Fairbanks Paddlers

Upper Chena Paddle and Potluck 2012

john — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:30:10 +0000

Our annual Upper Chena Paddle and Potluck will take place on Saturday May 19. This year we’ll launch at the first bridge (approx. Mile 37 Chena Hot Springs Road) and take out at the mile 31.4 river access (South Fork trailhead and near Colorado Creek trailhead).

For those in the know, this section has been challenging in recent years due to a new log-infested channel just upstream of the takeout in the vicinity of the Chena River Cabin. However, a stalwart FP member cleaned that up this winter- thanks TP! [Note: this is tentative, as I plan to canoe this stretch before the 19th and make sure there are no serious new hazards. If there are, we'll select a different stretch. If anyone else floats it before I post a trip reminder, please let me know how it looks.]

Another difference this year is that we’ll pack our food, grill, chairs, etc into the boats and have our potluck on a “remote” gravel bar along the way. Kayakers should bring treats to reward the canoeists that will inevitably be carrying their stuff! The trip will occur rain or shine; we will have the club BAT (big a** tarp) in case of the former.

There may also be a short and entertaining safety demo at lunch time. More on that later!

Meet at the First Bridge (big gravel bar on right, accessed by signed dirt road just before the bridge) at 11 am. We’ll unload gear, run a couple vehicles down to the take out, and launch by 11:30. Plan to be off the river mid to late afternoon. It takes about an hour to get to the first bridge from downtown Fairbanks.

To come on this trip, you will need to be a current FP member (we’ll have membership applications/renewals with us), wear a PFD, carry spare clothes and rain gear, and be at least an advanced beginner paddler with experience in swift water and the ability to confidently maneuver a boat to avoid sweepers and strainers and catch eddies. The Upper Chena is Class I, and woody debris in the river constitutes the main hazard.

Its not required, but I’d appreciate knowing if you plan to come. E-mail me at ridgelurker@gci.net or phone 457-6723.

Hope to see you on the river!

2012 Chena River Cleanup: May 16

Alan — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:53:53 +0000

The annual cleanup of the Chena River through town is scheduled for Wednesday, May 16 this year. This will also be the first of the Wednesday evening float trips for the summer. We will meet at Graehl Landing (just upstream from the Wendell Street bridge) at 6:15 p.m., set shuttle to the Pioneer Park landing at Peger Road, and plan on launching from Graehl at 6:30. Once on the water people travel more or less at their own pace, stopping to pick up trash on the riverbanks. Usually, everybody is out of the water by 9:30 or 10:00.

Cleaning up the Chena River is one of the contributions our club makes to the community of Fairbanks, and is also a commitment we have made to the Adopt-a-Stream program of the Tanana Valley Watershed Association. For this activity we are recognized by two nice signs placed by the TVWA near the river at Graehl and Pioneer Park. Our cleanup is also registered with the American Rivers National River Cleanup campaign.

Trash bags will be provided. Participants should bring mud boots, raincoat, gloves, warm clothes, extra clothes, mosquito repellent, drinking water and something to snack on as well as some sort of craft to paddle. Don’t forget your life-jacket!

We need to take the trash directly to the dump (as opposed to sticking it in dumpsters) so that the Borough can keep track of the volunteer cleanup effort and so that we can report our haul to American Rivers. My truck will be available for stuffing full of trash at the take-out.

For more information contact Alan Batten at alanbatten@acsalaska.net, or at 488-3205 (I won’t be at the phone number until Tuesday).

Want to Lead a Trip?

cam — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:45:24 +0000

You too can be a trip leader, and enjoy the kind of blind obedience and adoration that this photo depicts:

Life of a Trip Leader - Delta Clearwater 2012

Contact any Board member if you are interested.

2012 Willow Creek Festival – May 26-27

john — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:52:57 +0000

Susitna Sled and Kayak will host the 2012 Willow Creek Whitewater festival. This year the festival will be on Memorial Day weekend, May 26 & 27.

Events will include a slalom will be on Saturday, and downriver races on Sunday.

For Details, visit susitnasledandkayak.com

Last year’s Willow Creek was great fun and offered a variety of fun events for paddlers with different craft and paddling abilities.

