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About Our Trips
MCKC is an easy going group and all trips
are what would generally be considered "easy" to "moderate" by many active Bay Area paddlers.
Club members are of all ages, some active members are in their 60's and 70's
(and up). Few are what you'd call "athletic".
Most MCKC members use 16 to 17 foot canoes
or plastic recreational kayaks in the 9' to 14' range. A few use sea kayaks
for longer paddles.
We organize trips to a lot of locations
from Pt Reyes to the Sierras, and from Sonoma County to occasionally as far
south as Santa Cruz.
Our Trip Ratings
How do you know if your skills and
equipment are appropriate for a particular trip? You should consult the trip
coordinator of course, but here are some things to
consider.
Note that the trip ratings on the schedule
are just guesses about what the trip will be like. The real trip could be
different. Head winds, especially, are very common and even light winds can
make a lot a short trip seem a lot longer.
Trips rated Easy: You should have
done some canoeing/kayaking before and have basic skills including getting
in and out of your boat, paddling in a straight line and turning. You should
be in normal physical condition, able to paddle at an easy pace for at least
an hour at a stretch. You may need to climb in and out of your boat in a
variety of places, including steep banks, high docks, etc.
Any type of canoe or kayak is appropriate.
Skill Level Intermediate: You should
be able to handle your boat in waves up to 1.5' and strong wind. Kayaks
should be equipped with spray skirts and self rescue gear and you should
have training in self rescue. These would be extreme conditions on an
MCKC trip but we have encountered conditions like this when the weather
changed unexpectedly. This rating is usually for large bodies of water where
waves can build up and
conditions can deteriorate quickly.
We occasionally do easy trips on moving
water. Participants should have good basic boat handling skills. Some trips
may require a grasp of basic moving water maneuvering, i.e.
side slipping, pivoting, sweep and pry strokes, ferrying etc.
Endurance Moderate: This is
appropriate for most people who are physically active. This would
cover our longer trips when we paddle at an easy pace without a real break
for up to 2 1/2 hours. Total trip distance could be 12 miles or up to
5 hours in the boat. Most people who are active and who like outdoor
activities can do this without problems.
Being able to paddle efficiently helps.
Having a boat that moves efficiently through the water (a longer boat)
helps. Some canoes, and short, wide kayaks like kiwis take a lot of energy
to paddle over a longer distance.
Endurance High: This would usually
be a longer trip with the possibility of headwinds or adverse currents or
trips where we need to move quickly to complete the route in certain time
period.
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