NEWSLETTER
|
| February 2016 |
| Check out our Kayaking Resources tab: One stop for all the information you need to go paddling! |
From the Prez
|
| By Sybille Fleischmann |
WKC grieves for WKC founder Wolf Bauer
Wolf Bauer, an accomplished mountaineer and environmentalist, died January 23, 2016, one month short of his 104th birthday. With his energy, drive and passion for the kayaking sport, Wolf has had a huge influence on kayaking in the Pacific Northwest. In 1948, Wolf founded the Washington Foldboat Club, which was renamed the Washington Kayak Club in the 1960s.Thanks to Wolf, many Washingtonians discovered the joy of kayaking and started exploring our beautiful waterways. He inspired comradery, and a sense of responsibility for the amazing nature that surrounds us. Learn more about Wolf in the AW obituary by Thomas O'Keefe.
Our thoughts are with Wolf's family and friends.
Sybille
|
Photo courtesy of Wolf Bauer
|
Featured Trip
|
Chuckanut Bay Birding: February 21
|
|
Photo credit to Gary Luhm
|
| Birding paddle on Chuckanut Bay. Meet at 10am at Wildcat Cove, Larabee State Park. 6-8 miles. See Harlequin duck, goldeneye, grebes, loons. Wetsuit/drysurit required. SKII+. Bring binoculars and bird book. Discovery Pass required, plus launch fee. |
When:February 21
Where: Wildcat Cove, Larabee State Park
Trip Leader: Gary Luhm
|
Training
|
First Aid and CPR Training for Kayakers: February 13
|
|
Bill Corson of the Outdoor Adventure Center and WKC member will lead an all-day training class teaching the skills necessary for administering first aid and CPR in a kayaking environment.
Cost is $35 for WKC member; $65 for non-member
When:February 13
Where: Training Facility, Index, WA
|
Beginner Whitewater Kayaking Course: March 5 - 26
|
|
If you have been wanting to learn how to Whitewater Kayak, this course is for you!
The course is designed for the person with no prior boating experience. You will learn basic paddle and bracing strokes, how to roll a kayak, river hydrology, and safety, all in a relaxed and friendly environment from certified kayak instructors.
We teach this course only annually in March, before the spring rains and the snow melts.The class combines 7 sessions of classroom, pool, and lake/river instruction.
This course always fills up - Registration begins January 1st.
|
WKC Basic Class 2016: June 3 - 6
|
|
This course will provide beginners with a safe and fun introduction to the sport of sea kayaking.
When:June 3 - 6
Where:Coronet Bay Environmental Learning Center Deception Pass State Park
You will develop, refresh, and improve basic skills which are essential to paddling:
- Effective Paddling Skills
- Safety and Hazard Awareness
- Capsize Recovery Techniques
- Navigation, Tides and Currents
- Gear, Equipment and Clothing
|
Pool Sessions: Tukwila, Shoreline, and Tacoma
|
|
Continue to build your skills at weekly pool sessions offered in Tukwilla, Shoreline, and Tacoma.
Note:TheShoreline Poolwill be open this Wednesday Feb 10th for the last time this season and will reopen in October 2016. It is closed due to maintenance.
The Tukwila Poolwill be open every Sunday in February, March and April to continue to give you a pool to practice in.
We are looking for volunteers to help out with this additional opening at Tukwila. If you are willing to volunteer please contact Steve Exe at steven.j.exe@comcast.net to let him know you are willing to help out.
The fee for weekly pool sessions is$10 for WKC members and $15 for non-members.
Check the Event Calendar for upcoming dates:
If you have any questions about pool sessions:
|
News and Events
|
|
|
WKC General Meeting: Bill and Dave's Paddling Adventures in Alaska
|
Attend a WKC General Meeting. Learn more about the club. Meet fellow paddlers. And enjoy an evening with Dave Ortland and Bill Porter as they present stories and images from their recent kayaking adventures in Alaska.
