NEWSLETTER
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| November2016 |
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| Check out our Kayaking Resources tab: One stop for all the information you need to go paddling! |
From the Prez
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| By Mike Germani |
I am excited to take on the responsibility of WKC president, after a refreshingly pain-free election process. Thank you to Sybille Fleischmann, who generously devoted her time to leading the club for the past two years. I look forward to continuing the work! We are approaching the end of the year, and there is still much going on.
Join us this weekend, Nov 12-13, at the last event in the NW Whitewater Series: WKC Cedar River Races! As of this posting, river levels look good. Check flow before you go.
If you want more whitewater, you can earn one more 7 Rivers Challenge sticker and run the Stillaguamish on Saturday, Nov 12. Or circumnavigate Maury Island this weekend instead, if you prefer sea kayaking.
Team Petty presented their whitewater adventures at the WKC General Meeting last month. If you are ready to join the next trip, register for the Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Paddle on the Olympic Peninsula! Bring a turkey, and lots of firewood.
Get ready for the Deception Pass Dash! This year it will take place Dec 10 - 11 and Outdoor Adventures is looking for volunteers. Contact them for more details and to register.
And SAVE THE DATE - Jan 19. Susan Conrad with her traveling companion Ben Wells are coming to speak at a WKC event at Mercer Library. More details to come.
The pool sessions have started! It's time to work on that roll. Check the events calendar for dates and locations.
Thanks to all board members and chairs and other volunteers for your continued support.
Thank you to all our members who make this such a great community.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mike
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Featured Trip
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Thanksgiving Trip to the Olympic Peninsula III-IV: November 24 - 27
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Come join us for the Annual Thanksgiving weekend paddle!
On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), we will meet at Flaming Geyser at 10 am to paddle the Green River, probably the Lower Gorge. We will camp near Wynoochee.
On Friday, we will meet at the bridge over the Humptulips. If the water levels cooperate, we will boat the Narrows section of the Humptulips on Friday. After paddling, we will drive to the next destination depending on the water levels. The possible runs include Big Creek, Matheny Creek, Main Calawah and NF Calawah.
Wherever we paddle on Saturday, we will have a group dinner. Bill will cook the main dish. Bring side dish or dessert to share. It is cold and may be rainy in the Olympic Peninsula in the winter. Be sure to bring a bundle of firewood!
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When: November 24 - 27
Where: Flaming Geyser on the Green River then OP
If you want to join, register online and contact Bill in advance, as the cell phone reception is not reliable in the Peninsula.
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Training
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WKC Pool Sessions: Tukwila, Shoreline, and Tacoma
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Continue to build your skills at weekly pool sessions offered by WKC in Tukwila, Shoreline, and Tacoma.
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:
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News and Events
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WKC Cedar River Races: November 12 - 13
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This is the last event in the NW Whitewater Cup Series!
Location: where the Issaquah-Hobart road crosses the Cedar River at Landsburg, near Maple Valley, WA
Course: Class II+ Flow. Subject to Mother Nature’s whims. The race will be cancelled if the flow falls below 250 or goes much over 1200 cfs. See the gage for the Cedar River below the Diversion at Landsburg.
When: November 12 - 13
Where: Landsburg, WA - near Ravensdale, WA
At the permanent slalom gate site
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Hydro Plans for the Skykomish River - Make Your Voice Heard!
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The Snohomish PUD commissioners are currently "revisiting" the Sunset Falls project's value.
They are undecided.This means they need to hear from YOU!
Learn more about the timing, budget, and environmental impact Snohomish PUD's proposed Hydropower Project will have on the area upstream of Sunset Falls on the South Fork of the Skykomish River near Gold Bar and Index, WA.
Then make your voice heard...
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Deception Pass Dash: December 10 - 11
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Registration is open! The challenging 6 mile race course takes paddlers through the swirling waters of Deception Pass! This annual Northwest paddling tradition is open to paddlers ages 16+. The race will be held on the morning of Sunday, December 11th, 2016. Check-in will begin at 9am, and the race will start at 12 noon.
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Sea Kayaker Sandy Robson Completes 5 Year Journey!
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Inspired by Oskar Speck, who set out in a folding kayak on the Danube River in 1932 and landed in Australia 7 years and many thousands of kilometres later, Sandy Robson retraced his route 5 years ago and just completed what is one of the most amazing kayak journeys of all time!She spent the last 6 months paddling around Papua New Guinea, to Daru, and then from Saibai Island, crossed to Australia.
Congratulations Sandy!
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MaST Center Science on the Sound Speaker Series: 1st Saturday Each Month
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The MaST Center is located near the Redondo Beach Park in Des Moines, WA and offers a unique waterfront laboratory and classroom in the lower Puget Sound. It provides a venue to educate and engage the community in issues impacting the Puget Sound including coastal development, storm water runoff, marine pollution and salmon recovery.
