Traverse City Record-Eagle

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March 31, 2010

<a href="http://www.gtherald.com/local/local_story_090072332.html">Paddle club warms up for another year</a>

Small lakes, Great Lakes, streams are all fair game

BY CAROL SOUTH

TRAVERSE CITY -- Reorganized, renamed and rejuvenated, a local paddling club is poised for another stellar season.

The Traverse Area Paddle Club formed 18 months ago after remaining members of the Cherry Capital Paddle America Club dissolved that nine-year-old organization. The group reorganized under the new name and by spring was going strong.

"I just love to paddle because I love rivers and I like not knowing what's around the next bend," said club member Jocelyn Trepte of Traverse City. "Our area is just so beautiful; every time you paddle the same river in a different season it shows you a different side of it."

With 100 outings last year drawing kayakers and canoers to lakes, rivers and Lake Michigan, the club's membership peaked at 157 by the year's end. Membership has dipped to 97 since then but with the season heating up, club organizers expect it to jump again as members renew and newcomers join.

"The club wanted to take a new direction, end affiliation with American Canoe Association for various reasons," said Lois Goldstein, outings chair of the Traverse Area Paddle Club. "We're internet-based now."

Internet-based means that most club business, including joining, as well as posting, finding and registering for outings, is done online. Leveraging technology allows more spontaneity because outings can be arranged, announced or modified -- and participants can register for an outing -- with the click of a mouse.

"One of the really nice things is that anybody who wants to post a trip, they can talk to me and be made an event coordinator," said Goldstein of club members.

While most Paddle Club trips are open to members only -- annual membership is just $15 for an individual and $25 per family -- some trips are open to the public. In addition, prospective members or out-of-town visitors may join excursions before paying the fee. Most guests, including visitors, wind up joining after the initial paddle.

Outreach to newcomers to paddling sports is important. The club will also host an Introduction to Paddling Skills class in mid-June, which last year attracted 35 attendees. A club open house is scheduled for June 27 and allows prospective members to learn about the group. The Traverse Area Paddle Club also schedules multiple basic trips at the beginning of the summer to help members build skills.

Outings with the club are organized, with trips color coded as follows: small inland lakes, Great Lakes, easy rivers, difficult rivers and cleanup trips. Most trips are within 90 minutes of the Traverse City area.

While under way, the trip organizer and more experienced club members help everything go smoothly. New members may receive a call from Goldstein if they have signed up for a longer or more challenging trip so she can gauge their skill level.

"If it's a river or even a lake trip, we always make sure that someone responsible is in the back of the group," she said. "It's important to have someone responsible in the front of the group but the back is more important -- if there is a mishap the person in the back will see what it is. Several of us have walkie-talkies."

As a community service, members of the Traverse Area Paddle Club complete numerous cleanups of area rivers and waterways.

"Last year (we) did something like 27 cleanups of rivers," said Goldstein.

Club member Sara Cockrell of Green Lake Township is a devoted year-round paddler. Slightly chagrined that spring is about a month early -- she'd rather be cross-country skiing this time of year -- she's nevertheless arranged multiple paddles this month. She arranged a small Spring Break paddle Tuesday on the Platte River and plans another on the Pine River Friday.

"The club has grown tremendously last year, partly because of the Web site," said Cockrell. "A girl from Lake Ann looked into the Web site about two weeks ago and saw the photos I took in my photo album. She e-mailed me and said, 'I love the rivers you paddle, are you paddling soon?' We've already paddled once."

For more information on the Traverse Area Paddle Club, go to www.traverseareapaddleclub.org.

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