VOLUME III JULY 2015

THE ANNUALP-I-C-N-I-C

Saturday, August 15, 2015

at 9:00 AM

Just Attend!! Bring family, friends,

your boss .. . well, you know.

CHERAW STATE PARK100 State Park Rd.

Cheraw, South Carolina

OUR ANNUAL CATAWBA CRUISERS PICNIC

~ WE WILL BE AT THE BOAT DOCK PICNIC SHELTER ~There is a great beach for kids to swim and play, so bring the family!

Bring your Kayaks, so others can try out different boats. It’s also a good time to buy/sell a boat. We are planning games for everyone’s enjoyment—Bocce ball, Corn hole, horseshoes,

ladder golf, and volleyball. We will also have a Poker Run. This will be about a paddle from one point to another to pick up cards. There will be a prize for the best poker hand! We will also have a Kayak race. There will be prizes for the fastest male and female.

Be sure to bring a side dish or dessert to share, and bring your own drinks. Ray is covering all the meat, buns and condiments.

Since the campsites are full, the Primitive Camping Area has been reserved for Friday & Saturday night by Dave Needham.

The cost is $5 per person per night. Please be sure to reimburse Dave Needham, as he has paid for this area in advance.

Note: There is no water or electric and you must take in all supplies. The park has agreed to let us use one of their fi shing boats to take in supplies to the primitive area.

The park offers many activities for members. There is a fi shing pier and easy kayak access from the shelter. There

are extensive biking, hiking and equestrian trails as well as kayaking on Lake Juniper. You can also paddle into a cypress swamp at the end of the lake and up into Juniper creek.

For more details: see the meetup posted on our websitehttp://www.meetup.com/Catawba-Cruisers/events

IN THIS ISSUE:

annual picnic 1member Bios 2, 4 safety signals 2gear loaner program 2poisonous plants 3 poisonous snakes 3answers: snakes 4yet more on snakes 5more great recipes 6expanding your knowledge 6paddlers vs. motorboaters 7American Rivers 8

Ray has purchased lots of gear over the years, much of which he’s donated to the scouts. He has a list and will offer it as a “loan” to members and their families. He has tents, backpacks, sleeping bags,

sleeping pads, etc., and he has added more gear for the loaner program!! This includes bicycles and the helmets. All that he asks is that if you borrow any equipment, it is returned in the condition in which you got it. He hopes this will increase participation on some of our outings. Some people do not have the gear and he feels it would make more sense to do this and give it a try before buying your own. Please contact Ray for more information if you are interested! ��( carpenter.raymond @ gmail.com�)

Introducing... SUE MARCHISIO

Ray’s Loaner Gear Program

MISSION STATEMENT:We are a group of peoplethat get together to shareour love of water and the outdoors. We paddle localwaters as well as water

throughout the Southeast. We also share trips,

information, knowledge, and even get together

for meals. We have many functions that are kid and pet friendly. Get out and take in all the splendor that nature has to offer you. All are welcome.

Although our primaryfunction is � atwater paddling, we also do hikes, backpacking,

camping, bicycling, and photography. We are up for anything outdoors.We have NO RULES

except to have fun andlook out for each other.

Member since: November 24, 2010Tell us a little about yourself.I have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. My job brought me to Charlotte in 1996. I was working Mergers and Acquisitions for one of the big banks. I went back to school and became an elementary school teacher which I have been doing for the last 4 years. What was I thinking!Do you currently kayak, camp or go hiking?I like hiking, camping, biking and kayaking.

What type of paddling do you prefer? ie. whitewater, fl atwater, day or weekend adventures.I have 7 kayaks, but use my 14’ Wilderness Tsunami for fl at water and meandering rivers; also in costal waters. I use my 10’ or 12’ Dagger Axis for Class 1 – 3 white water. My 14.5 tandem is for taking out the grandkids!Introduction: Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting “...Holy Crap...What a Ride!”What Sue Marchisio is saying about this Meetup GroupWe sure know how to have FUN!! Thanks for a GREAT day!!

