What a wonderful weekend of paddling. Each month the Penguin Paddlers Kayak Club travel somewhere for a three day road trip. This Month we did Folsom Lake, Natoma Lake and the American River.

I am asked on a regular basis, how did we grow to 400+ members, in a town of 80,000 population, three hours from the ocean and in the middle of Northern California?

The secret is schedule consistency, great weather, beautiful lakes, calm rivers, relaxed fun and Baby Boomers! The thing that our club members have in common is the desire for an outdoor lifestyle. Everywhere, I find paddlers who want to experience a safe, social, outdoor adventure with like-minded folks. It’s not easy to build and develop relationships but I have found if you share what you love, you will find others who love to share. We do Morning Paddles, Evening Paddles, Up-River Paddles, Social Paddles and the most bonding of all… Road Trips. Just spend three days eating, paddling and chatting with someone and your relationship will change to a different level. Most Road Trips average between 20 to 30 paddlers and can be challenging, but if you ask for help, someone is always willing to help and that lets them become a real part of the club body.

This trip was no exception, we had 23 paddlers, paddled three different waters in three days, went out to dinner twice together, visited the Folsom Zoo after the paddle on Sunday and shuttled cars and bodies to accomplish a river paddle on Monday. That’s what bonds people together, even if you don’t try to bond.

So get together with some other paddlers and go spend a few days together and see what happens… they just might become a part of your life and more importantly, your memories!

Happy Paddling,
Captain Penguin

Posted by Garth Schmeck

This entry was posted on Friday, February 23rd, 2007 at 4:48 am and is filed under Day Trps.