Hi everyone and welcome to all the new members who joined this winter!

I am sure you are all as anxious as I am for open water !

Last spring, we had very windy conditions; but we were able to squeeze in some fun meetups before the drought hit.

This spring, please remember to know the water temperature before you set out and make sure you are appropriately dressed for conditions. There are videos pinned on our message board and many links to browse through for those of you with less experience or for those who want a review. The links can also be helpful for planning a meetup. The rivers change every season and the more networking we do, the more we will be informed about the conditions of rivers before hand.

I will plan my annual meeting for anyone interested in becoming an assistant organizer or event organizer soon. Of course, all AOs should attend if they can. If you would like to help organize or assist in posting events as a meetup, then email me and I will set up your role so you the enables the appropriate tools on our web site.

I would like to take this moment to thank and recognize Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga, for being our main sponsor! Darren started the Kayak Meetup group as the original organizer and continues to support us financially through the use of this site. Rutabaga has many classes available in the spring and summer for any new paddlers. I highly recommend taking classes before joining our group!

If you don't own a kayak and still want to be an active member, please know that we don't supply kayaks or gear for paddling. Sometimes members can assist with lending out their boat/equipment; but it is highly recommended that you own a boat and paddling equipment. It is rare that we run meetups in which you can rent boats/equipment.

Stay tuned for more as the season approaches!

Barbara Nice