2010 Fall Trip

Let's go ahead and turn a poorly kept secret into an official announcement. The Fall Trip destination is the Okefenokee Swamp. The swamp is the headwaters of the Suwanee River and thus qualifies as one of "the rest of them rebel rivers."

Because it is way down upon the Suwanee River, that also means it is far, far away - far from the old folks at home - on the Georgia/Florida border. We will need to leave on a Thursday after work and drive late to complete a two-nighter because we are required to launch before 10:00 am Eastern Time on Friday to avoid getting caught by darkness and spending the night in our canoes. That is just one of the many rules we have to follow to get a permit and keep from getting eaten.






Camping is on designated sites only, most of them on platforms built on stilts in the middle of the swamp like this one.





















They are in the same architectural style as Mrs. Cooper's place on the Duck River (Spring Trip, 2005).





There are only a few sites available and demand is high. Applications for permits have to be made by phone EXACTLY TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO OUR RESERVATION. We are going to try for one of the first two weekends in November. The phone lines at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge open at 7:00 am Eastern Time. Exactly two months prior to our first target weekend falls in the middle of next weekend, which is also a holiday weekend, so we need to start calling on Tuesday morning after Labor Day. All of which means we need to start calling at 6:00 am Central Time on Tuesday, September 7.

The club will gather at a convenient, centrally located Waffle House with our cell phones to increase our chances of success. Check back frequently this week for details. This is important.





~

Race Results

Just one week after the rules controversy that cost Dustin Johnson a shot at the PGA Championship, Kirk had the Rebel Rivers car in position to win the 2010 Demolition Derby but was docked points in a pit violation. Officials at the Wilson County Fair determined that a crew member was caught on camera failing to display the minimum required inches of ass crack while changing a tire. The penalty effectively ended Kirk's chance to make it back into what the PA announcers referred to all night as the "constellation" round.





This is how to ignore the paparazzi and do it right:




Here are the rest of the pictures Bob took of an otherwise very successful outing by the RRCC car:

It's Demolition Time in Tennessee!

Kirk will be driving the RRCC car again at the Wilson County Fair this Saturday the 21st at 7:00 pm. Pre-race ritual requires us to meet at Brown's beforehand so if you want to ride out together let's gather there about 4:30 Saturday.

Here's the 2010 entry:




Last year's model:

Teaser 2

~

Fall Trip Teaser

"In my opinion, one has only matured in the sport of paddling when you can discover as much adventure in exploring a swamp or marsh by canoe as in running whitewater or traveling to far-off lands." -Ralph Frese, Chicagoland Canoe Base

~