Hoosier Canoe & Kayak Club

Hopefully the snow is done by now, but some members did get out for a snow paddle.  We have a month full of paddling opportunities including Cagles Mill to start the month and our annual trip to Wisconsin for the Wolf and Peshtigo rivers over Memorial Day weekend.  Checkout this newsletter and the events calendar on the HCKC website for details of all our trips (remember all events are not visible if you do not login).  We are also offering our first session of introductory and intermediate skills classes at the end of May.

See you on the water!

Duane

Spring is here, and soon the weather will cooperate for getting on the water.  We end March with a whitewater trip to the Elkhorn and our annual Ice Falls trip.  The month of April starts with Gary Hill’s 41^st annual Big Pine paddle on April 7^th.  Check the calendar for upcoming events.  We have something scheduled almost every weekend till Fall.  Check out the events calendar for details on April Fools on Big Pine trip.

 See you on the water!

Duane

We had a well-attended planning meeting in January.  We have a wide selection of Canoe & Kayak (Flatwater), Whitewater, and Sea Kayaking tips planned for 2018.  This year we will have out Pirate Paddle in October!  The events have been entered into our calendar on the HCKC website (https://hoosiercanoeandkayakclub.wildapricot.org/events).  Note that all of the events will not be visible if you are not logged in.   If you have any questions about a particular trip, contact the trip sponsor and they will be happy to answer them.

 As the temperatures start to warm up, the water temperatures will still be cold.  We have some good information on cold weather (and cold water) paddling on the safety page of our website at https://hoosiercanoeandkayakclub.wildapricot.org/PaddlingSafety.  Be sure and check it out.

 If you have trip reports or something else you’d like to share in the newsletter, send it to Dwayne James (dwaynesjamesa1@hotmail.com)  by the 17^th of the month.  See you on the water!

Thanks,  Duane 

So the water was a bit hard for our New Years Day paddle, but our trip planners are putting together another fun filled calendar for all of our paddling groups as well as a few all club events.  Coming up: Wilderness First Aid training on 2/17, Indy Boat Sport and Travel Show 2/16 thru 2/25, and our annual Ice Falls trip March 3.  We are updating the trip leader guides and will be holding some meetings to help new trip leaders get started.  So check your gear, work on your skills at the pool sessions, and watch the newsletter, our new Facebook Page, and your email for our events.  Please remember to send in your trip announcements and your trip reports for the newsletter.  If you have something to share in the newsletter, send it to dwaynesjamesa1@hotmail.com)  by the 17th of the month.  See you on the water!
 
Duane

Happy New Year!  As we begin the new year, we are looking for your input on what you want to see the club do this year.  See below for details on the trip planning meeting on January 21^st.  Keep an eye out for details on a paddle around New Year’s day and a Wilderness First Aid class in February.  As you participate in trips, we always appreciate trip reports for the newsletter.  If you have something you’d like to share in the newsletter, send it to Dwayne James (dwaynesjamesa1@hotmail.com)  by the 17^th of the month.  See you on the water!

 Merry Christmas to all!!  

Duane

As another year comes to a close, I’d like to thank Natalie Needham for her great leadership during her two years as our skipper.  I am honored to be your skipper for the next year.  I would also like to thank the board, trip sponsors, and instructors for the work they have put in over the last year supporting all of the great opportunities this club provides.

We just had another wonderful annual meeting with 60 people in attendance.  Thanks to everyone who helped to put on this meeting.  We had a great presentation on a past trip “Uganda: In Search of White Water”.  The slate for the new board was approved.  Changes to the Constitution and By-Laws were approved to allow for voting using an Absentee Ballot.  Awards were also presented.

Winter is approaching, but we still have plenty of club activities coming up.  Keep an eye out for information about the New Year’s Day paddle, First Aid training, and the trips planning meeting.  We also have pool sessions at Thatcher Park on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 12:00 throughout the winter where you can work on your roll, rescue skills, and paddling technique.

Hope to see everyone one on the water sometime next year!

Duane

I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as Skipper, and look forward to the upcoming leadership of Duane Garloch and the new executive board; new trips, and more training opportunities for members. 

Be sure to come to our annual club meeting on November 11th to meet the new leadership, meet other members in person, check out some fun presentations and, of course, some great food. Thank you for being such a great club and I hope to see you all on the water at some point! 

Natalie

From the Skipper

We’re nearing the end of the year, not for paddling necessarily; but the fiscal year for the club.  We have a great slate of officers and board members and some great news out of Columbus this month.  Our club is only as great as our members, and I know we have plenty of awesome members.  We always need volunteers to continuously improve our club.  Officers, board members, food prep, clean up, trip leaders, section chairs, co-chairs, instructors, educators, trip reporters, protesters, writers, picture takers, newsletter editor….these are all positions that are made possible by volunteers and also makes this club the best one around.  It’s a thankless job sometimes, but truly a group effort.  Be sure to thank any club volunteer; and if you have any time to spare then we could always use your help.

I hope to see you all at the annual meeting on November 11!

Natalie

We’re coming to the unofficial end of summer, but not the paddling season! 

We still have great trips planned and the annual meeting is coming up in November. We’ll have a new venue this year for the meeting, and there will be lots to discuss and a decent presentation.  

One of the most important items will be the voting in of new board members and officers. If you are interested in being on the board or an officer, please let a current board member or officer know. Also, many may not know this, but all the board meetings are open to the general membership. The current focus of the board is to increase safety awareness to the paddling community, along with discussions on how to move the club forward. The board meetings are very informal and easy going, don’t be afraid to participate! The monthly meetings are listed on the website calendar.

A club is only as good as its membership, and I know we have plenty of fine members. So, if you want your voice or opinion heard on how the club should move, or you’re just curious what goes on; feel free to come to a board meeting at the very least. If you’re really interested in steering the club, join the board or volunteer to be an officer.

Stay safe and see you on the river!

Natalie

I’m literally copying and pasting the Skippers Note from our last newsletter below,  as the situation on our water ways has only worsened.  

In addition to our  classes, remember that our entire club is a resource. Even if you’re not a member, feel free to reach out to any board member or fleet captain with questions.  Our board members have literally hundreds of years of combined paddling experience (I think Dave Ellis has at least 150 alone J ) and the depth of the entire club goes much deeper. I know that I can speak for all board members that we’d rather each have to answer 100 email questions than see another tragedy.

So far this year has brought high water, which has been great for the white water folks; but not so much for the flat water trips. Along with a lot of rain, this year has unfortunately seen several tragedies on the water. Flood conditions, strainers, and low head dams have all taken a toll on the paddling community this year. I would like to remind everyone to dress for the swim, know the river you’re paddling, know the boat you’re paddling, have the right safety gear with you and on you, paddle with a group (preferably a group that knows how to get you out of trouble if or when needed), and take classes that make you a better paddler and even an asset to have along on a trip. 

Wilderness first aid, swift water rescue, and knowing how to self-rescue are all valuable skills to master.  Throughout the year, we offer our members either free or discounted classes on all of these skill sets, along with access to a heated pool year-round for practice. Please make sure you take advantage of these resources, you never know if you will ever need it for yourself, for others in your group, or even a complete stranger. Paddle on and paddle safe.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the water at some point*-!

-Natalie