Western PA solo Canoe Rendezvous 2014

[85dragonfly]

Theusual way in advance heads-up so y’all can mark your calendars - The 7[SUP]th[/SUP]Annual Western PA Solo Canoe Rendezvous will be held on the first full weekendof June in 2014. This is Friday June 6 through Sunday June 8. It will be held againat the usual site at Cooper’s Lake Campground in PortersvillePA. The Rendezvous is a gathering of solo canoeenthusiasts in particular (though tandems are very much welcome also). Itfeatures various manufacturers and designers of canoes with demo models of their boatsavailable for test-paddling; demonstrations of, and informal instruction in,FreeStyle paddling; assorted programs on various aspects of canoe design,construction, and use in the real world; food; generally some live, and veryinformal, “ entertainment” on one or both evenings, courtesy (?) of whichevermembers of the Floating and Amorphous FreeStyle String Band may be inattendance; Dead Fish Polo, if you’re into it; a heart-stoppingly Exciting andcompletely Silly Giant Schlalom Race; a Candlelight Paddle to music-over-the-night-darkened-pondon Saturday evening if the weather smiles; perhaps a pick-up paddling trip onlocal streams/rivers; informal gear/boat sales and swaps; a pot-luckVegetarian dinner on the Friday night that can’t be beat: and Goodness KnowsWhat-all. We make it up as we go along. It is an opportunity to immerseyourself in solo canoes for 60 some hours (or more) to the exclusion of allother reality. An event which is informal and laid-back to afare-thee-well.
Everyoneis encouraged to bring their own solo craft, since at least part of theexperience is being able to look over (and perhaps paddle) a large array ofclassic solo canoes that you just don’t see all that often.
There is no charge for the Event perse, though the Campground does charge a modest fee for Day-Trippers, and ofcourse assesses a fee for camping. This early in the game precise details as toscheduling (such as that is), who will be attending, and the like are by nomeans set. We will provide such info as it becomes available on theRendezvous’ website wpascr.org so check with us periodically. That website will also contain info ondirections to find us, and a link to the campground’s website so you maycontact them directly as regards camping reservations (though there’s manyacres of space in the area where the Rendezvous is held, and reservations aregenerally not really necessary). We’re also on Facebook, so look for us there –and feel free to post comments and pics there too. We’d like to hear from you.<o></o>
And speaking of the website – one ofour attendees in 2011 was Nelson Hermance, from the Chicago area. Nelson’sbusiness, Fischer Software, is (among other things) the creation, design, andmaintenance of websites. Nelson and Fischer very graciously offered torehab/redesign the site, and make a number of changes, and continues tomaintain the site for us. For this Becky and I could not be more grateful. The archivedpictures from our first six years give one a pretty good idea of what the eventis like. Thanks Much, Nelson and Fischer Software.

So please do come – like the sign says, it’s a Very Nice AffairIndeed.
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[yellowcanoe]

I'll add, Sir Bruce, that informal instruction on basic canoeing is available as well as a troubleshooting clinic..you know for boats that want to go only one way. I have been remiss the last two years. I Promise to Show Up in 2014.

Basically we all share ideas and try new stuff so it's by no means an "instructor-student" event.

I refer to Bruce as Sir as Coopers Lake hosts a huge midieval event in August. I have never been but on the plains next to the interstate I believe there is jousting at a constructed castle.

Reality is reasonably close. If you don't like to prepare breakfast and lunch there is a Subway nearby. But the venue itself is secluded.

 

[Guest]

Now I have a dilemma: Boundary Waters or this event?

 

[yellowcanoe]

Now I have a dilemma: Boundary Waters or this event?

I know what I would do......! Sorry you have to choose.

 

[Guest]

Gosh, it's a tough life, isn't it?

 

[85dragonfly]

An updated reminder that the 7[SUP]th[/SUP] Annual West Pa.Solo Canoe Rendezvous will take place on the first full weekend of June, whichthis year is June 6/7/8. As always, andeach year, the Rendezvous will include arandom and ever-changing collection ofsolo canoes (many of them classics), paddlers and paddling of all descriptions,some FreeStyle demos and instruction, canoe builders/designers, assortedinformal “events”, some beautifullyrestored wooden canoes from our local Three Rivers chapter of WCHA, possiblepick-up trips, and assorted other and sundry with the usual laid backmake-it-up-as-we-go approach. Theemphasis as always is on the solo canoe, but Tandemites are welcome too. Weknow that Hemlock Canoe, Colden Canoe, and DogPaddle Canoe and Woodworks willbe on hand; and are pleased also to say that this year Placid Boatworks will beback with us after an absence of a couple years. We await word on severalothers, and will include that info as it comes to us on our websites. Speakingof which, the website wpascr.org and our Facebook page are the place to go fordetails, directions, pics, and updates. And still, no charges for the event perse, but the campground does assess a camping fee, and a very nominal charge forday-trippers. Hope y’all can be there.

 

[85dragonfly]

Another Update for this year’s Rendezvous…in addition to themanufacturers we have previously mentioned, we expect that the one and onlyCharlie Wilson will be with us again this year. A more knowledgable andexperienced canoe person one would be hard-pressed to find. Not quite sure yet,but Swift Canoes may be present in some capacity. More on that as we know it. Wecan also say that our great friend Rick Lalonde, from the Province of Ontario,will once again offer to instruct any and all comers in the art, and art itsurely is, of Canadian-style paddling.
A long-standingRendezvous tradition is the Friday nightVegetarian Pot-luck dinner, and we’ll reprise that again this year. All arewelcome, irrespective of culinary preferences. If you are so inclined, bringalong a vegetarian dish/assemblage of some description, but please do come onover, contribution or not, ‘cause there’s always tons of food and we’d love tohave you. You’re welcome!
As in previous years, we’ll have coffee and some assorteddonuts, bagels, etc on the Saturday and Sunday AMs; we’ll also have sandwichfixin’s and assorted chips/drinks for Saturday lunch. In keeping with tradition,these will be available for a donation-in-the-can. For Saturday dinner we will have a “catered”dinner which will most likely consist of fried chicken, along with anassortment of general “picnic fare” ( potato salad, cole claw, etc, etc)(andsome kinda desert-ish thing, like brownies maybe) For this repast we will ask acharge, which is usually in the range of $7-$8 (It varies a bit from year toyear). Otherwise, food-wise, you’re on your own…but there are several nearbyoptions for vittles if you’re inclined to purchase rather than bring your own.
We don’t mention this enough, but there is always aninformal gear/boat swap/trade/buy/sell thing goingon. If you have stuff you’d like to try to pass on to another who could usewhat you got and don’t need, bring it along. Or, feel free to use our website (wpascr.org)or Facebook page (Western Pa. Solo CanoeRendezvous) to let folks know about that and connect independently . We’ll havesome sort of area for that on site as well.
So do come, and be prepared to just Wing It. Your “event providers”wing it too. More than you know.
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