Wilderness Trekker Current Calendar of Events |
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 Click Here to get a Printable version of the Calendar. Why does the print version not match the on-line version? |
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NOTE: guests, first time participants and regular members |
The Wilderness Trekker organization reminds all individuals participating in an outing to have the full understanding of the details spelled out in both the "Membership Guidelines" found on the "Join Us" page as well as utilizing the appropriate "Gear List" pages of this site. Moreover, ensure your equipment is in full and safe working condition prior to the morning of the event. Both pages cover your responsibilities as a prepared participant. |
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Calendar Corrections Since Jan 18th Publish date |
February 7th Kayak Skills Canceled. March 12th North Marion Bike Ride moved out one week. |
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02/03/10 Wednesday Time: 8 AM Hiking Leisure Mystery Hike South Orlando |
Mystery Hike - in South Orlando. Short hike, 2-3 miles. If interested, after the hike join Erica to attend some of a public meeting held by FL Fish & Wildlife about issues of concern to non-motorized boaters. The meeting will be held at Bass Pro Shop on Int’l Dr, Orlando from 10 am to 3:30 pm. Contact Erica for hike information/details.
Host – Erica Johnson, paddlepuff@earthlink.net |
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02/06/10 - 02/07/10 Saturday - Sunday Time: call host Backpacking Leisure Wekiva Springs State Park |
Backpacking Wekiva Springs State Park -
We will go backpacking at Wekiva Springs State
Park.
Additional Park Information: Wekiva Springs State Park 1800 Wekiwa Circle Apopka, Florida 32712 Host – Nancy Doucette, kayakldy@yahoo.com |
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CANCELED
2/7/10 Sunday Time: 9:00 Kayak Skills Session Mosquito Lagoon Edgewater FL |
Kayak Skill Session- For All Skill Levels - Learn about kayak navigation, chart reading and find your way to new places.
To get the most from this session, we suggest you bring the following:
Top Spot Chart of Mosquito Lagoon Area ( Map no. N219) [available at West Marine or online]
Compass. If you use a GPS when you kayak, bring it.
This will be an all day session about 1/3 classroom and the rest on the water with Ken Knapton, Michael Shugg and Mariam Mohsenin. For members only. RSVP is required. We will paddle Mosquito Lagoon to find island campsites in the Canaveral National Seashore. PFD and whistle are required on all sessions. Give yourself ample time to arrive, unload your boat, and get ready. Out of courtesy to the participants, please be ready at 9:00 am. Focus all reservations to Mariam Mohsenin at (407)325-7596, mohseninma@gmail.com. |
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2/12/10 – 2/15/10 Friday – Monday Time: contact host Paddling w/camping Easy-to-Moderate Potts Preserve Inverness FL |
Potts Preserve/Seven Springs Run - This is a three day primitive car camping trip to Potts Preserve, which is a Southwest Florida Water Management property on the Withlacoochee River, northeast of Inverness, Florida, with only a port-a-potty for facilities. Saturday AM, we'll day-paddle Gum Slough/Seven Springs Run, which I think is one of the prettiest paddles in Florida. It's a live, development-free, little-traveled swamp river/spring run, often with lots of wildlife. Sunday, we'll drive over to the Rainbow River, and paddle upstream from the put-in at the county park on river left. Saturday evening, it's Happy Hour, hors d'ouerves, and dinner at the campsite, followed, of course, by a campfire. Dinner in Inverness on Sunday evening is optional. Monday AM is unstructured, and after lunch, I'm going home! You will probably need detailed directions to find it, even if you've been there before, so don't leave home without them! (Easy car camping, Moderate Saturday paddle).
Gum Slough/Seven Springs Run is a 6-7 hour up and back day trip. Host: Jim Ostrander, j14152@gmail.com , or 561-627-1943. Easy car camping, no facilities. |
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02/19/10 - 02/21/10 Friday - Sunday Paddling Moderate O'Leno State Park High Springs |
Santa Fe & Ichetucknee Rivers, and O’Leno State Park - (Rescheduled from 1/8-1/10 due to Arctic weather.) Spend the day or the weekend paddling spring-fed rivers near High Springs. Bring your woolies, as it could be cold. Friday afternoon TBA (short paddle or a hike). Paddle Saturday on the Santa Fe where we’ll see some pretty springs and probably scrape our boats a little on some easy shoals. On Sunday we paddle upstream 3 1/2 miles against a good current on the clear waters of the Ichetucknee and then back down.
