November 6-10

New Jersey Pine Barrens - Pictures
Trip leader - Bill Irwin

November 1

Halloween Paddle - Pictures
In costume, of course (and neprene!). Nine of us put in below the lock at Clover Street and paddled down through Pittsford to the Grand Embankment Park and back. It was a bit breezy -- especially noticeable on the return trip -- with temperatures in the fifties. The fall colors are starting to fade, but there were still patches of brilliant color. We'll have to make this run next summer with a car shuttle so we can go all the way to Fairport.
Trip leader - Steve Tryon

October 25

Clyde River - Pictures
Trip leader - Gretchen Schauss

October 18

Genesee River from Charlotte - Pictures
We had nine people in one canoe and seven kayaks for the paddle down the river today. The weather cooperated as we got a little of everything, clouds, sun and a little rain. The leaves on the trees are peaking and looked colorful. We attempted to paddle up to the falls but were met by a very strong current. I believe everyone had a nice relaxing and enjoyable paddle.
Thanks to everyone who participated today. See you on the next paddle!
Trip learder - Charlie Helman

October 10-13
Fri-Mon

Little Tupper - Pictures
Trip leaders - Gary DeWitt and Bill Irwin

October 5

Irondequoit Creek - Pictures
Due to the cold and wind, the trip changed from out on Lake Ontario to Irondequoit Bay, and ended up on Irondequoit Creek. Looks like they still had a good paddle.
Trip leader - Gordon Levine

October 5

Skaneateles East - PTFL
Trip leader - Jennifer Pivovar

September 28

Hemlock Lake
Trip leader - Dave Mundie

September 27

West River (Canandaigua Lake)
Well it seems that everyone got scared today and I thought Halloween was not for another month. The weather looked very threatening so everyone except two brave soles, Marshall and myself cancelled on today's paddle. We decided to go down to Naples and chance the weather. As it turned out I think we had the better weather as the sun came out and except for some strong gusty winds we had a nice paddle up the river and back. Too bad everyone , there will not be many warm days left and you all missed out! Thanks for the company Marshall!
Trip leader - Charlie Helman

Sept 20-21

Keuka Lake Camp at St Park - Pictures
The weekend started out rough with Hurricane Isabel putting a damper on Friday causing us to cancel until morning. Saturday we had nine people make the trip down to the state park, set up and go for a paddle around the north end of the west fork of the lake (Branchport area). Saturday afternoon I lead everyone including late arrival Karola, over to Hunt Country Vineyards for a private tour by the owner where we learned facts about wine making. Saturday night we had a huge feast and sat around the campfire enjoying a beautiful sunset and then the many stars. Sunday morning a few people left and the remaining people went for a nice paddle down towards the bluff (center of the "Y" part of the lake). We all got hungry before we got to the designated lunch point and persuaded a cottage owner that we were not terrorists and he let us use his beach for our impromptu lunch point. Thank you, Mr. Cottage Owner!
Some interesting points we found out this weekend:
A unnamed member of our trip has problems with "Fat Boy" motorcycles (You know who you are.....). We also found out that when someone gets burned that if the burn smells like chicken it is a minor burn and if it smells like fish . . . well if that happens your in deep trouble no matter what! We had a designated creature expert who informed us of all the spiders, caterpillars and frogs she found . . . Thanks Emma! We were all in awe of the two boats that Mark built....nice job Mark! Overall I believe we all had a great time and ate way too much food!
Trip leader - Charlie Helman

September 21

Owasco West - PTFL
Make up trip - original aborted due to Tstorm.
Trip leader - Jennifer Pivovar

September 18

Waterways Meeting at Luann's
Stories and pictures shared and a few more trips planned.
We talked about how cold the water has turned. If you don't have appropriate clothing for cold water paddling, go to your favorite boat or outdoor gear vendor and get some advice and some protective gear. It's not cheap, but if you plan to paddle into the fall, you'd better have it. Don't let an inconvenience turn into an emergency.

September 12
Friday
7:30 pm

Moonlight Paddle - Genesee River at Rush - Route 251
8 People, 7 boats -- 4 kayaks, 2 solo canoes, and one tandem. Very challenging getting the boats in through very slippery mud and rocks. Charlie and Bill were the heros of the evening for getting us all safely launched. A stunning sunset was delivered in lieu of a full moon, however we all agreed that there was "Moon Glow". We had "snow" in the form of white moths attracted to the light followed by ice cream in Scottsville.
Trip leader - Karola Jones

September 5-7
Fri-Sun

Lake George - Pictures
Trip leader - Gary DeWitt

September 5-7
Fri-Sun

Bog River and Low's Lake - Pictures
Trip leaders - Mollie Kane and Barb Brenner

August 31

Seneca Leg 1 - PTFL
Trip leader - Jennifer Pivovar

August 28

Braddock's Bay to Salmon Creek
We had five paddlers who braved the choppy water across the bay to the creek and then back again.
Trip leader - Charlie Helman

August 26

Kayaking at Durand Beach
Another nice night on the water where we had 7 paddlers on the lake. Emily then showed us some paddling techniques she learned at a recent seminar in Massachusetts.
Coordinator - Charlie Helman

