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Lewis & Clark Canoe Trip Planned for August

By Anonymous

Canoes move along the pristine Missouri River as a hawk circles overhead and a summer breeze rustles the leaves of ancient cottonwoods along the shore. This scene took place 200 years ago when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Missouri River. It will take place again this summer during the Heritage Outbound Adventure scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, August 9-10, near Washburn, N.D.

“This is the fourth summer we’ve offered this exciting adventure to the public,” said Rachel Retterath, Lewis & Clark coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism Division. “We take the same route Lewis and Clark took as we explore our rich heritage.”

Along with paddling the last undeveloped stretch of the Missouri River in a birchbark canoe, the adventurers will try the foods that Lewis and Clark ate, gather around an evening campfire and sleep in tipis.

The weekend will be informative as well. The staff at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is set to talk about American Indian culture. Dr. John Hoganson, North Dakota Geological Survey, will explain the river’s history, geography and geology. Stop mid-afternoon on a Missouri River sandbar to document your journey using the writing materials of Lewis and Clark and the paints used by the Mandan and Hidatsa for hide painting. Spend an evening camping on the banks of the Missouri River, enjoying a buffalo dinner, paddling a bullboat, listening to traditional Hidatsa stories around a campfire and navigating the stars after dark. The second day takes adventurers to Fort Mandan, where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804-05 and where they met Sakakawea, their Indian interpreter and guide.

The weekend is limited to 14 participants, so it is important to register early, according to Retterath. The $250 cost covers all fees, meals, sleeping bags, ground pads, transportation to and from landing sites and the use of canoes and tipis.

“Conditions are primitive and paddling the mighty Missouri can be strenuous,” said Retterath. “We encourage participants to plan ahead and be in good shape.”

Sponsors for the Heritage Outbound Adventure are the State Historical Society of North Dakota, North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism Division, North Dakota Geological Survey, Three Affiliated Tribes Museum, North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center.

For more information or to register, call Kiri Stone, State Historical Society, at 701-328-2799 or e-mail kstone@state.nd.us.



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Winter 2003 Outdoor Adventure Trips for People of All Ages, Backgrounds and Abilities Wilderness Inquiry announces canoe trips to tropical Florida Everglades’ 10,000 Islands beginning at $675; ski and dogsled Minnesota’s Boundary Waters for $595

By Anonymous

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Molly Gaines, Haberman & Associates
612-338-3900, molly@modernstorytellers.com

Karl Simer, Wilderness Inquiry
612-676-9403, karlsimer@wildernessinquiry.org

URL: www.wildernessinquiry.org

Photographs:
Images from past trips available upon request.

Winter 2003 Outdoor Adventure Trips for People of All Ages, Backgrounds and Abilities

Wilderness Inquiry announces canoe trips to tropical Florida Everglades’ 10,000 Islands beginning at $675; ski and dogsled Minnesota’s Boundary Waters for $595
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 21, 2002) — Wilderness Inquiry, a non-profit organization that integrates people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through outdoor adventure, today announced its winter 2003 outdoor adventure trips: “Tropical 10,000 Islands Canoe” in the Florida Everglades and “Boundary Waters Ski & Dogsled Adventure” in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border.
    Both adventures are scheduled for February and March 2003 and require no previous canoeing, skiing or dogsledding experience. Wilderness Inquiry provides all necessary gear and equipment at no additional cost to those who need it.
“The 2003 winter trips offer everyone — including people with disabilities — a chance to experience the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of spending meaningful time in the wilderness,” said Greg Lais, executive director and founder of Wilderness Inquiry. “Our adventures allow participants to explore at their own pace and accommodate a variety of skill levels — from the outdoor novice to the wilderness enthusiast. Our trained staff goes out of their way to make sure each trip is an unforgettable and positive experience.”
“Tropical 10,000 Islands Canoe” participants will paddle through a maze of tropical islands and vegetation where saltwater and freshwater meet — from the Blackwater River of the Florida Everglades to the Gulf of Mexico’s Gullivan Bay. Dolphins, manatees and pelicans are examples of wildlife that can sometimes be spotted. Camp is set up on the beaches of the subtropic wilderness.

