Voyageur's Companion Archive - Rocky Mountain Canoe Club

This page contains links to scanned newsletters of the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club. For years, RMCC’s newsletters were a primary way to communicate with the club, not only listing upcoming trips and trip reports, but informational articles on topics such as safety, equipment, and technique. There are lots of good stories in them. These newsletters are truly a treasure.

Notes:

Because of privacy concerns the phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses for club members have been redacted.
This collection has grown several times. A PDF index of the newsletters shows the year when each newsletter was scanned and will help you find recent additions to the collection. The index is also available as a spreadsheet.
Please ignore references to rockymountaincanoeclub DOT org. That domain name is controlled by bandits. Our website is now rockymountaincanoeclub.net.

Map of RMCC’s very first trip, 1975

St. Vrain River

Trip number 5 in 1975, near Granby

Colorado River near Granby
Hand drawn map

1976 Newsletters

Several newsletters from 1976
Trip lists
Trip descriptions
Hand drawn maps
Member list

1977 Assorted papers

Trip announcements
Club news including the need to draft a waiver form

1978 Couple of pages (scanned 2026

List of trips

Trip descriptions (1970’s and 1980’s)

Several dozen trips described in a consistent format

Trip reports from 1979 and 1980

A mix of hand written and typed reports

1979 Assorted papers

Trip leader’s guide
Strategic planning document
List of events
Club description
What to pack for a canoe trip
Notes about trip descriptions

Flyer from the 1970’s

Promotional flyer

Loose documents (1970’s)

Shuttle info for several trips
List of canoe dealers and equipment suppliers
Suggested equipment list
Recommended books
Club description
List of what to bring on a river canoe trip
Spring Beginner Canoe Training
Chama River log
Trip list
Trip leader’s guide
Hand drawn map of Glendo to Guernsey
Trip report form
List of river trips

1980 Assorted papers

Club news
Trip schedule

1981 Trip Schedule

Voyageur’s Companion – Spring 1982

Club news
Trip list

April 1982 Newsletter

One page newsletter

Voyageur’s Companion – May 1982

Club news
Endorsement of the National Organization of River Sports and Colorado Whitewater Association

Voyageur’s Companion – June 1982

One page of club news

Voyageur’s Companion – August 1982

Upcoming trips
Concern about a proposed BLM fee on river runners
Race advertisement

Voyageur’s Companion – September 1982

Annual meeting notice
Call for dues

Voyageur’s Companion – June 1983

Is it true?
Additional trips

Voyageur’s Companion – June 1983 – part 2

Trip leader’s meeting
Nail soup social
Training report
Upcoming trips

Voyageur’s Companion – September 1983

Thanks to board members
Fall meeting (announcement)

1983 Trip Schedule

Voyageur’s Companion – January 1984

Canoeing Film Festival
Winter events
Choosing a Canoe for Colorado
Trips being planned

Voyageur’s Companion – March 1984

Guide for trip leaders
Training plan for 1984
Birds of Interest Along the River
The End Product (before groovers)
Trip list

Voyageur’s Companion – April 1984

Strategy on the Hypothetical River
Member list
Training program
Trip schedule
Safety Code
Safety Tips – The Life You Save May Be Mine
Photography Contest

Voyageur’s Companion – July 1984

Nail Soup Social
Member List
Trip reports: North Platte, Blue River, Delores River
Recommended Basic Equipment
River Playing: In Defense of Having Fun
Self and Assisted Canoe Rescue
Fundamentals of River Canoeing (training schedule)

Voyageur’s Companion – September 1984

Club description
President’s report
Fall meeting (announcement)
Yampa River through Dinosaur National Monument (trip report)
Colorado River, State Bridge to Catamont Bridge (trip report)
Arkansas River, Leadville to Granite (trip report)
Colorado River, Grizzly Creek to points west (trip report)
Gunnison River (trip report)
Colorado River, Sweetwater to Dotsero (trip report)
San Juan River (trip report)
Arkansas River, Browns Canyon (trip report)
Eagle River (trip report)
Arkansas River Training Weekend (trip report)
Some Mad Ramblings on Safety
River Canoe Camping Equipment Essentials list
Canoe insurance
Planning River Trips in Colorado