Monthly presentations are free, open to the public, and are scheduled at 12PM noon on the first Saturday each month.
November 5:Sustainable Fisheries
December 3:The Whale Trail
January 7:Coral Reef Conservation
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Save the Date: Susan Conrad and Ben Wells Present to WKC - January 19
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Join Susan Conrad and her traveling troubadour, Ben Wells, as they tell tall tales and share pretty pictures from a compendium of paddling adventures up the Inside Passage. Highlights include tiptoeing amongst the swells of Dixon Entrance, sneaking around the infamous Cape Caution, and enjoying Alaska's finest brew pubs. Hear about their encounters with pea-soup fog, nautical ghost towns, minefields of boomers, stunning sandy beaches, wolves, bears, whales, spawning salmon, and amazing people.
Save the Date: January 19
Time: 7 - 9 p.m.
Location: Mercer Library
In the meantime, her book detailing the1,200 mile journey to Alaska through the Inside Passage is receiving wonderful reviews!If you haven't read it already, pick-up a copy here:
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WKC San Juan Seven Challenge
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| 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 are San 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.
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WKC Seven Rivers Challenge: New Stickers to be Distributed!
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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, and White Salmon
Upcoming WKC Trips:
Nov 12 - Middle Stillaguamish (III+)
Check Events Calendar for more dates
Contact new Whitewater Trip Chair
or 7RC Cheerleader
Please come to the Trip Planning Party on Saturday, Jan 28, 2017 (the details will be coming)
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Northwest Slalom Cup Race Dates
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The Northwest Slalom Cup continues in 2016. Highly valuable points are awarded at each race. The best 6 out of 8 race results are totaled for fabulous awards. Come out and compete or just learn some whitewater slalom moves and have some fun!
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Looking to Buy/Sell Used Paddling Gear?
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Maybe kayaking isn't your sport. Need to sell some gently used gear? Looking to purchase some paddling treasure? Check out the WKC Classifieds Forum to list your items or to purchase kayaking gear from fellow paddlers. Easy to follow instructions for posting items included below:
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Schedule forACA and PNA (formerly BCU) Paddler Certifications
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| Thinking of taking your paddling skills to the next level? Become ACA or PNA (formerly BCU) certified this season. Special awards signify specific paddling, safety and leadership skills at different levels and in various craft. These awards provide a way to track your own progress as a paddler, and give others a reliable indication of your preparedness for trips and further trainings. Improve your skills or become a certified coach and lead others on the water: |
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ACA Certification
Founded in 1880, The American Canoe Association (ACA) is a national nonprofit organization serving the broader paddling public by providing education related to all aspects of paddling.River, coastal, and surf kayaking certifications offered.
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PNA Certification
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, including canoe, kayak and stand up paddleboard.
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Recent Trip Reports
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Check out the Trip Reports tab to see more WKC kayaking adventures.
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Halloween Paddle and Poker Party
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By Shanna Gachen
The weather and the river level cooperated for the annual Halloween Paddle and Party. We had a great turn out for the paddle on the Lower Green River Gorge (class III) and the sun made an appearance from about noon on.
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Advanced Skills Development & Wilderness Camping Class
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By Bill Porter
The group of seven students and three experienced instructors launched at Washington Park at 11:30 am on Thursday June 23rd with the goal of paddling across Rosario Strait to our first nights planned camp site located at Spencer Spit on Lopez Island. The strong currents and rips around Belle Rock Light and Bird Rocks challenged our plans. We had three swimmers, one lost Werner paddle and some new found rescue experiences for the group.
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Team Petty Adventure: British Columbia 2016
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By Kanako Iwata-Eng
Captain Bill Petty took the Team (Doug, Larry, Lora, and me) to his favorite destination, British Columbia.
On August 4, Bill, Larry, and I hit the road and boated the Class 3 section of the Coquihalla. I had run it with more water in the spring of last year, but it felt much steeper this time, as all features were more exposed.
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Owyhee River: Rome to Birch Creek
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By Mike Grijalva
I have tried for years to get on this river section, and always it fell thru, usually because the water level was wrong. The past two years it barely ran in the hundreds for the Spring season. This year saw snow pack in the mountains that provide the water, and we had a week of levels above 1200cfs.
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Team Petty Adventure - St. Joe
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By Kanako Iwata-Eng
For the Memorial Day weekend, Captain Bill Petty led the Team to Idaho’s panhandle near Avery to run the St. Joe and nearby rivers. Bill, Doug, Ken and I got there on Thursday, May 26 and found a free campsite on the river, five miles above the Tin Can Campground.
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Copyright 2014 Washington Kayak Club
President: Mike Germani president@washingtonkayakclub.org
Secretary: Bill Porter
Treasurer: Jackie Brown
Editor: Brenna McVety newsletter@washingtonkayakclub.org |