17th Annual Arkansas Canoe Club Rendezvous
September 10th-12th, 2010
Camp Couchdale on Lake Catherine near Hot Springs, AR
Sanctioned by the American Canoe Association
So what is Rendezvous?
This event was started for the purpose (or
maybe excuse is a better word) for members and friends of the Arkansas Canoe
Club to get together during the dry summer months. Activities such as
mini-clinics, surfing at Rockport, watching paddling movies, hanging around the
campfire, demoing a new boat, etc. have become part of it but we all know the
main goal is catching up with old friends and hopefully making a few new ones!
Registration Information and Cost
- Check-in will be at the front gate of Camp Couchdale
starting at 4 PM Friday the 10th and running all day Saturday the 11th.
- Everyone will be required to check-in, sign a waiver and pay
the admittance fee.
- Cost is $15/person with a maximum of $30/family. This price
is the same as last year.
- If you are already an ACA (American Canoe
Association) member you’ll receive a $5 discount (which reflects the cost of
insurance).
- When you register you will be able to find the latest information
including mini-clinics, tours & trips, etc. so be sure to check it out!
Camp Couchdale Information
- No pets
- Plenty of room for car or tent camping, but not a lot of
space or hook-ups for motor homes. The folks at the registration table can
direct you to the quiet and not so quiet areas.
- There are several air conditioned cabins and dorms that are
available for rent. Please call Eva Fletcher at Camp Couchdale (501) 262-1326
for more information or to make a reservation. Call back if you don’t get
someone: she’s busy!
- Quiet hours are from 11PM to 6AM
- Alcohol is fine but please no glass
Directions to Camp Couchdale
- From Hwy 30 at Malvern, take exit 97 for AR-84 toward AR-171
- Turn right at AR-84 W/Tanner St
- Take the 1st right onto AR-171 N
- Camp Couchdale will be on the LEFT in about 8.6 miles
Meals
Feel free to bring your own food for breakfast/lunches. The
camp dining hall will also plan on preparing breakfast and lunch on Saturday
and breakfast only on Sunday morning. Meal tickets must be purchased at the
registration desk BEFORE 10AM on Saturday.
Friday Night Cajun Red Beans and Rice
Joe Goodwin and the boys from the ArkLaTex Chapter have
agreed to kick off the weekend with a Cajun cook-out. The chapter will begin
serving red beans and rice at 6:00 and continue until 8:00. Cost is $5 per
person and includes salad and bread along with water or tea. Start the weekend
off right with some good eats and good times.
Potluck Dinner Saturday Night
The kitchen in the dining hall will be available starting at
5:30 to warm food and dinner will start around 7:00 P.M. Please be sure to bring a dish to share with
folks …. be creative and try for something just a bit more tempting than rolls
or potato chips please! Also bring your own plate and utensils. If you need to
keep something cool until Saturday night, there should be room in the kitchen
refrigerators.
Silent Auction
Once again the club will be hosting a silent auction to
raise money for the Ron Gilham Conservation Fund. This fund is used to sponsor
conservation and environmental causes. Donations can be brought to Rendezvous
or dropped off with someone who is coming to the event. We should have lots of
great stuff at the event, including a brand new Dagger Zydeco Kayak courtesy of
Larry Jenkins and the Ozark Mountain Trading Company!
Boat Raffle
Big thanks to the fine folks at Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters
who are providing the club with a boat to raffle off this year ….. it’s your
chance to win a Liquid Logic Versa Board with the Werner SUP paddle to go with
it. Look also for a Stand Up Paddling demo offered by OOO this year!
Water Futures Group
ACC Conservation Chair has invited the Arkansas Water
Futures Group to present a program at 6 PM on Friday evening. The group is a
water conservation partnership between the Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy,
and the Arkansas Public Policy Panel. The group is funded by the Rockefeller
Foundation to present education forums on water issues around the state. All
ACC members are invited to attend!
Friday Night Film Festival
Can’t leave a crowd favorite out! Bring your footage for all
to enjoy in this informal setting. Videos will start up around 8:30pm in the
Exhibit Hall
Youth Activities (Saturday)
Sara Ulmer will organize the morning activities for the kids
ages 5 to 12.
Rescue Rodeo
Mike Byrum & Company are planning a rescue rodeo at the
Rendezvous this year. This will be all land-based skills associated with rescue
techniques using ropes, mechanical advantage, anchors and your problem solving
abilities. We plan to have 4 stations
with a different skill to be performed at each station. Your team will be
scored based on time to complete the task and or accuracy of the execution of
the skill. So get a team of 3 or 4 boaters together and come to the Bull Ring
Saturday morning for some friendly SWR competition.
Dutch Oven Cook Off
Larry Crane will be hosting the Dutch Oven Cook-off this
year from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. There will be three divisions
this year: Entre', Breakfast, and Desert. Any contestant may enter any division
or all three, or just two divisions. Show up on or before 3:30 and let Larry
know what division(s) you plan to enter.
Adult Activity – Rendezvous Beer Garden!
Mike Byrum has organized a new event this year; The
Rendezvous Beer Garden! A $10.00 donation to the ACC Conservation Fund gets you
beer samples, bottled water and bratwurst/potato salad appetizers. The Beer
Garden will be open Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until the beer runs out.
Saturday Night Musical Entertainment
Dave Robertson is coordinating the details for some great
music Saturday night …. there’s a good chance we will do some open-mic from
some of our talented club members.
Down River Water & Rockport Play Time
Thanks to the cooperation of Entergy and Ted Smethers. We
have (tentatively) scheduled a nine-hour release for both Saturday and Sunday. Look
for the water to be turned on at the dam around 6 AM and at the ledge from 9 AM
to 5ish both days. The “Porterfield” Access will again be open on river right. Gates
close at 6 so if you don’t want to be locked in make plans to be parked on the
Malvern side. Jeremy Mackey will be heading up the last in the Hometown
Throwdown series Saturday afternoon so check at the front gate for specifics.
Mini-Clinics, Tours & Trips
Thanks to our many volunteers, we will have several
workshops and trips at this year’s event. Check the schedule at the gate for
the final lineup; here is what we have so far:
Beginning strokes for open-boaters (canoeists) – Tom Kennon
SmartStart Paddling Orientation for Kayakers – Marlo Krueger
& Pat Crane.
Canoe Camping …. How to live in comfort in the wild –
Richard McFadden
Kayak Camping Clinic - XP Livin De-Mystified –
Jeremy Mackey and OOO.
SUP (Stand Up Paddling) Clinic/Demo – Ouachita Outdoor
Outfitters and perhaps a special guest?
Lake Catherine Trip – Bryan & Carrie Galante will lead a
tour on the lake Saturday after lunch.
Dave Thomas from Mohawk Canoes will lead a down-river trip
from Remmel Dam on Sunday morning; he will provide you a nice Canoe to paddle
(please bring your life jacket, paddle, and helmet) and will also shuttle the
boats for you. Mohawks will also be available to demo on Lake Catherine all day
on Saturday, and by appointment on Friday as well.
Random Acts of Origami – Bryan will also offer this
fascinating workshop on Saturday before dinner. What a cool idea!
Vendors & Used Gear Exchange
Rendezvous is a great place to pick up some gear, old or
new! Be sure to visit Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters, Mowhawk Canoes, and Ozark
Mountain Trading Company for some great deals over the weekend. It’s also a
great place to pick up some used gear - bring your stuff to sell (and some cash
to buy!).