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Hitting the rivers

The summer is coming and the time is right to hit the water around Golden.

Ken Leonty

submitted

Do you like canoeing on our awesome local rivers?  Last summer as many as 17 Goldenites participated in organized canoe trips on a variety of local waterways.  From the calm waters of local lakes and the Columbia R. to the more challenging Kootenay, Blaeberry, and Spillimacheen rivers, paddlers dusted off neglected paddles and honed new skills to recreate in the area.  This year we are inviting any others who are interested to join the fun.

We are a widely ranged skill group, from nervous Columbia novices to avid whitewater enthusiasts.  To date we have met on Sundays for our paddles, but this is not set in stone.  A group email from this writer keeps everyone on the email list informed about each week’s trip.

This spring we have already had two trips down the Columbia.  The first trip saw three canoes paddling from Nicholson to Golden.  On Mother’s Day, our second paddle, a flotilla of six canoes paddling from kilometre 17 to Nicholson.   We will soon be looking for more challenging runs.  Besides outdoor exercise and seeing nature from a new perspective; socializing with like-minded people is another fun part of what we do.

With more paddlers, more opportunities abound.  Beginners can continue with their Columbia trips while others can seek out new runs on the Blaeberry, Spillimacheen, Cross, White, Kootenay, etc.   There is strength in numbers.  With more paddlers everyone gets to paddle more often.  Numbers provide safety and economy.  Contact Ken Leonty: kbleonty@telus.net for more information or to be added to the group emails.