Why Join ??
As a member you receive monthly issues of our newsletter, The
Currents, and are eligible to sign up for any training or safety classes that
are offered.
Not Sure ??
Come
to one of our meetings. We meet each month, except December (when we have our
annual
Try
one of our trips. We would be glad to have you join us on one of our trips. See
a trip you are interested in ?? Come to a meeting and
discuss it with the trip leader. Find out what type of water, etc. is involved
and what equipment may be available for rent if you don't have your own boat.
Also, find out what the camping will be like and you can get some idea of the
size of the group for that trip.
Site Map 
Below you will find a
list of some of the trips and other things the Club is involved in.
Bluff City Canoe Club
P. O. Box 40523
Memphis, TN 38104
A
Sample of Our Trips and Activities
( From
past issues of The Currents )
Nantahala River Memorial Day, 4th
of July & Labor Day Weekends
This beautiful Class II-III
river runs an 8 mile course through the Nantahala Gorge in South West North
Carolina. It is a river that can be floated by practically everyone. For those
not comfortable in canoes or kayaks, numerous outfitters rent rafts and 1 or 2
man "duckies". The swift currents of the
This river is about an 8 hour
drive from Memphis.
This area also offers hiking on the Appalachian Trail and Joyce Kilmer National Forest. A 2 hour drive takes you to Cades Cove in the Smokies. Private instruction is also available from the Nantahala Outdoor Center. www.noc.com
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Hiking at Thanksgiving
Hiking trails are the perfect
place to discover the natural side of Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas.
Construction of the trails began in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
This diverse system provides over 20 miles of interconnecting trails. Cedar Falls, Seven Hollows, and Cedar Creek Trails were designated as National
Recreation Trails because of their rich history and scenic beauty. Trails range
from 1 to 12 miles in length.
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Jack’s Fork Weekend October 12-14
Eminence, Missouri
Saturday morning we awoke to
cloudy skies, but warm temperatures and no rain or wind. 12 canoes and one
kayak as we put on this Class I river. Lots of wildlife and a huge red-headed woodpecker. There
were no swims and just a couple spots where downed trees made floating by
hazardous to some. The Scenic River Association’s Arts & Craft show at
Harvey’s Campground is an annual event and a place to shop for Christmas gifts.
After that, a really
wonderful "Potluck Dinner" back at camp.
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Eleven Point River, Camping out of Canoes on the River, July &
November
The Eleven Point is an easy
Class I river, one of the seven original Wild and Scenic Rivers. It’s just over
the Missouri border, about 3 or 4 hours from Memphis, a little past Hardy.
We’ll paddle from Greer to Riverton, 20 miles in all, camping overnight halfway down
river at Barn Hollow campground. Camping Friday night will be at Greer. This is
a camp-from-the-canoe trip. You’ll need to take all your camping gear in the
boat with you. Be prepared for the weather. Saturday night we’ll have a potluck
dinner. Canoes are available from Wood’s Canoe who will also shuttle cars.
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Indian Creek
The first
weekend in October.
The creek is east of the
It is about a nine-mile
paddle from the put-in (near the
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We will depart from
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Wolf River -- The Ghost Section
This impromptu trip was
coordinated by Marty Rice during last meeting’s Ice Cream Social.
I pilot a 1 4-foot Necky touring kayak, and over the past couple years,
several people suggested that to do the Ghost Section, I ought to borrow a
shorter kayak. The river in the Ghost section has been described as Class 1,
but very technical.
I got some experience last
year that made me feel the time was right for giving the Ghost a try in my sea
kayak. I went to Reelfoot Lake on a BCCC trip, and
learned to navigate the cypress knees. Then I took a sea kayaking class in
Nashville from the Tennessee Scenic River Association, and learned more about
steering the kayak with my knees and hips.
At the La Grange put-in,
Marty said he’d never seen me so happy. I don’t get out on the water very often
(something I hope to change!), but when I do, I never want to leave. Our party
was four tandem canoes and one sea kayak. In each canoe, an inexperienced paddler was partnered with someone more seasoned. Although
some parts are almost dead calm and others are fairly wide and slow, in many
places there are downed trees
across the river. One section in particular was difficult for all, where the
water was flat but fast, with logs, hanging branches and debris in the way, and
the path through the mess twisted like a snow skier’s slalom course.
The entrance to the Ghost
Trail itself is the river. You take a hard left and push through a brushy
barrier, and after a bit you get to the true Ghost. That is where the cypress
trees are so dense that there is barely enough width for a boat to pass. It is
similar to the scenery at Reelfoot, but I found it
more beautiful. All of us kissed a few trees that Saturday, but nobody flipped
over.
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Samples of Past Training Sessions
River Training
If you want to register for
fall whitewater training on the Spring River, do it now! Your last All training will be on site (no classroom). Be prepared to
make a deposit of about $25 to hold your spot. the
trip will take place the second weekend in September. We have made arrangements
to stay at the Beach Club Campground.. Another nice
feature of renting through Beach Club is that we can specify the take-out
location. Trip leaders will call with final details.
JIM RAYMOND MEMORIAL FLOAT AND BASIC TRAINING, LOWER BUFFALO, JULY
Join Dan for Class I Basic
Training on the Lower Buffalo River in Arkansas the last weekend of July. A
group campsite is reserved at Buffalo Point, and a potluck dinner is planned for
Friday night. Please call for details including cost and directions.
RIVER RESCUE HAS BEEN REVIVED
Class session will held as
the program portion of the October meeting. There is no cost to attend, however
carabiners, manuals, and prussick
rope will be available for sale.
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Community
Events
The Bluff City Canoe Club and its members volunteer for various community events. Past events include:
Scout Base 2002
Eric and Mindy Randall
announced the Eco-Challenge event scheduled for
In response to: Scout Base
2002 ::::::::::::::::::
To all the wonderful people
at the BCCC:
I wanted to take a moment to
express my sincere appreciation and thanks to all that volunteered at Venture
Island, Scout Base 2002. The entire event was a success, due primarily to
unselfish volunteers who spent their Saturday in the rain, to bring an outdoors
program to the youth of Memphis!
I know that you brought joy
into the hearts of the participants, some who had never had the chance to canoe
before. You may never know what fire this spark lit, but the BCCC sure warmed
my heart with it! Thank you so very much.
- Mindy Randall
Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors
Festival
Bluff City Canoe Club volunteers
and other volunteers assigned by Ducks Unlimited once again ran a successful
canoe and kayak venue at the annual DU Great Outdoors Festival at Agricenter International.
More than 4,000 floaters were
put on the water in canoes and single and double kayaks. Almost half of the
4,065 total came on Saturday when the official count was 2,022. Friday’s count
was 803 and Sunday we handled 1,240.
BCCC member John Berry of
Cotter, AR was the DU supervisor for the Fishing Village.
A small cadre of BCCC members
and other DU volunteers were there for the entire event. Other volunteers
worked as their schedules permitted.
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