CASKA: Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association

Trip report: 4th of July Fireworks (on the 5th)

Jim Des Jardins, Bev and Barb Serrell, Tom Eckels, Richard Stiers, Emily and Pierre Kornak joined me for the Pyrotechnics Paddle. Jim, Bev and Barb traveled over fifty miles with the hope of getting singefully close to the fireworks. Barb, a beginner kayaker, proved she shares genetics with her sister by adapting to the water instantly. Tom Eckels brought his signatures chocolates and a leaky boat. Emily, Richard, Jim, and I went on a pre-paddle, not able to just look at water for any amount of time. Pierre joined us and helped me rescue two drunken college students in a two-seater Loon.

We entered the water again at dusk. Jim, Bev, Barb, and Tom took off anxious to see the display. Emily, Pierre, Richard, and I took off a little behind them. The water was perfectly placid and the temperature sublime. We waited for a little while watching the cars parking on the far side of the lake knowing we had the best seats for the show. The fireworks erupted spreading across the sky, the water, and even reflecting in our kayaks. Along with the pictorial, the acoustics of a lake adds an extra special dimension to the show. The percussions are doubled by the water. The best part of this paddle for me is sharing the experience with new people. Hope to see more of you next year.

Joe Carey

PS A special thanks to Richard Stiers for taking some awesome pictures (posted here).

 

Launching from Diversey Harbor

The north end of Diversey Harbor has always been the kayakers' launch site. Parking is available in the lot at the north end as well. The lot is gated and the fee is determined by how long your car stays in the lot. I paid $9 last Tuesday night since I was there longer than 4 hours.

If you have membership to Lincoln Park Boat Club or you want to take a chance that a member will let you in through the chainlink gate, you may put in onto the lagoon using the dock at LPBC. However, parking along Cannon Drive is more costly than the north end lot unless you get a discount because you're a member of Lincoln Park Zoo. The boat carry to the boat club's dock is longer than the carry at the north end of the harbor, and you have to paddle the half mile north to access Lake Michigan under the LSD bridge.

There's usually nothing tricky about going under the LSD bridge to the mouth of Diversey Harbor. Obey the traffic light!! A story has been floated around about a boater being cited by a policeman who was standing along the walkway beside the channel under the bridge once. It's a traffic offense to disobey that traffic light. The green light to go out of the harbor occurs on the hour, again at 20 minutes after the hour, and again at 40 minutes after the hour. I always let the power boaters go out ahead of me for my own safety.

Sometimes there is some trickery about going out under the LSD bridge. Seiches occur on Lake Michigan occassionally. A strong wind may push the surface water to the Michigan side of the lake. When that wind suddenly subsides and/or changes directions, the piled up water on the east side of the lake will slosh across the lake to the west side thus causing a current of water flowing into Diversey Harbor. If you happen to get the green light as the current is flowing into the harbor, you'll have to paddle faster than the current to get out into the lake. After about ten minutes of flowing into the harbor, the water starts to slosh back across the lake to the east side of the lake so there will be a current of water flowing out of Diversey Harbor. If you happen to want to come into the harbor at the time of the outflow, you'll have to fight the current to get into the harbor. Another reason to let power boaters to always go first, is that they must accelerate their engines to be able to go against the current when one exists under the LSD bridge in order to have boat control. So when that happens, they go faster than the no wake speed they usually take to get under the bridge.

Another aspect about using Diversey Harbor to access the lake is to be aware of the "no boat" buoys along the lake shore, kayakers must obey that signage as well.

Finally, when there is a strong NE or E wind, big waves may be breaking as you leave the harbor. While you typically can paddle out against those waves on your way out, remember that you'll have "following seas" as you come back into the harbor. So be sure to assess you boating skills since you don't want to crash against the steel seawall as you return to Diversey Harbor.

Dan Leigh
***************************
We have one thing to add to this wonderfully thorough description: Sometimes, the person at the parking lot gatehouse simply refuses to let you in unless you have a slip. That happened to us last year. Good to have a backup plan.

Sharon & Alec Bloyd-Peshkin

Rules of the Aquatic Road

I believe this incredibly informative email from Paddlewise could be of interest, and use, for a lot of us.

~ Jim Tibensky

**********************************************

I have discovered that kayakers generally display an ignorance of the Rules of the Road

(http://www.navcen. uscg.gov/ mwv/navrules/ rotr_online. htm

for the USA) rivaled only by jet ski operators. If you, as a kayaker, are shocked by that statement then please read on.

In the USA (at least) there are two regulatory agencies which define the use of waterways; the Federal Government in the form of the USCG and individual state police departments. It turns out that the rules of one don't exactly match the rules of the other. Some states have seen fit to alter the Rules when applied to inland waters not under the regulatory authority of the USCG; these are generally inland lakes and rivers not considered to be "navigable".

Under USCG Rules (Rule 18, read it) there is no such thing as a kayak (or any "hand-powered vessel") having automatic right-of-way over any other vessel. So if you've been operating under that assumption as you paddle in and out of your harbor then you have been operating under a mistaken assumption. (In fact, you might actually have been liable for a violation of the USCG Rule 13... see below.)

Some states specifically *do* give automatic right-of-way to hand-operated vessels in their own rules. But if you've read this and applied it to your paddling, please remember that if you are paddling on waters under authority of the USCG those individual state laws are not applicable.

Confusing, huh?

It gets worse. Under USCG Rules a hand-operated vessel moving on the water at night must only carry a light with which to signal another vessel in the event of a collision. A mounted light of any sort is not required. But several states *do* require one. Specifically, and especially in the Northeastern USA, there is a requirement for a white light visible for two miles all around be displayed from kayaks, canoes and rowboats while being operated at night on lakes and rivers not under USCG jurisdiction.

So, what do you do? If you're a prudent paddler you'll google for the boating rules for your state and for any state you visit as long as you remember that these state rules only apply to waters which the USCG does not have authority upon. In general, if there are buoys and navigation aids on the water then it's likely that the USCG Rules apply. If it's an inland lake (like Moses Lake - where I live) then it's likely that the state laws apply. If you don't know, and get into an accident then you could be held liable for causing the accident or have confusion during the investigation of the accident which denies you justice (see Sea Kayaker Magazine for June 2008).

There are several USCG Rules which I believe are often ignored by kayakers. One is Rule 5 which I'll quote here:

"Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by *sight and hearing* as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision."

If you love to paddle listening to your ipod then you are violating Rule 5. 'Nuff said.