Event is open to all
When:Tuesday, February 16
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Mercer Island Library
4400 88th Ave SE
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Event Details and Registration
|
 |
Kayaking Presentations with The Mountaineers: February 11 and 28
|
|
Events are open to all
Sea Kayak Expeditions 101: Feb 11
Does a remote, multi-day sea kayak trip seem unattainable? Do you wonder if you have the skills needed to plan and carryout an expedition? Seattle Mountaineers Sea Kayaker Tom Unger shares slides of awesome places while revealing the secrets of how to plan and put your dreams into action.
The Magic of the Inside Passage: Feb 28
With the aid of incredible visuals and her personal, compelling narration; local paddler Susan Conrad shares her inspiring 1100 mile solo sea kayaking journey through the Inside Passage of British Columbia and Alaska.
Where:Seattle Mountaineers Program Center
7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA
|
 |
Enter Lottery for 2016 Self-Guided River Trips in the Grand Canyon
|
|
Enter to enjoy225 miles of fantastic scenery, breath-taking hikes, and fun whitewater in the Grand Canyon.Each year a main lottery is held to assign launch dates.Lottery applications are accepted online for thefirst three weeks of February.Lottery results are emailed to applicants as well as available online by the end of February.
|
 |
WKC San Juan Seven and Seven Rivers Challenges
|
|
San Juan Seven Challenge
We love circumnavigating islands and want to encourage more paddlers to join the fun, so we have launched the San Juan Seven Challenge.
The seven islands selected for the San Juan Seven challenge areSan Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Cypress, Guemes, Lummi and Stuart.
You can circumnavigate the islands in any order that you like and can take as much time as you need or want to circumnavigate each island. To qualify for badges you need to circumnavigate the island during a WKC trip that has been announced on the WKC website.
|
Seven Rivers Challenge
WKC members who participate in club trips to the seven designated rivers will receive collective paddle/boat stickers designed by a whitewater kayaker and artist Zeus Rudner.
Challenge yourself to get all seven stickers! When a member completes all seven rivers, he/she will receive a finisher’s sticker. To make it easy to keep track, participants must register for the club trip online.
The designated rivers and in Seven Rivers challenge are:Nisqually,Nooksack,Sauk, Sol Duc, Stillaguamish,Wenatchee andWhite Salmon
• The launch date of the program is April 1, 2016.
• No end date is set at this time.
• You can run any section of these rivers in any order.
• You must be a WKC member and register to the trip online.
(Check back in March for Seven Rivers Sticker)
|
2016 Sea Kayaking Events
|
 |
|
Don't miss out on these great opportunities to enjoy the water.Start planning your2016 sea kayakingadventures now!
|
| 2016 Event Links and Dates: |
|
| Paddle Golden Gate |
February 5 - 7 |
| 20th Annual Sweetwater Kayaks Symposium |
February 26 - 28 |
| Baja Kayak Fest |
April 15 - 18 |
| Anglesey Sea Kayak Symposium |
May 2 - 8 |
| SSTIKS (S.Sound Trad. Inuit Kayak Symposium) |
June 10 - 12 |
| Hobuck Hoedown |
October 1 - 2 |
| Gales Storm Gathering - Michigan |
October 6 - 9 |
| Lumpy Waters - Oregon |
October 7 - 9 |
20th Annual Sweetwater Kayaks Symposium: February 26 - 28
|
|
Escape winter in Washington and attend the 20th Annual Sweetwater Kayaks Symposium on Florida's warm, sunny, sandy Gulf Coast. From beginners to advanced paddlers, there will be something for everyone!
