This trip is geared toward paddlers looking to paddle the Nantahala (class II/III) for the first time, as well as the rest of us who are just looking to get back on one of our favorite rivers. On Friday June 7, we will plan to paddle the class II Tuckaseegee, if the release schedule permits.  This is a great warm-up river to do before taking on the Nantahala. June 8-9 we will paddle the Nantahala.  Prior whitewater experience is needed for these rivers. 

We will camp at Turkey Creek Campground near Almond, NC.  Please contact Taylor (tcpresto@uab.edu) or Ashley (prestonap@gmail.com) Preston if you are planning on coming or if you have questions about the trip.

Join the BCC at Day at the River, put on by our buddies at Friends of the Locust Fork River.  They invite kids from the Blount County area to the river for a day of instruction, investigation, discovery and fun.  The BCC has been part of this event since the inception, about 15 years ago.  We do a limited amount of paddle instruction, then let the kids jump in boats and go paddle around in the pool below the racecourse at Kings Bend.  We need BCC folks there to lend a hand, help a kid get in a boat, do some teaching and keep an wary eye on the kids.  Oh, and we usually manage to swamp most of them at some point, which is the highlight for most kids.

We need volunteers, boats of all kinds, paddles, PFD’s (especially kid sized) and smiling faces.  Saturday, June 15, 8am-3pm.  Lunch will be provided.  King’s Bend on the Locust Fork.  This event is always a blast, and a great way to give back to the community. Contact Shep, bshep@uab.edu.

Join us at the Homewood Library at 7 p.m. June 4 for a presentation on how to be a trip leader. Ashley Preston will tell you everything you need to know in order to organize and plan an effective trip whether it be the for the club or a group of friends.

Cahaba Fest, brought to you by Cahaba Brewing.  A fundraiser for the Cahaba River Society, Saturday, May 11, from noon to 5pm.  The BCC will have a booth with information on the club, trips and paddling classes.  Come enjoy the bands, a bounce house for the kids, and plenty of great beers from Cahaba Brewing.  Free admission, proceeds from beer sales (and skee ball) go to CRS.

Cahaba Brewing taproom on 3^rd Ave at 27^th Street.  Parking available kiddy corner from the taproom, on 27^th St.

Sunday’s float on the Tallapoosa is cancelled due to high water.  Hope to see you on the river soon.

The Birmingham Canoe Club completed its Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Course last weekend at Kings Bend.  We had eight students complete the course. Congratulations to Ashley Preston, Taylor Preston, Tom with Huntsville Canoe Club, Andy Lee, Bill Dement, Kerry Nivens, Russell Waltz and Josh Billings for your hard work and desire to make paddling a safer sport.  The weather was perfect and the water level was great.  Thanks to Lynn Rasmussen for being the lead instructor and to all of our other ACA certified instructors (Joseph, Arlene, Vander, Paul and Mark) for your help!  We will have a Level 3 Essentials of River Safety and Rescue course on August 31st.  You can click on the “Classes” tab for more information. Please signup by sending an email to Mark Garner mgarner@hallmark-builders.com . 

Zip Lines

Hands of God

Swiftwater Entry

Instruction

Live Bait

Mechanical Advantage

Stabilization

Strainer Drill

V Lower

Wading

Taylor and Ashley Preston will be leading a Class I moving water trip on Sunday, May 5.  Location will be announced in the coming days as we get a better idea of what the water levels will be like. Some possibilities include lower Five Mile Creek and the Upper Tallapoosa near Heflin.  Email tcpresto@uab.edu if you are interested.

For those of you who are beginners looking to get into paddling, the Float the Lazy River Class this Saturday 4/27 is a great way to get started before getting out on one of these float trips.  See the “Classes” tab for more details!

Our tentative plan is to float Terrapin Creek, which is near Piedmont, AL.  This is about a 1.5 hr drive from Birmingham.  Depending on how many people confirm they are going, we might could arrange for some carpooling, but my inclination is that most of us will meet at Terrapin Outfitters at 10:30 AM.
 
The reason I say tentative plan is that if we got no rain at all this week, Terrapin may be too low by the weekend.  According to the forecast, we have a very high likelihood of rain, so I don’t think this will be a problem.  Don’t worry though!  My contingency plans are the Tallapoosa near Heflin and the lower section of the Locust Fork.
 
I will make a final call on Friday after we see if the rain comes. Contact Taylor or Ashley Preston if you’re interested in coming on the trip. (tcpresto@uab.edu or prestonap@gmail.com).