PLANNED 2009 WRPC Events ... check the "Most recent newsletter" for the updates ! 

NEW YEARS DAY PADDLE

For those hardy souls who want to start the new year right.  This was a great success. For report see the Photo Gallery.

Jr. R2R, Saturday. April 4

For kids ages 5-12. Jr. Ridge to River Relay is a four-leg relay event starting at 10 a.m. that takes place at the Walla Walla Park on the Columbia River. The relay consists of running, paddling, biking and an obstacle course. (Go to the r2r.org web site for further details.) Wenatchee Row and Paddle Club will be the authority for the paddling leg which takes place in the lagoon of Walla Walla Park! Volunteers are needed in kayaks and also standing in the water on both the evening of April 3 (racer training) and on April 4 for the actual race. WRPC will also offer a training session on March 28. Please consider volunteering during one of these three dates (3/28, 4/3, 4/4). You may contact Mike Bills, Jr. R2R team leader, at agua1@nwi.net.

Ridge to River. Sunday, April 19

The 2009 R2R will retain the original six-leg course involving cross country skiing, downhill skiing/snowboarding, running, biking, kayak/canoeing and portage. The course will remain the traditional course BUT there will be a new "couch potato" division this year for non-athletes. There’s something for everybody! See the r2r.org web site for further details. If you’re interested in volunteering, please email Brian Ropp, BRopp@aol.com or call (509) 662-3461.

Apple Capital Marathon. Sunday, April 26

Meet at the Walla Walla Point lagoon at 9 a.m. We will have pre-event instructions and then a mass start. Everybody is welcome. You may choose to race the shorter course, approximately seven miles, or you can choose the longer course of approximately 14 miles. You can also choose to tour the course rather than race. (We’re hoping to have some Seattle teams participating too!) Call or email Tom Feil at 884-3765 or 2canoe@charter.net if you have questions.

Crab Creek. Sunday, May 17

Paddle the pleasant final 18 miles of Washington’s longest creek which features an abundance of water birds, a few stray cows, a strip of riverine habitat surrounded by sagebrush, and one short Class II drop which may result in a refreshing swim. Call Tom Feil at 884-3765 or email Tom at 2canoe@charter.net if you are interested.

Ski to Sea Race. Sunday, May 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., goes from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay.

Experience the legacy of Mt. Baker's Marathon and discover the 'Ski to Sea' Festival held in Bellingham every Memorial Day weekend. Included is an 85-mile relay race of seven venues. The legs of the race are as follows: cross country, downhill/snowboard, running, biking, canoe, mountain biking, sea kayak. There is also a historical hometown parade and other special events going on.) If you’re interested in either participating in the Ski to Sea marathon event or volunteering to help out, go to the skitosea.com web site.

Hanford Reach. Saturday, June 20

Experience the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River preserved due to the presence of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation along the west bank.  The full reach is 33 miles and overnight camping is restricted so we will do a manageable portion of the reach as a day trip.  Class I.  Contact Ron Johnston-Rodriguez at 664-5061 if interested.

Spanish Castle. Saturday, July 18

Rendezvous at the boathouse and be ready to leave at 9 a.m. Mark Behler from the Wenatchee Valley Museum accompanies us on a paddle down the Columbia River to the site of an old Spanish castle. We may stop at other points along the way to view pictographs or proceed further downstream than the Spanish castle site. Bring your own food and water. Some club boats may be available for use. Contact Kyle Flick at 662-3333 if interested.

Bridge & Back. Sunday, July 19

Two different events this year! In addition to the annual noncompetitive paddle around the Odebashion Bridge where members give their best guess of their time, WRPC is also doing a competitive "Bridges & Back" where participants will be racing around both the Odebashion and Sellers Bridge. The competitive team will launch at 9 a.m. and a second launch of the noncompetitive group will follow shortly after. Members and nonmembers welcome. We’re hoping to have Seattle teams competing too! Email Loraine Hohnstein at
behemut@aol.com .

Orondo/Daroga to Lincoln Park. Sunday, August 9

This is a noncompetitive event. Hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, and drinks will be provided. Side dishes are potluck and they can be dropped off at Lincoln Rock State Park prior to proceedings to the 9 a.m. put-in at Orondo River Park (about a mile past Orondo Elementary School off SR97) at 9 a.m. Or if you’re interested in a longer paddle, put in at Daroga Park! Plan to rendezvous at 8:45 at Lincoln Rock. Everyone is welcome. Some club boats may be available for use. Call Kim George at 782-1193 or 679-6247 if you have questions.

Rock Island to Vantage. Saturday, September 19

3/9 Thirty miles, all downstream, two-day paddle in sea kayaks or canoes with an overnight primitive camp en route.  Much of the west bank is in a scenic natural state with basalt cliffs and sagebrush-covered hills unchanged since David Thompson saw it in 1811 as the first European paddler.  Here’s what one WRPC member had to say about this trip in 2007: "Despite a weather forecast which predicted 100 percent chance of rain for September 30, four of us launched from an obscure spot at Columbia Siding in Douglas County.  Beautiful conditions prevailed and we stopped at the pictographs (very faint) and Spanish Castle.  Lenticular clouds promised a change in the weather and a few miles below Crescent Bar our smooth water conditions were transformed to whitecaps and strong headwinds.  We retreated to Tekison Creek and set up camp—and on September 30 paddled the remaining 18 miles or so in a steady rain.  The trip would be a fine one in good weather."  Kyle Flick and Wolf Mueller to coordinate this event Call or email Wolf Mueller at 884-3160 or wmueller@dshs.wa.gov  if you’re interested. Some club boats may be available for use.

Guano Rocks. Sunday, September 27

This annual event begins at Lincoln Rock State Park and goes out around GuanoRocks and back. You may tour the course at your own pace or you may race the course. Members and nonmembers are welcome. Launch will be at 9 a.m. and snacks will be provided after the event If you haven't been doing the Guano Rocks event, you may want to consider doing so. The distance is not much more than a Bridge and Back from the boathouse.  It is a refreshing experience in that it is a new scene and one of the rare opportunities to take the club boats out of the restricted Wenatchee area. Usually we have good conditions this time of year, although, of course we can't make guarantees about the weather. Also, you must make arrangements with someone or yourself to provide a safe means of transporting the boat to Lincoln Rock. Mostly this is a congenial club activity which we hope you will enjoy. Greater numbers of participants make the event more interesting for everyone. Please try it out. Wolf Mueller and Larry Tobiska to coordinate. Call Larry with any questions, 662-3209.

OTHER.  Interested in more racing?  Give us a call or come to the boathouse.