November Notes and Paddles

December Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 7 at Five Rivers in the Tensaw Theater. Russ Lea, MBCKC member, will give a presentation on paddling the Bowron Lakes in British Columbia.

November Meeting Notes
A good time was had by all at last month's 4th Annual Photo Event. Beautiful photos were on display in the front of the Delta Hall and table lined with good food was in the back! Thanks to everyone for making this night a success!
General Notes:
I am looking for volunteers to host next year's monthly meetings. Please contact me if you would like to 'be in charge' of a meeting next year. Tracy Lannie tracy@thelannies.us or 463-4233

Upcoming Events and Paddles

Paddles
Nov. 3, 10, & 17 - Juli's mid-afternoon paddles
Nov. 13 - Ocheesee Pond Paddle by Bob Andrews

Events:
November 5 - 7 - ASRT's Fall Color Paddlehttp://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/event

October Notes and Paddles


November Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 2nd, at 6:45pm in the Long Leaf Room/Delta Hall (immediately to the left of the Tensaw Theater). We will hold our 4th Annual Photo Event, "Through the Eyes of a Paddler", along with a potluck dinner. This year's event will be a Photo Exhibition, not a photo contest. Bring your photos and a dish to share, and come enjoy the evening. Please note time and place change for this special event.

Categories include:
1. Flora / Trees
2. Landscape / Waterscape
3. Boat (with or without paddlers
4. Animals / Wildlife
5. Birds
Photos can be previously submitted photos from past contests or new photos. Photographs must be taken while on a paddle and can be in color or black and white. Photos must be no larger than 11X14 and cannot be digitally enhanced/altered. Bring your mounted /framed photo to the November meeting!

October Meeting Notes
Thanks to Bob Andrews for stepping in when we had a last minute cancelation from our guest speaker, Russ Lea. Russ will give his Bowron presentation at the December meeting. Bob Andrews had a lovely slide-show presentation on paddling the Okefenokee swamp.

General Notes:
Congratulations to Maggie Pyle, MBCKC member for placing third in her division in the Phatwater Challenge, a 42.5 mile race on the Mississippi River. Hats off to all members who participated in this race!

Upcoming Events and Paddles
Please check the calendar frequently for new paddle postings. Paddles currently posted or soon to be posted are:

Paddles
October 23-24 Eglin AFB Camp/Paddle Trip

Nov. 3, 10, & 17 - Juli's mid-afternoon paddles

Check back frequently for updated paddle announcements.

Events:
October 16 - Suwannee Race Challenge & Marathon http://www.aca1.com/

November 5 - 7 - ASRT's Fall Color Paddlehttp://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/events

September Notes and Paddles

October Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 5, at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. The presentation will be given by MBCKC member, Russ Lea. Russ recently paddled the Bowron Lakes which are located in the Northern part of British Columbia. We are sure to see some beautiful photos of this paddle trip! The mini-slideshow will feature MBCKC members participating in the 23rd Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup.

September Meeting Notes
What a great turnout at September's meeting! We had several first timers attend. Juli Day shared her summer hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail.

Also, Bethany Craft and Catherine Mackey of Alabma Coastal Foundation (AFC) spoke about opportunities for club members to participate in the AFC's Volunteer Field Observer Training Program. AFC will soon have the training for this volunteer project available on the web. Continue to watch this site for updates.

General Notes:
Don't forget Wednesday's Canoe & Kayak races at Lake Forest Yacht Club Marina!

Alabama Coastal Cleanup! We are hoping to get a large group of MBCKC members to participate in the cleanup on Sept 18 from 8am to noon around the causeway area and at 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. See calendar for more information. Free lunch available to all volunteers.

