Day paddle events organized by RMSKC at Colorado lakes and reservoirs are open to RMSKC members and guests. We invite non-RMSKC members to attend these events in order to find out about our club --- contact the trip leader through the forums or seen the membership information page for details on the benefits of club membership. Multi-day trips organized by RMSKC are open to RMSKC members only.
Join the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club and the Poudre Paddlers on this 2nd Annual Joint South Platte River Paddle. Paddle the nine miles of flatwater from Evans to Kersey. Contact Cindy Miller or Sally Edwards and visit the forums to get more details and to register your interest in this trip.
This was a great trip --- see some pictures HERE
The Boulder Outdoor Center is hosting a Paddling Expo on May 8th at Boulder Reservior from 5 pm to dusk. RMSKC members will be attending with information on the club. Stop by and find out more about the RMSKC and pick up a copy of our latest trip schedule. From the Boulder Outdoor Center web site:
Wildwasser Sport and Boulder Outdoor Center are hosting a Paddling Expo! The expo will feature free clinics where you can demo whitewater and touring boats. Come try out some of this year's hottest kayaks! There is a reservoir gate fee.
Contact Boulder Outdoor Center at 303-444-8420 or 800-364-9376 or SURF@BOC123.COM for more info.
Join the club for a seven day trip on Merritt Reservoir combined with three days on The Niobrara River in the Sandhills of northern Nebraska. The dates for this trip will be the 13th through 17th. On the 13th and 14th we will be exploring Merritt Reservoir doing day trips from our shoreline campsite. This should be an easy couple of days of paddling with a possible night time paddle under the full moon that week. On the 15th 16th and 17th we will be paddling about 65 miles down the Niobrara River. This section of river has several class 2 rapids so intermediate moving water skills are a must. The reservoir is located just south of Valentine Nebraska about 375 miles from Denver. We will spend Friday night at Smith Falls State Park which is the location of Nebraska's highest waterfall at 70 feet. Merritt is mainly a prime fishing spot for warm water fish such as Walleye and Bass but I think it would be a nice spot for some flatwater kayaking. There is some very nice camping around the Lake with nice treed sites. The reservoir is 11 miles long with 44 miles of shoreline. This trip is limited to a small group. Contact Paul Eckhart with any questions and to register your interest in this trip; also visit the forums to get more details.
Join the club for a day paddle on Barr Lake. Meet at the boat dock, ready to paddle, at 10 am. Contact Terry Smith and visit the forums to get more details and to register your interest in this trip. This event is open to RMSKC members, guests and visitors. Non-RMSKC members wanting to attend should contact a RMSKC member.
REI is hosting their annual Flatwater Paddling Demo on Sunday May 18th from 10 am to 3 pm at Chatfield State Park. The RMSKC will have members attending with information on the club. Stop by and find out more about the RMSKC and pick up a copy of our latest trip schedule. From the REI web site:
REI invites you to test out the latest flatwater boats from Dagger, Perception, Wilderness Systems, Mad River, Voyager, Harmony and Old Town. We will have an assortment of canoes and sea kayaks to try out, and we will also have a team of experts on hand to answer your questions and give you valuable canoeing tips. Wear comfortable clothes and come ready to paddle. To reach Chatfield Reservoir, exit C-470 South to Wadsworth Blvd. and turn left into the Park at the Deer Creek entrance. The demo is free, but normal park entry fees do apply.
Meet at the Evans Riverside Ballfields Park at 10 am to put-in and arrange shuttles. Two distance options: takeout at either Kersey bridge (9 miles) or Kuner bridge (14 miles). Expected conditions: class I, two short dam portages, enough flow to paddle, cold water. We did this trip with the Rocky Mtn. Canoe Club and the Poudre Paddlers in March --- you can read about it HERE and see pictures HERE. You'll find directions to the put-in, take outs, links to flow (it was about 600 csf for the March trip) both on the South Platte River paddling places page and in the Forums. Contact Brian Curtiss and visit the forums to get more details and to register your interest in this trip.
Union Chutes --- May 31st at 10 am--- trip info Forum
Practice your river skills and play in the small rapids on the Platte River at Union Avenue. From Santa Fe and Belleview go north 0.6 miles to Union Ave. Turn west, cross the South Platte and turn right in the new park just past the bridge. The park is across the street from the Waste Management facility. Park at the small lot some 200 yards to the east of the entrance. Be ready to paddle (boats on shore) at 10 am. Subject to adequate water flow. Contact Larry Kline and visit the forums to get more details and to register your interest in this trip.
The Mountain Shop in Ft. Collins is hosting their annual Northern Colorado Canoe & Kayak Demo on June 1st at 9 am. RMSKC members will be attending with information on the club. Stop by and find out more about the RMSKC and pick up a copy of our latest trip schedule. From the Mountain Shop web site:
Test-paddle over 100 models of boats on the water. A free event! Try selected Wenonah Canoes, Mad River Canoes, Wilderness Systems Kayaks, Perception Kayaks, Current Designs Kayaks, and Dagger Kayaks. Location TBD. Call 970-493-5720 for more details. Note: We are awaiting confirmation from Pelican Lakes in Windsor, our annual demo site.
