Walking on Sunshine - A Thru Hike of the Florida Trail

Name: Walking on Sunshine - A Thru Hike of the Florida Trail
Start: 2025-02-05T17:30:00-06:00
End: 2025-02-05T18:30:00-06:00
Location: Pensacola Library, 239 N Spring St, Pensacola, FL 32502

Schedule

Wed Feb 05 2025 at 05:30 pm to 06:30 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

Pensacola Library, 239 N Spring St, Pensacola, FL 32502 | Pensacola, FL

Presented By: The Western Gate Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. This program is free and open to the public. Bring a friend.
Program: Walking on Sunshine. A Thru Hike of the 1,100 Mile Florida Trail
Presenter: Andy "Captain Blue" Niekamp
Description: The southernmost of the National Scenic Trails in America, the Florida Trail is unlike any other. Where else can you see an alligator, bear, and panther all in one day? Take an 1,100 mile journey from the Everglades to Pensacola through the interior of Florida. The Florida Trail ranges from remote and wild knee-deep swamps to bike paths through busy suburban Orlando to the white, sandy beaches of the Panhandle. See parts of Florida that most people never get to see. Learn how Andy endured sun, heat, rain, wind, cold, floods, hurricane damage, alligators and venomous snakes to complete this 2.5-month hike.
Bio: Andy "Captain Blue" Niekamp, a Western Gate chapter member and snowbird from Dayton, Ohio, has been a wilderness adventurer for more than 30 years. This IT professional, turned long-distance hiker has logged over 20,000 miles of backpacking from the East Coast to the West Coast and from Minnesota to Florida including five end-to-end hikes on the Appalachian Trail and 2,000 miles on the Florida Trail. Back home Captain Blue is the founder and organizer of Dayton Hikers, a Meetup group with 9,000+ members. He is the Chief Adventure Officer of Outdoor Adventure Connection, a backcountry guide service based. While snowbirding in Pensacola, Andy supports the FTA by leading hikes and volunteering for trail maintenance outings.

Required Disclaimer: This event is not sponsored or endorsed by the West Florida Public Libraries or Escambia County.