Our Group History

Geoff Goodman started this MeetUp page in 2014 and organized local meetings and trips. As a few others pitched in, more local trips were done and some of us enjoyed a really fun sea kayaking trip to the Baja Peninsula of Mexico that fall. In 2015 several members led area paddling trips and our special project was a very successful four day Smith River paddle. In 2017 we repeated a successful Smith River group trip. In April of 2018 we headed south for a carefully planned trip to warm coral reef islands off the coast of Belize and added jungle and Mayan ruins explorations for perhaps a once in a lifetime experience.

We've faced a couple organizational problems:

We originally had about 20 people who actively participated and before long over 200 others signed up but did not contribute or participate. Running the MeetUp page costs about $200 per year (price goes up with size of the group) which Geoff had personally paid. We have additional expenses if we want to rent campsites in advance. So effective for 2016 we changed the rules for the page so that a $15 annual "dues" was requested to be a member. We initially had about eighteen people pay/contribute the $15. Some people had problems paying on line, so we delayed dropping anyone. By late 2016 our extended grace period ran out and about 200 people (mostly people who had never participated) were automatically dropped off the contact list. Since then the number of people signing up and paying has resulted in roughly two or three dozen active "Season Pass" members plus some people on a free trial membership.

This seems a workable size for the group and should generate enough revenue to support our low cost operation. :)

We include special “Season Pass” benefits:

• pass holders will be invited to join in planning major events
• pass holders will be able to tap into the accumulated group knowledge
• pass holders will be invited to an annual Season Pass Holders Only end of year party

Beginning in 2016 we experienced problems with using MeetUp.com. Our site, full of information and photos, was sort of partially decapitated by the company to conform to smartphone format. Also our understanding is the company was sold to a real estate firm which, among other things, rents meeting rooms. Kayaks do not fit well in meeting rooms. Put in sites at rivers do not have street numbers, nor are they usually on internet mapping smartphone systems. We are different.

For 2019 we continued using MeetUp which had not yet deleted a lot of our information as originally announced. Then all of our past trip descriptions were deleted ! Only short messages were allowed. What was once a very good site became very diminished.

During 2021 the third owner of MeetUp corporation restored most of the features, but in the transition the dues system had ended and soon history repeated itself. Now an annual dues system is again working and we are down to a manageable number of about 20 people.

Optimal size is probably 35 to 40 people - large enough that dues will cover expenses and small enough that people can get to know each other and gain experience, particularly regarding safe practices.

Short version is that we have some fun ideas and just need volunteers to help schedule / plan them. See the "Contact" button on the left under the list of Organizers. Feel free to use that and we can answer questions and listen to ideas from you.

Suggestions are always welcome.