2012 LOAPC Calendar

All trips will have coordination information posted here on the Club website blog at www.loapc.org prior to the activity with contact info.  Note that a few trips require more advanced commitment due to ferry or lodging reservations needed.  Participants are responsible for having appropriate equipment and ability.  Non-members must sign a Club waiver prior to participation.  

 May 19       Looking Glass River, Babcock Lake Road to Wacousta. loretta@loapc.org

May 26      Looking Glass River – Daytrip.  Wacousta to Portland.  Trip coordinator tkuhlman56@gmail.com. 

May 26-28     Pennsylvania Whitewater Class II-III Car Camping w/Day Paddles.  Trip coordinator toddleigh@hotmail.com 

June 2    Greenville Surf ‘n Turf: morning bike ride 9 miles on the Heartland Bike Trail; afternoon paddle 13 miles on the Flat River, Greenville to Belding. loretta@loapc.org

June 2-3     Boardman and Bear Class I-III Whitewater Car Camping w/Day Paddles.  Trip coordinator toddleigh@hotmail.com

June 9      Youth Sports Event at Burchfield Park 

June 9 – 10  Ocqueoc River and East Branch of Black River – Daytrips with base camping at Pigeon River State Forest Campground.  Saturday:  Ocqueoc River from Millersburg to Ocqueoc Falls, Sunday:  Black River from Blue Lakes Road to Clark Road.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com 

June 16      Shiawassee River, Henderson Park to Ditch Road.  loretta@loapc.org

June 23-24      Pigeon and Sturgeon Rivers – Daytrips with base camping at Haakwood State Forest Campground.  Saturday:  Pigeon River from M-68 to Mullett Lake, Sunday:  Sturgeon River from Wolverine to 2^nd White Road Bridge.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com 

June 29-July 1       Sleeping Bear Dunes Open Water Car Camping w/Day Paddles.  Trip coordinator savage@msu.edu 

July 7-8       Negwegon State Park Open Water Backcountry Camping.  Trip coordinator savage@msu.edu 

July 7-8      Platte and Boardman Rivers – Daytrips and base camping at Veterans Memorial State Forest Campground.  Saturday:  Platte River from the campground to Deadstream Road, Sunday:  Boardman River from Brown Bridge Dam to Keystone Pond.   Trip coordinator:  jayhanks@aol.com 

July 14       Mountain bike ride on the Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee bike trail, Ovid to Owosso. loretta@loapc.org

July 21-22       Au Sable River – FR4001 to Five Channels Dam with overnight self-sufficient camping in the Huron-Manistee National Forest.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com 

July 28     Grand River – Daytrip 1 of 4.  Eaton Rapids to Grand River Park.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com

July 28-30     Grand Island Open Water Backcountry Camping (Long Weekend).  Trip coordinator savage@msu.edu 

August 4      Grand River – Daytrip 2 of 4.  Grand River Park to Grand Ledge.  Trip coordinator  jayhanks@aol.com.

August 6-11     Thornapple River Expedition.    http://www.facebook.com/events/269354223128081/

August 18     Grand River – Daytrip 3 of 4.  Grand Ledge to Portland.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com.    Coincides with Portland Riverfest. 

August 18-19      Lower Youghiogheny Class III Whitewater Car Camping w/Day Paddles.  Trip coordinator toddleigh@hotmail.com 

August 25     Grand River – Daytrip 4 of 4.  Portland to Lyons.  Trip coordinator loretta@loapc.org 

August 25-26      Thunder Bay Islands Open Water Backcountry Camping.  Trip coordinator savage@msu.edu 

August 25-26      13^th Annual Family Paddling Trip.  Au Sable River from Alcona Dam to Loud Dam on Saturday.   Alcona Dam to Thompson’s Landing on Sunday.  Base camping at Rollway Campground.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com 

September 1-3     Eastern Ontario Whitewater Class II-III Car Camping w/Day Paddles.  Trip coordinator toddleigh@hotmail.com 

September 8            Sycamore Creek River Cleaning Project.   Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com

September 15       Red Cedar River Daytrip and pre-clearing observation.   Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com

September 29-30      Manistee River Surf and Turf.  Hodenpyle Dam to Red Bridge by boat, and then hike and camp back to the vehicles on the Manistee River Trail.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com 

October 6      Red Cedar River Daytrip and Cleaning Project.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com

October 13      Fall color tour on the Grand River, Webster Road to Grand Ledge. loretta@loapc.org

Nov 23 – 24      22^nd Annual Turkey Float Parts 1 and 2.  Trip coordinator Part 1:  TBD, Trip coordinator Part 2:  jayhanks@aol.com 

December 22       “End of the World” Celebration Float – Grand River, Brenke Dam to Grand Ledge.  Trip coordinator jayhanks@aol.com

The Boardman, Brew, and Bear Trip – June 2 – 3, 2012

We’ll meet at The Omelette Shoppe (1209 E. Front St.) in Traverse City at 8:00am on Saturday morning (June 2) to fuel up.  Then we’ll head over to the Boardman River.  The section we paddle will depend on the group and the water level, but it will include the Class I-II section from Beitner Road to Keystone Pond (see http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/3799/ ).  We’ll drive up on Friday night; lodging suggestions include Traverse City State Park for campers or any number of cheap hotels along Highway 31/72 in Traverse City.  Bring a lunch to eat on the river.