August 22-24

Racquette River - Pictures
Four of us set out Friday afternoon from Long Lake. Sherry and Steve were in one canoe, with Anthony and Teresa in the other. The weather was beautiful, though quite windy. Friday we had a quartering tailwind, which helped us along but made steering a bit of a challenge. We camped at a state campsite overlooking the lake. Saturday morning we were greeted by a strong wind coming directly across the lake. We delayed our start by an hour or so to let the wind settle just a bit, then set out directly into the wind so that we could continue under the lee of the hills on the far shore.
It took us considerably longer than expected to reach the outlet to the Racquette River, so we shifted crews with Sherry and Steve paddling stern for Anthony and Teresa. We reached the top of the carry around the falls about three o'clock. It took two round trips apiece to ferry the canoes (both quite light, thankfully) and the gear (why did we bring so much stuff??) the one mile to the lower end of the carry, staggering the trips so as to always leave someone with the boats and gear.
Wonder of wonders, the lean-to at the end of the carry was open, so we set up camp for the night. Assistant Ranger Tyler stopped by with an armload of shingles, which he offered to sell us for a buck apiece. When we declined, he proceeded to repair the roof regardeless. (Tyler stopped by again in the morning, tossed Anthony's and Teresa's boat over his head, and carried it at a jaunty pace the last two tenths of a mile to the put-it.)
We hung our bear bags over a high log lashed between two trees near the lean-to. Unfortunately, the spot seems to have been well known to the area squirrels. One either climbed down the line or leaped the six or eight feet from the tree trunk. Steve's bag had a hole gnawed in it while the drawstring sleeve on Anthony's will never be the same. We assume that the guilty party was the squirrel we later saw darting indignantly around the trees looking for the goodies we had so ungenerously removed.
After a rather late start we continued on down the river, with the wind still mostly against us. We reached the take-out a little after four. It was a rather different trip than expected, but a beautiful three days nonetheless. We were supprised by how little wildlife we saw; one turtle sunning on a log, a few herons and other birds, a couple ducks, and the aforementioned squirrel. Even the usual camp chipmunks stayed out of sight.
Trip leader - Sherry Bennett

August 24

Oak Orchard Creek Paddle and Picnic
Trip leader - Dick Metcalf

August 21

Waterways Meeting at Luann's
We swapped stories and planned some end of summer and fall outings. Pizza and beverages will be provided.
Check back here for updates.

August 19

Kayaking at Durand Beach
The last two Tuesday night paddles have not been the same since Gretchen has not been there to lead us and play mother goose( rounding us up when we stray!). Last week we had a typical Tuesday night group and we paddled to the mouth of the Genesee River and back to Durand. At the end of the trip Doug Smith was kind enough to demonstrate the correct method to roll his boat and then borrowed Karola's and rolled hers too! Nice job Doug.
Tonight we had another typical group although almost everyone showed up at the last minute. We paddled to the east into some strange but fun waves. We got back just at dusk and as everyone went off to their homes or ice cream I encountered another night of car trouble as my truck did not start. Thank goodness for triple "A", and my buddy LuAnn who came to the rescue.
Coordinator - Charlie Helman

August 15-17

1000 Islands - Pictures
Trip leader - Jim Bird

August 16

Canandaigua East - PTFL
Aaron and I enjoyed a very wonderful 16.2 mile paddle from Canandaigua to Woodville on the south end. Unfortunately, two others cancelled the evening before because of conflicts. The weather was variable.
At first it was blowing fairly well from the south causing two foot waves and chop which slowed us down for the first third. Then the wind died off completely and we had flat water the balance of the way. The day was mostly sunny with cloudy periods. At the very end we probably cut about a mile off becasue it began to thunder and get very dark However, the rain held off until the boats were on the car.
We did it with only one rest stop at Deep Run Park. Even then the park was closed as were the bathrooms and the entire shore roped off for swimming. Canandaigua is very inhospital to the nonproperty owner public.
Trip leader - Gerry Wahl

August 14

Irondequoit Bay Northeast
Trip leader - Bruce Zolner

August 9

Cayuga Lake
A small group of I believe eight boats went out to Gretchen's cottage on Saturday. We put into the water around 2:30PM and paddled north up to where the lock to the canal and a small dam are located. I believe if we had gone further thru the lock it would have taken us up to the Montezuma Wild life preserve. We were looking for an osprey nest that was on the north end. We then paddled back to the cottage.
The weather was not bad, cloudy on the way up and slight rain on the way back. It actually was refreshing since if it was sunny we probably would have been very uncomfortable with the humidity.When we returned the trees at Gretchen's protected us from the rain that was falling. After the paddle we all enjoyed a feast, stood around the campfire and talked . I think everyone had a wonderful time. (from Charlie Helman)
Trip leader - Gretchen Schauss

August 7

Black Creek from the Genesee - Pictures
It turned out to be a lovely evening. We had a pair of tandem canoes, four kayaks, and Steve in the lead in his solo canoe, which meant that everyone else had a fairly relaxed trip. We had plenty of water, so no problem with obstructions, although the canoeists had to duck low going under the concrete culverts.
Trip leader - Steve Tryon

August 3
Sunday
Mixed

Bike and Kayak Duathalon
Trip leader - Bruce Zolner

July 31
Thursday
6:30 pm

Genesee River at Charlotte - Pictures
'Twas a lovely evening out, with four solo kayaks, one tandem canoe, and one 25' tandem kayak. Karola, in only her second time out in a canoe, found out that paddling a canoe exercises different muscles than a kayak.
Trip leader - Karola Jones

July 24

Waterways Meeting at Bruce Zolner's
We missed you. Come out and join us next time.

