park, 325 John Knox Rd., Bldg. F (first bldg. on the right). Look for Florida Trail signs on wooden door at east end of building. Free. Contact: Linda Patton (850) 668-4334.

June 14 Sat P/L National “Get Outdoors Day.” Hike and play on Fort Braden Trails as we take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy some snacks, games and other recreational opportunities. Marti Miller, Florida Division of Forestry, and others will tell us about outdoor recreation in our region. Bring water, bug repellant, sturdy shoes and plan for a 3.5 mile hike. All ages welcome. Howard Pardue (850) 523-8525 or hpardue@fs.fed.us.

June 14 Sat P/L Chipola River Canoe Trip. Are you looking for a great way to cool off on a hot summer day? Join us for a leisurely paddle on the Chipola River. Don’t forget to bring snacks, plenty of water and sun protection. Afterward we will stop at one of the local restaurants for a late lunch/early dinner. Gwen Beatty gfbeatty@yahoo.com 850-942-7165.

June 17 Tue Activities Planning Meeting. 6 p.m. at Woodcrest Office Park, 325 John Knox Rd., Bldg. F (first bldg. on the right). Look for Florida Trail signs on wooden door at east end of building. David Harris (850) 284-9967.

June 21 Sat P/L Wakulla River Canoe Trip. We will put in at S.R. 365 and canoe this wild, scenic river about six miles to the St. Marks Boat Club. Easy paddling. We should see various birds, with a good chance of seeing alligators and manatees. Bring lunch, water, bug spray, sun screen, and binoculars. Top off the trip with swimming at the Boat Club beach. Limit: 8 canoes. Paull Kirkpatrick (850) 894-3224.

June 28 Sat P/L Slave Canal Paddle Trip. We’ll paddle 5 miles down the narrow, crystal-clear stream winding through a pristine swamp. The pace will be leisurely with refreshing dips in the cool water. Navigating around fallen trees will be required. Limit 12 canoes. Steve Haley (850) 216-1764 or kneadtorelax2002@yahoo.com.

Before signing up for an activity, please read the “Guidelines for Outing Participants.”

May 10 Sat P/L Fort Braden Trail. Leon County Health Department, Community Health Promotion Program. Guided hikes (limit 12 people per hike) will be offered throughout the morning at 8 am, 9 am, 10 am, and 11 am. Call Connie Betterley for additional details and to register. 850-487-3146 ext. 153 connie_betterley@doh.state.fl.us. Terry Tenold will be co-leading the hike. totenold49@aol.com or 850-877-1612.

May 13 Tue Apalachee Chapter Meeting Program: “Florida’s Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail.” Beginning near Pensacola, extending around the Florida peninsula and Keys, and ending near the Georgia border, this trail is a 1,550-mile sea kayaking paradise. Doug Alderson, Florida Office of Greenways and Trails field director for this project, will show photos from nearly all of the trail’s 26 segments & discuss a new statewide group recently formed to support the trail. 7 p.m. at Woodcrest Office Park, 325 John Knox Rd., Bldg. F (first bldg. on the right). Look for Florida Trail signs on wooden door at east end of building. Free. Contact: Linda Patton (850) 668-4334.

May 17 Sat P/M Torreya State Park. Hike the Torreya Trail about 7 miles over hilly terrain and along the Apalachicola River rim swamp. Enjoy the many trees and other plants. Bring lunch, water and insect repellant. Meet at 7:00 A.M. in Tallahassee to car pool. Jerry Herting (850) 878-3426.

May 24 Sat P/L Wade Tract Birding Hike. This popular hike will take you into one of the best remaining examples of old-growth longleaf pine/wiregrass forests left in the U.S. Jim Cox, noted ornithologist with Tall Timbers Research Station, will provide commentary and show us a red cockaded woodpecker colony. Fee will be from $7 to $15 / person depending on number of participants. Limit 20 people. Kent Wimmer (850) 523-8576 or kwimmer@fs.fed.us .

The City of Tallahassee TV station [WCOT Channel 13] has Tallahassee’s parks’ trails as the subject of their “On Location” program during the month of April (and possibly a couple of weeks into May).

During the first 9 minutes of the program, our Florida Trail System hiking trail at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park is featured, with Linda Patton on camera.

The next 7 minutes shows the fitness trail at Lafayette Park, and the final 12 minutes are about the Cadillac bike trail within Lafayette Heritage Park.

There are 27 scheduled viewing times each week for the “On Location” program: 8:00-8:30 am (Sun-Sat); 11:00-11:30 am (Sun-Sat); 3:00-3:30 pm (Mon,Tue,Fri);8:00-8:30 pm (Sun-Tue,Fri,Sat); and 11:00-11:30pm (Sun-Tue,Fri,Sat).

WCOT’s complete schedule can be seen at http://www.talgov.com/communications/wcot.cfm