Hi Everyone!
Hope your summer has gone well. As we turn the corner into fall, we have a couple of new trips and events coming up as well as some past favorites!
First I want to remind you about the cookout and River Cleanup we have planned for Saturday, September 19th. The club is paying for all the food, but we are asking those who plan to attend to get tickets in advance. The tickets are $5 each and will be necessary for everyone who plans to eat, member and guest alike (and you are welcome to bring guests). This is really just a way for us to get an accurate estimate of how many to plan for.
The money collected for tickets will be used to purchase door prizes to be given away during the BBQ. Trust me on this, you will not be able to get a better BBQ dinner for any cheaper than this!!! You need not participate in the River Cleanup to eat, but, again, you will need a meal ticket. We are planning to eat around 3:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased at our next meeting (September 16th) or by contacting JJ, our club treasurer, at 352.341.0506. September 16th will be the deadline though as our cooks will need the head count by then. This is going to be a great meal and a fun day so make plans to be there! Ask someone who was there last year, everyone had a good time and most went home with a door prize to boot!
Marion County Parks and Recreation is sponsoring an event for the handicapped at Carney Island October 3rd called Sport Ability. Aquaholics member and County Recreation Manager Cathy Norris is looking for volunteers to help make this event work. It is an opportunity for the handicapped to participate in things like kayaking and horseback riding as well as jet skis, boat rides, tubing, and many other events not normally accessible to them. If you have a tandem kayak, a pontoon boat or maybe just some extra time to help out with this event, or if you would like more information, contact Cathy at (352)671-8560. (She also said there would be free food for volunteers!)
October seems to be the month for kayak/canoe camping trips. I say this because I know of at least two that are trying to get organized. Neither is a club sponsored event, but our members have been invited if they would like to participate.
The first is a weekend trip on the Suwannee River being coordinated by a lady from Gainesville who is the friend of a couple of our members. The following is the main text and plan of her trip along with contact information:
As some of you know, I participated in a couple to the PaddleFlorida events last year and doing so has inspired me to lead a small group of paddlers on a short (weekend) trip along the Suwannee River. They have some lovely River Camps set up and for NOW, they are free. Read the description below & feel free to share the information and my email address with anyone you think might also be interested in coming along.
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MARK THE DATES: Saturday, OCTOBER 3 & Sunday, OCTOBER 4
Let's experience the new Suwannee River Wilderness Trail and will take advantage of the River Camps. The camps provide covered (SCREENED-IN) camping platforms & restrooms with hot showers & flush toilets.
THE PLAN: Arrive bight & early Saturday morning at LAFAYETTE BLUE SPRINGS STATE PARK. We will do a 30 min. shuttle for drivers who want to leave their vehicles at the take out point 22-23 miles downriver at TROY SPRINGS STATE PARK. We then return to the START POINT & start our paddle (hopefully no later than) 9:30. It's only 7 miles (a VERY easy 3 hours with stops for swimming included) to our lunch break around 12:30 at a River Camp called Peacock Slough. After lunch, we only go another 9-10 miles (easy 4 hrs) to the ADAMS TRACT RIVER CAMP. (As the Trip Coordinator, I will figure out a 'menu plan' so we can divide up the weight and volume of groceries/equipment needed to make this happen.) No tents are needed, only sleeping bags, air mattress or matt, flashlight & toiletries are needed here On SUNDAY, we have a leisurely breakfast and do a short sprint (4-6 miles) to our take-out point (Troy Spgs) where we have vehicles waiting. While some of us go back up to collect whatever vehicles are up at the Starting Point. Meanwhile, the remaining folks will get a picnic lunch started. After we all get back, we eat, load up & head for home in the early afternoon.
***THIS IS AN EASY, DOWNSTREAM PADDLE. IT IS SUITABLE FOR NOVICES AS WELL AS EXPERIENCED KAYAKERS. Do not be intimidated by the number of miles on Sat.***
DETAILS: You will need your own kayak/canoe. There are outfitters in the area who rent them for a fee. They can also be called upon to deliver to the put in point & pick up point (for a fee, of course). **IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW** I need to have enough people to make this happen. I have reserved 4 platforms for Sat night - they each sleep 6-8 people.
Certainly, go ahead and send it out...first come, first serve! As I said, I've got 4 platforms reserved, so that's 16-20 that could sleep in the screened-in environment. SHOULD there be more than that (I doubt it), we'll see if there are volunteers with tents....
