Events
Featured Event
Fall Rendezvous
Register now for the Spring Rendezvous and paddle the Apostles!
Join us for our annual season kick-off. We car camp on the mainland and paddle to our heart’s content in the Apostle Islands! All skill levels welcome. See details below and save your campsite now.
Friday, August 30 - Monday, September 2, 2024
Fall Rendezvous 2024
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2024 Events
1 - 31
November – March
Pool Sessions
Sundays – check the event details for location and time.
1 - 31
Social Paddles
Wednesdays and Sundays – check the event details for location and time.
Non-members welcome. Come paddle with us!
22
January
REI Bloomington, 6:30
Paddling Iceland & the Faroe Islands
ISK Member Peggy O’Neal will be sharing the stories of two trips last summer – one to Iceland and one to the Faroe Islands. Both trips had two weeks planned for paddling, both were island destinations in the North Atlantic, and they included many of the same people. But … the two trips could not have been more different.
Iceland: A 165 mile journey with fantastic weather. Magnificent campsites, glacier carved fjords and ridges and valleys. The arctic fox, the minke whales, the orca that swam through our pod, the puffins, the humpback whale, the glacier capped volcano, the final paddle out in the wind and cold and landing at midnight, and more.
The Faroe Islands: An archipelago with improbable islands and cliffs jutting out of the North Atlantic sea. A prime target for every low pressure system from the south, west, or the north with fierce tide races that squeeze between the islands. Storms bookended our trip, and wind and swells made frequent appearances. Two weeks camped in a sheep pasture. Finding the best day trips possible on the eight days we could paddle. Making our way beneath towering cliffs, often amid swells crashing onto rocks. Paddling into one stunning cave after another that made us feel very, very small.   Sheep. Lots of sheep.
And a chance to see a glimpse of two Nordic cultures with many shared values as well friendly rivalries.
About the speaker: Peggy has been messing around with boats most of her life, primarily sailboats, rowing shells, and kayaks. She started sea kayaking in 2008 and was a greedy learner. Despite having avoided camping all of her adult life, as soon as she started kayaking she knew that camping needed to be part of the adventure. She became an ACA L3 instructor in 2009 and a British Canoeing 4 Star (sea leader) in 2013. She’s been fortunate to have worked with some terrific coaches and to have paddled in Alaska, the San Juan Islands (WA), San Francisco Bay, Cumberland Island and Tybee (GA), Maine, Nantahala and Ocoee Rivers (NC), the Bay of Fundy, Norway, Scotland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.Â
11
March
Zoom, 6:30
Paddling Washington State with Coach Alex LaLonde
Alex LaLonde, kayaking coach and owner at Body Boat Blade International, will be giving a presentation on kayaking in the great state of Washington. Alex will take you on a journey through some of the amazing paddling areas in Washington from the San Juan Islands National Monument, to Deception Pass, Cattle Pass, and all the way down Olympic Peninsula to Cape Flattery!
Washington’s ocean environments have it all. Kayakers of all skill levels will find what they’re looking for. Alex will explore the types of skills a paddler interested in paddling some of these areas would need. We’re looking forward to exploring our waters with you!
We’ll also talk about some of the trips, venues and courses that his school offers, as well as some of the logistics of getting here. Body Boat Blade is a premier paddlesport school located in Anacortes, WA – the Gateway to the San Juan Islands.
This event is over Zoom. Link is in the events calendar, link below.
13 - 14
April
Wilderness First Aid
ISK Member Tom O’Neal will be providing a 2-day class following ECSI, Emergency Care and Safety Institue format for Wilderness First Aid.
Time: 8:30-5pm
Class size: 12 people
Cost: $175 paid directly to Tom
Location: TBD
28
April
Cold Water Immersion
Join Inland Sea Kayakers’ annual cold water immersion event. Start your paddling season with an icy plunge and test your gear and your cold water preparedness in a safe environment with club support!
All levels
24-27
May
Spring Rendezvous
All skill levels.
20-24
June
Apostle Islands Camping
A perfect trip for intermediate + paddlers!
Ready to get off the mainland? See some other islands? Put on some more miles over 4 days of paddling? Want to put that ultralight stove and tent to use?
- This trip will begin with an overnight on the mainland at Little Sand Bay. Come up after work on Thursday and prepare for a morning launch on Friday.
- We’ll paddle to Stockton Island, where we’ll camp for 2 nights. On Saturday, paddle, hike, or rest.
- On Sunday, we’ll paddle from Stockton to Basswood.