Another is Rule 9, the applicable part of which I'll quote below:

"(b) A vessel of less than 20 meters in length

http://www.navcen. uscg.gov/ mwv/navrules/ pops/def_ 3ij_length_ bredth.htm

or a sailing vessel

http://www.navcen. uscg.gov/ mwv/navrules/ pops/def3c_ sail_vsl. htm

shall not impede the passage of a vessel which can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway."

What this means to you is probably different than what it means to the tugboat operator with a tow or the pilot of a ship. In simple terms, you have no right-of-way whatsoever over a ship operating where it cannot safely maneuver to avoid you. That means, given where most of us paddle kayaks, virtually everywhere. It takes a mile to stop a ship and it can take much longer to stop a tug and tow. While this probably doesn't apply to other pleasurecraft, it can under certain circumstances; such as within a marina and especially if the powerboat in question is large (over 20 meters).

What rights do you have as a paddler? Basically no rights that any other pleasure power boat has. (If you have a sail up then that changes things, however.) Because we don't paddle as fast as power boats can move, the Rule most violated by *them* is Rule 13 which covers "overtaking" . Part "d" is quoted below:

"d) Any subsequent alteration of the bearing between the two vessels shall not make the overtaking vessel a crossing vessel within the meaning of these Rules or relieve her of the duty of keeping clear of the overtakenvessel until she is finally past and clear."

This means that, for a power boat operator approaching your kayak from the rear, nothing you do can relieve that operator of the duty to keep away from you until it is well past and "clear". This Rule once had a clause which said that the vessel being overtaken must maintain course and speed but that no longer applies (although many people often "remember" it). I still don't think it's wise to paddle up the middle of the Range, but if you stray into the channel pleasure boats approaching you from the rear must stay clear.

In closing, I'd like to mention one more often misunderstood "rule": smaller vessels have the right-of-way over larger vessels. This is absolutely NOT true under USCG Rules but it may be true in some states on waters not under USCG authority. I would advise never operating under the assumption that it's true, however.

Caveat boater,

Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA

**********************************************

Safety Reminder: Check Sprayskirt Grab Loop

Sad news (below) brings a reminder to check the position of your grab loop--and those of your paddling
partners--each time you put in.

I'm told that if you are ever stuck upside down an can't find your grab loop you might be able to release the sprayskirt by running your hands along both sides of your cockpit coaming and peeling off the sprayskirt from about the area of your hips. Apparently, many sprayskirts are relatively loose at that area. You can work your fingers underneath the edge of the sprayskirt and pull off the sprayskirt by pushing your hands forward. Punching the sprayskirt with your knees may also work, but is less certain.

Jump in please if this advice is incorrect of if you have other ideas for how to get out of your kayak when the grab loop is unavailable. Removing your sprayskirt without using the grab loop is something
worth practicing.

Finally, note that this experienced paddler was practicing alone. Maybe this death could have been
avoided if she had a paddling partner nearby.

Tom Bamonte

* * *
Kayaker drowns in Schuylkill

By Patrick Kerkstra
Inquirer Staff Writer

A 57-year-old Philadelphia woman drowned in the Schuylkill yesterday afternoon after performing a
routine kayak roll that went wrong. Police identified the victim as Dale V. Herrick of the 600 block of West Park Lane in the Tulpehocken section of Northwest Philadelphia.

Herrick was a dedicated member of the Philadelphia Canoe Club, and an experienced kayaker, said club
leader Todd Zielinski. She gave lessons to many other kayakers, including Zielinski, he said.

Herrick was practicing rolls in calm water beside a dock at the Canoe Club, near the intersection of Lincoln Drive and Ridge Avenue.

"Nobody would ever have expected this to happen to her. She's been a paddler for almost 20 years. She's
paddled class-four whitewaters. A roll in flat water was a yawn for her," Zielinski said.

It was the first drowning in the Canoe Club's 100-year history, Zielinski said.

Herrick was using a whitewater kayak, in which paddlers strap themselves into the vessel with a suit
called a spray skirt. In the event a kayaker becomes trapped under water while rolling, the suits are
equipped with loops which can be grabbed to quickly release the spray skirt from the kayak.

Zielinski said he thinks Herrick mistakenly tucked her grab loop inside the kayak cockpit, and thus was
unable to reach it and release herself from the vessel. It is a fairly common but dangerous mistake,
he said.

"It was something incredibly simple, and incredibly stupid, and it could happen to anybody," Zielinski
said.

Paramedics were called when other Canoe Club members spotted her capsized kayak. Herrick was pronounced dead at Roxborough Memorial Hospital.

* * *
A message on the bulletin board of the Philadelphia Canoe Club reads, “Dale had launched from the club and was alone, practicing a C-1 roll in her kayak. Dale was not in or teaching a class at the time, and the incident was unwitnessed. Instructors from a class being taught upriver noticed the boat floating upside down about 200 yards downstream from the club. They approached and righted the kayak, discovered Dale, and noticed the grab loop to her sprayskirt was inside the boat. They moved to shore, began CPR, and notified 911. On scene and hospital resuscitation was unsuccessful; the case is now with the medical examiner and an investigation is ongoing."

Trip Report for Sunday 6/29/08

On Friday morning 6/27/08, Thomas Bamonte put out a call to paddle on the CASKA yahoo groups list. ‘Meet Sunday morning 6:30am at Montrose Beach for a paddle north to Gillson Park in Wilmette.’ Having been on the previous Saturday morning’s paddle starting at 62^nd Street beach and heading south to Calumet Harbor, I knew that the trip would be a pleasure and I would gain experience on the water. I again would be with a group of experienced and talented paddlers degrees above my skill level.

The weather, always a factor in any trip on the water, was the unknown variable for the Sunday morning start. We watched the NOAA website and when no small craft advisories or warnings were posted and no inclement weather forecast until after noon on Sunday, the die was cast and the trip made to Montrose Beach.

Whether foolish, brave or just can’t get enough time on the water, a committed group of three reconnoitered at the handicapped parking area close to the beach to unload boat and kit. With the sky showing no menace, the temperature in the low 70’s, Thomas, Hether and I set course north from the beachhead into a light northerly breeze and calm waters.

The sun began making her presence known, brightening our spirits, illuminating the shoreline structures and creating the shimmer on the calm waters when we gazed to the eastern horizon. We proceeded north at a leisurely pace of 3-4 knots occasionally peeking over the sides of our kayaks and gazing in awe at lake bottom through the clear, clean Lake Michigan waters.