Upcoming Events and Paddles
Please check the calendar frequently for new paddle postings. Paddles currently posted or soon to be posted are:

Paddles
September 23 - Full Moon Paddle - Possibly the last full moon paddle of the year!
October 1 - Paddle on the Grand Bay National Estuarine Reserve to study the Diamondback Terrapin

Events:

September 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 - Weekly Wednesday Kayaking Races at Lake Forest Yacht Club. See http://lakeforestycc.com/ and click the "special events" link

September 18 - 23rd Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup http://alcoastalcleanup.com/

September 17-19 - Tour Du Teche (130 mile paddle marathon) for more info: http://www.techeproject.com/tour-du-teche/about-the-tour.html

October 9 - Phatwater Challenge 2010 http://www.kayakmississippi.com/phatwater

August Notes and Paddles


September Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 7 at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. The presentation will be given by MBCKC member, Juli Day who will share her experiences from her summer hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail.

Also, Alabama Coastal Foundations Executive Director, Bethany Kraft, and their AmeriCorps VISTA, Catherine Mackey, will speak to us about ACF's VFOB (Volunteer Field Observer) program.

August Meeting Notes
The photos in Russ Lea's slideshow of his June SE Alaskan trip were beautiful! Thank you Russ for sharing this fishing/kayaking adventure with us.

General Notes:
Don't forget Wednesday's Canoe & Kayak races!

Upcoming Events and Paddles

Paddles:
Please check the calendar frequently for new paddle postings. Paddles currently posted or soon to be posted are:

August 15 - Weeks Bay Paddle

August 23- Full Moon Paddle with Tracy Lannie

August 24 - Full Moon Paddle with Juli Day

August 28 - Saturday Evening Paddle from Buzbee's
Check back frequently for updated paddle announcements.

Events:
*September 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 - Weekly Wednesday Kayaking Races at Lake Forest Yacht Club.  See    http://lakeforestycc.com/ and click the "special events" link
*September 18 - 23rd Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup http://alcoastalcleanup.com/
*September 17-19 - Tour Du Teche (130 mile paddle marathon) for more info: http://www.techeproject.com/tour-du-teche/about-the-tour.html

July Notes and Paddles


August Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 3 at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. The presentation will be given by MBCKC member, Russ Lea. Russ will share his recent SE Alaskan experience with photos of fishing, kayaking, and more in and around the Sitka area.

This months mini-slide show will be "Kayaking the Sepulga River" by Tracy Lannie.

July Meeting Notes
Becky Winstead, a research assistant with the Institute for Marine Mammals Studies (IMMS) presented a slide-show that shared the rewarding work that IMMS does in Mississipi and Alabama. The impact on marine mamals in our area due to the recent BP Oil Spill was a major topic of the Q & A session that followed. To volunteer or for more information on IMMS, see: hppt://www.imms.org/

The Green River (Utah's Canyonlands National Park) slide-show that Maggie shared was awesome and full of beautiful photos!


General Notes
*Follow Jake Stachovak on his solo 5,000 kakak trip:
http://www.portagetoportage.com/index.html


Upcoming Events and Paddles
Please remember to check the calendar for new paddle postings. Paddles currently posted or soon to be posted are:
July 11 - Fish River Paddle
July 25 - Fish River @ Big Daddy's

June Notes and Paddles

July Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 6th at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. Our guest speaker will be Becky Winstead, a research assistant from the Institute for Marine Mammals Studies (IMMS) For more information about the IMMS, see: http://www.imms.org/

Maggie Pyle will be this month's mini-slideshow presenter with photos of her Green River trip.
June Meeting Notes
Bob Andrews slide-show presentation of his canoe trip on the Green River in the Canyonlands National Park in Utah was awesome. Beautiful photos/scenery. Thank you, Bob.

Also, Maggie Pyle presented June's mini-presentation on the BluzCruz Race. How cool to see our fellow paddlers on the Mississippi River competing against others!

