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Monthly Program: Kayaking Kit
November 15
What do you have in squirrelled away in your boat? What do you have in your PFD? Why? Jeff shared what he carries with him, and more importantly, why. Spare clothing, first aid kit, lights, snacks, bail bag, flares, repair items.
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As If Challenge
November 7
Jeff led 14 club members to Lake Minnetonka (November + football game = lake good for kayakers). Two teams practiced big lake skills ranging from navigation to first aid to group awareness. Trip write up and photos.
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Mississippi Locks Trip
October 20
Dana led this gem of a day trip again this year. Twenty-three club members started from Boom Island, paddled through 3 locks, and landed at Hidden Falls. Firsts this year were a bus shuttle and a deer that went for a swim in one of the locks. Trip report and photos. More photos here.
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Monthly Program: Weather and Kayaking
October 18
Peggy led a discussion of Weather and Kayaking, with the focus on "Whether to Go." Understanding the impact of weather on ourselves and our group, planning our trips, gathering information, being prepared to say we won't go.
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Namekagon River Trip
October 11 - 16
Rhett had planned a Mississippi Color Adventure to paddle south to Iowa from the Rendezvous. When high water made the plan untenable, the group headed for the Namekagon River. Trip write up is here; photos are here and here.
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Fall Rendezvous
October 8-10
Club members gathered at the Hok-si-la campground on Lake Pepin for the annual fall rendezvous. Great weather, great paddling, great food, and great people. Does it get any better? Trip write up is here.
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Monthly Program: Building Kayaks
September 20
Dave and Mike walked through the building process for a cedar strip kayak, while Tony explained how to make a skin-on-frame boat. You can make a kayak that is cheap compared to a factory-made boat and design it to your size and shape. The trade-off is time. These boats require weeks of work. Don't enjoy working with your hands? Easily frustrated? Be grateful there are kayak shops.
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Night Navigation
September 17 - 19
Dana led his wonderful Night Navigation trip up to Father Hennepin State Park on Lake Mille Lacs in September. Trip report is here; photos are here, here, and here.
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Apostle Islands
September 9 - 12
Mike led the "Oak Island Getaway" trip. Fifteen club members paddled from the Red Cliff out to the group site on Oak on Thursday. The group paddled around Oak on Friday and experimented in the high wind and waves on Saturday, returning on Sunday. Event write up is here; photos are here and here.
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Annual Picnic
August 29
Thirty-one old and new members attended this year's picnic on Lake Marion in Lakeville. A morning paddle started the day. After lunch, members had a chance to try each other's boats and attempt to roll the Woidas' double (only Mike O. and Jeff C. were successful). Lynette coordinated food, club members brought great dishes to share, and Fred donated a grill. Pictures are here and here.
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Intro and Intermediate Classes
August 14 - 15 and August 21
The club offered a two day Introduction to Kayaking class as well as a one day "Strokes and Maneuvers Refinement" class in August. The Intro class provided a broad oveview of coastal kayaking, while the Strokes class offered participants a chance to hone skills and get video feedback.
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Lake Superior Water Trail
August 6 - 9
Fabulous trip! The Lake offered up a variety of conditions from flat to N-NE winds with 2-1/2 foot waves to fog while we paddled a respectable 50 miles in 4 days. Wildlife sightings, interesting cliff formations and arches, the Madeira ship wreck off of Gold Cliff Point, storyteller encounters and sampling local delicacies added a lot to the trip's adventure. Join us for the next leg of the LSWT next year! Photos.
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Inner Islands Lake Superior
July 1 - 4
Deb and Michelle led a group out to Stockton over the Independence Day weekend. We launched from Red Cliff and paddled out to Stockton. Pictures are here (from Dana), here (from Jeff) and here (from Peggy). Trip write up is here.
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ISK Ladies Weekend
June 25 - 27
Joan organized a Ladies Weekend, giving a dozen women a chance to explore Wynne, Sabin, and Embarrass Lakes near Giants Ridge. After kayaking, relaxing, and enjoying good food and good company, the group took on a whitewater raft trip on the St. Louis River. Write ups from Lynette and Fran are here.
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ACA Intro to Coastal Kayaking
June19 - 20
Ten students joined ISK instructors to explore the joys of coastal kayaking on Shady Lake in Minnetonka. More pictures are here.