PAGE 2

WHISTLE SIGNALS• One Blast = Attention. Look toward signaler.• Two Blasts = Come back or gather together• Three Blasts = Help• Five or more Short Blasts = Danger

CCCCCCatawba Cruisers/Charlotte Kayak Clubatawba Cruisers/Charlotte Kayak Clubatawba Cruisers/Charlotte Kayak Club

SAFETY SIGNALSSAFETY SIGNALSSAFETY SIGNALS

PADDLE SIGNALS• Paddle held horizontal over the head = STOP• Wave paddle back and forth overhead like a fl ag =HELP• Paddle held vertical - All clear or proceed in this direction

• Paddle held at 45�degrees - proceed in the direction indicated. (Never point towards a hazard)

HAND SIGNALS• Tap the top of your head 3 times and

point to whom you are questioning = Are you OK?

• Answer by tapping head 3 times if OK. Otherwise, assistance is needed.

• With index and middle fi ngers forming a “V”, point to eyes then twist and point out = LOOK

DON’T

FORGET...

DANGER!!!

From My Own Personal Ex�erience....

www.poisin-ivy.org Important information on: Poison Ivy Poison Oak Poison Sumac

Poison ANYthing is no fun. But the hardest part is knowing what poisonous plants look like, let alone what to do when you come in contact with them. I was lucky to have been shown this site <www.poison-ivy.org> and learned some interesting things about these plants. Did you know there are different kinds of poi-son ivy? And that the plant can change its

look during spring, summer, fall and winter? How poisonous are these plants? What can I do if I’ve been “touched”? Are there any real remedies out there? This site has all this information and more!Anyone can tell you it has three shiny leaves, but so do other plants. Be sure to take the “QUIZ”. I was amazed at how little I knew about what these plants looked like!

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5

and more... Can You Identify these Poisonous Snakes?and more... Can You Identify these Poisonous Snakes?and more... Can You Identify these Poisonous Snakes?and more... Can You Identify these Poisonous Snakes?and more... Can You Identify these Poisonous Snakes?and more... Can You Identify these Poisonous Snakes?

Is It Poison Ivy? Is It Poison Oak? Arrggh!Is It Poison Ivy? Is It Poison Oak? Arrggh!Is It Poison Ivy? Is It Poison Oak? Arrggh!

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ANSWERS ON PG. 4

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Member since: 2008Tell us a little about yourself.I retired from a high stress job in the chemical industry in 1990 due to two heart attacks and after a four year spell of running a small infrared business, retired for good. Having lived in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania I really didn’t have a home town, but I fi nally found the south and moved to Aiken, SC then to Rock Hill. Because of the early retirement age, I have been fortunate to fi ll my days volunteering at many worthwhile charities, such as Habitat for Humanity, Medical Center Auxiliary, Friends of the Library, Dream Center, etc. I have always been an active boater, but usually with a motor. It wasn’t until I moved to Rock Hill on Lake Wylie that I started kayaking.

My fi rst four years of kayaking were primarily fl at water, and it wasn’t until I joined the Cruisers that I found moving water more enjoyable—class 2+ is still maximum for me. I own eight kayaks, but four of them are mainly used by my grandchildren. In 2011 Gail and I built 16 & 17 foot wooden kayaks from Chesapeake. We built them in Bath, ME, and then we paddled for 30 days in the Atlantic Provinces, which by the way only have granite beaches. Upon arriving home we stripped all the gear off, sanded for days, and put on fi ve more coats of varnish. The other kayaks that I use dependent on the water are an 18 foot Q700X by QCC, 12 foot Inuit by Liquid Logic and a 13 foot Epic GPX.I have two daughters living in Charlotte with 6 grandchildren. Gail and I have two dogs, Wylie and River. We both love paddling, tent camping, kayak camping or camper camping.

ANSWERSANSWERSANSWERSANSWERSANSWERSANSWERS.... .... .... POISONOUS SNAKES!! POISONOUS SNAKES!! POISONOUS SNAKES!! Of the 37 snake species in North Carolina, only 6 of them are poisonous. � ere are only 4 di� erent types of poisonous snakes in the U.S. � ey are Co� onmouths, Copperheads, Ra� lesnakes, and Coral Snakes.

1: COPPERHEAD: Fascinati ng, but gorgeous snakes ; don’t let the beauty fool you. Their bodies are similar to Cott onmouths but their color is much brighter, ranging from a coppery brown to a bright beauti ful orange, or a silver-pink and peach color. The young ones have a bright yellow tail just like Cott onmouths.

