By the time you read this, Summer will have ended and the mornings and nightswill be calling us back to the trails we love. We in the South, especially theDeep South, have a love-hate relationship with the heat and humidity of Summer; few of us love it and most of us love to hate it!  

You could win a Bass Pro Shop Ascend a10 Kayak with paddles! Simply purchase a ticket during the Gulf Coast Chapter's Kayak Raffle. All proceeds will help the chapter purchase trail building and maintenance equipment for use on the Alabama Trail. Tickets are only $5 each or 5 for $20. You can purchase your tickets at one of the following events: the Alabama Trails Conference (04/01-03, Fairhope Civic Center), Earth Day Mobile Bay  (4/23, Fairhope Pier), or Woods n Water (5 Rivers Delta Resource Center), or from any Gulf Coast Chapter member.

There will not be a regular monthly meeting of the Gulf Coast Chapter in December. Instead, join us for our annual Christmas Party Saturday, Dec 11th from 6 to 8pm at the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center in Spanish Fort. This will be a pot luck supper so be sure to bring a dish and your favorite NON-ALCHOHOLIC beverage. This will be a chance to meet old friends and make new, plus we have a presentation on the Chapter and will let you know where we're heading in 2011. You MUST RSVP if you plan to attend. Contact Joe Cuhaj at 251-533-1812 or jcuhaj@gmail.com

We had a really great time in the Conecuh national forest last weekend. For those of you who couldn't be there you missed a good hike. Joe and I were joined by Butch, Butch's grandson Peyton, super tough Beth, John, Robert and our President Erik.