AWC Summer Clinics & Potluck - July 20-21 2019
AWC Summer Clinics & Potluck - July 20-21 2019
Saturday, July 20th starting at 9:00am and running until about 4pm, the Adobe Whitewater Club will host our annual clinics in Pilar, NM. This year’s clinics include several levels of river and whitewater kayaking, rafting and river canoeing, all led by ACA certified instructors.
Clinic offerings include: Essentials of River Kayaking (Beginner), River Kayaking (Advanced Beginner to Intermediate), Whitewater Kayaking (Intermediate), Whitewater Kayaking (Advanced Intermediate), Play Boat, Essentials of River Canoeing, and Beginner-Intermediate Rafting. For those enrolled in the Essentials of River Canoeing clinic, we are offering a free pre-clinic at Cochiti lake on July 6th. Clinic details and requirements are described below. (The descriptions are under development…)
The clinics have been fully booked the past several years so pre-registration and payment is required. The registration form is at the bottom of this page.
Saturday evening after the clinics (around 6:00pm) we will have a potluck dinner at the Taos Junction Bridge Campground Shelter, along with throw rope and other competitions as well as some awesome door prizes. These cookouts are great fun – so even if you don’t attend the clinics, come out for an evening of socializing, meeting other boaters, and enjoying the sound of the river! Bring your favorite meal to share, your own beverages and serving utensils. While there are tables and seating at the pavilion, you may wish to bring your own. The shelter has a fireplace (for you dutch oven chefs), but you will need to bring your own firewood (Please note: if fire restrictions are in place, any type of fire, including charcoal in the fireplace, is prohibited).
The Adobe Whitewater Club is providing free camping to AWC members Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at the Taos Junction Bridge campground around the pavilion and on the shelf below. Camping or parking at individual campsites is not included and requires you pay a site fee. The TJB camp area has potable water and flush toilets. The Rio Bravo campsite located just down the road has coin operated hot showers and a utility sink for washing dishes that you can also use. Please be respectful of other campers and stay within our designated space.
Sunday we encourage everyone to hit the river for a paddle. AWC will not formally be organizing any paddles, so it will be up to people in the community to network and organize among themselves.
Clinic Costs for AWC Members:
Adult (18 years and over) $30
Students (11-17 years) $15
ACA (American Canoe Association) Event Insurance (mandatory)
$0 for ACA members
$5 for non-ACA members
Please support our Sponsors
Kayak Clinics:
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL KAYAK CLINICS: You must bring your own kayak, paddle, PFD, whitewater helmet, whistle, boat flotation, spray skirt, and appropriate clothing to go in the water, plus a dry change of clothes. Bring water, lunch and sunscreen.
1. Essentials of River Kayaking (Beginner)
The Essentials of River Kayaking clinic is designed to teach beginner paddlers to safely and enjoyably kayak on rivers of no more than Class I difficulty. You will learn basic kayaking skills, including paddle strokes, boat control, and safety maneuvers.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Be able to hold your breath while under water. While in the water wearing a properly fitted lifejacket, be able to independently turn from a face down to a face up position keeping head above water. Be able to swim. The minimum age to participate is 9 years old, and anyone between the ages of 9 and 15 must be with an adult chaperone who is comfortable kayaking Level II rivers.
2. River Kayaking (Advanced Beginner)
The River Kayaking clinic emphasizes safety, enjoyment and skill acquisition for entry-level through intermediate individuals. You will build on your kayaking skills, including paddle strokes, boat control, safety maneuvers, river reading and whitewater paddling techniques.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
3. wHITEWATER Kayaking (iNTERMEDIATE)
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Whitewater kayaks and proficient whitewater skills are highly recommended. Recreational kayaks will not be allowed (you need a skirt for this run of the river). Inflatable kayaks are fine. Solid class II skills (comfortable catching and peeling out of eddys in current, ferrying, navagating in whitewater, experience running class II sections of water). A roll is not required but extremely helpful.
4. wHITEWATER Kayaking (aDVANCED iNTERMEDIATE)
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Solid class II+/III skills (comfortable catching and peeling out of eddys in current, ferrying, navagating in whitewater, experience running class II+/III sections of water). A roll is required.
5. wHITEWATER Kayaking — PLAYBOAT
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Solid class II+/III skills (comfortable catching and peeling out of eddys in current, ferrying, navagating in whitewater, experience running class II+/III sections of water). A roll is required.
Raft Clinics
We will meet at the Taos Junction Bridge put-in at 9:00am and assess the group needs and the skills that everyone wants to work on. We will run down the state Park section and talk about and practice skills. Then eat lunch and move onto the racecourse to put these skills to use. If there is enough interest, we will have a raft clinic on both Saturday and Sunday.
Canoe Clinics
Essentials of River Canoeing
The Essentials of River Canoeing course is an introduction to paddling rivers. Participants will learn to catch eddies, perform peel outs and ferries, recognize and avoid hazards, perform rescues and respond to emergencies on moving water. This course is appropriate for most types of tandem and solo canoes.
Minimum Requirements: Experience paddling in canoes on lakes or rivers, or attend July 6th pre-clinic
Equipment Requirements: Canoe, Paddle, PFD, whitewater helmet, whistle, bowline. Limited space may be available in instructor’s canoes – contact instructor to check.
Canoe Pre-Clinic (Lake) Saturday, July 6, 2019
Cochiti Reservoir West Boat Ramp, 9am – 2pm
This is a pre-clinic lake session for canoe at no additional cost to students enrolled in the Essentials of River Canoeing clinic. The lake session gives us a chance to practice our strokes in a more controlled environment (when it doesn’t matter if we screw them up).
Minimum Requirements: Be able to hold their breath while under water and, while in the water wearing a properly fitted lifejacket, be able to independently turn from a face down to a face up position keeping their head above water.
Equipment Requirements: Canoe, paddle, PFD are available for loan; preferable to bring your own. Appropriate clothing that can get wet, change of clothes as you may get wet. Water, snacks, hat, sunscreen.
The beginner level kayak and canoe clinics will likely be held on the State Park section of the Rio Grande and the intermediate clinics will be conducted on the Race Course.
For all clinics, you must bring your own boat, paddle, PFD, whitewater helmet, whistle, boat flotation, spray skirt, and appropriate clothing to go in the water and a change of clothers. Bike helmets are not allowed because they are made to absorb a single serious impact then be replaced. Whitewater helmets are designed for multiple impacts.
Bring water, lunch and sunscreen.
Self Rating Score: Please take this self rating test, it helps us assign instructors and split up groups
Registration for Clinics is CLOSED
Directions
All Clinics will meet at the Taos Junction Bridge put-in, which is on the left hand side of the road before crossing the bridge. There is additional parking north of the road. Clinics start at 9:00am. Please come early to check-in and have your gear ready to get on the water at 9:00am.
The Taos Junction Bridge Campground is about 1/4 mile further along 570 - across the bridge and on the left.