July 18

Picnic and Paddle - Canandaigua Lake North
Karola tells me the lake was beautiful. Details or pictures anyone?
Trip leader - Randy Magin.

July 18-20

Whitney Tract
It always makes me feel great to take new canoe campers on their first canoeing experience and have them be simply delighted with the trip and want to come back for more. This happened to me on this trip. Our group consisted of me, Nancy Lauterbach, Caryl Wenzke, Lin Saunders, Kristen Woods, and David Weiner. Of these, Nancy and I are seasoned veterans of the outdoors. All the rest were on their very first canoe camping trip.
The weather all weekend was picture perfect. We arrived at Little Tupper Lake on Friday about 2:00. We found the ideal campsite on an island. While the others began setting up tents and getting organized, I got the charcoal going for our dutch oven pot roast dinner. While that was cooking, we enjoyed a glass of wine and good conversation. We built a fire and sat around the campfire till late in the night.
Saturday morning was a lazy one. David slept late. Lin and Kristen found a sunny spot and read. Nancy, Caryl and I found a rocky spot with a beautiful panoramic view of the lake and talked about anything and everything. After lunch we ventured out to paddle around the far end of the lake. We rarely saw other people all weekend.
Saturday night we had dinner, enjoyed a dutch oven peach cobbler followed by sitting around a nice big campfire.
Sunday morning we held our own short, informal worship service on the rocky spot overlooking the lake. It was a very meaningful time for all of us, giving thanks for this fun trip. Some of us shared what the trip had meant to us.
As we packed up the canoes and headed out, the wind picked up and the waves grew. Fortunately, the wind was to our back and the waves carried us along swiftly with little effort in paddling. We stopped at the Long Lake Diner for a quick lunch before driving back to Rochester.
My special thanks to Nancy, Caryl, David, Kristen and Lin for making this a most enjoyable weekend.
Trip leader - Sherry Bennett

July 19

Seneca Lake - PTFL
Trip leader - Jennifer Pivovar

July 12 (Sat)

Picnic and Moonlight Paddle - Irondequoit Bay North
Eight of us had a picnic supper at Luann's. Seven of us then headed out to paddle the bay with six kayaks and one canoe. After a rather windy day, the bay was almost glassy under the lee of the hills on the west side. We had a little more breeze on the east side, but nothing serious. The sky was mostly overcast, but we did catch a glimpse of the moon as we headed back in. All in all, it was a lovely evening to be out on the water.
Trip leaders - Luann Mongelli and Dick Metcalf

July 11 (Fri)

Genesee River from Route 251
Trip leader - Dave Mundie, 293-1852.

July 9

Conesus Lake - PTFL
Trip leader - Gerry Wahl

July 4th
WW
Difficult

Racquette River
Trip leader - Don Welch

June 28
1:00
OW
Easy

Irondequoit Bay Paddle and Picnic
And a lovely time was had by all. Pictures anyone?
Trip leader - Luann Mongelli.

June 26
FW
Easy

Eire Canal from Ayrault Road - Pictures
Six kayakers and two canoeists paddled past Perington Park into the village of Fairport Village and back. The weather was lovely. Steve brough ice cream and Sue brought homemade chocolate sauce (almost) fit to die for. (She apologized for leaving out the almond extract.)
Trip leaders - Steve Tryon and Sue Rooney.

June 22
OW
Moderate

Hemlock Lake - PTFL
The Hemlock Lake PTFL paddle went without a hitch. The weather was absolutely ideal. There were five participants including me. I sent to Jennifer the names of the paddlers. We paddled 13.5 miles. We had awesome views of two bald eagles. One sat motionless in a tree that extend over the shoreline and let us paddle practically underneath him while he struck the typical "flagpole" pose.
Trip leader - Gerry Wahl.

June 15
OW
Moderate

Honeoye Lake - PTFL
The Honeoye Lake paddle went well. Only one other person joined me. The two of us completed the 9.5 mi round trip in about 3.0 hours including a 15 min break and a trip up the Honeoye Inlet for about a mile. The weather was perfect.
Trip leader - Gerry Wahl.

May 17
FW
Easy

Irondequoit Creek from Penfield Road - Pictures
We started just below the Old Penfield Road bridge as there was a double deadfall just upstream. The water was high enough to make the upper section interesting. All in all, a beautiful day for a mostly relaxed trip down through Ellison Park to the Bay.
Trip leader - Steve Tryon.