On Saturday night we’ll go to the Shorts Brewing Company (121 N. Bridge St.) in Bellaire for micro-brewed beer and food.  We’ll stay at the All Seasons Motel in Bellaire so we can walk back from the brewpub.  There are lots of hotel choices in the area, and several state parks (Young, Fisherman’s Island, Petosky) for camping if you’d rather do that.

On Sunday, we’ll explore the Bear River in Petosky which is reportedly “the best whitewater in the Lower Penninsula” (see http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/4330/ ).  The City of Petosky has made improvements to the banks and channel, so this is one of the new breed of constructed whitewater that is coming to Michigan at Ann Arbor (Argo Dam) and Eaton Rapids. This is rated as class II-III whitewater on the American Whitewater site, so it will be tougher than the Boardman. Of course, running this section this depends on the water level, so another option for Sunday is the Jordan River. 

The rivers on this trip start with easier whitewater and progress to harder whitewater, but you should have some whitewater skills and experience for this trip.  “Whitewater skills and experience” means you can:

• Catch eddies, peel out, and ferry in class I-II whitewater
• Safely swim in rapids
• Attempt self-rescue (bow rescues or a roll)

Participants are expected to provide all of their own gear which includes but is not limited to: a whitewater boat with adequate flotation, life jacket, helmet, paddle, spray skirt for kayaks, wet or dry suit for the cold water we’ll encounter, and river safety knowledge.  The water will be cold and the air may be cold too, so cold temperature preparedness is essential.

Contact Todd Leigh – 517-333-9716 home, 517-712-9083 cell, toddleigh@hotmail.com if you would like to join us, or if you have questions.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore open water paddling, June 29-July 1

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore open water paddling, June 29-July 1.  Explore the spectacular coastline of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, while you get experience paddling open water in the safety of a group.  You need to have a kayak at least 12 feet long with at least one sealed bulkhead and a sprayskirt, appropriate clothing for the weather and water temperature (still a little chilly in June), the endurance to complete a 10-mile day with breaks, and a willingness to try paddling in moderate wind and waves less than 2 feet.  We will car camp, and set a shuttle for a point-to-point day paddle each day, weather permitting.  A group campsite for LOAPC is reserved at DH Day Campground, with a maximum capacity of 25, for Friday and Saturday nights.  You must email Linda Savage, savage@msu.edu, to reserve your spot.   If space is available, club members who do not want to do the open water paddle are welcome to join us at the campsite.

May 15 Club Meeting and Presentation

There will be a Lansing Oar and Paddle Club Meeting and Presentation on Tuesday May 15 at 7:00 pm at Jimmy’s Pub in East Lansing.

Map to Jimmy’s Pub: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=16804%20Chandler%20Road%2C%20East%20Lansing%2C%20MI

Please arrive early to order food prior to the presentation.

The May meeting will feature a presentation on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is located in northern Minnesota. The Boundary Waters contains more than 1 million acres, 1,000 miles of canoe trails and 2,000 campsites, making it one of the premier paddling destinations in all of North America. Phyllis and Jeff Kacos have taken four trips to the area, and for our program Jeff will be sharing the trip that they took last summer, including a report on the Pagami Creek fire that was burning when they arrived.

Looking Glass River – Wacousta to Portland

Saturday, May 26, 2012, 10:30 AM

By: Tony Kuhlman 

Looking Glass Valley Park

13450 Wacousta Rd., Grand Ledge, MI (edit map)

 

On this trip, we will paddle about 16 miles from Looking Glass Valley Park, near scenic downtown Wacousta, to Portland, the city of two rivers.  We will take out at the old mill site on the Looking Glass river, about 500 feet upstream of where it empties into the Grand River.  The take-out point is directly across the river from Duke’s Cajun Bar and Grill, always a popular place to celebrate a successful trip.

I am told that there are 3 or 4 snags on this stretch of the river that will likely require us to portage, so allow AT LEAST 5 hours to make this trip.  Pack a lunch and drinks, and we will stop somewhere on the river for lunch.  You may want to bring a snack or two also. You will also want to bring a change of clothes in a dry bag, too.  And always dress for the weather that day!

 

SHUTTLE DRIVERS NEEDED

I will need some people to volunteer to leave a vehicle or two downstream to shuttle drivers and/or boats back to the put-in point.  Please let me know if you can help out, and how many people you can carry.  The drive from put-in to take-out is about 20 minutes, and maps will be available.  I would like to meet the shuttle drivers by 9 AM that morning, at the put-in, so that we have plenty of time to spot shuttle vehicles and be back in time for the launch.  I live nearby, so you can leave your boats, gear, etc at my house, rather than at the park, while dropping vehicles downstream.

