Board of Directors Report
Election Results:
The votes were tallied after the annual party at the end of January, and Al Kasinskas, Bill Newman and Sarah Ohmann were elected board members. Thanks to Jackie Slivko for also volunteering to serve on the board and to all who voted in the election.

The Board of Directors and their offices/jobs are now:

Don Dimond (membership, pool session organizer) Al Kasinskas (secretary)
Bill Newman (club advertising and outreach) Sarah Ohmann (treasurer)
John Ware (webmaster, membership)

Trip Ratings: We discussed and adopted a new set of trip ratings for club trips, these will be appearing in our next newsletter. We are also putting together a list of equipment for club trips.

ACA Waivers: The American Canoe Association has revamped their waivers, in addition to the one you sign each time you renew your TCSKA/ACA membership, there will be a new sign-up list/group waiver that trip participants will need to sign off on before going on official club trips.

Website News: In the next few months, we will be moving our webpage to the MCA site; when it's up and running you will be able to access the new address by going to the old address.

Pool Sessions
The last two pool sessions of the year will be held on Sunday March 26th and Sunday April 30th (Note that the April session has been moved from the 23rd to the 30th). To sign up or for more information call Don Dimond.

Apostle Islands Permits

Outfitter use and kayaking traffic in general are increasing in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Last year it was often difficult to walk in on Friday afternoons as we have done for years and get our permits at the last minute. Often it seemed as if there were no weekend campsites left anywhere in the Apostles. If you are planning club or private trips to the islands, be sure to get your reservation in ahead of time (class A or B sites can be reserved up to 30 days in advance).

Trip Report: York Island March 2000
Sarah Ohmann
For the last three years ice out in the Apostles has been much earlier than average, and some of us have done April trips in the Apostles for the last two years. This year three of us (Sarah Ohmann, Chris Wein and Ellen Nacik) decided to start even earlier and visit the Apostles on the weekend of 3/17/00. The three week thaw at the end of February has caused ice all over the Great Lakes to melt early, and even the Apostle Islands are largely ice-free at this time (the first year of TCSKA's existence a late May trip to Sand Island had to be canceled due to the islands still being iced in!).

Saturday brought strong southerly winds which helped melt the little bit of snow left on the ground. We decided to bag paddling for the day and instead drove to different launch points to see how the ice was coming: still some floating slush in Bayfield, plenty of ice left in Red cliff, gone at Little Sand Bay and Meyer's Beach. Even in the places where the ice was gone from the lake, shore fast ice lined all the islands and mainland that we could see. On Meyer's Beach near the Squaw Bay caves, ice extended out about 25-100 feet from shore, with pancake icebergs nudging against the wall of frozen spray at the edge. We amused ourselves by hopping on the bergs for a ride.

Sunday was slightly foggy but dead calm, so we launched from the docking area at Little Sand Bay, after dragging our boats across the ice to the open water. We paddled east along the cliffs and bluffs which were obscured by ice caves and sculptures filled with ice stalactites and stalagmites. With such calm weather we decided to visit York Island and landed on the sand spit on south side of the island. We actually found a little bit of sand to land on with no ice, and enjoyed walking around (we saw two eagles already out there, and some deer tracks).

The islands were as quiet as I've ever heard them: there was no boat traffic since all the harbors were still iced in. It felt very strange to be out in the Apostles knowing that it was still March, but also it was a real treat to be given such an early start to the paddling season.

Early Spring Paddling Hazards and Tips
Sarah Ohmann
Although the ice is mostly gone, the water has not yet begun to warm up and surface temps remain around 33 degrees F. Water this cold can be quickly lethal and deserves extra precautions and care when making the decision to paddle. In the event of a capsize, your body temperature will drop quickly and the onset of hypothermia will be much more rapid without proper clothing, hands can loose feeling and the ability to function within a few minutes of immersion, and the possibility of cold shock (the involuntary gasp or inhalation response which can occur on sudden contact with cold water) becomes a serious concern.

Your best defense is to pick your day very carefully, choosing only the best weather to paddle. As always, it is important to check the forecast before setting out, but only the open water forecasts are available at the moment. Also, the weather is highly variable at this time of year ranging from calm and sunny to gales with freezing spray to severe winter storms. So it is especially important to keep a close eye on the sky, wind and waves for any changes in the weather.

I feel that a drysuit is an essential for paddling on water this cold, because farmer john/jane style wetsuits don't adequately protect the arms and torso from the water. Even a drysuit will not protect you if you don't wear enough insulation underneath. Make sure you are wearing enough fleece to be effective: test out your clothing by floating for 5 minutes in the water. You'll know pretty quickly whether you need to add another layer.

Hands and feet are more problematic, and people have different solutions. 3-5mm neoprene gloves are available, but are fairly stiff. Thinner neoprene gloves offer better flexibility and grip on the paddle, but will probably need to be used with neoprene or nylon pogies if there is any kind of wind. Double layers of neoprene or the addition of waterproof knee-high boots can help keep your feet warm. A neoprene hood or other windproof hat is also a must.

Even if you stay out of the water, the intense cold can travel right through the hull of your kayak and chill you even if you are otherwise warmly dressed. A thin layer of minicell foam or neoprene glued to your seat and under your heels and feet can make a big difference in how warm you feel.