Contact info: Sena315@cox.net
Deadline....if I don't have at least 5-6 people commit, then I'll cancel altogether. So far, only 3 people have committed. I suppose I ought to be able to say YEA or NAY a week out. BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME....
Sena My cell number is:352-219-3410
The second kayak camping trip is a commercial operation and fees are involved but it was recommended by another of our members who went last year and said he really enjoyed it. Here is the body of that email:
Apalachicola River Paddle Trip 2009
Hello Fellow Paddlers. It’s been a busy year here at the Maritime Museum. We’ve been preparing for the new dock construction, receiving Coast Guard certification for our river paddle support vessel the Starfish Enterprise, conducting the yearly maintenance and repairs to our sailing ketch Heritage, making extensive repairs to the catamaran Dancing Girls from her lightening strike, completing the construction of the beautiful mahogany frame work for Heritage’s protective canopy, interviewing prospective employees for the soon to be new and wonderful Apalachicola Maritime Museum. WOW!! The list goes on and on….. I believe it’s time for a paddle trip…past time. Are you ready? Let’s do it! We are putting together our late October trip and would love to have you come along and enjoy this beautiful river and this great time with good friends. This will be the 8 day trip for 2009 and hopefully 2010 will bring more of these great trips. As with all new endeavors, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. With the help of some new volunteers and employees, we will make these trips more often.
We need your feedback. Will you be joining us? The plan is to make it happen late October, hoping for safe river conditions. Never to complain about rain, but we need safe levels to get’er done. Your safety is of upmost importance to all of us here at the museum. We will gather at the Chattahoochee River Landing on Friday, October 30th,
depart early the following morning and arrive in Apalachicola on Friday, November 6, just in time for the seafood festival. If you are interested in making this great trip with us, please shoot me an email ASAP, patti.chastain@ammfl.org. I will then in return, respond with the details.
We appreciate your patience with the delays in our trips and your wonderful support of the mission to protect this great river and bay. Please come along and be a part of this great life experience. I’ve been fortunate to participate in one of these trips and I can tell you from personal experience, it doesn’t get any better....beautiful moonlit nights and mornings, wonder in all directions, every day bringing another beauty, eagles swooping down practically upon you to retrieve a fresh catch from the river, healthy food, good physical and mental exercise, not to mention fun, fun, fun!!!! Looking forward to hearing from you.
For the best of life is free, sun, stars, sky and sea…..
Patti Robinson-Chastain
Administrative Manager
Apalachicola Maritime Museum
850-653-2500
229-221-1320 cell
Moving on to other things, I also wanted to give everyone the address to the Florida Paddling Trails Association's 3rd quarter newsletter. It contains a lot of good and interesting info for paddlers! http://www.floridapaddlingtrails.com/newsletters/FPTA_News_3rd_Qtr_09.pdf
Be sure and check our club's web site http://www.mcaquaholics.com/ for details about some of the new trips added at the August meeting.
Hope to see you at the cookout!
Here is the list of trips and events we currently have on our calendar:
August 30th- The Spoils (from Yankeetown)
t.c.- David (352) 795-2255
September 4th (Friday)- Moonlight Paddle on Rainbow River
t.c. Trish (352) 369-1354 or (C) (352) 615-1164
September 12th- Peace River
t.c. Lori (352)726-7543 or (352)228-0907
September 19th- River Cleanup & Club Cookout
for tickets, call JJ (352)341-0506
Sept 26th Santa Fe River
t.c.- Phyllis (352)362-4256
October 8th -11th 2009 Florida Paddler's Rendezvous
Indian River Paddlers Club will host the Florida Paddlers? Rendezvous 2009 in the Sebastian/Vero area, Oct. 8-11, 2009. Further info coming
October 17th -Suwannee River- Royal Springs to
Branford
t.c Phyllis (352)362-4256
October 31st -Halloween Paddle. Crystal River/Hunter Park
t.c J.J. (352) 341-0506
Dec 11,12,13, 2009,
Christmas Party and Camp out
Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp
Dave Clark
President, MCAPG
E-Mail - president@mcaquaholics.com
Marion County Aquaholics Paddlers Group Inc.
http://www.mcaquaholics.com/
Paddle Often & Paddle Safely