GPS coordinates:

put-in:  N 42 49.286, W 84 42.038 (park entrance – turn left after entering, and drive about 500 feet to the launch point)

take-out: N 42 52.233, W 084 54.025 

As always, all LOAPC trips require that participants sign a waiver before participating, and ALL paddlers must have AND WEAR a USCG approved PFD.

Contact:  tkuhlman56@yahoo.com

Looking Glass River – Babcock Landing to Wacousta

Saturday, May 19, 2012, 9:00 AM

Meet at the put-in off Babcock Road near the intersection of Chandler Road and Round Lake Road west of Laingsburg at 9:00 a.m. Take out at Looking Glass Riverfront Park, 3899 West Herbison Road, DeWitt Township. This trip is about 12 miles long. We will meet at the put-in and drop off one or more vehicles at the takeout so we can go get our cars after the trip. There will be a lunch stop around midday.

There are at least four portages on the trip because of fallen trees, so expect to get your feet wet and deal with river mud. Please attach a rope or strap at least 15 feet long to the front of your canoe or kayak to help with portaging, and bring a change of clothes in a dry bag in case you swim (unless you’re wearing a wet or dry suit). A PFD must be worn. If you don’t already have a current trip waiver on file, you’ll need to sign one.

Trip coordinator:   lorettacrum@borealpress.com or got to the Meetup page from www.loapc.org for more info.

Pennsylvania Whitewater – Memorial Day Weekend

Let’s paddle some classic southeastern whitewater!  On Memorial Day Weekend (May 25-28) we’ll be leaving the Lansing Area on Friday night after work, and returning on Monday night. We’ll be headed to Pennsylvania and hitting some Class II-III whitewater, so you should have some whitewater skills and experience. 

The rivers we might paddle on this trip are:

• Slippery Rock Creek
• Casselman River
• Youghiogheny River

Participants are expected to provide all of their own gear which includes but is not limited to: a whitewater boat with adequate flotation, life jacket, helmet, paddle, spray skirt for kayaks, wet or dry suit for the cold water we’ll encounter, and river safety knowledge.  The water will be cold and the air may be cold too, so cold temperature preparedness is essential.

“Whitewater skills and experience” means you can:

• Catch eddies, peel out, and ferry in class II whitewater
• Safely swim in rapids
• Attempt self-rescue (bow rescues or a roll)

We’ll be car-camping on this trip, and eating some meals in camp and some meals in restaurants. I’ll provide more information on travel and lodging as the trip comes together.

Contact Todd Leigh (517-712-9083, toddleigh@hotmail.com) for more information.

KAYAK CLASSES ON LAKE LANSING THIS SUMMER

Learn paddling basics and more – discover kayaking at these fun, information-packed workshops at the MSU Sailing Center on Lake Lansing.  You will learn:

•         All about types of kayaks, equipment , appropriate clothing, and safety gear

•         Launching, landing, and transporting kayaks

•         How to efficiently maneuver a kayak in lakes and quiet rivers

•         Common hazards faced by kayakers and how to avoid them

•         What to do in case of a capsize:  safety and rescue skills on the water

 

Each class is a 3 ½ hour one-session workshop, including dry land topics and lots of on-the-water paddling.  All equipment provided:  the latest new demo kayaks from Summit Sports, paddles, and life jackets.

 

Beginner sessions:  for those with little or no experience, or who have never had any formal instruction.

Women’s Clinic:  a uniquely supportive and fun special session taught by and for women. 

Advanced Strokes:  for those who have taken the beginner session or other formal instruction and want to improve their technique, and learn more advanced strokes and maneuvers.

Recovery and Rescues:  for students with some experience with basic strokes who want to work on recovery skills (balance, edging, and braces), and learn assisted and solo deepwater rescues.  Plan on getting wet!

 

DATES: 

Wednesday, May 23, 5:00 – 8:30 pm:  Beginner session

Wednesday, May 30, 5:00 – 8:30 pm:  Beginner session

Saturday, June 9, 3:00 – 6:30 pm:  Beginner session

Wednesday, June 13, 5:30 – 9:00 pm:  Beginner session

Saturday, June 16, 3:00 – 6:30 pm:  Women’s Clinic

Wednesday, June 27, 5:30 – 9:00 pm:  Advanced Strokes

Wednesday, July 11, 5:30 – 9:00 pm:  Beginner session

Wednesday, July 25, 5:30 – 9:00 pm:  Recovery and Rescues

Wednesday, August 1, 5:30 – 9:00 pm:  Beginner session

Wednesday, August 22, 5:00 – 8:30 pm:  Recovery and Rescues

 

COST:  $50 per one-evening 3 ½ hour session.

 

Class location:  MSU Sailing Center, on Lake Lansing in Haslett

 

Students should bring:  water shoes, a windproof jacket or raincoat, and a synthetic shirt for warmth – not cotton.  Be prepared to get wet!  Also recommended:  sun hat and/or sunglasses, eyeglass retainers if needed, and water.

 

Please pre-register:  and for more information, email lainstkayaking@gmail.com, or call 517-333-9716