September 24, 2019 - Japan: 6000 Islands, 6000 Miles of Coastline. Seems Like a Natural Place to Paddle!

Japan rarely appears on kayakers' radar as a place to paddle. That is about to change! At our September meeting, Jack Sanders will share his experiences kayaking and traveling in Japan.

Jack is a long-time sea kayaker and a member of the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society in Portland. He first traveled to Japan in 1990 as a photographer and videographer, and he has been taking small groups to Japan since 1999, first with a cultural focus and then with an outdoor focus (hiking and kayaking). In his program, he will share information about where to kayak and how to travel independently in Japan, as well as slides and videos of places he has kayaked and traveled.

October 29, 2019 - Haida Gwaii: Paddling Paradise - What could possibly go wrong?

This summer five SSKCers and a friend from Wisconsin spent an awesome 12 days paddling in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. The paddling ranged from absolutely perfect to serious and scary.

Join us on October 29 to see photos and videos, to hear our stories, and to learn about this must-experience location. You'll also learn our answers to the question "What could possibly go wrong?" Presented by SSKC members Ann Kruse and Curtis Mobley.

November 26, 2019 - What's in Your Emergency Kit? A Group Safety Discussion

No one ever plans to have a car wreck, but they do happen, so we all wear seat belts. Likewise, unplanned bivouacs do happen so we all carry (or should carry) emergency kits. Last month we heard the story of six of our members who were driven ashore in Haida Gwaii by gale-force winds and had to spend a stormy night in the woods away from their camp.

Come and learn what each of them had in their kayaks for such an emergency. SSKC member Bob Ernst will moderate the discussion.

December 2019 - No Meeting

January 18, 2020 - Annual Trip Planning Party

The January "meeting" is our annual Trip Planning Party and bacchanalia, which will take place:
Time: Saturday, January 18th, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Note the earlier-thanusual date and mid-day time.
Location: Eric & Bonnie Matson's Home, 3670 116th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004. Driving directions are given towards end of the January 2020 newsletter. We will not be meeting at the Mercer Island Community Center this month.

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 January 2020 newsletter for details!

February 25, 2020 - SE Alaska, Juneau to Pelican, Presented by Jim Corson

Looking at the maps of S.E. Alaska, I realized that the one place I hadn't gone was Icy Strait, which kicked off this trip along the north end of S.E. Alaska. It turned out to be a trip loaded with sea lifeCorcas, humpback whales, and sea lions. It was also an area where the weather can go bad fast. Highly recommended trip!

March - June 2020

All club activities including meetings and the annual picnic were cancelled due to Covid-19.