[ Home ] [ Meetings ] [ Trips ] [ Documents ] [ Links ] [ Contacts ]

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.

June 26, 2018 - OUR ANNUAL PICNIC

The Social Event of the season! 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.

2017-2018 Meeting Schedule
If you have any ideas for programs please contact
Ann Kruse or Linda Roubik

April 24, 2018 - Kayaking in Antarctica!

We sailed to Antarctica on a 60-foot yacht with visions of paddling under cerulean skies, cuddly penguins, and romantic walks on the beach to watch the sun set behind luminous ice bergs. Reality turned out to be... a bit different. Come find out how different as SSKC members Curt Mobley and Ann Kruse share their tale!

September 26, 2017 - Zaballos, Esperanza, and Nuchatlitz Inlets

In August 2017, six SSKC members spent 9 days, paddling about 95 miles, exploring the Zaballos, Esperanza, and Nuchatlitz inlets, and some outer islands off the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. Come hear Eric Matson give a slide and video presentation on their adventures paddling in an area Captain Cook explored in the late 1700s, an area that has been home to Native Peoples for thousands of years. It was true wilderness on what some refer to as the "wild coast" of BC.

October 31, 2017 - Loreto, Isla Danzante y Isla Carmen

In late April a group of SSKC members travelled to Loreto on the Baja Peninsula to paddle to, and around, Isla Carmen en El Parque Nacional de Bahia de Loreto. (Loreto Bay National Marine Park).

The paddlers were on the water for nine days, saw a wide variety of sea life and a starkly beautiful landscape with more variety than might be expected in a desert environment. Come to the October meeting and learn about Loreto, Isla Carmen, El Norte and how paddling in Baja is different than paddling in the Northwest.

November 28, 2017 - Cape Scott: A Trip Leader's Perspective

Tom Unger's April 2016 presentation on "Kayak Expeditioning" was as much about the soft art of putting together a successful expedition as about the hard science of what to pack in your boat. Many of us are still trying to live up to his standard of "enjoy the trip you are on," even when weather, bears, or people don't work out as hoped.

This time Tom will show slides and tell stories about his trip last summer around Cape Scott, the very northwest tip of Vancouver Island. He will also tell us how he vets prospective participants for a serious trip like this, where both technical skills and state of mind are equally important.

December 2017 - No Meeting

January 27, 2018 - 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. See the newsletter for details!

February 27, 2018 - HaidaGuaii Re-explored

Perennial favorite Jim Corson will take us back to HaidaGuaii (previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands). He and his "Geezer Tours" companions explored these islands for three weeks by car, ferry, car, water taxi, and finally by kayak. Come and enjoy these beautiful islands and learn about their rich history and lush forest and marine life.

March 27, 2018 - Get Rescued!

SSKC member Ann Kruse will discuss several self-rescue and assisted-rescue techniques in preparation for the upcoming club pool session.

April 24, 2018 - Kayaking in Antarctica!

We sailed to Antarctica on a 60-foot yacht with visions of paddling under cerulean skies, cuddly penguins, and romantic walks on the beach to watch the sun set behind luminous ice bergs. Reality turned out to be... a bit different. Come find out how different as SSKC members Curt Mobley and Ann Kruse share their tale!

May 29, 2018 - Watchable Wildlife in the Salish Sea

Karra and Greg Whittaker, owners of Alki Kayak Tours and Mountain to Sound Outfitters in West Seattle, will be presenting their talk on Watchable Wildlife in the Salish Sea.

Their presentation highlights the marine bird, mammal and invertebrate species of the Salish Sea, the ease of viewing them while paddling, some indentification tips, as well as current threats and what you can do as a paddler to minimize and mitagate your intrution into their world.

June 26, 2018 - OUR ANNUAL PICNIC

The Social Event of the season! 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, 2018 - Gone Paddling!!!! See you in September.