March 1999 Volume VI Number 3.

Next Meeting:

!!! Winter Schedule Meeting!!

Apr 6th @7:00pm 3925 Hilyard Street Episcopal Church

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Winter and Spring meetings:

First Tuesday of every month, 7:00 p.m.

Episcopal Church of the Resurrection

3925 Hilyard St., Eugene

 Summer meetings:

First Tuesday of every month, 6:30 p.m. Various boating sites Watch Newsletter for details

 Next Newsletter: Deadline Apr 24, 1999

Note If you have membership applications they should have this address: 3273 Wintercreek Dr. Eugene, Or 97405 other forms are old and should be thrown away. The new forms are on pink paper.

MARCH MEETING OF THE CASCADE CANOE CLUB Minutes.

T'was a dark and stormy night and Mary Battin said " Omar, you take the minutes." Mary was trapped at home because the power was out and she couldn't operate the electric garage door opener. Six brave or foolish people braved the storm to view slides, pictures and eat goodies. Ken Wayland showed slides of adventures in Washington state, Robert Horner shared slides taken by German adventurers he met on the Bowron Lakes, Omar had a few slides of trips here and there. Mari Baldwin ended the show and tell portion with some swell pictures of her trip to Laos. We finished the evening scheduling a bunch of trips for upcoming months.

Future trips were discussed:                [check update in Upcoming Events]

Klamath Lake Area first weekend in April. Lower Columbia Club is coordinating.

Coquile River estuary at Bandon Sa/Su 17-18 April. Phil Bachman will coordinate.

Willamette River Cleanup, Sa 24 April. Omar Nelson will coordinate this annual Earth Day Ritual.

Warner Lakes Canoe Trail, [see changes in Upcoming Events ]

John Day River, Clarno-Cottonwood, We/Su 9-13 June. No coordinator yet-Mari Baldwin is first contact.

Full Moon on the Willamette, Sa/Su 26-27 June. Horst Lueck is coordinating this your choice evening to weekend trip.

Full Moon weekend or evening trip, 24-25 July, to be determined. Tell us where you'd like to go and we'll do it.

 

If you have places you'd like to paddle e-mail your ideas to canoe@efn.org or share them at the next meeting. If you don't feel you can coordinate the trip we can find someone to volunteer. There is interest in beginner to

early intermediate white water trips. Does someone have any ideas/ be willing to coordinate?

I'd like to thank you all for wisely staying home and leaving more goodies for the few of us to munch. Omar

 

Notes from the prez.

I was driving out Delta highway the other day and noticed several great blue herons in the trees at the pond on the east side of the highway. It appeared that they were building nests. Monday the 15th I drove past again and they are definitely building nests. I thought it strange that the normally shy birds would be nesting so close to noisy civilization so I asked Kit Larsen from the Audobon Society about

it and he said that it's not that unusual as long as there is no direct contact with people. I asked him if canoeists would be a problem and he thought not, saying that the most immediate need for the ponds is more water to keep the water more clean and pure during the summer. So is it possible to develop Delta Ponds for water recreation? I'm not sure. I have some names and numbers of people at the city if someone wants to follow-up and get more information. See you on the water, Omar

 

Screen Shows Information: Slide shows for up-coming meetings are great entertainment for our Winter meetings. I need to be notified at least two weeks before so I can get the word out to the RG and also so it can get in the newsletter.

Thanks J Robert Horner

PROGRAM INFORMATION:

April Meeting- 7 PM Church of the Resurrection. Please try to be on time this month as we have some business to do and an interesting program. For business we need to finalize plans for the earth Day Clean-up.There is an interest in cleaning at Delta Ponds instead of or in addition to the Willamette stretch we usually clean We also have a growing list of trips that need to be organized with coordinators selected and such. Phil Bachman has said he will coordinate a trip on the upper John Day. The greater interest for the John Day is the lower run. Would any one be interested in being coordinator? White water boaters- the water's up. Let's get some trips scheduled. We have a nifty program scheduled with Tom Mooney from River Runner's Supply sharing his wit and wisdom on the art of canoe design. This should be an informative program for all of us. New boaters will gain an understanding of why boats handle the way they do and I think that us know-it-all old timers will be surprised to learn some things as well.

May Meeting Canoe Camping

Our highly active program committee has roped in a new voice to host one of our more popular meeting topics. Guy Santiago of Oregon River Sports will entertain us with a show and tell about the joys of canoe camping. Guy has been boating and camping nearly forever so he should know what he's talking about. Among other problems he will help us solve that perennial question- to bring or not to bring the Dutch oven.

ESTUARY EXPLORATIONS: April 16, 17, 18 (any day, or all three)

Coordinator Phil Backman, 344-8587

These trips are tide-assisted flatwater paddling. (I can't predict the weather and neither can the weather service -- we just go to the water and see what it is doing when we get there.) Bring rain gear, a lunch, and drinking water for each day.

Friday and Saturday will be near Bandon on the Coquille River, and Sunday we'll be in the Coos Bay area. Those spending more than one day will find lodging or camping in Bandon most convenient. There are motels, B&Bs, and a hostel in town. Camping in tents, RVs, or yurts is available at Bullards State Park.

