NEWSLETTER
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| March 2017 |
Join Our Club |
| 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 |
Hey all,
We are gearing up for spring and the calendar is filling-up with paddling events! Join us this month Whale Hunting in Possession Sound, or on the Sauk River for whitewater adventure, or racing through the slalom course during the Cedar River Races, or playing Polo Sunday mornings in Tukwila.
Our annual Beginner Whitewater Kayaking course begins this month. Good luck, nubies!
If you have some good adventures you would like to share with other paddlers, come to our March Whitewater Program: A Whitewater Invitational on March 16 at 7pm at Mercer Island library. Bring your photos and video and share your stories!
Freya Hoffmeister is beginning her circumnavigation of North America on March 25 - in Seattle. Seattle Adventure Sports and Outdoor Research Retail Store organized event March 24, if you would like the chance to meet and greet a kayaking legend. Paddlers are invited to join her March 25 at Golden Gardens as she begins her journey — get out and show support for her incredible adventure!
Washington Water Trails could also use your support at their annual Silent Auction/Dinner on March 26.
Tomas Tabisola is planning a new date for the kayak Wilderness First Aid/CPR course. If you are in need of certification, send him a note and let him know when you are available, so he can coordinate locations and dates.
Read on for details about all these events. I look forward to seeing you on the water!
Mike
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Featured Trip
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Possession Sound Whale Hunt - March 18
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Photo credit for photographs used in this image: Tim Shobe
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We will go where the grey whales go, in the hopes of viewing one!
Trip plan:
Launch from Mukilteo around 10am, head toward where the whale boats are (Hat Island, Whidbey Island). The nice sandy beaches and the muddy bottoms in this area are a favorite place for whales to feed.
The crossing to Whidbey or Hat Islands is 2+ nautical miles. Be prepared for a little chop from unpredictable spring weather.
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Training
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Beginner Whitewater Kayaking Course: Mar 4 - 25
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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.
This class fills up every year, don't wait till the last minute to register!
Register Here
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WKC Basic Sea Kayaking Class 2017: June 2 - 4
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Join us for a weekend of FUN and ADVENTURE as you develop your techniques and skills on the water!
This course will provide beginners with a safe and fun introduction to the sport of sea kayaking. 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
Register Here
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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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Free Online Viewing of the Kayak Roll for WKC: March 10 - 12
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Free online Viewing of The Kayak Roll
by Performance Video/Kent Ford forWKC Members -
Only available March 10th through 12th!
The Beginner Whitewater Course was such a success last year, we're teaming up with Kent Ford and Performance Video again to offer this FREE SHOWING of The Kayak Roll (part I) to not only our students, but to the whole membership!
If you're only going to buy/watch one roll video, this is the one! Kent Ford, Mary & Phil DeRiemer and Dan Crandal take you step-by-step through what you need to learn for an effortless sweep roll.
Details Here
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Join Us for Tukwila Kayak POLO
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Kayak polo is starting again at the Tukwila pool!
We haven't had a regular kayak polo scene in Seattle for a few years, WKC's NEW kayak polo chair, Chris Brubaker, has been kind enough to organize dates and invite people to come down and try it out! We will be playing every other Sunday starting in January!
Where and when?
Tukwila Pool
4414 S 144th St
Tukwila, WA 98168
8:45-10:45 am
Mar 12, 26
Apr 9, 23
Cost: $10 for WKC members, $15 for non-members.
Event Details
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WKC Whitewater News!
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By Mike Grijalva
WKC Program Chair
March Whitewater Program:
A Whitewater Invitational
When: Thurs, March 16 at 7pm
Where: Mercer Island Library
Bring your photos and video and share your adventures with fellow WKC WW paddlers!
Jungle Boating will be one of the skills discussed at the upcoming WHITE WATER program. Mike Grijalva will start off a night of photos and stories about the Owyhee, Yampa, Lower Salmon and Verde Rivers, and leave time for others to present. Andy Gross has video of many rivers in a days radius from home.
Who else will share? Brett, any tropical jungle boating techniques to add? Please come and see and contribute.
The 2016 endurance awards will be presented for the most days boated during the year.
Safety: No new wood obstructions have been reported lately, but several are still likely in the Cedar River. Please post any dangers you might see on the club forum for safety.
A new WKC Program Chair is needed - Mike has graciously served WKC for three years and is ready to have another lead the WKC Programs.Please contact Mike Grijalva to volunteer.
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River Rescue courses are coming in April and May:
A whitewater safety/rescue course is planned for this April - Saturday/Sunday 22 and 23 are likely dates.
Material covered will be personal safety, safety gear, rescue techniques, group dynamics and leadership.
Casey Garland will teach the course and lead the practice in the river sessions.
Fee $150, but half thefee is waived if you are leading trips for WKC this year. Posting will be up soon for sign ups.
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Attend WWTA Dinner and Silent Auction: March 26
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Join WWTA in an evening of dining, entertainment and spirited bidding for adventures and activities. Mingle with friends new and old. Silent auction, and an after dinner paddle raise to support WWTA programs. Featured speaker: Annique Bennett, Snohomish County Strategic Tourism Plan Coordinator, will be talking about the Sky to Sound Water Trail.