Camping at O'Leno State Park (see map), Erica will be in Magnolia Loop. There are several miles of hiking trails at O’Leno and the Santa Fe River “sinks” into the ground here, to come up again a few miles away. Outside the park there’s also a paved bike trail that follows the road. Make your camping reservations soon via Reserve America as these sites will evaporate quickly if you wait until February. In addition, during this time at O'Leno State Park this is Family fun for all ages! Dance contra, circles and squares to live music hosted by the Flying Turtles String Band.These are the dances that were the rage in the mid 1800's when the town of Leno thrived! First time dancers are welcome, a caller will walk you through each of the dances. The dance will be held in the 1930's Recreation Hall located on the banks of the Santa Fe River in O'Leno State Park. Fees: Regular park admission plus $5.00 per adult, $3.00 per student and children under 18 years of age. Contact: For more ranger information, call 386-454-1853. Members and invited guests only - please contact Erica, paddlepuff@earthlink.net or 407-327-4044. |
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2/26/10 - 1/28/10 Friday - Sunday Time: Call Host Paddling Moderate Little Munyon Is West Palm Beach |
Little Munyon Island Pig Roast 2 in 1 Trip - Little Munyon Island is a small Intracoastal spoil island surrounded by sand beaches, in the north end of Lake Worth, a few miles north of the Palm Beach Inlet. The moon will be full this weekend, and high tide is at 8:30 PM on Saturday night. - - - - - For campers, it's a primitive camping trip on the beach, from Friday PM through Sunday. For those who don't camp, the trip will be a short evening paddle to Little Munyon Island on Saturday, February 27, for happy hour, snacks, and dinner. It's really two trips in one, so take your pick!
I will roast a pig for Saturday's dinner, contingent upon a decent weather forecast and enough RSVP's to justify the cost and time involved with the cooking operation. - - - - - It takes several days to set this up, so please, make this easy for me, and RSVP ASAP. Cutoff deadline is noon on Tuesday, February 23. I will make the final decision about what the plans will be at that time. Then, I'll send out an e-mail with the detailed information you will need to participate. - - - - - If camping participation is decent but overall participation is low, we'll camp for the weekend, but maybe I'll cook ribs or steaks for Saturday evening's dinner instead. If campers are few, the camping and pig roast will likely be canceled, and the trip will then revert to the Munyon Island day paddle, followed by happy hour and snacks, dinner, and a campfire. - - - - - These plans are variable, so it's up to YOU what we will do! Jim Ostrander, j14152@gmail.com , 561-627-1943 |
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2/27/10 Saturday Time: 9:30 Biking Easy to Moderate Santos Trail Ocala, FL |
Off road biking at Santos - Come ride through the infamous Cross Florida Greenway Santos Trail System. The Marjorie Harris Car Cross Florida Greenway contains more than 115 miles of trails for all levels of mountain bike riders. The Cross Florida Greenway is a unique conservation and recreation project where a large variety of habitats and ecosystems thrive. It encompasses four counties (Citrus, Levy, Marion and Putnam) stretching the entire width of Florida from the Gulf coast to the St. John’s River.
We’ll be starting at the Santos Trailhead http://omba.org/index.php/Trailhead-Locations.html with the Land Bridge as our goal. We’ll be starting out on the yellow trail (being the easiest) and make a few stops along the way to catch our breath and take in the unique, ever changing scenery. There is a full facility trailhead near the Land Bridge where we’ll take a break to eat, refill water bottles and rest a little before heading back. This is an ALL DAY ride. Bring plenty of hydration, lunch/snack and a spare tube for your bike. Helmets are a must.