2: CANEBRAKE RATTLESNAKE. 3: DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE. 4: PIGMY RATTLESNAKE.An obvious sign is the ratt le, you can’t miss it. Some harmless snakes try to imitate but only Ratt lesnakes have a butt on-like ratt le at the end of their tails. It looks and sounds like a babies ratt le. They also have a big, heavy triangle shape heads, and ellipti cal eyes. If you can’t see their tails look for those two disti nguishing factors.

5: COTTONMOUTH SNAKES (aka WATER MOCCASIN): First and foremost the best way to tell if it is a poisonous Cott onmouth snake is that it will have ellipti cal eyes (cat eyes, slits). Cott onmouths can range from Black to green so be aware that they can be diff erent colors. One very disti ncti ve identi fying mark is a white stripe that runs down the side of the Cott onmouths head. Young Cott onmouths have bright yellow tails and adults do not have this marker, so just cause it doesn’t have one doesn’t mean its not a Cott onmouth. They’re habitually around water or in water, but they also can live on dry land but mostly near rivers, and bodies of water. They usually do not congregate in groups, they are known to be loners.

6: CORAL SNAKES: Another beauti ful snake but don’t under esti mate it; it’s prett y and very dangerous. Coral Snakes have a disti ncti ve color patt ern. They have a black, yellow, and red bands, a yellow head, and a black over their nose. One rhyme to help you remember how to disti nguish a Coral Snake from a King Snake (because they are so similar) is “Red Touch yellow, kill a fellow. Red touch black, friend to jack”. Another one is “Red on black, lucky jack; red on yellow, he’s one deadly fellow”. Coral Snakes are very shy and will usually run from you than att ack.

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Distinguish between Venomous and Nonvenomous SnakesDistinguish between Venomous and Nonvenomous SnakesDistinguish between Venomous and Nonvenomous SnakesDistinguish between Venomous and Nonvenomous SnakesDistinguish between Venomous and Nonvenomous SnakesDistinguish between Venomous and Nonvenomous SnakesColor Patt erns: Venomous Snakes tend to be diff erent colors. If you see a snake that is a solid color, it will most likely be non-venomous, but this is not the rule of thumb, Cott onmouths are venomous and some can be one solid color.

Head Shape: Non-Venomous snakes usually have a spoon-shaped rounded heads and venomous snakes will usually have a more triangular shaped head. The reason their heads are triangular is because of the venom glands.

Look for a Ratt le: If you come across a snake and hear the disti ncti ve ratt le, you should stop, locate the snake and if you are a good distance away slowly back away but make no quick moves.

Pit Heat Sensor: Some venomous snakes have a depression between their eyes and nostrils. This is called a pit, used by the snake to sense heat in their prey.

Swimming Snakes: Watch how the snake swims: Another interesti ng way to tell the diff erence between a venomous water moccasin/cott onmouth and a harm-less water snake is to watch the way it swims: with only its head above the water or most of its body fl oati ng too. If you only see the snakes head above the water then it is most likely a non-venomous snake, most of the ti me all venomous snakes will infl ate their lungs so that they bodies fl oat while they swim. EIther way it is a good idea to leave the snake alone and let it go about its merry way.

Eyes: One of the easiest and best way to tell if a snake is venomous or non-venomous. If the snake is venomous it will have ellipti cal eyes like a cat, like the litt le devils that they are and if it is non-venomous it will have round eyes like a human.

Watch out for Mimics: Some non-venomous snakes will mimic the patt erns and behaviors of venomous snakes as a self defense tacti c. Eastern milk snakes can look like Copperheads, Rat snakes can look like Ratt lers, and a harmless King snake can look like a Coral snake. When you fi rst come across a snake always assume that it is a venomous snake, unti l you can verify it. Even though you will want to kill a snake when you come across it, DON’T. It could be against the law. Another reason is because snakes control rodent populati ons, and also control snake populati ons as well.

AVOIDING WATERSNAKE CONFRONTATIONSAll snakes can swim. Snakes on land can only strike a distance of half its body length. Snakes on water don’t have a solid surface to thrust against, so its strike range is extremely limited. Snakes prefer to fl ee rather than fi ght, but if they feel threatened, or if they are accidentally stepped on or provoked, a water snake (venomous or nonvenomous) seldom backs down. Giving snakes a wide berth will minimize your chances of being bitt en.