Here is a video clip highlighting the 2011 races:

Nenana River Cabin Trip with Water Taxi – August 4 & 5, 2012

cam — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:30:17 +0000

New trip this year. This trip designed for paddlers that desire a protected flatwater paddle experience, however all paddlers are welcome and encouraged to participate. Trip begins at the Nenana boat launch with a water taxi ride 10 miles upriver to a cabin on a side channel. Comfortable cabin will provide a home base for paddling some hidden lakes, paddlers may choose to paddle out to the boat launch at the end of the weekend. Cabin capacity limited to about 8 people, tent camping at the cabin is also an option. Fee for water taxi and cabin estimated at $100 per person. Our cabin and water taxi host is also a fishing guide so bring your rod. More on this, including guide website, if and when Pagel gets her act together. Call 457-4324 (Pagel) to discuss.

3rd Annual Wooden Boat Rendezvous – August 18, 2012

cam — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:16:57 +0000

Mark you calendars for the Wooden Boat Rendezvous, details will be forthcoming (once Pagel has her act together). For planning purposes, the Rondy will be over in time for Mountain Stage. We are looking for more musicians and paddlers of stable boats to carry them, contact Mary 457-4324 for more information. PRIZES!

Test Your Vest!

john — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:41:51 +0000

Fairbanks Paddlers are sponsoring a “Test Your Vest” event for boaters to inspect and try out their Personal Floatation Devices (PFD) for proper fit and floatation before getting on the rivers this spring. Bring your new or old life jackets and test them in the warmth of the pool before you need them on an icy river.

This event will be held on Monday, April 23 from 7:15 to 7:45 p.m. at Hamme Pool during kayak practice session. The pool staff requires that all participants need to take full body showers, along with their gear. Please note that there is no open swim or “play time” during kayak practice. You are welcome to bing your kayak or canoe, but it needs to be cleaned before bringing it to the pool.

The regular pool entry fees apply: $4 for adults (18-59), $2.50 for children (4-11), $3.50 for youth (12-17), and $1.50 for seniors ( 60 and over )

Life Vest Inspection and Testing

You should inspect your life vests yearly, checking that it fits properly and that all fasteners and zippers are in good working condition. Check for holes, tears, and evidence of UV damage to fabrics such as fading or cracking. Also look for signs that the foam may be crumbling, disintegration, or falling out of the jacket.

At the pool you can comfortable test your vest for fit in shallow water. When correctly fastened, the life jacket should stay in place and not ride up. You can test the fit of a child’s flotation device by picking the child up by the shoulders of the jacket. Testing the life jacket in deeper water will let you measure the freeboard. Freeboard is the distance between the surface of the water and the bottom of the user’s mouth. With more buoyancy, the freeboard will be higher. In rough water with big waves, a greater amount of freeboard will make it easier to keep your head above water.

We may be able to test actual buoyant lift of your vest with a scale, a mesh bag, and some weights. You weigh less in water by the weight of the water that you displace. Most people require between 7-12 pounds of additional buoyancy to stay afloat in a river or lake. Most life vests are rated for between 16 and 22 pounds of additional buoyancy. You can measure the actual buoyant lift provided by a life jacket by submerging it in a mesh bag filled with dense, heavy weights. Using a spring scale to measure the apparent weight of the submerged bag with weights only, and subtracting the weight of the same bag of weights containing the life jacket will determine the actual lift provided by the jacket. We’re hoping to come up with the proper scale, weights, and bags to perform this test.

If you determine that your life jacket is past its useful life, it should be cut into tiny pieces before it’s thrown away. This will prevent someone from finding and using a degraded life jacket.

First Trip of 2012: Delta Clearwater

Alan — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:55:08 +0000

Spring is here and it is time to start paddling. The Fairbanks Paddlers Day trip on the Delta-Clearwater will be held Sunday April 29th. The overnight trip will be Sat. – Sun., April 28-29.

For the day trip: Please contact Gail Davidson at 479-7127 or spirit@polarnet.com if you plan to participate or if you have questions. Gail’s tentative plan is to meet at the North Pole shopping market at 9 am.