Voyageur’s Companion – March 1985

Decked or Open
Trip Leader Guidelines
Trip Schedule
Green River Through Dinosaur (trip report)
Training Program for 1985
Preparing Your Canoe for Whitewater

Voyageur’s Companion – Spring 1985

President’s Report
Solo Paddling Hints
River Travel Courtesy
Trip Schedule
Questionnaire
Proposed Trip Leader Guidelines
The International Whitewater Rating System
River Access and the Law
Low-Head Dams
The River Resource Center: List of boat dealers, catalogs, and organizations

Voyageur’s Companion – September 1986

President’s Report
Winter Rolling Sessions
River Rendezvous 4
1987 Permit Trips
Catamont Bridge to Twin Bridges on the Colorado River (trip report)
Arkansas River, Salida to almost Howard (trip report)
Browns Canyon (trip report)
Salmon River, Idaho (trip report)

Voyageur’s Companion – Fall 1987

Message from the president
Letter from Bill Nelson calling for environmental activism
Catamont Bridge – BLM Takeout (trip report)
Brown’s Canyon/Frog Rock – Arkansas River (trip report)
Salmon River, Idaho (trip report)
Gunnison Gorge (trip report)
The Numbers – Arkansas River (trip report)
Royal Gorge – Arkansas River (trip report)
Ruby and Horsethief Canyons – Colorado River (trip report)
Rules of River Etiquette
Rapids Rating
Book Review – Wilderness Visionaries

Voyageur’s Companion – February 1988

Greetings from the president
Video Review – Guide to Canoeing
Santa Clara Trash – DIY dry bag clamp
Letter from Washington about the Animas LaPlata project
River Permits
Wilderness Canoeing: Canada’s Lakes and Rivers by Jill and Bob Stoecker

Voyageur’s Companion – May 1988

FIBARK (announcement)
Arkansas State Park Proposal
Chama River Log
1988 Trip Schedule

Voyageur’s Companion – September 1988

Fall Meeting (announcement)
Ask Wally
Nail Soup (nail soup explained)
The Legend Continues (FIBARK Race) (trip report)
Toxic Terror – The South Platte in Town (trip report)
Green River, Flaming Gorge Dam to Brown’s Park (trip report)
Blue River – Below Green Mountain Reservoir (trip report)
Booze and Bragging (South Platte) (trip report)
The Arkansas River Management Plan
Attention Friends of the Arkansas
A Suggestion for Securing River Permits
River Permit Information

Voyageur’s Companion – February 1989

The Logic Behind Two Forks Dam
Film Festival
Eager-To-Be-Trip-Leaders
Trip Scheduling Meeting (announcement)
Rocky Mountain Canoe Club River List
Ask Wally
Demo-Days Derby
Mariscal and Boquillas Canyons on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park (trip report)
Canoeing the Loxanatchee River, Florida, (trip report)
Lecture at Museum

Voyageur’s Companion – May 1989

River Orientation Sessions
Ask Wally
RMCC Trip Schedule
Snowpack and Water Level Information
Westwater Canyon: On Doing It With The Experts (trip report)
North Platte River: Glendo to Guernsey (trip report)
The 1989 Riverfest Weekend (announcement)

Trip list index and leader guide (1980’s)

Voyageur’s Companion – January 1990

From the Prez
Film Festival
Trip Scheduling Meeting (announcement)
River List
1990 ACA Canoeing Instruction
Royalex – Deadly Canoes?
Boater’s Rights
Red Cross Canoe Instruction
Ask Wally