Personal skills courses, coaching courses, and assessments as well as evening presentations and lots of opportunity to mix it up with paddlers from all over the world.
|
 |
Looking to Buy/Sell Used Paddling Gear?
|
|
Maybe kayaking isn't your sport.Need to sell some gently used gear?Looking to purchase some paddling treasure?Check out theWKC Classifieds Forumto list your items or to purchase kayaking gear from fellow paddlers.Easy to follow instructions for posting items included below:
|
|
Paddlesports North America: BCU Assessment Calendar
|
 |
|
Thinking of earning a BCU paddling award this year?Paddlesports North America (PNA) was formed in 2013 to provide access to British Canoeing (formerly known as the British Canoe Union or BCU) paddler awards and coaching certifications in North America. PNA emphasizes paddler proficiency and safety as well as environmental awareness while promoting broader participation in paddlesports, including canoe, kayak and stand up paddleboard.
|
Safety Corner
|
| Steve Exe and Mike Grijalva are the Safety Co-chairs for the WKC. Contact them if you have safety concerns for our rivers. Please read and use theRiver Hazards Forumon WKC Forums page. |
Who Ya Gonna Call?
|
|
By Mike Grijalva
If you have an emergency situation on a King Co. River, you are the first to be able to do something about it and get a person out of danger. After that, your backup is the King Co. Marine/River Rescue Unit, dial 911, and be connected. Be prepared with accurate site location description and details of the situation. Be aware that it is likely to take at least an hour before they can respond and get to your site.
|
|
Recent Trip Reports
|
Check out theTrip Reportstab to see more WKC kayaking adventures.
|
Team Petty Adventure - New Year's OP
|
|
By Renee Paradis
I had the best time bringing in the New Year in 2016 – I joined Bill Petty, Kanako, and crew for a class II/II+ adventure weekend on the north Olympic Peninsula.A perfect level of difficulty for me, since I haven’t really kayaked in over two years.
|
Team Petty Adventure – Lower Matheny (Nov 29)
|
|
By Kanako Iwata-Eng
Captain Bill Petty led the team to the Southern Olympic Peninsula on his annual Thanksgiving weekend paddle. After running the Humptulips Narrows on Friday and the Middle Matheny Creek on Saturday, we ran the Lower Matheny Creek on Sunday, November 29, 2015.
|
Matheny Creek Weekend (Nov 21 - 22)
|
|
By Shanna Gachen
Whitewater Kayaking in the Olympic Peninsual at it's best! Matheny Creek bound for some adventurous kayakers ready to experience some amazing scenery and fun whitewater.
|
Team Petty Adventure: Oregon (Oct 29 - Nov 2)
|
 |
By Kanako Iwata-Eng
Water-deprived in this area, Captain Bill Petty took the Team (Doug, Larry, Andy, and me) to Oregon in search of runnable rivers. Ironically, while we were away from October 29 to November 2, Western Washington had a huge amount of rain, and all rivers flooded. We, on the other hand, had mostly good weather, except raining when sleeping or driving.
|
SF Calawah Adventure (Nov 8)
|
|
By Kanako Iwata-Eng
On Sunday, November 8, Fearless Leader Jon Almquist took four courageous kayakers to the South Fork of the Calawah. As the trip description claimed this run as “rarely-seen class III+ gem in Olympic National Park"...
|
First Ever River Run: South Fork of the Snoqualmie (Nov 7)
|
|
By Matt Haverly
I have always wanted to kayak all my life, but never knew people who did it and never had
access to the gear or instruction. I have always loved water sports and adventure sports of
many kinds...
|
Wynoochee Humptulips Weekend (Oct 10 - 11)
|
|
By Jon Almquist
On Oct 10-11, a lucky number of us (13) enjoyed a fantastic weekend of paddling and camping on the southern Olympic Peninsula. With the Wynoochee gorge take-out access road gated by Green Diamond Resource Co., we were a little worried that our normal early-fall / low water favorite – the Wynoochee Gorge – wasn’t an option with the dry conditions we were experiencing.
|
|
|
|
Click hereto subscribe to our email newsletter!
|
Copyright 2014 Washington Kayak Club
President: Sybille Fleischmannpresident@washingtonkayakclub.org
Secretary: Bill Porter
Treasurer: Jackie Brown
Editor: Brenna McVetynewsletter@washingtonkayakclub.org
|