12th Annual Families Paddle Too – Memorial Day Weekend
All ages welcome! If you have kids, if your kids are grown or you just like to get out on the river you are welcome to join us.
FPT aims to help families develop a network for future paddling trips. Kids prefer to paddle with other kids. This weekend is a great way for your kid(s) to get connected with other kids on the water or just make friends running around in the campground. The event is open to paddling families of all ages and boaters who want to help foster the next generation of paddlers. FPT is volunteer driven with support from our primary sponsors: Carolina Canoe Club, Foothills Paddling Club and Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground. Membership in CCC or FPC is not required but strongly encouraged.
FPT relies on volunteer trip coordinators. Each morning we will meet to discuss river/lake options, then break up into smaller groups for the day. From beginner trips on Lake Fontana to advanced trips on the Tellico River there’s something for everyone. Other nearby runs are the Town Tuck and Tuck Gorge sections of the Tuckasegee River, the Nantahala, the Pigeon and the Ocoee. Start thinking about trips you are willing to coordinate and trips your children may be interested in. If you’re new to the area, do a little research to get an idea of what matches your skills. This is a great way to get a taste of Week of Rivers on a smaller scale. Rafts, canoes, kayaks, SUPs are all welcome.
Camping will be available in the field below the bath house. Please see the Smoky Mountain Meadows website (http://www.smokymtnmeadows.com/rates.html) for rates for the numbered sites. A deposit of your first night’s stay is required to secure your reservation. You can pay your deposit online via Roverpass. Contact campground host Susan Seay by phone (828-488-3672) or email (smokymtnmeadows@gmail.com) to make a reservation or for additional information.
Off the river Carolina Canoe Club and Foothills Paddling Club have donated funds for other social activities like a hot dog roast/potluck on Saturday and an ice cream social on Sunday. We’ll need folks to volunteer to make these happen.
Please think about ways you can volunteer to make this a successful event for all who attend. If you have an idea, then go for it. Contact me for additional information:
Ben Fleming
losflemings@gmail.com
All participants in any Carolina Canoe Club (CCC) trip do so as common adventurers. The CCC or its individual members may coordinate paddling trips but no one is considered leader of a trip. As common adventurers, all participants take the responsibility for making their own decisions including, but not limited to, whether it is safe for them to participate on any particular water body, what equipment they need and use, the routes they may choose to paddle, whether their skill levels and abilities are adequate for the activity or whether climate and water conditions are appropriate for their participation. Participants are exclusively responsible for their own safety.
Individual coordinators for all CCC activities set requirements per their sole discretion. The CCC does not necessarily endorse or approve requirements set by coordinators.