For the overnight: Please contact Cam Leonard at 455-7859 or at cam.leonard@alaska.gov, or else Mary Pagel at 457-4324. Our tentative plan is to either meet at 11 in North Pole or at 1 at the put-in. Group size will be limited.

If you are not a current member of Fairbanks Paddlers or need to renew your membership, you can download and membership form from the website, and either send in your completed form and fee ($10 individual or $15 family) or bring these to Gail or Cam at the trip.

River information:

This is a flat-water trip that moves from the crystal clear Delta Clearwater River onto a slough of the Tanana then a short paddle up a creek to Clearwater Lake and across the lake to the take-out. From the Clearwater State Recreation Site to Clearwater Lake is about 12 miles and takes 4-8 hours depending on the wind direction and water conditions. Occasionally, depending on water level, the initial turn up the creek requires some strategy but there will be many of us there to help if this area creates any obstacle. A map and further river information is available at the parks and rec web site: Alaska State Parks Float Guide. It includes a link to a map.

What to bring:

Canoes and kayaks are the most common boats on this trip; going up the creek with a raft could be challenging. All participants should bring and wear a personal flotation device (life jacket). Migrating ducks, geese and swans commonly make the lake their first stop in the interior, so bring your binoculars. Bring a dry change of clothes in a water proof bag and a variety of layers so you are prepared for the temperature, which can be distinctly cooler or warmer than Fairbanks. Also bring lunch and drinks so you are properly fueled. We will stop for lunch on a gravel bar.

Timing:

The day trip is an all day affair. We will be on the river about 6 hours.

Here are directions provided by Brad Snow some years ago:

To Takeout:
Drive S on Richardson Hwy. from North Pole Badger Road (McDonalds) 72.75 mi to Tanana River Bridge at Big Delta. Continue 6.75mi S on Richardson to L on Jack Warren 4.55mi to L on Tripple H Rd. .75mi to R on Clearwater Lake Rd. .18mi to L into Clearwater Lake public parking.

To Putin:
Retrace to L 1.4mi on Jack Warren to R on Aspen .44mi to LR jog to .58mi on Souhrada Rd. to L 3.2mi on Remington Rd. to L into Clearwater State Rec. Site. Follow the signs to the boat putin.

For geeks (all coordinates in WGS84 format):
Putin: N64 3.445′ W145 26.503′
Takeout: N64 4.926′ W145 35.378′
Clearwater Lake Turnoff from the Tanana River: N64 6.285′ W145 35.201
(These coordinates were taken from DeLorme Topo USA and may be 10-80′ off)

Lining and poling presentation by Mark Richards

tomk — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:55:49 +0000

Please join us this Friday, 4/6 at 6 p.m. at the Food Factory for a video/slide show by Mark Richards. His passion is lining and poling, as well as paddling remote Alaskan rivers, and his show will focus on those skills. Mark will also speak about ethical, non-motorized hunting and fishing. While we wait for the snow to melt and the rivers to flow, let’s whet our appetite for boating and wet our whistle with a good brew among friends. See you there!

for Mark’s bio, click here.

Canoe Classes with Eli Helbert

john — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:42:00 +0000

Canoe classes with World Champion Eli Helbert. Eli holds four World titles and was twice World Rodeo Champion. (Pictured above at La Gloria Falls)

The Fairbanks Paddlers Association is bringing Eli Helbert to Willow, Alaska for canoe classes of all levels. Eli is a 3rd generation canoer who spends his freetime canoeing into the most pristine and spectacular valleys of the world. He has taken top honors at 2 World Championships, a World Cup and a World Extreme Race as well as numerous National and Regional Canoeing Titles. You can learn more about Eli and his experience in teaching canoeing on his website, The Canoe Guru.

Eli is the first open boater to finish the Green River Narrows extreme kayak race. He is pictured here at the Monkey on the Green

Advanced and intermediate three day classes: $550
Beginning and intermediate two day class: $320
Classes are limited to five participants.

Class Schedule:

Advanced classes:

June 8- 10
June 11-13

Intermediate classes :

June 15-17
June 20-21
June 22-24

Beginner classes:

June 18-19

Some class sections are already full.

For information contact Dave Gronemeier (907) 322- 6540 or canoe_oc1@yahoo.com