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TCSKA: Fall 2000 Newsletter
Board Biz
Al Kasinskas (secretary)
Pool Sessions and rolling workshops
East Side Paddle Weekly Paddles?
Call for Election Nominations Newsletter and Board Meeting Schedule for 2000 See the fall calendar below for board meeting dates and locations. Board meetings are open to any member who would like to attend. Also, if you have questions or topics which you would like the Board to address, feel free to contact any of us at the phone numbers below. Fall Ball Trip Report 9/8-9/10/00 by Ellen "Tug" Nacik Rumor has it that a good time was had by all (if not, most) at the TCSKA First Annual Fall Ball. All puns are intentional, if not painful. Several folks headed out to Sand Island on Friday afternoon/evening in clear calm conditions and were treated to a night time show of shooting stars. The rest of the group arrived Saturday morning after waiting out some early thunderstorms. That morning, our resident "Voyager," Al Kasinskas, hoisted a Union Jack outside his tent; folks must have thought the British were coming. Group one went by land and group two by sea (kayak) to Sand Island Lighthouse. There, everyone was treated to a ranger presentation on lighthouse history, while swatting the last of the summer flies. Ten year old Caeli Wright earned the nickname "bear-bait" as she led the land crew back through the thick forest of Sand Island to camp. TCSKA has two olympic hopefuls in the "dash-splash and scream" as Stellar Sager and David Fox survived numerous dips into balmy 61 degree Lake Superior. Another potential swimmer, Mr. Inskeep, did not "Wade" in, but Ann Casey did. Potluck Saturday night was a wonderful eclectic mix of food. "Wild" Lynn's rice cous-cous paired with Vonnie's itty-bitty-teeny-weenie "crab" apples made everyone happy. The wind picked up a bit in the evening and a huge branch snapped close to Jackie Slivko and Peter Veng-Pedersen's tents, ending all curiosity as to why Peter sported a helmet on this trip. Speaking of close calls, Sunday morning, Bill Newman (ever the early riser) shocked the camp by surviving two unexplained tent collapses, but persevered by leaving at noon for the 9 AM crossing. There were a number of new boats on the scene, some on their inaugural voyage, including Mark and Jean Lusche's spanking new "party barge" Libra (packed for a week long Apostle Island sojourn), Alma Wright's bright red, "unscratched-keep-your-hands-off-that-means-you-husband-Rick" Romany, and maybe it was just our "Perception" that Brenda Leavelle "Shadow"ed Brock Hunter's "seat-sliding" Mariner II. Possibly the most exciting addition to the fleet was the inclusion of the honorary TCSKA "sag-wagon-wood-hauling-recycling-trash-bin-Romany-in-tow" motorboat captained by Dave Brewster! Others on the trip sported new equipment including Teresa Medo, who confessed to swiping her wetsuit directly from Cat Woman. All in all, no one was mortally wounded, therefore Chris "if-it's-naught-Scottzz-atz-crrrrap" Wein and Ellen "pair-up-on-the-crossing-people!!" Nacik have declared the trip a success. Hopefully next year, more than just poor Sarah-strep-throat-Ohmann's equipment will make it to the Fall Ball! Trip Organizers Needed by Sarah Ohmann We are always in need of volunteers to organize events and trips for the club. Currently, the board members are doing most of the trips, in addition to the work that is involved in running the club, but our time is limited and we can't take on ALL the trips. To encourage other members to organize trips, we will be adding a "how to" section on the web page with information about how to go about organizing a trip. The section will also include a list of trip ideas in case you need some inspiration. If you don't have access to the web, contact one of the board members to have the information mailed to you. We'll also be talking about organizing trips at the annual meeting this year, so if you have ideas about trips that you would like to see the club offer, please bring them to the party or give one of the board members above a call. Please note that trip organizers are not expected to be skilled paddlers or act as trip guides. They are responsible for putting the trip together, making campsite reservations, car shuttle arrangements, making sure that trip participants are club members, have signed a waiver and have the required gear for the trip. Day trips on local rivers or easy Superior trips (Squaw Bay sea caves, Split Rock lighthouse, Basswood Island) are not too demanding for paddlers or organizers and seem to be the most popular. If you feel that the trip does need some experienced paddlers (as for longer or more difficult trips on Lake Superior), you can ask one or more of the clubs old-timers to "co-organize" a trip.