Open meeting of the Rocky Mountain Sea Kayak Club, 7 pm to 9 pm. We will show one of the videos on paddling technique from the club library (remember, RMSKC members can borrow books and/or videos from the library --- this is a great resource for club members). Prospective members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the club and to meet club members. Contact Larry Kline to get more details.
We still need someone to lead the Horsetooth Reservoir daypaddle --- please contact Brian Curtiss if you would be willing to serve as trip leader. This will be a "lead it yourself" trip if I can't find a trip leader. Meet at the South Bay boat ramp at 10 AM. Anyone wanting to go on this daypaddle must contact Brian Curtiss before Friday evening --- I'll coordinate the group but will be unavailable after late in the day on Friday. You can get more details on the trip on the trip info Forum. This event is open to RMSKC members, guests and visitors. Non-RMSKC members wanting to attend should contact a RMSKC member.
Just starting to kayak? Join the club at Chatfield and learn all of your basic paddling techniques. You don't have to be a beginner to take advantage of our expert paddlers to give you some tips as you brush up on your paddling skills, or learn new techniques. Practice, practice. Find out all the details on the forum and contact Gary Greeno to register your interest.
We will likely RV camp at the South side of the lake both Friday (13th) and Saturday nights. For those interested there are 27 hike-in or boat-in primitive campsites on the southeast side of the lake, several of which provide an easy landing for kayaks. Most of these sites are sloping with room for only 1 small tent. There is a pit toilet at the boat-in primitive camping area, flush toilets and pay showers are available at the main South side RV park. Mike Napier will coordinate camping for those wishing to camp as a group.
The Southeast part of the lake is very scenic as it is at the head of a canyon. The West end extends out onto the plains of South Park. It is one of our favorite paddling sites both for the scenery and lack of water skiers and personal watercraft. Cold water clothing is strongly recommended. There are 'backcountry - paddle-in' campsites for those who are interested. All campsites (rv/backcountry) are limited to 6 people per site, two tents per site. This has been a quiet lake, mostly paddlers and fishermen. Have never seen a skier or jet-boat on the lake.
State park pass or daily permit plus camping fee req'd. Go to http://www.reserveamerica.com/ for online reservations.
Expect very cold water so dress accordingly with at least a fuzzy rubber top and paddle jacket. All paddlers should have good wet exit and re-entry skills. Paddlers should be aware of high winds and thunderstorms that typically appear mid-day. Distance is about 10 miles around the reservoir. All plans are conditional on their being a reasonable water level at the lake (currently down about 20 feet).
Participants should confirm the date and their interest in this trip by contacting Mike & Carol Napier and visit the forums to get more details.
Potluck Social --- June 21th at 6:30 pm
See your April newsletter for more details and driving directions --- RSVP by June 18th. Bring a main dish, dessert or appetizer to share. BYOB. Bring some inspirational kayaking slides to share.
You won't find any oceans in Colorado but you can boast about paddling at some of the highest altitude lakes in the U.S. If paddling in thin air amidst breathtaking scenery doesn't challenge you enough, altitude junkies can top off the paddling with even loftier hikes and/or bike rides right near these two sparkling lakes.
We will car camp from a developed campground at Twin Lakes on Friday and Saturday nights, paddling Twin Lakes on Saturday and Turquoise Lake on Sunday.
Each day's paddle will run 10-15 miles in possible windy conditions. We will launch early to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. Trip participants should be able to comfortably paddle this mileage, wear appropriate clothing for the very cold water (dry suit or wet suit), and be able to perform deep-water re-entries and/or rolls.
Contact Patty Lee and visit the forums to get more details and to register your interest in this trip.
Carter Lake --- July 12th & 13th --- trip info Forum
Join the club for a moonlight paddle on Carter Lake. We'll start the paddle at dusk. Carter lake is located west of Loveland, is about 1,140 acres and is almost full. Folks can come for just the paddle or camp Saturday night. We'll try to organize some alternative activities for non-kayaking family members --- so come camp on Saturday night and bring your family. Contact Brian Curtiss and visit the trip info Forum to get more details and to register your interest in this trip.
RMSKC PaddleFest --- July 20th --- trip info Forum
Contact Gary Greeno and visit the forums to get more details and to register your interest.
Join the club for a day paddle on Aurora Reservoir. Details in the next newsletter. This event is open to RMSKC members, guests and visitors. Non-RMSKC members wanting to attend should contact a RMSKC member.