Voyageur’s Companion – Spring 1991

Idaho vs The Dam Builders
Presidential Blab
ACA & American Rivers
The Arkansas Paddler
National Boat Tax Become Law
Trip Schedule
Equipment Sources
Speaking of Gear (gear maintenance)
Backcountry Medicine: The Backpacking Bandaging Unit of the Medical Kit
Buddy System or Bust

Voyageur’s Companion – Year End 1991

Fall Meeting Redux
Ad Hoc Steering Committee Meeting
River Permit Information

Voyageur’s Companion – Fall 1992

RMCC’s Fall Meeting Is At Hand
Yellowstone Lake: a trip to remember, a trip to forget (trip report)
Sweetwater to Dotsero (trip report)
White River (trip report)
Glendo to Wendover (trip report)
Bear Stalking: in the Quetico Wilderness
Archaeo-Canoes?

Voyageur’s Companion – Year End 1992

Fall Meeting review
New Officers Meeting
River Permit Information
From the President

Voyageur’s Companion – December 1998

Interview with Club Personalities: Todd & Stacy Mowbray
The Arkansas River Plan
1999 Open Canoe Slalom Nationals
Gates of Lodore (trip report)
Adirondack Canoe Classic (trip report)
‘99 Nationals to be held in Golden

Voyageur’s Companion – February 1999

Notes From the Prez
Conservation Updates
Pre-Season Trip Schedule
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect (Lake Drills)
The River of No Return (trip report)

Voyageur’s Companion – October 1999

New President Needed
Shall We Elect a President-Elect Too?
Ask A Mentor
Sizing a Canoe Paddle
1999 Slalom Nationals Review

Voyageur’s Companion – December 1999

“New” President, New Vice-President and “New” Web Master
Thirty-five days on the Mackenzie River (trip report)
Diary of a Solo Trip Through Ruby Horsethief (trip report)
Right to Float
Dutch-oven Cook-off Winners
More on American Whitewater
Ask a Mentor
Tips From the Trail
What To Learn As A Novice/Intermediate

Voyageur’s Companion – February 2000

Winter Meeting and Movies
Body at Skull

Voyageur’s Companion – April 2000

Swap Meet, Potluck, and Sprint Meeting (announcement)
Race announcements for 2000
Canoe Instruction 2000, Description of Classes
Pack Boots

Voyageur’s Companion – May / June 2000

Annual Rendezvous (announcement)
What’s “Quietwater Finesse Paddling” anyway?
River Runners’ Etiquette and Responsibilities
A Point of View – Quietwater paddling
New Webmaster
Trip Schedule
Ask a Mentor

Voyageur’s Companion – August, September 2000

New President Needed
Rendezvous ReCap
Excerpt From a Rodeo Rider’s Wild Ride
Platte River Cleanup
Houston Canoe Club’s SW Canoe Rendezvous
Fruit Salsa Drip recipe from the Rendezvous
BLM, Ruby/Horsethief and Dominguez Canyon – the scoop on poop
Downriver Race Results
More Potty Talk, Boomboxes Volume Deal

Voyageur’s Companion – December 2000

New Co-Presidents, the Jankowskis
Missouri River (trip report)
The Red Canoe
Photo Gallery
Still Booming
More News on Dinosaur Fees

Voyageur’s Companion – March 2001

Trip Coordinators Seminar
Winter Canoeing
Paddling in Style

Voyageur’s Companion – June 2001

River Rendezvous (announcement)
RMCC’s 2001 Basics Open Canoe Classes
What’s Style Paddling, Canoe Dance, and Canoe Freestyle?
Today I went down the Eagle River in my Canoe (trip report)
Trip Schedule

Voyageur’s Companion – August 2001

Rendezvous 2001
Whose River Is It Anyway?
Dutch Oven Cook Off Results
Ripples on Golden Pond! A taste of Slalom
Yampa River Festival 2001
Trip Schedule
Sail Your Canoe
Chama Charms Again
Lessons Learned: The San Juan Teaches
More on River Usage Conflicts

Voyageur’s Companion – October 2001

State of the Rocky Mountain Canoe Club
RMCC/ACA Kids Canoeing Program
Dragon Boat Festival
Thoughts on a Journey
Family Canoeing at the Nationals
Water Settlement (settling sediment)

Voyageur’s Companion – January 2002

The Year 2001 in Review
RMCC Officers for 2002
Club Member Receives Distinguished Award
Can kayakers and canoeists paddle together in harmony?