FALL 2000 CALENDAR Check the NEW trip rating system at the end of the newsletter to see what skills are required for a trip. Please remember to check the trip distances to see if they are within your range. If you are unsure about a requirement, please talk to the organizer about it. Contact the trip organizer to sign up for the trip and get more specific information about meeting time and place. Official club trips have "TCSKA" next to the date and generally require participants to be members of TCSKA and are covered by ACA and club guidelines. Non-official trips/events are not sanctioned by the ACA or TCSKA, and membership is not required. Newsletter and Board Meeting Schedule for 2000 Sept. 12: Board Meeting, 7pm, John Ware's house Sept. 15: Fall Newsletter mailing date. Dec. 11: Board Meeting, 7 pm, Bill and Sarah's house Dec. 15: Winter Newsletter, election ballot mailing date. TCSKA Fall Calender TCSKA Sept. 16: Race and Roll event/MCA picnic. Coon Rapids Dam. MCA will be hosting the picnic and providing brats and chips. Bring your boat and a side dish. There will be a contest for the number of rolls in 30 seconds and a race (distance about 5 miles?) . FMI Bill Newman 763-585-6191. TCSKA 9/29-10/1: Outer Island Trip. A challenging, late season trip to the most remote island in the Apostles, Level II-IV. FMI Bill Newman 763-585-6191. TCSKA Oct. 8: St. Croix River day paddle. Taylors Falls/Interstate park to Osceola Landing (8.3 mi.) or to William O'Brian (17.3 mi.). Cars may be left at either take-out for a depending on how far you want to go. FMI Stellar Sager 651-770-0396. Oct. 14-15: Split Rock River overnight hike: Some club members start backpacking on the Superior Hiking Trail in the Fall when the big lake gets a little bumpy. This weekend is for anyone who's interested in an easy shakedown trip with some excellent scenery. Kids are welcome on this one too. The total distance is about 5 miles, but with some rugged sections. Call Sarah at 763-585-6191 to sign up. Oct. 15: Lake Superior Water Trail Association Annual Meeting. Besides the meeting, other activities include kayaking tours of the area, hiking along the Superior Hiking Trail, water Trail campsite maintenance. FMI 218-387-2687. Oct. 21: Gelcoat and Boat Repair Party. Did your boat pick up some dings on the beach or in the parking lot? Come and see how to do simple gelcoat repair work. You must provide your own gelcoat (you may want to contact the place where you bought your boat to get an exact color match) and also a snack and a drink. Other equipment to bring: power sander or sanding block, a selection of sandpaper, latex or other disposable gloves. and saw horses or something else to support your boat while working on it. 11am, Bill's garage. FMI Sarah Ohmann 763-585-6191. Oct. 27-29: Traditional Winter Camping Symposium Ely, MN. FMI Duluth Pack Store 800-849-4489. Features presentations by Will Steger and Garrett Conover as well as workshops on traditional camping skills and equipment. Nov. 15: Camp food Potluck and slide shows. Tired of mac 'n' cheese and oatmeal on your trips? Here's an opportunity to share our best camping recipes (bring the dish itself and copies of the recipe to exchange). After stuffing ourselves, we will have one or two (brief) slide shows from trips that club members did during the summer. If you don't have slides, bring photos to pass around. 6pm Bill and Sarah's house. Call Bill or Sarah at 763-585-6191 for more information or to sign up for a slide show. Nov. 9-12: Outdoor Expo, Midwest Mountaineering. TCSKA Nov. 5: Pool Session and Rolling Skills class. 5-7 pm at the Brooklyn Center Community Pool. This will include a one hour class on the skills and techniques needed for rolling (bracing, hip snaps, edge control and the eskimo rescue) taught by Bill Newman. The pool will also be open for individual practice. To sign up for either, call Al Kasinskas at 651-698-0624. There is a $10 fee to cover pool rental. TCSKA Dec. 3: Pool Session and Rolling class. 5-7 pm at the Brooklyn Center Community Pool. This session will include a one-hour class on eskimo rolling taught by Bill Newman - it is strongly recommended that you take the Nov. 12th class first (see above). The pool will also be open for individual practice. To sign up for pool time or the class, call John Ware at 651-690-3957. There is a $10 fee to cover pool rental. Dec. 16-17: Winter Camping at Split Rock Park A good shake down trip to get ready for winter camping or try it for the first time. FMI Sarah Ohmann 763-585-6191. TCSKA Jan 1: New Year's Day Paddle. Our annual Mississippi paddle at Hidden Falls, meet at noon and bring a wetsuit or drysuit. FMI call John Ware at 651-690-3957. TCSKA Jan. 7: Pool Session. 5-7 pm at the Brooklyn Center Community Pool. To sign up and FMI call Al at 5-7 pm at the Brooklyn Center Community Pool. There is a $10 fee to cover pool rental. CLUB GUIDELINES FOR OFFICIAL CLUB TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES Individual Equipment Required for Club Trips Rated Level II or higher and Great Lakes or Ocean Paddling
