Florida Trail Association
Choctawhatchee and Western Gate Chapters
Activities March  2007
Activity Participants Please note: contact the activity leader well in advance for more information and/or to reserve your place (Space is limited.) Unless instructed otherwise by the activity leader, each participant should bring: day pack, plenty of water (recommended minimum, 2 quarts), sun protection (hat, glasses, screen), insect repellent, lunch and or snacks, adequate clothing for the forecast, and comfortable, sturdy close toed shoes with socks. Long pants, work gloves, and extra water are recommended for work hikes. Activity leaders may deny participation to anyone who is inadequately prepared.
The Western Gate Chapter (western area) and Choctawhatchee Chapter (eastern area) span a longitude difference greater than 80 miles.  To help members determine which of the two geographic areas are involved in an activity or which of the two chapters is closer to, activities will be designated as: {WG, CC, Both}.  It goes without saying that members from any chapter are most welcome in any activity.  The descriptor Both implies that an activity is of such importance or has such widespread appeal that members from either chapter should consider the event directed specifically toward them.  Never, never should a member from either chapter refrain from attending an event because it is designated as the other chapter.  All activities are open to the public unless noted otherwise.
A Note About Work Hikes     
Date Activity Rating Leader
Description
Friday
March 2
 Dinner Hike
 Leisure
 Peggy Grantham
850-995-4267
 (WG)   Meet at the Milton Baptist Church parking lot on the corner of Highway
90 and Martin Luther King Blvd in Milton, just 1/2 block west of the Main
Street Cafe at 6 PM for a walk though Milton before dinning at the Main Street
Cafe about 7 PM.  Call leader to let her know that you are coming, 995-4267
 or 723-7924.
Saturday
March 3
 Trail Work
 Leisure/
Moderate
 Steve Kuhar
850-994-5944
 (Both) Trail work in the Blackwater River State Forest.
Saturday
March 3
 Yellow River
Hike
 Moderate
 Paul Mayo
850-682-6098

 (Both) This is a first-of-a-kind event.  Be among those hiking on this first
scheduled public event on a piece of the new Yellow River Section.
Trailblazer  types won't  want to miss this!  The section belongs to the
FNST and lies partly on Eglin AFB.  The full section is incomplete, but we will
be able to hike about 8 miles of it. See Details
Saturday
March 3
 Forestry Conclave
&
Lumberjack Festival
 Leisure
 --
 (Both)  Pensacola Junior College, Milton Campus. 19th Annual Forestry
onclave and Lumberjack Festival.  This is not an FTA sponsored event.  Free
 breakfast! Free admission.   Door prizes all day.  Plus:  Cheryl Gardner will
have a display table advertising the FTA and our chapters at this event.  Please
 support Cheryl in this effort to recruit new members by attending if you
are not working with Steve or hiking with Paul.    See Details
Saturday
March 3
 Full Lunar Eclipse
Program
 Leisure
 --
 (Both)  A full lunar eclipse is to occur late in the afternoon today.  A program sponsored  by the National Park Service at Ft. Pickens begins at 5:30 PM at
the Ft. Pickens gate.  There will be a short walk to the beach and then a period
where viewers can lie down on the sand and observe the eclipse in an
environment with little ambient light from nearby civilization.  Bring binoculars, telescopes and a flashlight.  This is not an FTA sponsored event.   See Details
Saturday
March 10
 Trail Maint
 Moderate
 Tom Daniel
850-341-1389
 (Both) Eglin trail maintenance work day.  Contact leader for details.
Thursday
March 15
 Western Gate
Chapter Meeting
 Leisure
 George Brinkman
850-932-0125 		(WG) ** PROGRAM** The program for the meeting will be a
presentation by Mr. Bill Tate.  Mr. Tate is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife  Representative at Eglin AFB.  He is a fish biologist and will discuss
ways to enjoy hiking a trail and observing aquatic wildlife. 
The meeting will be held at the First Christian Church of Pensacola. 
Social: 6:30 PM, Meeting: 7 PM.  See link below for a map and directions on
how to get there.
Fri-Sat-Sun
Mar 16-18
 Annual FTA
State
Conference
 Leisure
(Both)  Annual  FTA State Conference.
  See Details & Registration Link
Saturday
March 24
 Hike
 Moderate
 Peggy Grantham
850-995-4267 		(Both) Karick Lake to the waterfalls and back.  We'll meet at 9 AM at Karick
Lake South side where the trail meets the road.  We will hike leisurely to the  Waterfall, about 3.5 miles, stop there for a rest and snack, (bring your own),
and then back.  Those that would like to, can join me for a late lunch at Gators
in Baker or at least for a malt!  Please call or e-mail me if you are coming. 
(Pgrant9328@aol.com).
Tuesday
March 27
 Choctawhatchee Chapter Meeting
 Leisure
 Wallis Mayo
850-682-6098		 (CC) Social: 6 PM, Meeting 6:30 PM.  See link below for a map and
directions on how to get there.
Fri-Fri-Sat
Mar 30 - Apr 7
 Panhandle
Trace
Hike
 Leisure/
Moderate
 Peggy Grantham
850-995-4267		 (Both) Fourth Annual Panhandle Trace Hike.  This is a series of 9 day
hikes covering a distance of approximately 100 miles.  On the last day of the
hike we will hike to Fort Pickens. On arriving there, we will be transported
back by boat to Peg Leg Pete's (restaurant) where we will celebrate our  achievement.  See Details
Saturday
March 31
 Trail Maint Moderate
 Bob Deckert
850-862-1903
 (CC) Nokuse Section trail maintenance work day.  Contact leader for details.
The work effort for today has been rescheduled for April 7th.  Today is not a
work day.  Please review all the details for the revised trail maintenance on the
April 7th Activity Page.
Saturday
March 31		 Gulf BreezeExpo
 Leisure
 Cheryl Gardner
850-484-9111		 (Both)  Gulf Breeze Expo.  Cheryl is staffing a table again this year at the
Gulf  Breeze  Expo from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Although Cheryl will be there,
representing our chapters, this is not an FTA event.  She will be providing FTA
coloring books and  crayons for the children's activity part.  Please come out
and support Cheryl in her drive to recruit more members and expose our
chapters and the FTA to event visitors.  See Details
Need directions to attend a meeting?
Western Gate Chapter (Pensacola, FL)
Choctawhatchee Chapter  (Niceville, FL)		 Interested in membership? Follow the membership link to the State Web Page and use your browser back button to return to the Western Gate page.