General Notes
Upcoming Paddles and Events
Please remember to check the calendar for new paddle postings. Paddles currently posted are:
June 6 - Fish River Paddle at Big Daddy's
June 12 - Silver River in Ocala National Forest
June 20 - Weeks Bay Paddle
June 25 - Full Moon Paddle

Events:
June 6 - Grandman Triathlon
June 11-13 Lower Cahaba River by ASRT - visit http://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/ for more info
June 19 - Mississippi State Games (Kayak Race) Visit http://www.stategamesofms.org/site1/?q=node/139
June 25 - 27 - ASRT's 2nd Annual Paddle Weiss Lake Visit http://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/ for more info
June 26 - Kayak Festival in Ocean Springs (more TBA soon)

May Notes and Paddles

June Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 1st at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. Bob Andrews will present a slide-show of the Green River (Canyonlands National Park, Utah). This month's mini photo presentation will be on the Bluz Cruz presented by Maggie Pyle

May Meeting Notes
Paul Taylor presented with a slideshow on an Outward Bound canoe trip in the Everglades that he did this Spring.
Also, Bruce Coldsmith with Dog River Clearwater Revival (DRCR) updated members on the Dog River Blueway progress and the Dog River Canoe/Kayak Races which are scheduled for May 22nd. He ended the night with updates on the latest news on the Deep Horizon Oil Spill, and we spoke about local volunteer opportunities.
For more info on the DRCR: http://www.dogriver.org/

Here is an informative website that was mentioned at the meeting: http://gulfseagrant.tamu.edu/oilspill/index.htm

Upcoming Events and Paddles
Paddles
May 9 - Boiling Creek
May 16 - Boiling Creek
May 27th - Full Moon, Bay Minette Basin

Events
May 22 - DRCR Dog Paddle Races

April Notes and Paddles

May Meeting - Please note change in meeting place for May Only
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 4th at 7:00 pm in the Class Room at Five Rivers. MBCKC member, Paul Taylor, will give a slide-show presentation on an Everglades trip he recently went on. Also, a representative of the Dog River Clearwater Revival will give us updates on the progress of the Dog River Blueway and talk about the Dog Paddle Race to be held in May. Come to the meeting to get your $5 voucher good toward the registration fee for the Dog Paddle Race.

April Meeting Notes
Ron Smith gave an awesome presentation on the 145 nautical mile paddle/camp trip he did on the North Shore of Lake Superior. What beautiful photos!
Also, Nick Kinderman of the Gulf Coast Kayakaholics gave a mini-slide show of the Battle on the Bayou Race which was held in Ocean Springs, MS in March. Approximately 10 MBCKC members participated in this fun-filled day.

General Notes
*Kayakers Needed: Please see June 5th's posting on MBCKC's calendar to sign up for The Grandman Triathlon. You MUST contact Harriet King-Ingraham to sign up for participation in this event.



Upcoming Events and Paddles

April 9 - Whiskey Ditch Paddle
April 28 - Full Moon / Whiskey Ditch Paddle

March Notes and Paddles


April Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April, 6th at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers. Ron Smith, MBCKC member, will present on a recent paddle trip that he participated in: a 145 nautical mile trip along the Canadian North Shore of Lake Superior from Silver Islet to Terrace Bay.

The April "Mini Slide-Show Paddle Report" will feature the Battle on the Bayou race on Old Fort Bayou in Ocean Springs, MS which many MBCKC members participated in.

March Meeting Notes
The presentation for March was put on by MBCKC members. Members submitted some of their favorite kayaking photos and talked about them as they were displayed. The slilde show included Jimmy Saxon's skin on frame kayak which he built last year.

Upcoming Events and Paddles
Please remember to check the calendar for new paddle postings. Current paddles/events posted on calendar are:
Paddles:

March 4 - Magnolia River Paddle
March 13 - Fish River Paddle
March 15 - 4 pm Paddle from Bay Front Park
March 21 - Fowl River Paddle
March 27 - Indian Mounds Paddle
March 28 - Paddle to Bay Minette Creek to see Golden Club
March 29 - CANCELED Moon Light Paddle CANCELED
March 30 - Juli Days 4:00 p.m. Bay Front Park Paddle
April 9 - Whiskey Ditch Paddle

Check back frequently for updated paddle announcements.