For those who prefer a winter-weather excursion, Wilderness Inquiry offers the “Boundary Waters Ski & Dogsled Adventure” in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border. It includes instruction on how to harness and handle sled dogs, as well as dogsledding through snow-covered pine forests to spectacular lakes, such as Rose Lake with its steep, 200-foot palisades. Participants also can choose to take day trips from the base lodge, such as skiing or snowshoeing to Caribou Rock for a view of West Bearskin Lake. Lodging is provided at YMCA’s Camp Menogyn, which is a modern lodge set into the hillside and surrounded by red and white pines.
“This trip was one of the top ten experiences of my life so far,” said David Brown who participated in Wilderness Inquiry’s skiing and dogsledding trip in 2000. “I discovered the stereotypes I had about people with disabilities was way off the mark. I also found a desire to reach out and connect with people on a deeper level than I had before.”
Following are the trip schedules and costs:
“Tropical 10,000 Islands Canoe”
o Five days — Feb. 16-20, 2003. $675 per person.
o Six days — includes a day at the Shark Valley Nature Preserve inside Everglades National Park — Feb. 24-March 1; March 8-13; and March 16-21, 2003. $745 per person.
“Boundary Waters Ski & Dogsled Adventure”
o Five days — Feb. 5-9; Feb. 19-23; and Feb. 26-March 2, 2003. $595 per person.
Trip fees include all meals, equipment, gear, trip planning, permits and staff.
Wilderness Inquiry’s winter 2003 trips are part of a series of canoe, kayak, ski, snowshoe and dogsled expeditions the organization leads in the Americas, Europe and Australia. For more information or to sign up for a trip, visit www.wildernessinquiry.org or call 612-676-9400.

About Wilderness Inquiry
Wilderness Inquiry is a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, Minn. It was founded in 1978 to provide people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities the chance to explore the wilderness in a safe, cooperative environment. Since then the organization

has led more than 1,800 extended trips worldwide. Wilderness Inquiry is nationally recognized in the development and implementation of outdoor adventure programs that are universally designed for all people — including those with disabilities. For more information, visit www.wildernessinquiry.org or call 612-676-9400.




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Paddlesporter's are boaters They shouldn't be considered fringe boaters, by the Recreational Boating Marketplace or by Themselves

By Anonymous

July 15, 2004 -- By Wayne Spivak
National Press Corps
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

The Professional Paddlesports Association (PPA) (www.propaddle.com) defines their sport as people who raft, canoe or kayak. The American Canoe Association (ACA) (www.acanet.org) lists eleven (11) different “paths” that a Paddlesporter can participate in and enjoy.

Whether you look at this sport in a macro sense, or on a micro level, people are purchasing, renting, borrowing and using all different types of paddlesport equipment and enjoying the sport.

According to the ACA’s “Critical Judgment: Understanding and Preventing Canoe and Kayak Fatalities” (http://www.acanet.org/pdf/cjreport.pdf) issued in 2003, the numbers of people involved in paddlesports is increasing every year.

In fact, kayaking is (according to the available studies) the fastest growing segment of the entire boating community with a growth rate of 182.5% over the past seven years. The National Survey of Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) found that, during 2002, 20.6 million Americans paddled in canoes, 7.3 million paddled in kayaks, and 20.2 million went rafting… According to the NSRE, 76.5 million Americans went out in some kind of boat in 2002. – page 9

Safety is job number one
As evidenced by this report, safety has taken hold in the industry, as reports of injuries and fatalities have risen in the mass media. To this end, both industry groups and the United States Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary have stepped up their efforts to reach out to this extremely large and diverse group of [paddle- boaters, and stress the need for boating education.

Another trade association, TAPS - the Trade Association of Paddlesports (www.gopaddle.org), has created a series of guidelines. These guidelines relate to operators, retail and touring establishments and give advice on everything from lesson plans and areas that should be taught and/or covered during operator instruction to the types of equipment that should be provided by rental companies.

Safety is big business. On a review of available on-line versions of Paddlesport Magazines, safety is definitely given its due. In every picture shown, a padldler is wearing a PFD. In one magazine, Wavelength (www.wavelengthmagazine.com), from the Feburary/March 2002 issue to the April/May 2003 issue, a total of sixteen (16) different articles appeared that were related to some aspect of safety.

On a search of Canoe & Kayak Magazine web site (www.canoekayak.com), thirty articles appeared when searching for the term “safety”. Articles run the gamut from properly choosing the right paddle to first aid and safety signals.