 

As we came abreast of Leone Beach, rolling waters with slight chop began appearing from the northerly breeze. We all hoped for light surf for our return trip south to assist and add some challenge to our paddle.

We landed on the north side of a breakwater at Lake Front Park at the end of Dempster Street in Evanston for a leg stretch, hydration and a snack. We shortened a few beach walks by morning strollers and spiked the curiosity of either a future trapeze artist or sea kayaker. She was still debating her choices. We lobbied for sea kayaking – naturally. We suspected sea kayaker as her choice since she was already wearing the shoes. But then why not both – her rolling skills would only benefit from the twists and turns of the trapeze. Once rested we put back in and paddled south with a light northerly breeze at our backs and cottony cumulus clouds punctuating the sky.

The rolling lake with slight chop that was introduced to us as we paddled north decided to calm herself and we paddled south at the same pace of 3-4 knots back to Montrose Beach. My Cetus would side cock in the light swells and I found myself using more energy keeping my kayak straight in what should have been an easier paddle south. Thomas counseled edging into the swells and using more sweep strokes. The advice was heeded and my paddling effort became easier.

The paddle south gave us the Chicago skyline shifting from a grey cloud skirt at building bases to sunlit structures displaying the distinctive signature of the city.

Once back at Montrose Beach, our guide and mentor Thomas offered instruction and recovery practice that Hether and I both eagerly embraced. Low and high braces with and without paddle floats, cowboy entries, assisted entries and re-enter and roll with paddle float were all practiced. The water was warm enough not to feel unease when submerged. Thomas and I assisted Hether with transporting and loading her kayak at the parking area then returned to the water to continue instruction for me working on my hip snap and rolling mechanics. The roll is not there yet, but with the instruction and advice from Thomas I am now closer to a roll that I was before we started. After working for ¾ hour on the roll with paddle float assist we looked north to see graying skies approach our position. We transported kayak and kit from water to parking area at beach edge, loaded our vehicles and left as rain appeared. If only leaving Montrose Park was as smooth and flowing as our movement on the waters.

The following is a commentary from a new CASKA member and novice paddler. When I began my paddling career a scant 2 months ago, the instructor at my initial Level 2 training class introduced CASKA as a source of information and support. That evening when I returned home I looked on the internet, found CASKA and browsed their website. I read the mission statement, the blog and viewed the posted pictures. I realized here was a source for inspiration, instruction and varied opportunities to paddle with local skilled, experienced, and talented individuals who were happy to assist without hesitation. The only caveat – you have to be willing to join and ask to be included. The $12.50 dues have given the best return on investment of any funds spent toward improving my paddling skills, all the while providing pure enjoyment of time on water with other paddlers. Kayak training classes, symposiums with on-water classes and instruction offer varied and specialized instruction and are well worth the time and monies spent. I look forward to attending at least 2 symposiums this year and more classes at various locations. CASKA provides for continuous and varied paddling experiences throughout the Chicago area all year long. The pay-off is meeting like-minded individuals whose enjoyment of paddling is infectious. Thank you CASKA. I intend to remain a member as long as I’m a paddler.

~Richard Stiers 

Instructors Needed

ATTENTION ACA and BCU Certified Instructors

Certified kayak instructors wanted

Kayak Chicago is hiring full-time and part-time kayak instructors to teach classes, guide tours and assist on trips.

Must be ACA or BCU certified
Good Pay, great employee discounts on boats and gear.

Contact Dave Olson at dave[at]kayakchicago.com
Make this your office!!!!
See you on the water

Dave Olson
http://www.kayakchicago.com

CRRCP Dock @ Lake Shore Drive - Open

The dock is in and fully operational.

The 3-page form used last year to request permission to use the dock can be downloaded here.   CASKA paddlers can use these forms again this year by changing the date in the release/waiver (in the lower third of the second page), writing over the 2007 to change it to 2008, and following the instructions on the first page.

CAUTION:  Traffic patterns on the Main Branch between State and Michigan are changing to accommodate the city's construction projects for the RiverWalk.

Please post a comment with any questions or for further information.

~ Bill Pomerantz

How Clean Should the Chicago River Be and How Much Would it Cost?

An excellent "in depth" story about disinfecting the Chicago Area Waterway System is at:

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/govt/story.aspx?id=93381

My report on the Illinois Pollution Control Board public hearing last Monday and testimony at:

http://caskaorg.typepad.com/caska/2008/06/report-il-pollu.html

And what would disinfecting the Chicago Area Waterways System cost?

Here's a little arithmetic . . .

Richard Lanyon, General Superintendent of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, states that disinfecting the MWRDGC's sewage treatment plant's effluent into the Chicago River Waterway System will cost the MWRDGC $541 million over the next 20 to 30 years.

Using the most conservative arithmetic here's what I estimate it would cost per taxpayer per year . . .

Assuming the cost is spread over... 20 years and would be paid by 2,000,000 taxpayers...

$541,000,000 / 20 = $27,050,000 per year

$27,050,000 divided by 2,000,000 = $13.53 per taxpayer per year or $0.037 per day

To be even more conservative let's divide the cost among 1,000,000 taxpayers. Then, the yearly cost would be $27.06 per year or about $0.075 cents per taxpayer per day.

Would you pay less than 8 cents per day to have a Chicago River system that was safe, clean, fishable and swimmable?

Do you think that if it was safe to have public swimming beaches along Chicago River that the cost would be returned several times over by higher riverside property values and a greatly enhanced quality of life for Chicago & Cook County residents, recreational users and aquatic species?

It's not too late to let the Illinois Pollution Control Board know if you think it's worth the cost.
Or, as I believe, cost is not a valid issue in this matter.

My mother taught me to clean up after myself and not to leave a mess behind for others to clean up. It's not much more complicated than that.

Send your thoughts in an email to IPCB Hearing Officer Marie Tipsord at: tipsordm@ipcb.state.il.us and copy Caitlyn Bolton with Friends of the Chicago River at:
cbolton@chicagoriver.org

Do it now!

Thank you,

Gary Mechanic
President Illinois Paddling Council
www.illinoispaddling.org

Chicago River Water Quality Rulemaking: Update And Call For Research Help

CASKA along with other area paddling and rowing groups have actively intervened in the Illinois Pollution
Control Board's rulemaking proceeding that will set water quality standards for the Chicago River  system.   A key part of the proposed rules will require the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to disinfect the sewage it discharges into the River.  Discharges from the MWRD make up roughly
75 percent of the water in the River.