For those who might be interested there is a decent campground there. Check out the OMBA website for more info: http://omba.org/
Contact Carol: horsfeathers.noll@gmail.com (352-817-5257). |
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2/27/10 – 2/28/10 Saturday – Sunday Time: contact host Paddling w/camping Moderate Peace River Fort Meade to Zolfo Springs, FL |
Peace River Spring Cruise - Fort Meade to Zolfo Springs. The foliage should be in its spring glory and the critters thinking about breeding season. That means a good bit of gator activity. This is the prettiest part of the Peace, one too far north for the outfitters, so it's less traveled. It's narrower and has more twists and turns than the sections lower down, as well as a "waterfall," and a few mini-rapids. It also has a few rocky areas, so if the water is a bit low, you might get your bottom scratched! Our car-camping site on Friday night is very pretty and quiet, as is our wilderness site the next night. Sign up early, as space will be limited. Event Host: Linda Leeds, (561) 683-2851, lindamarie7@juno.com. |
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03/06/10 Saturday Time: 8:30 Hiking Leisure Wekiva Springs S.P. Apopka |
Hike Wekiwa Springs State Park - We'll plan to meet at 8:30 am at the Sand Lake parking lot. There are a number of trails from there. Afterwards, you might enjoy the "Wekiva Paint Out" and the 5th Annual Riverfest taking place that day in the park. The Paint Out is an event that involves artists painting throughout the park all week. Their paintings are then displayed and sold at Wekiva Island or what many of us know as the Wekiva Marina. Bring water and a snack. No reservations required. Questions: contact Host Erica Johnson at paddlepuff@earthlink.net or 407 327 4044, or Co-Host Sue Boardman at board457@gmail.com or 407 339 2426 |
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03/06/10 – 03/07/10 Saturday & Sunday Time: 9:00AM Paddling w/camping Moderate Santa Fe River High Springs, FL |
Santa Fe River/Camp/Paddle -
Come join fellow Trekkers on a 2 day paddle down the Santa Fe River near High Springs, Fl., Gazetteer page 65 or See Map. We will meet at the Santa Fe River Outpost (386) 454-2050 at 9AM sharp. This will be a 20-mile paddle in 2 days, starting at the Outfitter's launch at US 441 just South of the Santa Fe Bridge. We will paddle upstream for 2 to 3 miles seeing part of the river most people miss. After reversing our course back past the Outfitters, we will stop for the night at Lilly Springs to camp. Nature Ed has an agreement with Santa Fe Outfitters for groups to camp overnight. The cost for the Outfitter will be $25.00/boat (insurance has gone up), and $9.00 per person at Lilly Springs. Nature Ed will provide firewood for the campfire. The group will continue down the river on Sunday morning and take out at the Hwy 47 Bridge. This has been an exciting river paddle and camp in the past. As always stated, this is primitive camping (though Lilly Springs has an outhouse). You will need to provide camping gear, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, and a breakfast. It is exciting to find out that the wonderful "Great Outdoors Rest. & Lounge" is back open at the Opera House in High Spring. I will make reservation for Sunday afternoon when we get back. The food was always great. The Outfitter can provide transportation of some camping equipment to Lilly Springs. Reservations are required. Limited to 16 members and their guest. Event Host: Lee & Anita Simmons leedeland@yahoo.com (preferred) or 386-846-8396. |
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Date Change 3/19/10 - 3/20/10 Friday - Sunday Time: see details Third Annual North Marion Bike Ride Paynes Prairie Micanopy FL |
Third Annual North Marion and Hawthorne Trail Bike Ride - This year take time off of work to come early Friday as we are planning a dinner at the "Yearling Restaurant" in Cross Creek about 15 minutes from Paynes Prairie. This is one voted one of Florida's best and Friday night they have a live band (reservations might be required).
