July 2025 HCKC Newsletter

We need volunteers for the swimming portion of the Indy Sprint Triathlon Series Aug.2 and Aug. 23. HCKC members and guests provide safety boats for the swimmers in the 500 meter course. Participants are there to provide assistance to swimmers, guide them on the course, allow a place to rest or signal for extraction. We will be on the outside of the course while city lifeguards are on the inside of the course. Meet at the Eagle Creek Park office on 56th street just northwest of the main park entrance and just before you get to the bridge over the reservoir. Instructions will be given just prior to the event. No special skills needed.

This is an important event to HCKC as we the club is paid a $1000.00 for helping with this event.  You will get an event T-shirt for participating, please register with shirt size.  Canoe, Kayak or paddle board OK. 

 If you have questions or concerns please contact Dwayne James at dwaynesjamesa1@hotmail.com.

UPCOMING TRIPS AND EVENTS

KEEP AN EYE ON OUR CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING EVENTS THAT MAY BE ADDED AT SHORT NOTICE.  THERE WILL GENERALLY ALSO BE AN EMAIL ANNOUNCEMENT

Eagle Creek Tuesday Evening Paddles

Eagle Creek paddles started on June 24th and run through the end of September. These are unstructured paddles where HCKC members can explore the lake and train to develop speed-endurance or to practice skills. If you would like to paddle with other HCKC members, I would recommend coordinating that through the club bulletin board, Facebook or e-mail.

These paddles are not formal training or a meetup group of paddlers.  They afford HCKC members chances to individually experience paddling on Eagle Creek Reservoir without a gate charge on Tuesday evenings.  

UPCOMING CANOE & KAYAK TRIPS:

NON-HCKC Indiana Paddlers Rendezvous Aug. 1-2-3

Although not an HCKC event, you may want to check this out. The IPR has proven to be one of the overall best Paddling Events in Indiana. If you've never attended, rest assured it is Worth Your time. Come prepared to enjoy one of the most Fun Paddling Weekends in Indiana, to relax with Old Paddling Buddies, and to make New Paddling Friends.  On the Driftwood River this year.

Raccoon Creek Cleanup - Aug. 23

Not a typical trip; we will do our annual cleanup of Raccoon Creek to prepare for our annual Covered Bridge Festival Paddle. I will need a couple of individuals with chainsaws and several folks with a strong desire to get wet and dirty playing in the river to make passages that are safe and navigable!

 Sponsor: John Gates 207-522-0259

Wabash River - Montezuma to Clinton Aug. 30

Around a 10-mile trip on a river that should have adequate water even this time of year.  This is a section that seems fairly remote, with not too many buildings along the river.

Grayson Lake, KY, Oct. 31-Nov. 2

The main reason this is listed so soon is that camping fills up early.  You should get campsites soon if you wish to attend.  Sites can be shared if you are tent camping, so you can possibly share even if no sites are available to reserve.  Grayson Lake has some amazing cliff lined sections and is a beautiful place to paddle.  This trip is for both Canoe & Kayak and Sea Kayak, although we will travel a little slower than a typical SK trip.  This is a lake paddle, so all should be prepared for a paddle and not a float, since there is next to no current.

Upcoming Whitewater Trip

WW Maine Kennebec Gorge Race and Paddle

I will be heading up to race the Kennebec Gorge Race and then paddle the gorge again and float out to the Forks. This is one of those trips that is an adventure of a life time. The Kennebec Gorge was my home river when I lived in Maine for 23 years. If you want an experience of a life time and see my old home please reach out. I can plan a trip around who would like to follow me up North!