All proceeds benefit WWTA, working to protect public access to saltwater and freshwater shores.
When: Sunday evening, March 26th, 2017 - Doors open at 5:30pm
Where: Wilderness Auditorium at the Henry M. Jackson Conference Center, Everett Community College, 2000 Tower Street, Everett, Washington
Details Here
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Meet Freya Hoffmeister in Seattle: March 24 - 25
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Freya Hoffmeister begins her epic sea kayaking journey around North America on March 25! She leaves from Golden Gardens Park, Eddie Vine Boat Ramp in Seattle at 9 a.m.
You are invited to join her for the first few miles of her trip - or longer!
Details Here
Seattle Adventure Sports has organized an event at Outdoor Research Store in Seattle on March 24 from 7-9 p.m., if you would like to wish Freya well on her adventure.
Event Details
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Great opportunity to MEET AND PADDLE WITH
a sea kayaking legend...
Bon voyage, Freya! |
2017 NW Whitewater Slalom Cup Dates Now Available
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The NW Whitewater Slalom Cup continues with highly valuable points awarded at each race and the best 8 out of 10 race results are totaled for fabulous awards in each.Come out and compete or just learn some slalom moves and have some fun!
Upcoming Slalom Events:
Mar 11-12: Cedar River Races
Mar 25-26: Riverhouse Slalom
April 1-2: Chilliwack River Slalom
Race Calendar
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Northwest Paddling Festival: May 12 - 13
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For expert paddlers or those looking to dip their oar in the water for the first time, NMTA’s seventh annual Northwest Paddling Festival is the largest event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.
During the course of this two-day celebration of paddle sports, attendees can shop the latest in gear and accessories from more than 60 paddle sport businesses, get introduced to paddling of all kinds, take kayak tours, attend seminars, and compete in the Northwest Paddling Challenge.
The event is free for the public to attend, but most of the on-water activities cost $10 for the day.
Event Details
And contact Bill Porter if you are interested in participating in"SEA KAYAK CAMPING IN BEAR COUNTRY" at the event. Bring your own bear...
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The Northwest Paddling Festival is in need of VOLUNTEERS! Please contact Joan Collins for details.
Volunteer Here
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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.
March 5: Climate Change - Local Examples
April 1: Bizarre Creatures of Puget Sound
May 6: Annual MaST Writers Workshop
June 3: Project Changes due to Global Warming
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Take Action by Mar 31: Protect Methow Headwaters
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By Thomas O'Keefe
AMERICAN WHITEWATER
A current threat to the valley and the recreational opportunities available is a proposed large-scale copper mine, located immediately above the town of Mazama. If developed, this copper mine would irreversibly damage the river and surrounding landscape to the communities of Mazama, Winthrop, and Twisp.
Right now, there is a critical opportunity to protect this special place from this proposed development and future industrial mining operations. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering a 20-year mining withdrawal across 340,079 acres in the Methow Headwaters. The administrative withdrawal would make the area off-limits to mining while Senators Murray and Cantwell work on legislation to permanently protect this landscape.
Comments due by end of March
Take Action
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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.
Upcoming WKC Trips:
March 31-April 2: Stuart Island
April 7-9: Lopez Island
April 29: Lummi Island
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WKC Seven Rivers Challenge
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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:
March 18: Sauk III+
March 25: NF NooksackIII
April 29: SF Stilly III
April 29: Nisqually II/III
Contact new Whitewater Trip Chair
or 7RC Cheerleader
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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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Team Petty Adventure - Dungeness
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By Kanako Iwata-Eng
After heavy mid-week rain, the Dungeness was higher than we liked on Friday, February 17, 2017. Changing plans, Bill, Doug, Pete, John T from Canada, and I ran the Park to Riverside section of the Sol Duc. John had to leave, but the rest of us camped there and drove back to the Dungeness on Saturday, February 18. Claire, Lora, and Josh from Poulsbo joined us at the Dungeness Hatchery.
Read More |
Team Petty: New Year's OP 2017
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By Kanako Iwata-Eng
This fall/winter season, the Olympic Peninsula hasn’t been very cooperative. Jon Almquist’s Humptulips and SF Calawah trips had to relocate, as well as Team Petty’s Thanksgiving Humptulips trip. This trip wasn’t an exception.
Read More |
Team Petty Adventure: Thankgiving OP 2016
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By Kanako Iwata-Eng
When the Team finished the annual Thanksgiving Day Lower Green Gorge run, Captain Bill Petty decided to change the plan. We were originally supposed to meet at the Humptulips and run the Narrows section, but it had been raining and was forecasted to rain a lot more...
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Yampa and Green River, Utah
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By Mike Grijalva
In mid-July of 2016, at the very end of the runnable water level, a group of friends and family floated the Yampa River for 6 days in sunshine. The Yampa is on the eastern edge of Utah, is free flowing, and joins the Green River to become the Green through Dinosaur National Park.
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New WW Run: Middle Fork Snoqualmie
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By Mike Grijalva
The paving of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie road has added a new pleasure to our local outdoor access. The road that used to be ugly with potholes, is now a smooth paved slide glide upstream. A few different access points for put-ins are present, but there are few.
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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 |