Saturday - this year I staked out a new route. We will leave from McIntosh city park and traverse a 34 mile loop west and south of our prior route. A pot luck in the evening as usual. Sunday - we will do the Hawthorne trail again, this year starting from the Gainesville end taking in the hills near the sink, Boulware Springs, and the Chula spur. For every detail about this ride along with pictures and maps, go to the North Marion Bike Ride web site. Hosted by: Clark Getz cagola1@aol.com |
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3/14/10 Sunday Time: 9:00 Kayak Skills Session Lake Mills Park Chuluota |
Kayak Skill Session- For All Skill Levels - Learn about safety gear to carry with you. Learn basic paddle strokes or improve your skills, learn how to be an effective paddler, paddle with finesse. Guaranteed that you will learn a new skill or improve on existing skills. And of course, we will play and have fun too. The session is about three to four - hour long with Ken Knapton, Michael Shugg and Mariam Mohsenin. RSVP is required.
For members only. The session will be at Lake Mills Park located in west Seminole County, See Map. If for some reason, Lake Mills is not open/feasible, the alternate venue will be announced to responders. PFD and whistle are required on all sessions. Give yourself ample time to arrive, unload your boat, and get ready. Out of courtesy to the participants, please be ready to paddle at 9:00 am. Focus all reservations to Mariam Mohsenin at (407)325-7596, mohseninma@gmail.com. |
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3/27/10 – 3/28/10 Saturday – Sunday Time: contact host Paddling w/camping Moderate Cedar Key, FL |
Cedar Key paddle and camping - Cedar Key is located on the Nature Coast, 3 miles out on the Gulf of Mexico, and 50 miles SW of Gainesville. It consists of 5 large islands and many, many smaller ones making up Cedar Key Wildlife Refuge. This city of islands is rustic and abundant with wildlife. You'll even see dolphins. Camping will be at Shell Mound, - part of the Lower Suwannee NWR. $10.00 a site, first come first served. They do not take reservations (352-221-4466). Back-up camping is also conveniently located at Sunset Isle RV Park & Motel located right on Route 24 http://www.cedarkeyrv.com/. They may take reservations (800-810-1103), but the last time I was there they said they never turn anyone away. I’ll be getting there Fri. night but we'll meet Sat. morning at the Shell Mound boat ramp to start our paddle north to Deer Island and beyond. Pot luck dinner and a campfire Sat. night. Sunday morning get an early start – put in at Cedar Key Beach and paddle across to Atsena Otie, then maybe Snake Key.
PFD and whistle a required. Spray skirts are "recommended" as it can get choppy at times in the more open waters. Contact Carol Noll: e-mail - horsfeathers.noll@gmail.com or call - 352-817-5257. |
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3/27/10 – 4/4/10 Entire Week Saturday – Sunday Time: contact host Paddling w/camping Moderate-to-Strenous Undecided |
Spring Break Week long kayak and camping - It will be river
camping on either the Satilla which is just over the border into GA or the
Blackwater River and Cold Water Creek in the Florida Panhandle. My first choice
is the Satilla. It was so beautiful the last time that we did it with wild
azaleas all over the place and white sand beaches for camping. The water level
is the determining factor.
Host: Nancy Doucette (561)968-1789 kayakldy@yahoo.com |
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03/28/10 Sunday Time: 10:00AM Paddling Leisure Canaveral Natl Seashore |
Canaveral National Seashore - Paddle 2 miles to Goodrich restaurant for a delicious brunch. Launch from River Breeze Park in Oak Hill. We'll paddle back to the put-in for those who need to move on and the rest of us will paddle around the islands to get familiar with the campsite locations. This trip is ideal for those who are planning to go camping in the future with all the gear in the kayak. Depending on the weather, we could experience open water conditions. RSVP so host can contact you if the trip is cancellled.
Host Ken Knapton and co-host Don Cihak. Focus all RSVPs to Don Cihak at cihakd@earthlink.net or (407) 902-1509. PFD and whistle are required on all paddles, must wear PFD. |
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04/02/10 – 04/04/10 Friday – Sunday Time: contact host Hike, Camp, Paddle Easy Princess Place Preserve Flagler County |
Princess Place Preserve - Come for a day or the whole Easter weekend to join Erica for a laid back trip at peaceful Princess Place Preserve, north of Palm Coast. Erica has reserved a few nice large campsites to share there for Easter weekend. These waterfront drive-in sites are by the Matanzas River. No campers or pop-ups, no electric. (Day visitors limited only by logistics). Restrooms/showers available.
