The Paddler Tattler INSIDE THIS ISSUE (Click links to jump) Calendar January Events North Chick Access TVCC Roll Practice Movie Night Winter Workshops Trip Reports Yoga with Jackson Kayak Curious what this is all about? Come to TVCC’s Movie Night on Sea Kayaking January 24th and watch Nobody’s River, along with several other paddling films! Overnighters Photo Credit: Justin Clifton (nobodysriver.org) JANUARY 2015 Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Dec 28 29 30 31 Jan 1 2 3 TVCC Roll Practice @ New Year’s Day Downtown YMCA Huckfest @ Baby Falls Sea Kayaking Florida Trip 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sea Kayaking Sandhill Cranes 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 TVCC Roll Practice @ Outdoor Chattanooga Guidebook Party: Downtown YMCA Roll Practice @ SAU Whitewater of SE Appalachians 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Board Meeting, 6pm, Outdoor Chattanooga Movie Night @ Dumpy’s Outdoor Chattanooga Winter Workshop: Know Your Knots with TVCC 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 TVCC Roll Practice @ Downtown YMCA The Paddler Tattler January 2015 2 January 20th—Board Meeting * * * 6pm. (C). All members are welcome! Come see what All paddling trips are weather and water dependent. It is the board does during our monthly meetings. Enjoy mandatory that trip leaders be notified by phone by the dinner and drinks afterwards. Wednesday prior to the trip if you plan to attend. This will allow the trip leader to notify you of any changes made. January 22nd—Outdoor Most events are detailed on the calendar section of the tvcc Chattanooga Winter Workshop website. Series: Know Your Knots Contact the trip leader for specific training trip meeting 6:30pm, Outdoor Chattanooga (Coolidge Park). (C). times. JANUARY Free workshop open to all skill levels. Learn about all WW = Whitewater kinds of knots and rope work from Mike Shillinger. S = Sea Kayaking EVENTS For more information, see page 8. C = Club Event ON = Overnight Canoe Camping January 24th—Movie Night 6pm. (C). TVCC will be holding a club movie night on January 24th (Saturday Night) at Dumpy’s on Hwy 64 in Ocoee. Check the Yahoo Group for more December 28th, January 11th & details as the event nears. 25th—TVCC Roll Practice 4-6pm, (WW). Downtown YMCA. Must provide all In Decmeber, TVCC Member equipment. Boats must be clean. TVCC Membership Chad Christopher became Required. $5 for ACA Members (with number), $10 a part of Team Jackson. for non-ACA Members. For full listing of dates and Congratulations! details, see page 6. In the picture to left, Chad January 13th—Outdoor Chattanooga takes a strong boof on his Roll Practice way to conquering the Triple 7-8 or 8-9pm, (WW). Southern Adventist University Crown on the Green. Hulsey Wellness Center. $2 fee to use the pool, $10 for non-members for roll practice. For full listing of Click to see his profile on the dates and details, see page 11. Jackson Kayak Website. January 16th—Guidebook Release Party A celebration for the release of Kirk Eddlemon’s Whitewater of the SE Appalachians. Check the Yahoo Group and Facebook for further details. The Paddler Tattler January 2015 3 Apply From the President’s for ACA Editor Corner Over the last year especially, I’ve learned that Well folks, it’s that time of year…Creeking Season! Many Certification kayaking requires patience. of us have already gotten in some great runs and PFDs, and we are just in January! That means we can look Patience in waiting for the water to rise, and equally forward to more time on the water over the next couple by Mike Shillinger as important, patience in waiting for water to fall. of months. No matter how many times you refresh the online TVCC is looking gauge, the level is not going to change any faster. However, do not let the excitement of creeking let for club you forget some basic precautions. Last month I got a members that Patience when you’re helping coach others down friendly reminder about checking your first aid kit with are willing to rivers for the first time. Patience when you’re some frequency before you need it. step up and coordinating with a group (or leading it). Patience in become part making plans. It’s a logistical jungle out there! So first I ask, “Do you have a first aid kit?” then, ”Do you of the clubs’ actually carry it with you on the river?” I can say “Yes” and Patience in appreciating the scenery of the river outstanding ACA “Yes” to both questions, because when I went to open around you no matter what. qualified training mine when I needed it, the ibuprofen was smashed and staff. If you are interested in attending ACA Instructor Patience in balancing