River Skills Weekends
Bogue Chitto River Near Tylertown, MS
Become a more skilled, safer and smarter river paddle
June 21 -22, 2008

What are river skills weekends? The weekend is intended for anyone who wants to improve their paddling and rescuing skills and to increase their knowledge of how to read and react to the river. Paddlers will learn how to recognize and avoid obstacles and how to ferry forwards and backwards across river currents. Paddlers will practice these skills while following the leader down river as he leads them around and through a maze of obstacles and across and up and down a variety of currents.

Rescuing skills are learned as paddlers deliberately swamp and capsize their canoes. Paddlers learn how to self rescue and how to rescue others. Everyone will practice canoe over canoe rescue and how to float in a river with and without a canoe and how to rescue swimmers with throw ropes.

Where are the lessons taught? Each day’s lessons are on a four mile section of the Bogue Chitto River which is located southwest of Tylertown, Mississippi. The stream offers a mix of currents from pools to swift water, obstacles such as sandstone islands and ledges, trees, stumps and gravel bars and water depths from ankle deep to deeper than a paddle can reach bottom. All of these features make for a very good outdoor classroom for river paddlers to increase their skills.

Where do the paddlers camp? Everyone camps at the Canoe and Trail Outpost, which is on the Bogue Chitto River two miles north of the Mississippi – Louisiana stateline. The campgrounds have tents sites, showers, flush toilets and groves of trees.

How about the meals? Everyone brings his or her own two river lunches. Most paddlers choose to dine at a nearby restaurant for Saturday’s evening meal. The instructor provides Sunday's breakfast.

Who is the instructor? Byron Almquist who has been teaching paddling skills and leading canoeing and wilderness camping outings since the early 1970s will be the lead instructor. Paddling friends who volunteer as assistant instructors will very ably assist him.

What is the cost of the river skills weekend? The fee for the two days of instructions, the use of the canoes and accessories, tents, camping fee and breakfast is $95.00.  If a paddler provides his/her own canoe, then the fee is $75.00.  If the student is returning for another weekend of instruction in river skills, then the fee is $60.00 for the same package.  

How do I sign up? Email the instructor at byron@canoeandtrail.com or call 504 834-5257. Additional literature will be provided to all the paddlers. The payment of the fee by check is expected at the time of the registration.

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