CASKA and the other groups have filed a lengthy joint statement of support and objections with the IPCB.  Many paddlers have filed individual statements with the IPCB, including CASKA board members Tim Philosophus and Emily and Pierre Kornak, and well-known local paddlers such as Mike Agostinelli, Sigrid Pilgrim, and Tom Lindblade.  (You too can submit a public comment.  Sample letter here.)
Gary Mechanic, the President of the Illinois Paddling Council, Randy Hetfield, the President of the Chicago Whitewater Association, and myself, representing CASKA, testified before the IPCB at a recent hearing. (See Gary Mechanic's report.) Many other paddlers and rowers testified as well. 

Lea Radick's recent extended article on the IPCB's Chicago River rulemaking raises disturbing questions about the MWRD and its commitment to improving the Chicago River system so that it becomes a safe place to paddle and some day even swim.

Sewage disinfection is standard practice in major urban areas throughout the country.  As the MWRD acknowledges, the sewage effluent it discharges in the River without disinfection contains a wide variety of potentially harmful bacteria, ranging from E-Coli to Giarda. 

Yet, the MWRD is resisting the disinfection requirement.  Its position as reported by Radick appears to consist of two inconsistent positions.  First, the MWRD argues that because MWRD sewage plant effluent is the primary source of water for Chicago River and the physical structure of the waterway is not conducive to water recreation (e.g., breakwalls and steep banks) the River should not be considered
for intensive recreational use.

Second, Radick reports that even though the MWRD acknowledges that the primary source of river water is MWRD effluent the MWRD's General Superintendent argues that there is "no science" that disinfecting the sewage will make any difference to public health.  The MWRD is urging that the IPCB's rulemaking be further delayed so the MWRD can do a study that will determine if there is any connection between contact with nondisinfected Chicago River water and various illnesses.  In essence, the MWRD wants those of us who recreate on the River to serve as guinea pigs for a year or more as the MWRD looks to buttress its position that no disinfection of its sewage effluent should be mandated.

As to the MWRD's first argument, CASKA and its allies have pointed out that the Chicago River system offers paddlers some of the best water in the area for paddling.  The River is warmer, more protected and has less high-speed boat traffic than Lake Michigan.  For rowers, the Chicago River offers a flatwater environment that they cannot find on Lake Michigan. The popularity of launch sites such as Clark Park for private and commercial users hints at the recreational potential of the Chicago River system. 

The MWRD's second argument, that there is "no science" that disinfection will have any benefit on the Chicago River system and its users, seems suspect.  Surely, the 30 or so major urban sewage treatment systems that have made the substantial investment necessary to disinfect their sewage haven't done so just for the heck of it. 

Before jumping to the conclusion, however, that the MWRD is using these arguments in bad faith to avoid the imposition of a disinfection requirement, I think it important that CASKA and its allies try to determine if there is indeed good science to back up the common sense notion that disinfecting sewage to rid it of potentially harmful bacteria is a good long-term investment, especially in a waterway that is
filled with such effluent.

Is there someone in the Chicago paddling community with access to scientific databases who could donate a few hours of time to a literature search for articles addressing whether disinfection of sewage will have public health and possibly other benefits for the Chicago River and this region.  If that research exists, CASKA and its allies will be happy to forward such to the MWRD and the IPCB.  Please contact the undersigned if you could pitch in.

Tom Bamonte

Update On Skip Ciccarelli's Chicago-NYC Paddle4Prostate Trip

sSkip Ciccarelli, a Massachusetts school teacher, recently launched from the Lincoln Park Boat Club on a trip by kayak to New York City. He plans to average 40 miles a day over the 1,700 mile journey. Skip is using the trip to raise awareness about the health threat posed by prostate cancer. Tom Heineman hosted a reception for Skip the night before he left and accompanied Skip on his paddle in Door County. This is Tom's report. Photos here.

* * *

Saturday I paddled with Skip Ciccarelli from Rowley Bay to Jackson Harbor (~ 20 miles). We then met up with Evan (his car support guy) at Jackson Harbor on Washington Island and the three of us paddled to Rock Island. We stayed with CASKA members Ken Braband from the Milwaukee area and Steve from Plainfield who had probably the best campsite on Rock Island. The site was the westernmost site on the south side of the Island. Ken had alerted me to the fact that he was going to be camping on Rock Island and managed to meet us as we were paddling to the island. What a great network of paddlers CASKA has become!

The Death's Door crossing with Skip was uneventful.
The relatively calm water was very cold (40s, low 50s). Because the weather looked so good we crossed "as the crow flies" on a line that was about 7 miles from the peninsula to the southern tip of Detroit Island. We ended up passing Pilot Island on the south side, which turned out to be the "stinky" side given the wind direction and the unbelievably overpopulated aviary of sea gulls and cormorants. There are plans in the works to rehab Pilot Island Lighthouse. It will be interesting to see how they deal with the thousands of birds.

Skip is doing well. This twenty mile paddle was a recovery day for him. He has been doing 40 mile days in his Epic Endurance and using his Epic wing paddle.
He slowed his pace down to about 4 mph on this paddle so I could keep up with him.

Ken and Steve were great company at the campsite and I believe we will see some photos from Ken. Ken, Steve and I circumnavigated Rock Island Sunday morning. It was about 5 1/2 miles around. Conditions were perfect, although water was a bit cold, as was the air when the sun wasn't out.

Skip now is taking a sabbatical from his trip for a week so he can be with some of his high school carpentry students who are in a national competition in Kansas City.

The plan is for Skip to return to Washington Island next Sunday and do the 18 mile crossing to the U.P.

As we were leaving Door County we stopped at Bay Shore Outdoor Store and Rick (the owner?) contributed some pretty cool gear to Skip's trip. Please thank him for his sponsorship if you stop by the store just west of Sister Bay.

P.S. I learned a lot about Prostate Cancer from Skip, who's purpose is to raise awareness for this all too common disease that most men are not aware of.

From Skip's web site:

By drawing attention to prostate cancer, I'm hoping more men will get prostate check ups, PSA testing and cause more research to focus on prostate cancer.

When's the last time you heard someone talk about prostate cancer?

-- 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer -- In the US 1 new case of prostate cancer is diagnosed every 2.5 minutes. -- Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

So, paddle along with me, even if it is only for a mile. And for those of you who are shore bound, give a wave of encouragement to spur me on!