Lewis and Shoshono Lakes, Yellowstone N.P. --- August 2nd to 7th
Meet at Lewis Lake campground, south end of Yellowstone Park, on Saturday night. Put-in will be Sunday morning at Lewis Lake. Sunday we will paddle the 3 miles across Lewis Lake then, half paddling, half pulling, make our way up the inlet river to the first campsite on Shoshone Lake (about another 3 miles). Monday through Wednesday will be spent on Shoshone Lake (paddling, hiking, visiting geysers). Thursday the route is reversed back to the put-in.
The backcountry campsites have toilets. You will want to bring your own boombox as insurance against last minute rule changes.
The pulling part of the journey up the river between Lewis and Shoshone Lakes is tiring. If the water is warm, you can do it in sandals, but expect to pick up a few cuts and bruises. Water boots are good insurance against these little aggravations and the water can be cold.
The wading section eliminates motorboats completely from Shoshone Lake, which makes it a very enjoyable experience. There is a black obsidian pebble beach at one campsite and a geyser basin on the south end of the lake. I don't guarantee the geysers' performance, though.
Participants will be limited to 8 maximum. If interest is high, we may ask for a $25 non-refundable deposit, and a waiting list will be in effect. For questions or to register your interest in this trip, contact Ed or Paula Berg and visit the forums to get more details.
Join the club for a day paddle and boat demo (try out other member's boats) at Boulder Reservoir. Meet at the sailboard beach and be ready to paddle at 10 am. Visit the forum for details.
Join the club for a day paddle at Boulder Reservoir. Show up at the sail board beach and be ready to go at 10am. No trip leader on this one (Brian, who was to lead this trip, is out of town) --- just show up and paddle. This event is open to RMSKC members, guests and visitors.
Voyageurs National Park --- September 7th to 13th --- trip info Forum
Details to follow. Contact Paul Eckhart and visit the forums to get more details --- this trip is full.
Open meeting of the Rocky Mountain Sea Kayak Club, 7 pm to 9 pm. We will show another of the videos on paddling technique from the club library (remember, RMSKC members can borrow books and/or videos from the library --- this is a great resource for club members). Prospective members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the club and to meet club members. Contact Larry Kline to get more details.
This 25-mile trip on the Colorado River has been a club tradition for beginner paddlers doing a river trip and is designed for persons with Intermediate skills (see Trip Description below). The trip starts west of Grand Junction. We will paddle through Horsethief and Ruby Canyons and camp at Mee Canyon. Good backcountry camping skills are also needed for this overnight trip. The weather will be cool at night and may be unsettled or downright nasty, so be prepared. For safety and communications purposes some of us will need to bring our Motorola-type walkie-talkies. BLM rules require all of us to USE a boom box to carry out our human waste, and a fire pan for any open fires. Visit the forums to get more details and to register your interest in this trip.
Lake Powell --- October 12th to 17th --- trip info Forum
The Lake Powell trip is scheduled for the week of October 13th for four nights/five days. There are still openings but we will need to have a firm count by September 12th in order to confirm the reservation of the boat. The per person cost for the trip is $150.00 plus (per person) gas and food expenses. This is for a 44ft houseboat that sleeps 10 people. The basic cost of $150.00 needs to be paid in order to confirm the reservation. Contact Cindy Miller or Sally Edwards to get more details and to register your interest in this trip.
Club meeting at the REI Denver flagship store --- Tuesday November 18th at 7 pm
Opps --- had this one listed incorrectly --- its on Tuesday the 18th (not Monday the 17th as previously listed). Open meeting of the Rocky Mountain Sea Kayak Club, 7 pm to 9 pm. We will show another of the videos on paddling technique from the club library (remember, RMSKC members can borrow books and/or videos from the library --- this is a great resource for club members). Prospective members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the club and to meet club members. Contact Larry Kline to get more details.
Penguin Paddle - Lake Dillon --- November ??
This is the last club paddle of the year --- more details to follow. This event is open to RMSKC members, guests and visitors. Non-RMSKC members wanting to attend should contact a RMSKC member.
Holiday Party --- Friday, December 5th
Pot luck this year --- bring something to share. Non-alcoholic refreshments provided by the club. White Elephant exchange -- odd stuff you found kayaking this year. Its at Barb and Terry Smith's this year, 6-10 pm. Visit the forum for more details or contact Barb Smith.
TRIP DESCRIPTION
Intermediate Skills -- Paddlers should be able to control their boat without using the rudder and have skills in bracing, wet exits and wet reentry. Some previous slow moving river paddling is recommended.
Duration -- 4 to 6 hours on water each day
Distance -- Moderate - Paddle between 10 and 20 miles per day on the river.
Hazard -- Moderate - Moderately fast moving water with one Class 1 rapid which at low water of 1000 cfs should not be difficult.
RMSKC members may contact the organizers of these trips via the forum's private messaging function by clicking on their name. You will have to be registered on the Forums before this will work. See the Forums page for how to register for the Forums.
Visit the RMSKC Discussion Forums for details and discussions relating to these trips.
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