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New Member Get Together & Paddle
June 6
Sam organized our first ever New Member Get Together the first Sunday in June. Six "old" members and 12 new members met at Thomas Beach. More details are here. Needless to say, new members are welcome at all ISK events.
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Memorial Day Rendezvous
May 28-31
The annual Memorial Day Rendezvous is now history but what a great turnout with 30+ members joining in the fun up on Little Sand Bay in the Apostle Islands.
Check out the event report and pictures.
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Monthly Program: VHF Radio Use and Etiquette
May 17
At our last monthly program at REI until fall, Jeff taught a class on VHF Marine Radio Use and Etiquette. Lots to learn, and we had a chance to practice on FRS walkie talkies, since marine radios can only be used on the water. Notes from the class are here. Write ups on selecting a handheld radio are here (detail and summary).
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Simple Gear Maintenance Clinic
May 16
Jeff and Michelle shared their expertise and helped other club members help each other complete a variety of simple gear maintenance tasks. Three stoves tested and deemed fit for use, 3 tow bags modified, 3 compasses installed, 2 spray skirts and hatch ring repaired, 2 coamings sanded smooth, bulkhead holes patched, 4 stirrups nearly completed, tie down straps installed under the hood of a car. Kayaks in the garage, driveway, back yard and front yard. Kayakers fortified with coffee, brownies, coffee, tacos and coffee. Check out the photos.
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As If Challenge
May 15
Thirteen participants and three observers took on the As If Challenge on Lake Minnetonka. Three groups launched from Cook's Bay. Each group picked a leader and worked together to solve a variety of challenges as they paddled by different routes to Veterans Park on Big Island. The big lake's islands, channels, bridges and boat traffic provided opportunities to work on many skills. Photos are here. Deb's perspective on the day is here. Sharell's update from Team Sponge is here.
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ISK Leadership Training
May 8
Jeff Forseth led an ISK leadership training course for 10 club members who want to become better trip leaders and/or better trip participants. An update on the day's events is here, and pictures are coming.
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Paddling and Paddles with Danny Mongno
April 18, 19
Danny Mongno from Werner Paddles led a Tune Up paddle on Sunday and presented "The Paddle and the Paddler" on Monday at ISK's April program. Everyone had fun and everyone learned something! More details are here.
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Wilderness First Aid
April 9, 10, 17
Twelve club members took a Wilderness First Aid class taught by Tom O'Neal with Jeff Forseth assisting. We focused on prevention as well as repair. Photos are here.
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Cold Water Immersion
April 17th
A great day and great practice on cold water rescue skills with our fellow club members. Take a look at the event report and photos. (Any more photos out there?)
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Ice Out Contest
April
Official Ice-out date: March 31st
We had a tie this year and rather than flip a coin we decided they were both winners and will both receive the exciting Ice-out Prize.
Congratulations Karen Bell and Fran Lesicko with your guesses of March 30th and April 1st.
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Monthly Program: Tarps & Essential Knots
March 15
What a great turnout for this Program. Forty + members and non-members came to have member Dana Dickson teach us how to tie some basic slip knots and bowlines, then how to use these knots to hang tarps in some very interesting configurations. Great information and something that every camper should know if they want to stay warm and dry out in the wilderness.
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Annual Meeting
March 15
About 25 members showed up to OK the budget and elect a new board. Thanks to all who came and made their voice heard.
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CPR Training
March 13
Twelve of us got together on Saturday to attend CPR training offered to us by Club Member Jeff Forseth.
Photos
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Greenland Paddle Making
February 27 & 28
Club member Dan Morrison took two days and taught two separate groups how to make Greenland paddles.
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Program Meeting
Yoga
February 15
We had a great turnout for this program that taught us some great Yoga/Stretching techniques specifically related to kayaking.
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Annual Event Planning Party
January 23
The Annual Event planning party was a huge success this year with good food, good friends, lots of door prizes and oh ya, lots and lots of trips planned for this summer. It should be a great year.
See photos here.
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Annual New Year's Day Paddle
January 1, 2010
....they knew that is was a signal from Captain Shackletoad, and the trusty Inland Sea Kayaker cold weather team had...
Full Story
Another report
Photographic Evidence
More photos
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