Executive Meeting Minutes 2020-09-16
Log on to see the minutes of the virtual executive meeting held September 16, 2020.
Updates to COVID-19 Protocols for RACCC
September 26, 2020
The club executive reviewed the Covid rules and made 3 changes. The changes allow limited carpooling, and update the requirements for returning and disinfecting equipment. The latest version of the Covid rules is here.
Burnstown Trip Sept. 16 2020
On Wed. Sept. 16th 2020 we drove for about one hour to arrive at Burnstown Beach by 9:30 am. There were no crowds. Four club members headed south on the Madawaska River as far as the Springtown bridge. The weather was clear and the temperature moderate. The water was still reasonably warm. We saw rolling hills on either side of the river and some cottages on the west side. We were challenged with a head wind of about 35 km/hr but made steady progress. We turned around at the bridge and enjoyed a tail wind. Our on-water leader (Catherine) pointed out our options for stopping spots. We ate our lunches where Kippens Creek meets the Madawaska. We noticed white turtlehead flowers along the shore and lots of chanterelle mushrooms as well as other mushrooms. We appreciated having a botanist along! After lunch we paddled up Kippens Creek. A road crosses the creek and we found two culverts just large enough to allow us through. Some decided to paddle upstream as far as possible. It was very pretty. We returned through the culvert to Burnstown Beach arriving about 3 pm. We had paddled just under 16 km in five hours. Thanks to all for the wonderful team effort!
Mississippi R:Pakenham to Blakeney Rapids
September 6, 2020
A glorious sunny day greeted 8 happy RACCC paddlers: 3 canoes and 2 kayaks for our day trip on the Mississippi River, from the Pakenham Beach upstream to Blakeney Rapids and return. By 10:00 AM we paddled away from the sandy beach, upstream where the Mississippi flows under a railroad bridge and then winds through a wooded valley. There are a few cottages, a trailer camp and some farms along the way.
After about 2 hours and 9 kms of calm flat water and easy upstream paddling we arrived at the unexpectedly pretty Blakeney Rapids gently cascading and sparkling in the sun. The Nepean sandstone cuts across the river valley here, creating several channels and islands with beautiful waterfalls and rapids. The smooth granite rocks on shore made a fine place for our picnic lunch and for enjoying each other’s good company and stories. There were several families with the same thought of enjoying the enticing spot, making it a bit busy. But everyone was enjoying themselves and we all made space for each other.
Read more: Mississippi River:Pakenham to Blakeney Rapids 2020
Payment for Canoe Club Boat Rentals
There are two ways to pay for canoe club boat rentals for 2020:
1) You can make payments by cheque with the trip number on the face of the cheque. There are prestamped and addressed envelopes in the boathouse for this purpose.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER – APPLETON TO ALMONTE DAY TRIP
Aug. 30, 2020
By Jane M
Despite heavy rains the day before, blue skies and sun greeted our group of 6 intrepid paddlers at the boat put-in at Appleton on Sunday, Aug. 30th. Appleton, about 40 minutes SW of Ottawa off Hwy 7, enroute to Carleton Place, is nestled among lovely, scenic farm country, well worth a visit. Four paddlers brought along their own kayaks and two of us paddled Mark’s favourite blue canoe. Did I mention the strong NW winds that added a chill to the morning and extra paddling pressure as we pushed off toward Almonte? The Mississippi River in this area is bordered by low, heavy marsh, perfect for bird watching. Blue herons were sighted along the way. After vigorous paddling we reached the Almonte public beach where we lunched and enjoyed the kids who seemed oblivious to the cool temps as they splashed about in the river. We literally ‘sailed’ home with the strong winds behind us. A 16 km. round trip approximately. Our paddling team included Art B., Debbie G, guest of Heather R., Jane O., Jane M. and leader Mark Scott. The Flatwater Committee thanks Mark for his willingness to lead so many day trips this summer. Well done Mark!
Jones Falls to Seeley’ Bay August 13 2020
The day’s outing from Jones Falls to Seeley’ Bay on the Rideau River was organized by Rick S & had a group of 8 paddle the distance. The day was warm & sunny with no noticeable wind at the beginning of the outing & then a slight head wind on the return paddle. We were on the water for about 4.5 hours. We picnicked at Haskins Point Park in Seeley’s Bay, where several canoeist enjoyed a swim. We passed many river side cottages/homes & viewed Rock Dunder from below. It was both a sociable & physically enjoyable day.
Article courtesy of Cal
Crotch Lake Day Trip August 7 2020
Trip Overview - Dave B
- Trip Leaders – Karen H and Mark S
- 7 participants gathered at Chapters on Iris Street next to Ikea at 8:30am prior to departure.