Bringing food, emergency shelter, and extra clothing or a sleeping bag is also a good idea. If you are surprised by sudden bad weather, you will at least have the option of landing and waiting out the bad weather.

Newsletter and Board Meeting Schedule for 2000

March 13: Board Meeting, 7pm Bill and Sarah's house. March 30: Spring 2000 newsletter mailing date. May 18: Board Meeting, 7pm Al Kasinskas's house May 19: Summer 2000 Newsletter mailing date.

Sept. 7:        Board Meeting, 7pm, John Ware's house 
Sept. 15:       Fall Newsletter, board nominations mailing date.
Dec. 11:        Board Meeting, 7 pm, Bill and Sarah's house
Dec. 15:        Winter Newsletter, election ballot mailing date.

How to sign up for a trip

Check the trip rating system at the end of the newsletter to see what skills are required for a trip. If you are unsure about a requirement, please talk to the organizer about it. Please contact the trip organizer at the phone number or email address given to sign up for the trip and get more specifice information about meeting time and place. Minimum required equipment for any trip includes PFD, sprayskirt, flotation (bags or bulkheads for your kayak), bilge pump, compass, paddlefloat, whistle, food and water. Wetsuits or drysuits are required for all Lake Superior trips or other trips on cold water. Additional equipment can be required by the organizer (helmets, tow ropes, etc.) Official club trips have "TCSKA" next to the date, generally require participants to be members of TCSKA and are covered by ACA and club guidelines. Non-official trips are not sanctioned by the ACA, TCSKA, and membership is not required.

TCSKA Spring Calender

April 10: Inland Sea Kayakers Dinner, Bascali's Brick Oven, Como Park. FMI Linda Campbell

April 28-30: Canoe Event, Midwest Mountaineering, Minneapolis. Slide shows and clinics on sea kayaking as well as the big sale.

TCSKA April 23: Pool Session 6:30-8:30pm, Brooklyn Center Community Pool, $10 fee, FMI Don Dimond

TCSKA May 5-7: Lake Superior Apostle Island Clean-up trip, SKIII. We will clean all of the beaches of the Islands we paddle to. FMI Don Dimond

May 12: Lake Calhoun night paddle 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM. FMI Don Dimond

TCSKA May 13: Local Twin Cities Lake warm up and skills developement day. Location TBA, please contact John Ware for more information

May 17: Wednesday night paddle, open to everyone. Meet 6pm at the north beach on Lake Calhoun to work on skills or just mess about in our boats. FMI Bill or Sarah

May 19: Lake Calhoun night paddle 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM. FMI Don Dimond

TCSKA May 20: Squaw Bay Sea Cave Trip. FMI: Norton Johnson, SKII.

TCSKA May 20: Pelican Lake Paddle. Paddle Pelican Lake (near Monticello) and see pelicans (!) and other waterfowl and enjoy a sunset on the water, 4 - 9:30pm. SKI, FMI Dave Brewster

May 24: Wednesday night paddle, open to everyone. Meet 6pm at the north beach on Lake Calhoun to work on skills or just mess about in our boats. FMI Bill or Sarah

May 26-29: 11th Annual West Michigan Sea Kayaking Symposium, Muskegon Michigan. FMI contact Jan or John VanWyk (616-669-1565 or jjvw@iserv.net)

TCSKA May 27-29: Basswood Island. SK II overnight trip in the Apostle Islands. FMI John Ware

May 31: Wednesday night paddle, open to everyone. Meet 6pm at the north beach on Lake Calhoun to work on skills or just mess about in our boats. FMI Bill or Sarah

June 3 (tentative): Lake Superior Water Trail Association National Trails Day Event. FMI: Honey Olson-Blacklock honey@mooselake.net

June 7: Wednesday night paddle, open to everyone. Meet 6pm at the north beach on Lake Calhoun to work on skills or just mess about in our boats. FMI Bill or Sarah

June 9: Lake Calhoun night paddle 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM. FMI Don Dimond

June 14: Wednesday night paddle, open to everyone. Meet 6pm at the north beach on Lake Calhoun to work on skills or just mess about in our boats. FMI Bill or Sarah

TCSKA June 16: Lake Calhoun night paddle/skill session This paddle will include a skills building session from 6-9pm, topic to be determined. followed by a night paddle afterwards. SKI, FMI Don Dimond

June 21: Wednesday night paddle, open to everyone. Meet 6pm at the north beach on Lake Calhoun to work on skills or just mess about in our boats. FMI Bill or Sarah

June 23: Lake Calhoun night paddle 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM. FMI Don Dimond

TCSKA June 24-25: Split Rock Park Overnight: SKII, with an overnight at one of the water trail campsites. FMI John Ware

June 24-25: Rossport Island Kayak Symposium. FMI: Dave Tamblyn. Superior Outfitters (Box 88, Rossport, ON P0T-2R0, 807-824-3314, dtamblyn@schreiber.Lakeheadu.Ca)

June 30: Lake Calhoun night paddle 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM. FMI Don Dimond

TCSKA June 30-July 4: Sauna Islands tour: we will tour the islands just north of the Ontario/MN border, visit saunas, Pie Island, and possibly enjoy a pig roast... SKI III, FMI Bill Newman,

July 20-23: Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium. Grand Marais, Michigan. FMI Larry Merx, Stan Chaldek, (313)439-0049 (810)683-4770