Avoiding snakes while canoeing or boati ng is similar to avoiding snakes on land: you want to stay away from areas that snakes use for sunning. Avoid drift ing underneath overhanging tree branches. Many of the water snakes like to sun on branches then drop into the water if they detect movement. Unfortunately, if the current is swift or the snake is slow, this means they some-ti mes drop unintenti onally into a boat or canoe in their att empt to escape. Getti ng a scared snake out of a canoe is not fun!

Carry a pair of long-handled repti le grips if you are in areas where it is impossible to avoid overhanging branches. They aren’t very expensive, especially compared to the expenses of mending a canoe or a trip to the ER. You are more likely to be injured by upsetti ng the boat if you panic than by getti ng bit, so get the grips and practi ce grabbing pieces of soft garden hose from various parts of the boat, then dropping and retrieving them from the water. When you get good at this with minimal rocking of the boat, you will be prepared for the “worst that could happen”. Be sure you retrieve all hose pieces from the water!

You aren’t going to want to scrape your boat on rocks, so I won’t bother menti oning them as the other popular sunning place for snakes. Swimming snakes are not a threat to you in a boat; they can’t jump into the boat from the water.

You are much more likely to be stung by a wasp or hornet than bitt en by a snake. Learn to identi fy the snakes you see while you are boati ng. If you are bitt en, you need to be able to identi fy the snake that bit you if possible. Don’t capture or kill it--that’s how most snake bites occur. Nonvenomous snake bites form a horseshoe-shaped area of many small punctures about the depth of briar scatches, which may or may not bleed profusely. Venomous snakes will leave one or two visible puncture wounds.

Bring a standard boati ng fi rst aid kit for emergencies that may occur while boati ng, including bites and sti ngs. Also bring liquid soap, anti septi c wipes and bott led water to clean various minor wounds that occur outdoors. If you go boati ng in the deep south where venomous snakes are more prevalent, you may want to add a venom removal pump in the kit, but it’s really not necessary here in the Piedmont. Never go boati ng, canoing or raft ing alone.

You will see more water snakes during the dayti me in hot humid weather, but North Carolina snakes in general emerge in late March or early April and go into brumati on/hibernati on in October. Most land snakes are much more acti ve at night.

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Ingredients:Zucchini - Potatoes - Onions - optional Summer SquashGreen peppers (mix up with red peppers or jalapeno)Garlic - Salt/Pepper - spice up with cayenne pepper(optional) Cooked Sausage: kielbasa, smoked, etc.

Preparation:This is a very “loose” recipe. Chopped up everything in chunks until you feel like you have the desired amount. Take a large sheet of foil, coat with butter. Add all, placing potatoes on bottom for better cooking. Cover with another sheet of foil to form a pouch, seal all the edges.Put on the grill or over fire at least 1/2 hour before you cook anything else and make sure potatoes cook through.

PAGE 6 MORE GREAT RECIPES!!

Ingredients:

PAGE 6 MORE GREAT RECIPES!!

Ingredients:

(What to do with all that...) ZUCCHINI and squash!!

Please contact any member of the

social club if you have anything to contribute!!

WANTED!!suggestions

tipsfeedbackarticles

comments

US Postal Service Released in 1984 * Kayak Scott 2085

Kayaking and canoeing have been part of the Olympic Games since 1936. Races include the slalom — the racer must navigate through a course

of hanging gates on river rapids, and the sprint — a race on open, flat water. The races vary in distances, but are typically 500 to 1,000 meters long.

However, 200 meter events have be added to the 2012 events.

It was brought to my attention yet another good reference for kayaking and other outdoor activities is The Total Outdoorsman. (See samples of pages below)

DID YOU KNOW?✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭

DID YOU KNOW?

Although this may be a little hard to read, this article was in the Charlotte Observer dated April 15, 2015.

Of Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledge PAGE 7 PAGE 7Of Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledge PAGE 7Of Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledge PAGE 7Of Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledgeOf Interest - expanding your knowledge

In 2013, our own Catawba River was on the list for the most endanged rivers!

For more information and to receive your newsletter,visit www.AmericanRivers.org

PAGE 8 AMERICAN RIVERS NEWSLETTER JULY 2015

DID YOU KNOW?

✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭DID YOU KNOW?