John Gates

207-522-0259

Upcoming Sea Kayak Event

NON-HCKC Qajaq Training Camp

Qajaq TC is a fun and friendly event for paddlers of all skill levels and interests focusing on Greenlandic paddling, ropes, and rolls. Founded in 2002, Qajaq TC (Training Camp) is an Official Qajaq USA event. It takes place at Camp Lookout, near Frankfort, Michigan. There is no road access to the camp. Our only access is by kayak or pontoon boat, making this a true full-immersion Traditional Greenland Kayaking event. With only around sixty attendees and a very high mentor-to-student ratio, coaching is flexible and focused on helping everyone succeed, whether you have never been in a kayak before, or have decades of experience. With the exception of youth scholarship attendees, this event is intended for adults.

Registration opens April 1. Click the link for more information and to register. https://qajaqtc.org/

TRIP REPORTS

UP Michigan: Marquette, Fayette & Pictured Rocks  June 28, 2025 – July 06, 2025

by David Nord

East Fork White River - Columbus to Azalia July 12

by Richard Tekulve

On a typical mid-July warm summer day ten paddlers ranging from both near and far experienced an 11.5 mile journey from Columbus to Azalia for the 16th annual East Fork White River trip. Our put-in site was discreetly located in Columbus at a DNR ramp aprox. 500 feet downstream from the red cabled ''tripod'' bridge on SR 46. Destination was another DNR access ramp at the Azalia bridge on CR 800 south. A detour on SR 11 and an accident shortly before the trip necessitated a good old school country cruise for the shuttle. With temps pushing the 90's on a semi-cloudy day the pleasant head wind provided some relief from what could have turned into a very long day on the river. A rather steady current in the 2-2 1/2 m.p.h. range provided by the East Fork was a welcome site. The USGS gauge @ Columbus was reading 714 CFS along with the Seymour station registering 1150. Throughout the float which has no actual rapids or riffles to speak of are a convenient amount of huge, scattered sandbars at nearly every inside bend of the stream. No river in Indiana can boast of the numerous amounts of these in its first 75 miles of existence meandering through the fertile soils of Jackson and Bartholomew counties. Some of these resemble a miniature liking to a Florida beach. As could be expected finding an easy take-out lunch spot wasn't even a challenge as one could paddle rapidly up to a beach stop and wait for the wake to subside then step out without even getting one's feet wet. The East Fork being one of only a small handful of Hoosier streams that can be depended upon in the dry summer months for a HCKC event came through as always. Kayakers and canoeists were represented from the following towns resembling a huge geographical area; Fishers, Indy, Lafayette, Bowers, New Palestine, Lawrenceburg, Seymour, North Vernon and Mason Ohio.

Richard Tekulve, East Fork trip leader since 2010.

Tippecanoe River - July 26

July 26 promised to be a hot muggy day with a significant chance of thunderstorms later in the day. Although the trip was originally scheduled to have a short 8.7-mile option on the Tippecanoe, and a longer 14.5-mile option that included a stretch on the Wabash, we all decided to take the shorter trip mainly due to the forecast. Also, the flow on the Wabash that day was quite slow, and we would have been paddling against the wind with no real shade while on the Wabash. There were 5 paddlers that day, all in solo kayaks. When I checked out the put in Monday afternoon, the flow on the Tippecanoe was only 300 cfs. On the day of the trip, the flow was around 1200 cfs at launch time due to upstream water release from the dams for power generation. That made for nice paddling as we pretty much “rode the bubble” all the way to our take out. This part of the Tippy has shoreline housing, but also some wilder parts, particularly towards the end where it borders Prophetstown State Park. One interesting sight along the way is on the downstream side of the Hog Point bridge where 2 concrete pigs are imbedded into the bridge itself.

Judy Thompson

TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

Kayaking Skills Clinic Aug. 23

Classes are held at Eagle Creek Reservoir and focus on paddling strokes and safety information.  Very good opportunities to improve your skills.  Beginning and intermediate classes.  LAST CHANCE THIS SEASON.

NEW MEMBERS

We welcome our new HCKC members. We hope you will take advantage of the many opportunities you have as a member!

New Members since 6/9

Sara H.

Lindsay P.

Gloria M.

Keith S.

Jason K.

Levi P.

Arlo P.

Daniel E.

Jennifer B.

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