Skip's web site: http://paddle4prostate.org/index.php

CASKA Yahoo Group Milestone: 400 Members

I'm pleased to report that the CASKA Yahoo group has grown to 400 members. The group has seen steady growth since Bonnie Peterson set it up in September 2001. Early posters included Bonnie, Bev Serrell, Gary Mechanic, and Tom Heineman. Almost 5,000 messages have been posted and we are still haven't reached agreement on the relative merits of drysuits versus wetsuits or settled the great debate over Euro and Greenland paddles!

Thanks to Emily Kornak the CASKA blog has become a wonderful extension of the Yahoo group, a great place to repost trip reports and announcements and to post photographs. Together, the CASKA Yahoo group and blog make the Chicago kayaking community perhaps the most active community on the Web right now.

So, speak up with your questions, opinions and expertise. And to show the world we are not just a bunch of armchair kayaking scribblers, go out and paddle and post your trip reports, photos and video.

If you haven't joined us yet, subscribe here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caska/join

It would be good to have you.

New Chicago Paddling Blog

We all know Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin is a talented writer.
See her 2007 article in Chicago Magazine about a harrowing crossing of Lake Michigan by two local paddlers:

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/April-2007/Lake-Effect/

Sharon and her husband Alec have recently started a blog entitled "have kayaks, will travel." You can find it here

http://bloyd-peshkin.blogspot.com/

The blog chronicles the kayaking life of Sharon, her husband Alec, and their kids Hannah and Jeremy.
Sharon and Alec are CASKA board members and they and their kids are true ambassadors for fun, safe and skilled paddling

Through Sharon's voice and accompanying pictures by Alec you can share their rich experiences on the water and on land.

Tom Bamonte

Sometimes Luck Flows Your Way: Double Loop Chicago South Side Paddle

When Richard Stiers, Haris Subacius, Hether Hoffman, Chris Benesh, Bill Burton and I pushed off 63d Street Beach this morning at 7 a.m. we had no idea that luck would run in our favor all day.

The trip consisted of a loop up to 12th Street Beach and another loop to Calumet Park. We chose to go south for the first loop and that made all the difference.

It was a good group. Richard and Haris are strong paddlers but had limited experience on Lake Michigan, so this was a trip on relatively new waters for them. Richard was in a spanking new Cetus while Haris was paddling a folding kayak. Hether has the kayaking bug and the drive to take her paddling to the next level or three. I predict she will be a fixture on the Chicago kayaking scene before you know it.

Chris had the quiet confidence of someone who has lots of experience on the water and in the wilderness. He leads the troop of Boy Scouts that so impressed the instructors at the Windy City Kayak Symposium. Later this summer he will be taking them on an extended trip to Isle Royale and hopefully will contribute a trip report to the CASKA blog. As for Bill and I, we never will get the job of camp chef with Bill's menu of string cheese and turkey jerky and my mystery dish of lentils, rice, pickles and tofu.

We paddled well together. I believe no one felt held back by the group and no one felt pressured to paddle uncomfortably fast. We did a safety check before we put in, stayed reasonably close on the water, and took regular rest stops to check in.

Lake Michigan was almost calm and the predicted 10-15 mph winds had not yet materialized. As we paddled south, however, the sky began to darken to the north. It continue to darken as we took our break at the little pocket beach just south of the Calumet Park boat launch and then started on the return paddle.

On the way back we passed outside the breakwater that protects the water filtration plant that is located just south of Rainbow Beach. The water was particularly clear and we soon realized that the looming shapes beneath us were carp. These were big, well-fed fish and plenty of them. Bill claimed he saw a carp as big as his Tempest 160, but I suspect that was before he discounted for the magnifying effect of water.

We could see to the north that the Loop was getting hammered with rain. We got a few very brief showers and that was it. When we heard thunder from a bank of clouds coming our way, however, we headed to shore at Rainbow Beach to wait out the storm. While we waited, Haris provided some entertainment when he took Chris' Nordkapp for a test drive--"My that is one tippy boat!" The storm soon passed to the west and then south of us. It was like a tunnel had opened up between the storm bank that had hit the Loop and was moving east and the storm bank that had veered to the west of us.

We took advantage of the opening and our luck continued. We made it back to 63d Street, where we dutifully practiced a few rolls and rescues. Haris and I helped Hether work on her hip snap by letting her use our hands as support to right herself. With some practice and patience, she will be wholly rolling soon.

By this time the sun had come out, but there was a bank of dark clouds to the south. This storm was kicking up some south winds and waves that Bill Burton and I enjoyed immensely as we left to paddle the 12th Street loop.

As we approached Northerly Island a cloud above us began to mutate into a significant bank of storm clouds. Its formation was punctuated with rumbles of thunder from the distant storm clouds over the south end of the lake. We picked up the pace a bit and by the time we hit 12th Street the bank of clouds overhead had moved south and we were in sunshine. The most we got were a few sprinkles.

After a break at 12th Street Beach, it was time for the last leg of the trip, roughly miles 20-26. We were prepared for a character-building slog against the breeze and waves that a made the trip north so enjoyable. Yet, by the time we started south the wind had shifted to the west and after a mile or so of paddling we had the wind and waves pushing us back to 63d Street.

Bill and I couldn't believe our good fortune. The waves were large enough to give us a nice push but small enough to surf without having to worry about broaching. We made decent time back to 63d Street, enjoying the warm water, the clearing skies and the shoreline zipping by.

Consider our fate had we chosen to go north first. Our group would have paddled into a storm and then faced headwinds back to 63d Street. Bill and I would have faced headwinds paddling south to Calumet and then cursed our luck when the wind and waves suddenly shifted against us for the final leg back.

Sometimes a near random choice results in the lucky break.

Thanks to a good group for a great day of paddling.

Forward stroke rules.

Tom Bamonte

Trip Report: Rock Island State Park, May 23-26, 2008

If you want to get away from the city noise, Rock Island is a small and rocky piece of land at the end of Wisconsin’s Door County about 6 miles in perimeter.  Washington island lies in between it and the northern tip of Door Peninsula.  Ferries connect Door to Washington and then Washington to Rock Island.  With a kayak and some good luck on the weather front one can easily cover the 12 miles from Northport, WI to the southern shores of Rock Island in a good half-day of non-rushed paddling.  Washington Island is separated from Rock by a couple of hundred yards that are wadeable when Lake Michigan is as low as it is now.  The distance that hiker/camper ferry covers from Washington to Rock is less than a mile.  And it is within just 5 hours driving from Chicago.