Friday, April 16, Bullards boat ramp, 10:00am This is a reconnaissance trip. Anyone in an exploratory mood is welcome.

Saturday, April 17, Bullards boat ramp, 10:00am There is a wildlife refuge down-river toward Bandon, a proposed wildlife refuge just up-river, and the whole Coquille valley up-river as the tides allow.

Sunday, April 18, Empire boat ramp, 10:00am We will put in at Empire and "wander our way up the bay". There are five take-outs along the way, and we will paddle until we feel like quitting.All three days should offer opportunities for seeing birds and marine mammals, as well as a different perspective on a couple of familiar towns.
Finally, a three-plus-hour drive shouldn't end in disappointment, so make contingency plans--these are tourist towns. If the weather keeps us off the water, you can shop, fish, crab, dig clams, beach comb, take photographs, find a museum, etc. It's spring! It's time to play at something.
See you there!    Phil



Weathering the Tempest

 Nineteen hardy souls gathered for the third annual February week-end at Siltcoos Lake. Two years ago we enjoyed two and a half days of sunny canoeing and birding sighting Golden and Bald Eagles, osprey, woodpeckers, and a multitude of other water fowl. This year we witnessed and some braved, the wind storm of the year. Warm and snug in the LCC boathouse retreat we watched crashing waves sweep over the break water and felt the floating rolling logs crashing against the piers of our boathouse as we watched the big windows shudder. Jay and Norma Oulette, Phil Backman, Gary Staneil braved the water during a lull in the storm Saturday morning with their Kayaks. Those of us with canoes left them on shore hoping for less choppy water & a lot less wind.

A break in the rain but not in the choppy water (we were seeing breaking rolling waves replace the white caps on the lake) sent Omar and Neila hiking North along the lake shore road and Robert, Cheryl, Dixie, Gary, Joan, and John hiking south along the lake shore. We might as well have taken our boats out; the sky opened mid trip and we returned refreshed but wetter than our fellow kayakers on the water.

Saturday night brought a tasty spaghetti dinner cooked in the cabin kitchens and served in the boathouse with good conversation and comradship. Our third annual game of Saturday night Trivial Pursuit lasted into the late hours. Omar was the Trivial Master of the evening. Sunday morning the kayakers braved the water again. An hour later we watched through spotting scopes as the kayakers sunk and rose through troughs between the waves paddling back to the safety of the Lane Community College Siltcoos Station breakwater and Bob’s blueberry pancake breakfast.

It was a fun week-end of great storm watching, some challenging, kayaking, hiking, companionship, and plans for future trips. Siltcoos in sunny, warm September anyone?

Dixie

 

Book Review

"Paddling Lane County, 24 easy routes for canoe or kayak" is club member Jim Hutchison's answer to the wishes of many local paddlers. The 49 page booklet has maps, descriptions, and directions to 24 easy canoe or kayak trips in Lane County. Jim's format is straight forward, the trips are described by Paddling Distance, Time of Year, Highlights, Access, Precautions, and a Discussion of what to expect for boating, scenery, and fishing prospects.
I found his accounts accurate and informative for all the places I've been to and am looking forward to going to the rest of the places Jim has described.
This book fills a long unmet need for a guide to local paddling. It is divided into three sections, Coastal routes- which describes trips on coastal lakes and the Siuslaw River, Mountain Routes- for trips on mountain lakes this side of the Cascades, and Willamette Valley Routes- easy Willamette and McKenzie River trips and trips in the Fern Ridge Reservoir area. I find this book to be a great local resource and at $5.00 cost purchasing from the club is a great bargain over the retail price of $6.95 to $7.95. Omar

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Club Web Page Information:

By: Horst Lueck

Guideline for publishing -- affecting Newsletter and the our Web site: are available on the web site:-- if you have other suggestions let us know. 'www.efn.org/~canoe'. Send your input to 'canoe@efn.org' or call Horst at 687 5796. Cascade Canoe Club, Eugene.

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Lost and Found:

Found: At Siltcoos Station Boathouse. A pair of black rain pants. Call Omar at 345-5115 and/or come to the April meeting.

*********************************** Advertisements

For Sale: The 'Willamette River Interpretive Manual' (60 pages), written by local naturalist, Elizabeth Gates. An informative take-along guide exploring the natural wonders along the quieter stretches of the river. Features information on the local geology, pioneer history and riparian plants and wildlife. A must! $7.95 (incl. S&H). E-mail Order: egates@efn.org

 

Advertisements: Continued

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For Sale: "Paddling Lane County, 24 easy routes for canoe or kayak" written by club member Jim Hutchison. Available from the club for $5.00. Retail Price $6.95 to $7.95. See review this issue.

 

For Sale: Paddles from Paradise.

You choose length, style and type of wood. Over a dozen blade styles to choose from. Order now for the Holidays for that special paddler in your life. Now also available for hikers or long portages: Walking staffs. Call Robert 342-2246