- On Monday, we paddle back to Little Sand Bay early enough to drive back to the Cities the same day.
Details and trip requirements are on the event calendar. Click the Register button for all the info!
Intermediate +
26
June
NC Boat Demos
Pacific Northwest Style Touring Kayaks
4:30 – 8:00 West Bush Lake
At NC Kayaks we build a unique style of touring kayak, we call it Pacific Northwest
Style. Our kayaks are soft chined for a smooth transition edging, have an upswept
bow for better handling in rough water, a low aft deck to better facilitate rolling, a narrow
bow and long narrow stern for exceptional tracking, forward and aft bulkheads for
flotation, and a 1/2″ flange surrounding the entire perimeter of the kayak that deflects
water away from the cockpit, provides bow lift in heavy seas, and is an excellent handle
to control the kayak or help re-enter the kayak in deep water. All of these features
combined with our efficient hull and unique manufacturing technique produce a kayak
with very little flex, this allows you to get the most out of every paddle stroke
29
June
ISKool
One of the core missions of ISK is to provide sea kayaking education to help our current and future members grow in the sport we love. This is a free workshop to help you grow your skills on the water. Spend a day on Bush Lake for a special coaching opportunity!
Beginner – Intermediate
30-2
August – September
Fall Rendezvous
Car camp with us in Little Sand Bay campground. Join club-led paddles in the Apostle Islands. We’ve got something for everyone. Details about camping, paddles, gear, and skill levels at registration page.
21
September
ISKool
One of the core missions of ISK is to provide sea kayaking education to help our current members, and future members, grow in the sport we love. This is a free workshop to help you grow your skills on the water. Spend a day on Bush Lake for a special coaching opportunity!
Beginner – Intermediate
15
September
ISK Annual Picnic
Join us for a picnic in a park! We’ll have food, fun, a playground for the kids, and of course paddling! This year we’re bringing the picnic back into the heart of the Twin Cities, but across the river. We’ll paddle and picnic on the Mississippi at Hidden Falls Park in St. Paul.
The paddle launches at 9:30. Gather for the picnic at 11:30, lunch at noon.
Have fun on and off the water, and bring your family for a day that’s all about celebrating our paddling community!
There are even more events on the club calendar.
A Sampling of Past Events
TBD
St. Louis River Estuary
Join us for two glorious nights in Jay Cooke State Park. We’ll have a full day of paddling on the estuary, below the dam and before the mouth of Lake Superior. With shoreline on the MN and WI sides, lots of bays to explore, and sunny, open water, you’re sure to enjoy this trip.
Last year’s group loved the traffic-free paddling on a week day and easy parking at launch sites. Come on Sunday, paddle all day Monday, possible morning paddle on Tuesday before departing.
Want to know more about this trip? See the trip report from last year.
TBD
Spring
ISK Service Trip: Mississippi
Let’s show some love to our home waters!
Inland Sea Kayakers is dedicated to giving back to our beautiful water ways. This spring we’ll host a day paddle on the Mississippi and clean up as we go. Enjoy a leisurely paddle as we weave along the shoreline, collecting all the flotsam and jetsam we can.
29-1
July
Voyageurs National Park
Join us on Lake Namakan in Voyageurs National Park July 29 – August 1st. We have the Namakan Island Northeast site (N55) for 3 beautiful remote nights in the wilderness with plenty of time to explore the many interesting and historical sites of Namakan Lake.
28-1
Voyageurs National Park
Join us on a trip in Voyageurs National Park’s forgotten lake, Sand Point. Thursday September 28th. to Sunday October 1st. We have the Ingersoll Cove (S30) campsite for 3 beautiful remote nights in the wilderness with plenty of time to explore the many interesting sites and fantastic paddling of Sand Point Lake. From this site we will have access to many great day trips including the Grassy Bay Cliffs.
FAQ
I want to go. Now what?
Where do I sign up?
You’re on our main site. It’s fun and user friendly, but it doesn’t handle administrative duties, like membership dues, trip registrations, and forum communications.
If you have questions about navigating registrations, feel free to reach out to any board member. Our email is below, at the bottom of every page.
Is this trip/event/workshop for me?
Be honest with yourself about your paddling and/or camping abilities. Descriptions should give you an idea of time, distance, and conditions. If you aren’t sure, email the trip leader or organizer. Contact information is listed on the registration page.
I don't see how to register on the member site.
I have other questions.
Need a packing list or Leave No Trace guide? Go to the Member Library and check out our downloadable PDFs.