Safety Education
Given the logarithmic explosion of the paddlesports, recreational boating safety, specifically education has become paramount. How many paddlers go paddling without a PFD? How many go without any means of attracting attention, should they get in trouble (signal mirror, whistle)?

More importantly, how many of these boaters know, care or realize that they should, that they are boaters and need to know about navigation, safety equipment, and rules of the road? This is why the Coast Guard Auxiliary, through its Boating Department has stepped up efforts to educate these “non-traditional” boating students.

Just as the United Safe Boating Institute (www.usbi.org), an association of boating organizations, (the US Coast Guard & Auxiliary, US and Canadian Power Squadrons, the Red Cross, NASBLA, and US Sail) has targeted such diverse boating groups as Safe Boating Tips for Anglers, Hunters & Campers with educational pamphlets (http://www.usbi.org/angler.pdf), the paddlesport industry needs to band together with the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary and offer such educational opportunities.

Recently, I attended the New York Boat Show, where over 225 vendors displayed their wares. What was missing from this show was a concerted educational effort to include these “non-traditional” boaters. Educational material abounded at the Auxiliary and Power Squadrons displays, as well as the law enforcement displays.

However, even the Auxiliary and Power Squadron have no literature that specifically targets this large group of boaters. Although the New York Boat Show had only a few vendors showcasing canoes and/or kayaks, they too, had no educational brochures on paddlesport safety.

Worse of all, missing from every vendor was some type of hand out extolling the needs for their customers, new and old to become better, more knowledgeable and safer boaters.

Outreach
While brochures, pamphlets, and other traditional methods of getting any message out, is still an important part of outreach, the Paddlesport market place needs a change in paradigm, at least in as marketing of the recreational boating safety message goes. The reasons are part in parcel of the sport.

Traditional boating starts at one of several places. The boat ramp. The marina. The waterfront dock. Paddleboaters start - well frankly anyplace they want. The portability of both kayaks and canoes, as well as inflatable rafts, make them relatively easy to transport.

The inaccessible beach front., the small lake or stream - these are all areas where a Paddleboater may well begin his or her journey. This is not, for the most part, where we, as an industry, attempt to reach. Other traditional methods, for the most part, also don’t reach this marketplace.

Examples that fail us with this large number of boaters are trips to the boat store, the gas pumps, and state boater’s registration office. In fact, this group of boaters - boats without propulsion, is exempt from boating registration and licensing laws in many states.

Fortunately, there are ways to reach this wide audience. Again, with a little leg work on the Internet, we can find large numbers of local organizations geared toward the Paddlesport marketplace. We find, what is in effect, their version of the “traditional” Yacht Club.

Canoe & Kayak Magazine, for instance lists thirteen clubs, from the ACA to the Washington Water Trails Association (www.wwta.org). They also have a partial listing of approximately 50 clubs sorted via the States. A little more searching and you’ll also find clubs listed on the ACA web site. Wavelengths Magazine lists 91 clubs in the US, and 44 in Canada.

Outreach is possible, and it is incumbent upon all the members of the Recreational Boating Safety community to reach these boaters. USCG statistics for 2002 provide a backdrop of why further outreach and education is necessary. In 2002, it was reported that 113 people lost their lives on Paddleboats (kayak, canoe and rowboats), with another 85 injuries reported. While, the Coast Guard reports an improvement in kayak/canoe safety, most of the deaths occurred from drowning.

According the study issued by the ACA, 74% of the 399 fatalities based on data from 1996 – 2000, were not wearing life jackets (PFD’s). In 2002, if we were to apply this same percentage, 83 people died, simply because they didn’t wear a PFD.

You reach your own conclusion as to whether a stronger marketing campaign to this “non-traditional” boating group could increase PFD wear?

Summary
Paddlesports is the fastest growing aspect of the boating industry, and we, as the providers of information to the general public need to impress upon all those who venture upon our rivers, lakes, streams, bays, and oceans that they are all boaters. Hunter, fisherman, kayaker, canoeist - they are all boaters who need to be as educated about their particular slice of the greater boating sport, but also about the sport itself.

Navigation, rules of the road, safety equipment, etc. are all part and parcel of this great sport, and all boaters, traditional or non-traditional need education.

For more information about boating education, contact the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary either on the web at www.cgaux.org or by contacting your local Coast Guard unit (www.uscg.mil).


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