Recommended Group and Individual Equipment for Club Trips Rated Level II or Higher and Great Lakes or Ocean Paddling
Skill Requirements for Club Trips Each club trip differs in the kayak skills that will be required for participants to have a safe and enjoyable experience. Skills required for a specific club trip will be determined by the trip organizer, and/or the TCSKA Board using the following lists as a general guidance only. Participants are expected to self assess their abilities and take responsibility for themselves on club trips. Trip organizers help organize trip logistics and coordinate club activities - do not expect them to act as guides on trips! Note also that the focus of the rating systems requirements is on skills rather than on the number of years of experience in kayaking. A paddler with ten years of experience would still be qualified only for SK I trips if they had not developed for example reliable self-rescue skills. Level I: No previous paddling experience is required for club trips with a level I rating. Examples would include club sponsored skill sessions on inland lakes and winter pool sessions. Level I trips or skill sessions will be used to help new paddlers develop the necessary skills to participate in more advanced trips. Level I trips will be limited to sheltered waters and short distances with few significant hazards. Level II: Level II trips may include less sheltered open water paddles, and longer distances. Participants are expected to have a working knowledge of kayak paddle strokes, and braces. They also must be able to demonstrate a self-rescue technique such as a paddle-float rescue and have experience using at least one assisted rescue such as a T-rescue or rafting-up. A trip organizer may require a demonstration of both a self-rescue and assisted rescue before allowing a paddler to come on a Level II or higher rated trip. On Level II trips, participants are also expected to have a working knowledge of basic navigational skills such as using a chart and compass, and basic knowledge of the effects of weather on paddling conditions and how to obtain marine forecasts prior to starting a trip. It is assumed that participants can maintain a reasonable pace for trips of up to ten miles per day in good weather. Level III: Level III trips may include open water paddling in challenging conditions, and longer trip distances. On level III trips participants should have well developed paddle stroke and bracing skills. Participants should not only have good high and low bracing skills, but be working on a strong sculling brace and learning to eskimo roll. Paddlers should be comfortable paddling in higher winds (over 15 knots) and traveling in waves of 2-3 feet. They should be comfortable launching and landing in moderate surf when breaking waves are 3 feet or less. Participants in level III trips should have a good working knowledge of navigation including strong piloting and dead reckoning skills. On level III trips participants should have the endurance to paddle up to 20 miles per day in good weather with a fast efficient forward paddle stroke. Level IV: Level IV trips may include open water paddling, and paddling in very challenging conditions for long distances. Participants should have very strong paddling and bracing skills and be comfortable paddling in rough conditions (waves 4 feet or greater) and winds up to 30 knots. Trip participants should have mastered group and self rescue techniques and have developed a reliable eskimo roll, preferably on both sides. Participants should also be comfortable with landing in larger surf with 3-6 foot waves. As a rule trip organizers would avoid setting out to paddle in the above conditions. However as an example a late-Fall trip on Lake Superior might be rated a Level III- Level IV rather than a Level III in recognition of the greater chance of being caught in sudden storms late season. |