a paddling obsession with wet and the whole inside of my dry box had water in it. Qualification in White Water Kayak, White Water Canoe, the people in your life that you love, but who don’t Upon further investigation mold had begun to grow Coastal Sea Kayak, Stand Up Paddleboard, and Swift understand your constant draw to the flow of the so it did not just happen that day. In this instance, I was Water Rescue, now is your opportunity to apply for a club river. Patience in knowing that the rivers will still be fortunate; I was looking for ibuprofen and bandages scholarship. there, because it seems there’s always water when and had waited to the take out to look for them. Luckily, you have to be somewhere else. Applicants should have experience in the venue in which I was able to snag what I needed from my fantastic they are applying and understand the ACA requirements For this month of the newsletter, patience. Patience crew, whose first aid kits were not wet. As many of us to become fully qualified instructors. The club is willing when exciting articles don’t quite materialize in time, paddle through creeking season and even for those to invest in you! The board will review all applicants and and patience when the software doesn’t cooperate. waiting until warmer times, when was the last time the Safety & Training Chair will work with the selectees to Patience to know that everything will fit on the page. your checked your first aid kit? Have you thought about schedule upcoming training. whether the bag, box, bottle, etc. that you keep it in is Patience is hard. Patience is something to work on in right for you? Finally, what’s missing from your first aid Follow the instructions on the application and return it to the new year. There is never perfection (although you kit? the Secretary ([email protected]) no later than can get close), but it usually works out in the end. March 1st, 2015. Happy & Safe Creeking! Be patient, and go find that adventure! Ashley Teel, Vice President Click here for the application. Meryl Stark, Newsletter Editor The Paddler Tattler January 2015 4 Cain Creek Access A Project of the NCCC The Cain Creek Access Project is a $90k WHY THIS MATTERS campaign led by the North Chickamauga For years, Cain Creek and North Chickamauga Creek have Creek Conservancy (with a little help from served as the entryway for local creek boaters. As it sits just our friends). north of town, North Chick provides an entry in to a long TVCC Members have collectively line of fantastic–and difficult–whitewater. Like so many donated $467 to the effort between the local boaters, I ran North Chickamauga Creek and learned Chattanooga Brewing Fundraiser Event what creeks required and provided, and I enjoy the luxury of and Christmas Party. having a challenging 8-mile section of Class IV-V whitewater Paddlers enjoy the rapids of the North that I can run after work when the weather cooperates. Chickamauga Creek. Successful funding of this project will make this local gem more In the last ten years, access accessible. to the creek has shifted dramatically. We used to walk has graciously allowed us to park on his property, and we past a tattered “No Trespassing” appreciate his generosity. We also see the toll that it takes sign with no resistance. Several on a nice day when the creek is running. While Tyler remains years ago, those signs were patient, we foresee the day when the number of boaters or updated and multiplied when the behavior of a few compromises this access. the property became a militia training center. The access to WHAT WE ARE DOING the Rock House section has On Thursday, December 5, we invited the local paddling improved thanks to the efforts community to come and hear about our proposed of the Tennessee Department purchase of 0 Barker Camp Road. With little notice, we had of Environment and a participation of roughly 100 boaters at our gathering, Conservation, but this more including folks from Knoxville. We raised an initial $1300 remote access cuts off some toward the project, and we have several individuals and of the best drops on the creek: organizations who have committed to helping with the Mandatory Portage, Drainpipe, project. Big Splat, and Vortex. Thursday morning brought some promising news as well. Tyler Head, a good friend of After hearing of our recent efforts, the Benwood Foundation the paddling community, Map of Barker Camp Property that is proposed for purchase. offered $10,000 toward the project, contingent on matched The Paddler Tattler January 2015 5 funds from another organization. It is our hope that this contingency can be used to leverage a donation from another local foundation.