Once on the island there are many miles of hiking trails, a historic light house to visit as well as the remains of an old fishing village.  Not much more than a water tower to be exact.  There are also the 6 miles of steep cliffs that are the shoreline.  One can probably walk the shores at the foot of those cliffs all the way around the island if getting the feet wet does not induce anxiety; however, the best way to see the rocky outline of Rock Island is from the water and from the cockpit of a kayak, of course.  Nothing bigger can get close enough for an intimate look.

Circumnavigation at a non-rushed pace takes about two hours.  The sights range from just nice to quite spectacular.  I especially liked the north-eastern part of the shore where the cliffs get somewhat smaller and approach the scale of human artifacts.  Sometimes I felt like I was mingling in the ruins of an ancient Greek or Roman city.  Limestone’s white in the shade looks like granite and the green patches of moss add a touch of historical sense and authenticity to the view.  The columns are perfectly straight and appropriately sized, arches and grottos are multiple and clearly look artificial.  Yet, it’s all a product of nature.

Water around those parts is crystal clear and looks much like the Caribbean or Mediterranean does in the pictures of the magazines.  It’s very shallow in most places and I frequently had to paddle good 100 feet from shore to get enough clearance so that the paddles would not clunk on the rocky bottom of the lake. Quite often, the lake floor descends into the depths of the lake in steps rather than gradually like Chicago beaches do.  This further enhances the feeling of this whole place being artificial.  In the sun, the shades of water change with increasing depths and, to my eyes, beat any modernist painting hands down.

The last day on the island, the wind has picked from the South and with its 300 miles of fetch brought some nice 2-3’ waves to these northern regions.  Time to surf!  And wouldn’t you now it, the architects who designed this place thought of that as well.  There is a nicely gradated shoal just to the southeast of the island and about a quarter of a mile from shore.  This underwater cascade nicely and gradually picks up the water rushing from the South and the waves break as they rush over the table of rock about 1’ deep in the shallowest places.  Just enough depth so that the bottom of the kayak does not hit the ground.  What fun!

Too bad lightning showed up along with this stormy weather that brought the water hills.  I decided not to test the insulation of the island.  Had to get off the water and spend the night by the fire or hiding from the mighty rainstorm under a tarp.  Beautiful and refreshing weekend, overall.

Haris Subačius

More pictures available for viewing here.

South Side Saturday Paddle

I think kayakers are divided into two clans. There are the "fiddlers," people who love to fuss around with techniques like rolls, rescues and a wide variety of strokes. Then there are the "paddlers," those who like nothing better than to paddle from point A to point B without interruption using nothing but forward strokes. It's like the difference between ballet and long-distance running.

Truly accomplished paddlers are capable paddlers and fiddlers. That said, I think whether you are one or another is like whether you are right-handed or left-handed. One side of you just works better even if both sides are functional and you need both. Whether you are one or another has nothing to do with strength, skill or moral rectitude. You are just born that way.

For the past couple of months I've been a paddler fiddling around at symposia and an instructor's certification exam. So it was with a great sense of relief when Tim Philosophus and I set off Saturday morning from 63d Street for a trip to Calumet Park and then back via the southernmost water intake crib. This was to be a paddle.

I believe Tim is more of a paddler than a fiddler. He holds the course record in the Chicago Shoreline Marathon for a standard kayak in the 49 and over age class. (Tim will humbly point out that he was the only person in that category, but who's counting.) I believe he was coming along on this trip to eyeball a portion of the marathon course in preparation for possible participation in this year's marathon.

We had a breeze from the west and modest waves. The South Side is a very good place for a paddle. There are relatively few motorized craft. The shoreline ranges from high rises to abandoned industrial sites. In the distance is the serrated edge of the industrial horizon in Hammond and Gary. If lake conditions get too rough you can duck inside the breakwater at the mouth of the Calumet River that also protects the Calumet Park launch. The Calumet River rewards careful paddlers.

We kept up a steady pace, laughably slow by racing kayak standards of course, but moderately brisk by our standards. Going along the breakwater we saw a freighter headed our way. By the time we were at the south entrance to the breakwater we knew we had to make good time to get across the channel the ship would be taking into the Calumet River. We picked up the pace and made it with maybe 10 minutes to spare. Watching a freighter come into harbor, being nuzzled by a couple of tugs, is not something you see on the North Side.

We took a break near the Calumet Park launch and then headed back north, aiming for the water intake crib. It was now about 10 a.m. and the wind was picking up a bit. This was Tim's first visit to the crib. I think he was impressed as I was at the size of the structure and its improbable location over 2 miles from shore.

The headwind as we paddled west was just about to the stage where whitecaps would be forming, but we had no trouble getting back to 63d Street. Once off the beach we practiced a couple of rolls apiece, but in a desultory way I'm afraid. Then we landed, loaded our boats and departed back into the the web of family and work obligations.

I felt great for the next two days. It was wonderful to be paddling again.

Tom Bamonte

Report: IL Pollution Control Board Public Hearing

Once again, I'm proud to be a paddler in this community which includes some of the most intelligent and thoughtful paddlers on the water or in a meeting room anywhere.

While I arrived at the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) public hearing last night a few minutes late and missed the first witnesses’ testimony, I counted 40 people who testified.  Most of them urged the IPCB to adopt the IEPA proposed new rules for use designation and water quality standards for the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) and the lower Des Plaines River.  Many of the witnesses were canoers, kayakers and rowers.  Many of the witnesses were the members, staff and canoe guides of Friends of the Chicago River.

A couple paddling club leaders were present and testified.  Randy Hetfield, representing Chicago Whitewater Assoc., was an important witness in that whitewater kayakers are not commonly associated with the Chicago River, CAWS or the lower DP.  But we all know ww kayakers do paddle locally and usually get wetter than sea kayakers or canoers.

Tom Bamonte really stood out among the dozens of paddlers and tens of witnesses by offering some of the most pointed and original testimony.  He basically summarized the comments that he wrote for CASKA and were co-signed by 19 paddling clubs (including the IPC) and local paddlesport business owners.  But his spoken testimony was calm, measured and powerful.  He was the only witness to point out for the IPCB and those in the room the errors made by the IEPA in the UAA and proposed rules.  Tom educated the board members about the relative safety of the river compared to paddling on the lake. He urged the IPCB members to go beyond the IEPA's recommendations and include a deadline of 2016 for the accomplishment of the new water quality standards.

