[Paddlewise] Rendezvous of Florida Paddlers

The Rendezvous Of Florida Paddling Clubs will be held on October 10 &
11 at the Hidden River Ranch on the St Marys River. This is an excellent
opportunity to show your club's spirit, meet fellow paddlers from all
over the state, share stories and ideas with new friends, and to simply
kick back, relax and paddle one of the prettiest rivers in the area.
	Registration time for the Rendezvous has arrived! For those clubs which
will not have a final count by September 10th  due to later club
meetings, please email or call Barbara Hatten (see below) to confirm
your intent to attend and to give an estimate of the number of
attendees. If you already have registered electronically, please don't
forget to mail in your registration fee.
	Clubs are encouraged to set up display tables in their camping area
with photo albums of club outings, newsletters, and information on
special projects you may have adopted. Individuals not currently
affiliated with a paddling club can look for paddlers from their home
areas and either join a club or perhaps start a new club. Regardless,
everyone will be able to make new paddling pals and learn about new
places to paddle.
	There are two primary runs on the North Prong of the St Marys which
connect you to the Hidden River Ranch: 
	1) The northern-most begins six miles upstream and twists and turns its
way through high banks and overhanging Tupelo trees all the way to the
campground takeout. This run takes about three hours and is magnificent
in its pristine beauty. 
	2) The second run begins at the campground and runs 12 miles to the Rt
121 bridge. The first two-to-three miles are like the previous run,
twisting through trees and around islands. The remainder of the run
opens up a little, offering good opportunities to stretch on sandy
beaches. This run takes five to six hours to complete.
	The North Prong is fed almost solely by the Okeefenokee Swamp and is
dependent on rains in the swamp. Should water levels be too low for the
primary runs, there are two alternatives which begin further down river
and take advantage of the feed from many creeks above. Both of these are
day trips of five to six hours. All of the runs are unique in their
personality, and all include beaches of white sand where you can
stretch, swim, and have lunch.
	Saturday night will feature a Bar-B-Q dinner prepared by the owner of
Hidden River Ranch. Barbara was a caterer in a previous life and I can
tell you from past experience that the food will be great and you won't
walk away hungry! At this writing, a vegetarian option to the Bar-B-Q
entree is being planned. It's especially important that you let Barbara
know if you want the vegetarian option.
	After dinner, there will be a Chief's Pow-Wow at which the presidents
or one designate from each club will meet to discuss the format and
procedures for future Rendezvous. This is your opportunity to guide
future statewide events, so be there with ideas.
	Hidden River Ranch has given us a special discount for all services for
this event. Because it's a three-day weekend for many (Columbus Day),
those rates will be extended for the duration of your stay if you're
attending the Rendezvous. Feel free to come early and stay late if you
can.
	To see photos of the river, link to the campground, and to register
electronically, visit the Paddle Florida! website
(http://www.paddlefl.com). If you have questions or wish to register by
telephone or mail, contact Barbara Hatten at Hidden River Ranch:
	Hidden River Ranch
	885 Reynolds Bridge Road
	St. George, GA 31646
	phone: (912) 843-2603
	email: (mailto:hiddenriver_at_planttel.net)
	web: (http://Web.InfoAve.Net/~hiddenriver/)
	Disclaimer: Neither Quetzal Trading, Inc. nor I as an individual have a
financial stake in the Rendezvous. Publicity and planning assistance is
being donated to promote statewide paddler's gatherings. You can help by
attending and spreading the word.
Kurt



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