DATES:  See Outdoor Class Schedule.

FIRST SESSION: Check Outdoor Program Class schedule for meeting times and dates.  At the first class session--usually held the night before the first full day of the class--we will discuss equipment needed for the course, clothing, safety and the basics of canoeing.

GENERAL ITINERARY: After the introductory material on the first night, the course will resume the following morning.  We will view canoeing technique videos and then move to a nearby lake to work on flat-water technique.  Specific skills taught include both American Red Cross and Indian Canoeing styles.  The inclusion of the Indian style is particularly apropos in our area since its national advocate was the late Pierre Pulling, Professor Emeritus at Idaho State University.  Students will have the opportunity to experiment with both styles and choose the one most suitable for their caning needs.
      On Saturday and Sunday, an overnight river trip will be taken on the Bear or Snake River.  The trip will provide an opportunity for participants to learn and practice in moving water and canoe camping skills.

FOOD ARRANGEMENTS: Workshop participants will be expected to take care of their own meals.  Several restaurants are located adjacent to the campus.  For Saturday and Sunday we will buy group food.  The cost of food is the only other expense besides the workshop fee.  All other expenses--equipment, transportation, etc.--are covered.

COSTS: The fee for the workshop is $90.  (The fee is reduced to $60 if you are an ISU student enrolled for one credit or full-time student during the past spring or upcoming fall semester.)  If you have your own canoe, the fee for the workshop is reduced by $15.  Included with the fee are canoes, life jackets, educational materials and instructional equipment.  It does not include meals.

EQUIPMENT & CLOTHING: Canoes, paddles, life jackets, Dutch ovens and other group equipment will be provided.  You will need to have your own overnight camping equipment.  Here's a list of items that you should have for the overnight trip:

[   ] Tent or tarp
[   ] Sleeping bag
[   ] Sleeping pad
[   ] Pocket knife
[   ] Flashlight
[   ] Sun glasses
[   ] Cup, plate, spoon, fork
[   ] Sun screen
[   ] Toothbrush/paste
[   ] Water bottle
[   ] Toilet paper
[   ] Matches
[   ] Personal medication
[   ] Insect repellent
[   ] Pack, duffel bag or waterproof river bag to carry equipment.  If you use a pack or duffel    bag, you will want to line it with garbage bags to keep equipment dry.
[   ] Pad for knees.  Some people like to have padding when they kneel in the canoe, but it's not   required.

CLOTHING:
 [   ] Two pairs of shoes--a pair of tennis shoes which can get wet during the day and a dry pair   of shoes for the evening in camp.
 [   ] Shorts
 [   ] Rain gear
 [   ] Leather gloves--nice for paddling but not required.
 [   ] Wool shirt, sweater or substitute
 [   ] Warm jacket
 [   ] Hat for sun protection
 [   ] Warm hat for cold, rainy weather i.e. stocking hat
 [   ] Wool socks or synthetic socks, a couple of pair

OPTIONAL:
 [   ] Fishing equipment and license
 [   ] Camera
 [   ] Notebook/book

PHYSICAL EFFORT INVOLVED IN THIS CLASS: On the first day, we will spend the day at a local lake.  You’ll be in and out of the water all day.  While in the canoes, you’ll be practicing canoe strokes.  This can be taxing, particularly if it is a hot day.  You will also be practicing some rescue techniques, which involves tipping the canoes over and some swimming.  We will be wearing life jackets, but you should feel comfortable swimming in water over your head.
      The next two days are spent on an overnight canoe trip.  This involves paddling a canoe all day for two days.  You can expect to have all sorts of different weather conditions: cold and rainy, windy and hot and sunny.  Paddling a canoe all day can be tiring.  In adverse weather conditions you may get wet and cold--or you may get very hot.
     You should be physically fit and mentally prepared for the weather and long days on the river.  We will be spending the night and you should also be prepared to sleep in a tent or shelter and cook your own food.

RISK ASSUMPTIONS: Please be aware that canoeing is dangerous.  It is impossible to list all the dangers involved in the sport.  The eventualities of injuries or death are so diverse, no one can second guess everything that can go wrong.  Some possibilities include: capsizing the canoe and drowning, falling from the canoe and being caught by trees or bushes in the water, becoming hypothermic after a swim or a cold or rainy day on the river, falling or slipping while along the shore, etc.  We try to minimize dangers, but we can't guarantee that everything will be safe.  IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT THE DANGERS AND RISKS, PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS AND THEN MAKE A CAREFUL DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO PARTICIPATE.

WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR:
Ron Watters, past director of the ISU Outdoor Program, teaches both the American Red Cross and Indian style canoeing techniques.  He learned the Indian style from Pierce Pulling, the Idaho State University professor who is responsible for rescuing Native American Canoe techniques before they passed in obscurity.  Watters has taken several long multi-day canoeing journeys in Canada and the Boundary Waters Wilderness of Northern Minnesota.  He is the author of six books, including Guide to Idaho Paddling.

APPLICATION TO ATTEND WORKSHOP: Applications are available through the Outdoor Program Office (236-3912).  A deposit equal to 50% of the workshop cost must accompany your application to reserve a place in the workshop.  One half of the deposit will be refunded if you cancel more than two weeks before the workshop begins. All workshops have limited enrollments, and participants are accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Ron Watters, ISU Outdoor Program, Summer Workshops, Pond Student Union Bldg., Box 8128, Pocatello, Idaho, 83209.  Phone: (208) 236-3912.