(no subject)

Hi Tom,

I saw your message in PaddleWise.

I'm a Houston Kayaker as well.  I well remember moving from Missouri -
where I could look down to the bottom of streams from the car on the
bridge - to the dark waters of Louisiana. However these are not usually
muddy.  They are tannin colored from oak leaves.

Check out the Houston Canoe Club (www.houstoncanoeclub.org).  There are
a lot of local paddles listed suitable for either canoes or kayaks or
both.  My favorite place is Cotton Lake.  It is at the Cove exit off
I-10 east.  There is a free boat launch there. You can also access Old
and Lost Rivers as well as the Trinity River from there.  (I am planning
to go check out more paddling there soon)  Feel free to call me or write
(e-mail is best for more descriptions)

In the Club site, check out the links.  We have many trips written up. 
Also join the listbot and you will see when members send in more trip
links.

I paddle an Eddyline Raven when I'm sea kayaking.  I have 7 other boats
- canoes and 2 whitewater kayaks.

I am planning to lead a trip down the Neeches River through the Big
Thicket for Thanksgiving.  Let me know if that might interest you and
I'll add you to my list and send you the details when I get them
finalized.

Natalie Wiest - a sea kayaking instructor, an ex white water salom
racer, and canoer, led an evening trip on Armand Bayou recently.  We
also were both on a evening paddle near the San Jancinto monument.  I'll
forward you the e-mail containing the pictures of it.

Hope this helps you get started.  If I finish a professional development
course in time, I may paddle tomorrow.  Probably at Lake Houston as I
plan to train there after school - I teach just east of I-610 and north
of I-10.  I have entered a race on Lake Ponchartrain Sept. 30.

As to getting in your kayak - you needed a pump.  Cowboying in is a
perfect way to go if you can maintain your balance.  Then get into the
cockpit and empty the water.  You can usually empty most of it by doing
a strong scissors kick and lifting each end - or at least one and then
do the rest with the pump.
If you will use a paddle float, you can enter by putting it on one end
of your paddle, inflating it, and then hooking the other end of the
paddle under your deck lines and using the whole thing as an outrigger. 
If no lines, you have to hold it and the combing at the same time.

I need to lead a trip to Huntsville State Park on Lake Raven.  That
water is OK for swimming and we can work on the different rescues and
our rolls.

There is a dentist up there that practices a lot there and can help you
with your roll.  We also have roll classes 2 times a month.  Check out
the outings at the Club's web site.

There is also a group forming just for kayaking.  I'll look them up for
you if you don't know about them.

Hope this helps,

Marilyn Kircus

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