Trip Coordinator: Will Gehr

River: Bottom Clackamas

Are you a beginner/intermediate paddler who has stayed at this level for a while?  Would you like to improve your skills so that you could join in on the club's class 3 trips, like the upper Clackamas, or the middle White Salmon?  Or simply paddle better so that you're more comfortable in class 2?

In general, greater paddling competence adds to our satisfaction, safety, joy, comfort and contribution to any group you boat with.  There is even some evidence that at least a moderate level of skill will help you get into a "flow" state on the water.  The art of reading water can supercharge your success as a paddler by enabling you to use the river's energy instead of countering, conquering or fearing it. 

This may take years of practice, and the concept of quality practice yields quality progress applies.  In this effort, the club wants to formalize instruction as well as opportunities for intentional practice.  Day trips typically consist of simply making our way down a river with people breaking into sub-groups depending on how much play they do.  I've observed that many beginner/intermediate paddlers often don't play much.  This is about personal preference, and is completely fine on a typical day trip.  In contrast, I want to offer trips that focus on instruction and practice.  We will target local class 1- class 2 sections.  We will hang out and repetitively work features that invite eddy-catching and peel-outs, ferrying, line identifying and execution, and practice rolling.  Some stroke review will be added if necessary, and , depending on the trip coordinator, available for kayakers, canoeists or both.

To join this trip, reply to Will’s email to the club gmail group entitled [LCCC] beginner/intermediate instruction: first trip is Saturday, 8/15.

This trip is open to boaters of all kinds: canoes, hard shell kayaks and IKs. Bring lunch!