- Distance from Orleans to Tumblehome Lodge 152 kms
- Put-in at Tumblehome Lodge with permission and parking fee – 10:50am
- Time on and at the lake ~7 hrs
- Weather during day – sunny and hot, still winds and smooth water
- Two lunch/rest/swimming stops Site 55 and Site 30.See map below
- Numerous sites were observed – mostly from our boats.Many good sites.
Crotch Lake Weekend Trip Report
Friday July 31st, four of us set out for the long weekend on Crotch Lake. The weather was warm and sunny heading out. We took the back roads to the put in on south end of the lake. The site was small but as a point protected by an island, it was great. Saturday we paddled around the south end of the lake just exploring and stopping for lunch. The balance of the afternoon was spent swimming and relaxing. Sunday brought rough weather with a tornado warning and some strong winds. So we spent the majority of the day hanging out under the tarp. The skies mostly cleared for the evening, so the full moon was quite a sight. Monday was another beautiful day, so we took our time swimming while we packed up and headed back mid-afternoon.
Lac La Peche Day Trip Report
On Saturday, August 1st five club members and one guest enjoyed a day’s canoeing and kayaking on Lac La Peche in Gatineau Park. After a short delay occasioned by two different identifications of the “put in” location, we found ourselves quite delighted with both the setting and the company for our outing. Lac La Peche is a relatively large lake. It was a bright summer’s day with periodic cloud cover as a welcome respite to the 30-degree maximum temperature. There was a very gentle breeze to offer ideal paddling conditions. We enjoyed a brief stop for lunch, and several of our group enjoyed a couple of swims in lovely warm water. We saw and heard several loons and one turkey vulture, viewed numerous water lilies and cardinal flowers in bloom, and met up with a great many other swimmers, canoeists, kayakers, and stand-up paddle-boarders. Unexpectedly meeting old friends and fellow water enthusiasts was a pleasant surprise and addition for at least one of our group, and several of us made plans for another excursion next week.
Submitted by James H
Chaffey’s Locks to Jones’ Falls Trip
By Kathy E
On Saturday, July 18, 10 people (four canoes and two kayaks) set out to do a section of the Rideau Canal System. The drive was 1 ½ hours long to Chaffey’s Locks. As we had nine vehicles, parking was going to be a problem. Our intrepid leader, Paul, approached the lock master and received permission to park behind the museum, which was very handy as the put-in was not too far away. We were on the water by 10:00 and proceeded to follow the channel to our next lock station, Davis Locks. This we portaged and headed to find a swimming spot. An island was available and we took a well-deserved, and some might have said, a well-needed swim (the temperature was high and the humidity higher!!) We headed on to Jones Falls where we found a shady spot for lunch.
FW Canoe Skills Coaching: works a treat!
Thanks to volunteer extraordinaire, Mark S, for coming up with the idea of offering evening informal tandem or solo canoeing skills coaching for any level paddler (intro to advanced). He has done one session earlier this summer.and will be offering a solo evening session July 30th check the calendar for more info!
Building on Mark's idea, we offered Sat/Sun coaching sessions July 18 and 19 9:30 AM- 3:30 PM focusing just on paddling skills. (Our Paddle Canada national certification courses have usually been 2 days: 8 hrs each plus a 2 hour pool session for water safety and canoe rescues. They are great courses, but Covid19 required a change of plans!) Our trial run was at Hartwell Locks: Saturday Tandem and Sunday Solo with a max of 6 participants making for manageable covid19 distancing and easy coaching. Both days, we paddled until lunch time. After some much-appreciated rest in the shade we were back on water for a little while longer until we all wisely and happily declared we were ‘sufficed’ with the sun/heat. Sunday afternoon, thunderstorms were threatening so we wisely called it a day.
Here are the strokes we learned/reviewed (some intro and some intermediate level technique) everyone 'got' them. Nice work all !
Read more: RACCC Flatwater Canoeing Training a new short/sweet format - It worked a treat!
Joining the Canoe Club for 2020
The Canoe Club will be reopening on June 27. Click here for more information. Note that your profile on the membership list now shows your Membership Expiry Date. You can rejoin the club by filling out a form on the RA Centre website, click here. Jill of the RA, or her delegate, will call you within one to two days to arrange for you to join or rejoin the club. Also, there is a new waiver that must be completed online at www.racentre.com/raccc-waiver-adult (adults) or www.racentre.com/raccc-waiver-minor (under 18). For additional information on joining the canoe club, click here.