Princess Place is a beautiful old estate, now a preserve, with lots to explore. Options of hiking, paddling, biking (most on paved or dirt roads), historic house tour, and relaxing. No night arrivals - gate locks at 6 PM, no driving in the preserve after 6 pm. For those who are interested, an early morning Easter service is held at the preserve. Limited trip. Camping preference given to those who can stay both nights due to limited spots. (We can only have total of 6 cars for camping, so travel with a buddy.) Please RSVP by March 19 to reserve your camping spot and for details. If you wish to join us for the day only, ok. Contact Erica at paddlepuff@earthlink.net or 407-327-4044. |
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10/21/10 – 10/24/10 Thursday – Sunday Paddle Various 2010 Florida Paddlers’ Rendezvous Silver River State Park Ocala, FL |
2010 Florida Paddlers' Rendezvous - Mark your Calendars now --
For the 2010 Florida Paddlers' Rendezvous, October 21-24. |
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11/24/10 – 11/28/10 Thursday – Sunday Hike, Camp, Paddle Easy to Moderate Thanksgiving Weekend Jonathan Dickinson State Park Hobe Sound FL |
Thanksgiving Weekend at Jonathan Dickinson State Park -
Near Jupiter between Stuart to the north and West Palm Beach to the south. Information and directions at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. DeLorme map page 103, 2-D.
Car camping and cabins available: Our “headquarters” will be at site # 94 at River Campground. #91-98 and 100-116 have some type of vegetation around them. 102 &104 border the RV dump station and 101 & 103 border the bathrooms. Other sites, 117-135, have had the trees cut down. (The Pine Grove campground is closed until sometime in January) So, if you want a good site, or any site at all, book now.. If you have to cancel, the fee is only $10. Reserve America or 1-800-326-3521. There are cabins for $100 a day. Call 561-746-1466, but they can only be reserved 30 days in advance. Come for all or part of the weekend. There’s no end to the activities available in the area: Paddling the Loxahatchee River, Riverbend Park, the South Fork of the St. Lucie, and St. Lucie Inlet State Park. (Some rentals available.) The Loxahatchee is a federally designated Wild and Scenic River. Bicycling both on and off road in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter Island, Riverbend Park. Walking on several trails in JDSP, Riverbend. (Some rentals available.) Other area attractions: Jupiter Lighthouse, Blowing Rocks Preserve, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, Hobe Sound Wildlife Refuge, the pontoon boat on the Loxahatchee to visit Trapper Nelson’s homestead. And, of course, Thanksgiving dinner!!! In addition to eating (always the most important thing) we’ll make plans for various activities, with sign-up sheets to see who’s interested in doing what. We’ll coordinate who’s bringing what for our turkey dinner (4 pm Thursday) and some other meals when we get closer to the date. This is a joint activity with Palm Beach Pack & Paddle Club; www.PalmBeachPackandPaddleClub.org Hosted by: Linda Leeds, lindamarie7@juno.com or 561-683-2851. |
Event Hosts |
Please validate your event write-up to ensure each piece of information is accurate. If at any time prior to your event you would like to change your event write-up or add to it, please send your script directly to Clark Getz, the Web Manager. However, if you change your date, you must first email the Activities Coordinator and then the change will be forwarded to me. |
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Why is the printed version out of date as compared to the on-line version? We publish our calendar on a bi-monthly basis, typically about the 18th of the month prior to the two months that the calendar starts. We publish a Dec-Jan, Feb-Mar, Apr-May, Jun-Jul, Aug-Sep, Oct-Nov calendar. However, we often get impromptu trips and changes to trips that are published at any time on the web page only. The operations to create a printable PDF are are too time consuming to try to maintain duplicity. Therefore, the printed version is created prior to the bi-monthly publication and remain "as is" until the next bi-monthly calendar. Eventhough you have a printed hard copy in your hand, if you are about to attend an event, it is always wise to check the on-line calendar first. |
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