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Meetings are held the last Tuesday of the month
(except June, July, August, and December)
7:00 p.m. at the Mercer Island Community Center.

2014-2015 Meeting Schedule

The Inside Passage is to paddlers what the Wonderland Trail is to hikers... or what climbing Denali is to mountaineers.

It's rarely paddled its whole length, from Seattle to Ketchikan, Alaska. It's fairly unusual to hear about a woman taking on this challenge. It's even rarer for a pair of women to paddle it together!

But Tracy Landboe and Traci Cole ("T2") are as intrepid as they come. They are both longtime kayak racers with the local Sound Rowers Open Water Rowing and Paddling Club. They know how to plan such an adventure, paddle hard, wilderness camp, catch a lot of fish... and have a lot of fun.

(Due to popular demand, this is a special repeat presentation of our program from May 24, 2014. This is the perfect introduction to the adventurous spirit of sea kayaking! Tell your friends!)

October 28, 2014 - Secrets of Tides and Currents Revealed!

Have you ever found yourself getting pushed by currents away from your landing site, rather than towards it? Or arrived at your easy launch site, only to find you'll now need to slog a quarter-mile through mud? There are many local areas where tides and currents can strongly affect both trip safety and enjoyment. But planning for them is often baffling. How do you know which way the current is running around a given island? How can you know how fast or strong the current will be at any particular time? What are tides and currents, anyway? What specific tools will you need for planning, and how do you use them?

After a classroom-style lecture, we will break into groups around tables and do a trip planning session. Many of the examples will be from Deception Pass, and the San Juan Islands. While all the needed tools will be available, feel free to bring your own if you have them.

Our presenter is Andree Hurley, an American Canoe Association (ACA) Instructor for coastal and whitewater kayaking, and an EMT. Current president of the Washington Water Trails Association (WWTA) Board of Directors, Andree has been leading expeditions, teaching kayaking, and river rafting since 1977.

November 25, 2014 - Glamping in Kenai Fjords National Park

Interested in kayaking in Alaska but deterred by the thought of camping in the rain? Yearning for a wilderness experience but reluctant to share your tent with a bear? Join Diane, Pete, Sharon and Kathy as they describe their discovery of "glamping" in Kenai Fjords National Park.

January 17, 2015 - The Annual Trip-Planning Party

No, it's not a meeting as such - but it is probably the club's most important event of the year: our annual trip planning party. Know of a spectacular vista? Have an idea for a fun, community-oriented paddle? Want to share your favorite rock garden? Just want to learn more about what's involved in leading a trip? Come! Have pizza with us! Urban Duwamish explorer, Olympic Peninsula surfer, Friday Harbor daytripper, or hardcore WWTA trekker - it doesn't matter. We need all levels of participation, and would love for you to come.

February 24, 2015 - Tidal Rapids and Grizzly Bears: The Discovery Islands, BC

Ralph Keller of Coast Mountain Expeditions, BC, Canada, will share the adventures of kayaking in the Discovery Islands, located east of Campbell River, Vancouver Island (about halfway up the east side of Vancouver Island). The Discovery Islands (such as Quadra Island, and Cortes Island) offer a protected paddling environment for novice to intermediate kayakers. The islands are sparsely inhabited, and you can camp nearly anywhere. Ralph will offer tips on kayaking in grizzly country.

Ralph will introduce us to dozens of marine parks with hiking trails and lakes, fjords with glacier-fed waterfalls, and tidal rapids at Surge Narrows (challenging, great fun, and safe for nearly everyone). Coast Mountain Expeditions offers guided kayaking trips, instruction and lodge accommodations.

March 31, 2015 - Experience Fiji

Share the adventure of an incredible sea kayaking experience in Fiji. Last summer, in two back-to-back trips, 19 people shared the kayaking adventure of a lifetime: big seas, the limestone cave filmed in Island of the Blue Lagoon, plus a surprise dive through an underwater tunnel to an inner chamber, untouched white sand beaches that stretch into the distance, camping on uninhabited islands, colorful corals, tropical fish, and giant clams. Presented by Marlla Mhoon.

April 28, 2015 - Bella Bella & Qatuwas 2014

Ten days on the water out of Bella Bella, returning for the arrival of the 2014 native canoe paddle coming from up and down the coast from as far as Nisqually in Puget Sound. The coastline is rocky with occasional pocket beaches and a few beautiful sandy beaches; the vegetation is lush and the marine life is vibrant. Presented by Bob Ernst.

May 26, 2015 - Racing! With Sound Rowers Open Water Rowing and Paddling Club

Yes, you can! Sea kayak racing is not just for Olympic-caliber athletes. The local Sound Rowers Open Water Rowing and Paddling Club is a very friendly, enthusiastic bunch of folks. They welcome all sorts of human-powered craft, at races organized at locations all around Puget Sound. Presented by Steve Bennett and Michael Lampi.

June 30, 2015 - OUR ANNUAL PICNIC

The Social Event of the season is on Tuesday, June 30. We gather between 5:00 and 6:00 P.M. and the pizza arrives at 6:30 P.M. (Hint: don't be too late or it will be all gone). Come to Magnuson Park on Lake Washington and look for shelter #1. Some of us will be coming early to hold the table.

 July - August, 2015 - Gone Paddling!!!! See you in September.