I noticed a number of CASKA members and other paddlers who may not have testified but helped make it a standing room only public hearing which, for the IPCB which rarely holds such public hearings, must have made a strong impression on them.  The crowd must have conveyed the reality to them that, unlike most of their deliberations and rule-making, this issue is important to a large number and a wide sector of citizens, taxpayers and voters who have deep and strong feelings about water quality and the enhanced quality of life that clean water brings to a community.

Many of the other witnesses were riverside condo owners, fishermen and others who live near the river and enjoy its nature, fish, birds and beauty.

David Solzman, author of one of the two recent books about the Chicago River, offered another original perspective.  For the last 35 years he has conducted the most fascinating tour of the river system. His boat tour goes from the Michigan Ave. Bridge out through the locks, down the lakeshore to the Calumet River, up the Calumet to its confluence with the Sanitary & Ship Canal, up the San & Ship to the South Branch, mainstem and back to the Michigan Ave. Bridge.  When I did the tour as his guest a few years ago, I learned more about the river, its life and its impact on Chicago's economy in eight hours than I had in years of paddling on it and reading books about it.  He described how the improved water quality in the river has resulted in more and more marinas and how his tour now takes longer due to the resulting increase in no-wake zones.

Solzman also put the CAWS in a national perspective and educated everyone present about the relationship between the decreasing water quality as one travels downstream from Chicago to the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and the increasing incidence of many types of cancer along that route.

I saw only one witness testify in support of the MWRDGC's request to the IPCB that it delay its rule-making until the CHEERS study is competed and the results of the study show whether or not the proposed rules will be worth the expense to the MWRD & taxpayers.  He represented the IL Assoc. of Wastewater Treatment Agencies and joked at the beginning of his testimony that he'd been assured of his safety and the security measures of the hearing.

Paddlesport business owners and at least one marina owner also testified. Ryan Chew, principal owner of Chicago River Canoe & Kayak, testified that he has sent out 55,000 trips on the Chicago River since he opened his business.  Charlie Portis who owns and operates Waterriders, testified how people from all over the world are impressed by the river and the world class buildings along the river downtown on his kayak architecture tours.

Grant Crowley, who owns Crowley's Yacht Yard, related how much local boating activity pumps a variety of taxes, sales and fees into Chicago's economy and how that boating economy has grown over the last 30 years.  He also described the increasing elimination of floating, disgusting debris such as the condoms and tampons that he used to see every 5 feet on the South Branch before the Deep Tunnel came on-line!

Pete Leki, a long time North Branch neighborhood activist and grade school ecology teacher, described how his Waters Grade School students have measured the water quality of the North Branch for the last 14 years and how disappointed they are to have always found e-coli present.  They give the river a grade and it has always been a “C+”.  He urged the IPCB members to help improve the river and expect a better grade from their “charge” just as any parent would encourage their own child to get a better grade than a “C”.

Finally I got my turn and my testimony is copied below.  I'd like to give due credit to my favorite lawyer, Albert Ettinger of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, who wrote and submitted comments to the IPCB, part of which I repeated and/or based some of the more legalistic part of my testimony.  After reading most of the comments submitted to the IPCB on their website, I felt that some of Albert's comments needed repeating in order to refute some of the arguments made to delay the IPCB's rule-making or encouraging them to not adopt the proposed rules.

One thing I didn’t say in my testimony that I’ve been saying for many years is that: “Paddlers see the good and bad results of the decisions made upstream, up close”.  Paddlers acquire an intimate perspective of some of the last remaining nature in the largely man-made world we inhabit. In that perspective, and the wisdom it engenders, is the much needed hope for the future of that nature and the many species that depend on it.

My thanks and respect goes out to all who attended the public hearing, testified and/or submitted comments to the IPCB in the hope that we will live to enjoy and leave behind us cleaner and safer rivers to our children and future generations.

Gary Mechanic
President, IL Paddling Council

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Testimony to the Illinois Pollution Control Board
Public Hearing on Monday, June 16, 2008
By Gary Mechanic, President of the Illinois Paddling Council
RE: Rule Making R08-009

Good evening and thank you for this opportunity to express the concerns of the members of the Illinois Paddling Council on the IEPA proposed rules for water quality standards and effluent limitations on the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) and Lower Des Plaines River.

The Illinois Paddling Council (IPC) is composed of individual members, paddlesport clubs and businesses.  Since the IPC’s creation in 1966 it has been the only statewide organization that represents the interests of paddlers and paddlesport clubs and businesses to local and state governments and to the general public.  The IPC is one of the signatories of the comments submitted to this board by the Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Assoc. (CASKA) written by Tom Bamonte.  I’m here to add to those comments.

I am the inventor, and for the last eight years, the Race Director of the Chicago River Flatwater Classic, the first major canoe & kayak race on the Chicago River sponsored by Friends of the Chicago River.  I was also one of the members of the Civic & Recreation Committee that helped develop the Chicago River Corridor Development Plan for the City of Chicago, one of the major goals of which is to promote the increased recreational use of the Chicago River.

We live in one of the most intensely man-made and densely populated places on this planet.  The opportunity to re-create ourselves on the Chicago River, Lower Des Plaines and other local waterways, is what make life here livable for me and many of the members of the IPC and local paddling clubs.

I’d like to make three points that I believe are relevant to your deliberations.

First, the Clean Water Act’s Declaration of Goals and Policy Section 101 states:

(1) it is the national goal that the discharge of pollutants into the navigable waters be eliminated by 1985;

(2) it is the national goal that wherever attainable, an interim goal of water quality which provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and provides for recreation in and on the water be achieved by July 1, 1983

For these waterways affected by the proposed rules that run through the center of nearly two thirds of the population of Illinois, the achievement of these goals is long overdue.

Second, this board has received statements asking you to delay decision making in this matter until the completion of the public health study currently being conducted by the University of Illinois’s School of Public Health known as the Chicago Health, Environmental Exposure and Recreation Study, “CHEERS” for short, which is funded by the MWRDGC.  Much has been made of this study among the paddling community.  I and many members of the paddling community have participated in it.  But in fact the results of the study are peripheral to the question of use designation should be irrelevant to your decision in this matter.

While the IPC supports good science and we are interested in knowing the reality of the relationship between contact with polluted waters and the resulting impacts on our health, I suggest that paddlers and some interested parties such as the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC), are incorrectly focused on what recreation and aquatic life the CAWS and Des Plaines River now have.