Events:
March 6 - Battle on the Bayou - A Charity Canoe and Kayak Race
March 5 -Volunteer Paddlers needed for locating/marking traps for the Derelict Crab Trap Recovery
March 6 - Derelict Crab Trap Recovery / http://www.mobilebaynep.com/
April 8 - 11 Paddle Bayou LaFourche
April 9 - Alabama Scenic River Trail's Delta Paddle

February Notes and Paddles
March Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 2nd at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers. Claire Wilson of the Dog River Clearwater Revival will update us on the progress of the Dog River Blueway. Claire will also share details of this years "Dog Paddle Race" which will be held on May 22, 2010

February Meeting Notes
Dr. Jim Connors presented an informative presentation on "The Geological History of Mobile Bay" (including the Delta) which was followed by a Q&A session. The presentation was filled with interesting data on the changes of the area throughout history as well as some humor which, combined, demanded everyone's attention. Thank you to Dr. Connors for an outstanding job!

Fritz and Harriet Ingraham presented January's "Slide-Show Paddle Report" which featured some very icy paddling conditions on Guntersville Lake in North Alabama. Many club members commented afterwards on the great job they did!

Upcoming Events and Paddles

Please remember to check the calendar for new paddle postings. Current paddles/events posted on calendar are:

Paddles:
February 6 - Dog River Exploratory Paddle
February 27 - Whiskey Ditch Full Moon Paddle

January Notes and Paddles

February Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 2nd at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers. James Connors, Ph.D., P.G., an Assistant Professor of Geology at the University of South Alabama, will be our guest speaker. Dr. Connors will speak about the "Geological History of Mobile Bay".

This months "Slide-Show Paddle Report" will feature Guntersville Lake and will be presented by Fritz Ingraham.


January Meeting Notes
Thanks to Jim Felder and Glenn Dean of the Alabama Scenic River Trail for speaking to us about the possibilities the Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) offers to both power-boaters and paddling enthusiasts. For more information on the ASRT, see http://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/



General Notes

Follow Jake Stachovak on his solo 5,000 kakak trip:
http://www.portagetoportage.com/index.html


Upcoming Events and Paddles
Please remember to check the calendar for new paddle postings. Current paddles/events posted on calendar are:
January 30 - Saturday Paddle / Hurricane Bayou
March 6 - Battle on the Bayou

December Notes and Paddles

January Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 5th at 7:00 pm in the Tensaw Theater at Five Rivers. The new year brings in a new president for MBCKC, Tracy Lannie. Tracy will talk a little about her goals for this year and will ask for club members ideas as well.

Jim Felder, Executive Director of the Alabama Scenic River Trail, and Glenn Dean, Events Coordinator, will be our guest speakers. They will present with a slide show promoting the Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) and give information on future events. For more information on the ASRT, go to http://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/

December Notes
What a great way to end the year! Amanda Cox brought the cypress strip canoe that she has been building for several months now. What a beauty! The craftmanship was amazing, and it was interesting to hear the technique she is using in constructing the vessel. Amanda has committed to coming back with the finished product in the near future. Now, that is something to look forward to!

Rob Nykvist also gave an overview of the "Local Launch Sites" web page on Google Maps that he has been working on for over a year now (see the link to the right). This is great resource for paddlers to learn more about local launch sites.

December's meeting was Maggie Pyle's last month as club president. MBCKC wishes to express their appreciation for the efforts and hard work that Maggie put forth in planning the club meetings, etc. Maggie says she hopes to lead more paddles as a club member next year.

Upcoming Events and Paddles

December 5 - Saturda Morning Byrnes Lake Paddle
December 13 - Five Rivers Canoe/Kayak Holiday Flotilla
December 31 - 'Last Sunset Paddle'