Purpose:
Registration information at the bottom of this description!
Fun, (re)build boating skills, keep interest high in camp; share springtime adventure on the rivers with family and friends, and have the opportunity to make a donation to the scholarship fund for campers, if you wish.
We take a variety of boats and skill levels: canoes, solo and tandem, and kayaks or C-1s. If we have true beginners, we will split the day on the river so one group runs a harder session and the other an easier one, like Sections 9 or 8 of the French Broad. We always adjust the clinic to the needs of the participants and have a long history of sending everyone home tired and happy!
Cost: $500 per person, all inclusive of: Instruction, gear, food, and camp lodging Minimum participants: 4; Max: 12
At the clinic there is an opportunity to further donate to the Chief and Calla Bell Foundation (C+CBSF), the independent non-profit that offers scholarships for summer camp experiences. Important Note: This donation is not expected nor a prerequisite for attending the clinic; we give participants the opportunity to donate if they wish. We give participants the donation form link to the Foundation Website here.
Schedule:
Note that this is a sample schedule! We adjust for water levels and participants’ needs. If there is a significant gap in skills and experiences, we can divide the clinic, with more advanced boaters going straight to rivers with beginners remaining on the lake for the first morning.
Friday evening - May 1st:
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4:00 p.m. Arrive at camp, get situated in cabins and perhaps spend some time getting gear together.
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6:30 p.m. Dinner and introductions of the group.
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7:30 p.m. Select boats and personal gear for the weekend and place in the Triangle, ready for use.
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8:00 p.m. Tower Time!
Saturday, May 2nd:
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7:00 a.m. - Coffee/tea ready in the dining room and Tower Time for reflections and conversations.
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8:00 a.m. – Morning Bell rings
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8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
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9:30 a.m. - On the lake! Strokes refresher, filming of all skill sets, including landings drills and kayak or C-1 rolls – or even open Canoe rolls!
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Load the trailer for the trip to the river.
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1:00 p.m. – lunch and watch any needed videos of technique to tune up for the river.
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2:00 p.m. - Drive to nearby river like the upper French Broad for beginning whitewater skills.
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5:00 p.m. - Drive back from river.
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7:00 p.m. - Dinner and the rowdy telling of river stories.
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7:45 p.m. - The Chief and Calla Bell Foundation: who they are, what they do, and the opportunities to contribute.
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8:00 p.m. - Tower Time and the resolution of all the world’s problems.
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9:00 p.m. - The sleep of the just
Sunday, May 5th
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7:00 a.m. - Coffee/tea ready in the dining room and Tower Time for reflections and conversations.
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8:00 a.m. – Morning Bell rings
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8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
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9:00 a.m. - Adjustment of personal gear and boats on the trailer.
NOTE: in the past we have found that French Broad Sec 9 from Barnard to Stackhouse is the best option: reliable water up to class 3, and a good jump on the day for people to leave from rather than return to camp. So, several participants going north or west from the river follow us there in their cars. For easier water for beginners, we have used the Section 8 of the French Broad, with great success. Given that, the schedule looks like this:
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9:30 a.m. - 12:00 Drive from Mondamin to Barnard Put in and run shuttle.
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12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. On the river.
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4:00 p.m - leave from river -some from the takeout toward home, some returning to Mondamin with us.
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6:00 p.m. - return to Mondamin and remaining participants head home.
Interested? Let’s talk! Give us a call at (828)-693-7446 or send us an email at mondamin@mondamin.com. We’ll be very clear about what we can and cannot do (No, we are not guiding any kayakers down the Green Narrows, but there are many trips we can safely lead your family and friends on!).
Onward,
David Bell