This confuses the purpose of this proceeding and the UAA that is actually about what uses of the water are attainable rather than what the water body is being used for now. I’d like to point out that according to the Clean Water Act, and the purpose of the Use Attainability Analysis, the proposed rules should not be decided on the basis whether or not the current water quality in the CAWS make people sick through direct or indirect contact.  Rather, Federal law 40 CFR 131.11 requires that States must adopt those water quality criteria that protect the designated use and “For waters with multiple use designations, the criteria shall support the most sensitive use.”

For this reason, studies that focus on the risks of using of the water body as it is used now are of very limited relevance to the use designation question.  And studies of the level of recreational use now are of limited relevance because they do not tell us what the level of paddling, fishing, wading or other recreational activity would be if the general public believed that the water was safe.  The relevant question is not how many people are becoming ill from current levels of use of the CAWS, but how many would become sick if it were used to the same extent if the existing pollution were eliminated.

Finally, this board has received comments from interested parties concerned about the cost to the affected governments, businesses and taxpayers of the proposed rules.  The U.S. EPA’s “Interim Economic Guidance for Water Quality Standards” states that: “Demonstration of substantial financial impacts is not sufficient reason to modify a use or grant a variance from water quality standards.  Rather, the applicant must also demonstrate that compliance would create widespread socioeconomic impacts on the affected community.”

I respectfully suggest to you that the job of this board is to control pollution and protect humans and aquatic species from that pollution.  It is not the job of this board to protect the polluters, or taxpayers, from the costs of eliminating that pollution.

Thank you for your time and the opportunity to express our support for the adoption of the proposed rules and the concerns of Illinois’ paddlers.

Upcoming Event: Paddle & Portage in Madison, WI

Please note this is not a CASKA event - posting as FYI only.

Registration for the 29th Annual DMI Paddle & Portage is now open. Sign up today for that 1.5 mile canoe on Mendota, crazy 1 mile portage across Madison’s Isthmus and final 1.5 mile journey across Lake Monona. Matt Wahl will once again be playing at the finish line festival with food and cold beverages for participants!

Your last chance to register will be Wednesday, July 16, 2008. 

This year’s race is limited to 400 Boats!
Reserve your spot before it’s too late!

WHEN:            
Saturday, July 19, 2008
WHERE:
James Madison Park,
Gorham Street
CHECK- IN: 
8:00 – 9:30 am
START TIME:         
Race begins at 10:00 am Fast Class & 10:05 Standard Class
FINISH:
Olin Park,
John Nolen Drive
ENTRY FEES & DEADLINES:
$30 - By mail/fax until July 11, 2008                   
$27 - Online until July 16, 2008                                             

*Schedule subject to change, check the website for future updates.

POST RACE:
Awards, music and food following the race. Details will be posted soon.  Be sure to stay around for the fun!
CLINIC:
JUNE 27TH AT RUTABAGA, MONONA, WI

If you've always wanted to try a Wenonah canoe or Current Designs kayak, Rutabaga will be hosting "Try anything" weekend at Rutabaga Friday, June 27th at 12:00 noon to Saturday, June 28th at 6:00 PM.    All Wenonah Canoes and Current Designs boats will be here on site and available for test paddling, as well as factory reps and other experienced canoe racers to answer your questions.  Most of the solo and tandem racing canoes will be there too as well as the recreational racers (Jensens), so be sure to stop by if you're interested.  Mention you're a Paddle and Portage race participant and get a Wenonah Carbon Fiber Bent Shaft Paddle ($169.95 value) for $129.95.  Rutabaga is located at 220 W. Broadway, just east of Monona Drive in Monona.

To learn more about Paddle & Portage and to register visit www.paddleandportage.org or call  608-226-4780

The Paddle & Portage Presenting Sponsors are American Family Insurance and Rutabaga.  The Supporting Sponsors include: 93.1 The Lake, Isthmus Publishing, Kleenmark, Northway Communications, Park Bank, Sprint, The Concourse Hotel and Wisconsin Distributors. Paddle & Portage would not be possible without their support!

REGISTER NOW!

We look forward to seeing you again this summer!
- The Staff of Paddle & Portage

www.paddleandportage.org

Apostle Islands Bear Box Update

Great news to report on the Apostle Islands Bear Box Project!  As previously announced, both Prairie Coast Paddlers and CASKA have each supplied the funds through National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation for the purchase of a total of two boxes.  Another group working with Friends of the Apostle Islands has raised funds for one more, so there are a total of three that are currently on order with the manufacturer.  The Park Service was able to also purchase three last year with their own funding which have not yet been installed.  Park Superintendent Bob Krumenaker tells me that they expect to have all six boxes installed in the Apostle Islands yet this year!

The box funded by Prairie Coast Paddlers will be installed at the Outer Island campsite.  The two other boxes on order will be installed at the campsites at Michigan and Otter Islands.  Among the three boxes already received will be one installed at Sand Island’s Lighthouse Bay, one at the mainland campsite and the other at the Trout Point campsite on Stockton Island.   

The locations mentioned are the highest priorities based on bear population and visitor use, but eventually the Park Service wants a bear box at every campsite.  This means that in addition to the six already in the works, another 13 are needed.  In order of priority, the islands are Cat, Ironwood, Rocky (7 needed) and South Twin (4 needed).  I’m looking forward to a nice long trip next year to visit as many of these as possible.  Thanks to everyone for their time and donations to get this project going!

Steve Muntz

Trip Report: Friday Night @ McCullom Lake

Are all kayakers good people or does kayaking make good people? I'm not sure, but I enjoyed kayaking with Emily & Pierre Kornak and Steve Muntz. After a light drizzle the sky opened up and gave us the opportunity to paddle and prattle. The water was warm and we worked on some rolling. Later on we spun some tales and watched the sunset around a campfire. All in all a very enjoyable end of the work week. Hope to see more people next week Friday @ 7:00 PM
http://www.mapquest .com/maps/ 4600+W+Shore+ Dr+McHenry+ IL+60050- 3784/

Joe Carey

Update: IL Races (from IPC)

The Voyageur Landing Race on Sunday June 15th for Elgin, IL on the Fox River has been canceled due to flooding conditions. The river in Dundee is supposed to crest Tuesday. We may reschedule it for later this summer.

The next Illinois race is the Pecatonica River Race. Next year this should become a Illinois State Champion points race. If you pre register, a free lunch is provided. Check the IPC web site for race information and entry application( under calendar). 

Also a couple of additional race updates:

Mid American Canoe and Kayak Race has annouced the 2008 event will be held on Sept 28,2008(register early and often!!).

Chicago Flatwater Classic has been RESCHEDULED to October 5, 2008

Regards,
Kevin Bradley IPC Competition Chairperson