Voyageur’s Companion – April 2002

Safety Fair and Trip Coordinators Meeting (announcement)
Canoe Instruction: Description of Classes
Winter Paddling and Biking in Florida
Labyrinth Canyon: A Chilly (cold!) start to the paddling season
The Plants Along the Rivers Edge

Voyageur’s Companion – June 2002

Scheduled Trips
FIBARK Downriver Race
Conservation Notes
RMCC Membership

Voyageur’s Companion – October 2002

Wrapup for 2002
Eleven Mile Canyon (trip report)
Salmon River, Idaho (trip report)
Quetico Provincial Park (trip report)
Nopiming Provincial Park, Manitoba (trip report)
The Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River (trip report)
Lake Itasca, Minnesota (trip report)
Beating the Summer Heat in Saskatchewan (trip report)
Big Water Paddling in a Sea Canoe (trip report)
Northeast Canoe Trip, (trip report)
2002 Canoe Experience
The 2002 North American Canoe Championships

Voyageur’s Companion – April 2003

Rio Grande Thanksgiving
Green Rain
Instruction Program
Freestyle Canoeing
South Platte Joint Paddle Trip
Escalante Canyon
Whitewater Park
Trip Schedule

Voyageur’s Companion – June 2003

Summer 2003 Presidential ranting and ravings
- Meet & Greet at Dotsero to Haning Lake
- Wednesday’s at Golden
- Golden’s Water Fight
Low Water Adventure: San Miguel River (trip report)
North Fork of the Cache La Poudre (Lower Section) (trip report)
Niobrara River (trip report)
Paddling the “Filter Plant” Run on the Poudre (description)
Rendezvous (announcement)
ACA Basic River and Whitewater Canoe Instructors Workshop

Voyageur’s Companion – September 2003

The Almost Last of the Presidential Articles from this President
Running Whitewater with Sammer
Slalom Nationals
Grass River: Historical Synopsis
Grass River: 2003 Explorations and Adventures
The Lure of the Wild
RMCC Membership
The Duck’s Story
Tips for paddling class V whitewater in an open canoe
Canoeing and Touring back East

Voyageur’s Companion – November 2003

Greetings from the new Co-Presidents
New board member introductions
Eddylines: Should the Voyageur’s Companion move to the website?
Canoeing Saskatchewan 2003 (trip report)
Dinosaur National Monument River Trip (trip report)
It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times: Coppermine River (trip report)
The Clearwater River (trip report)
ACA Instructor Certification Workshop
Golden Principles of Paddling and Some Thoughts from Bob Foote

Voyageur’s Companion – March 2004

President’s Message
Safety Fair
The Summer Rendezvous
Life on a twist of the paddle!
Trip Coordinator’s Corner
Trip Schedule
Getting the year off to a great start
Recruiting a Paddle Team: Dragon Boat Festival

Voyageur’s Companion – May 2004

Presidents’ Spring Report
RMCC’s Meet and Greet (trip report)
San Juan River: Mexican Hat to Clay Hills Crossing (trip report)
Dragon Boat Festival 2004 (announcement)
The Summer Rendezvous (announcement)
Trip Schedule
RMCC Safety Fair

Voyageur’s Companion – August 2004

Presidents’ Message
2004 Dragon Boat Festival: RMCC Makes the Quarter Finals!
Variety of Trips, Boats, and Wildlife
Trip Schedule
Stillwater Canyon (trip report)
A Sport and a Team of Her Own

Voyageur’s Companion – October 2004

Presidents’ Fall Report
The Upper Missouri River in Montana (trip report)
Who never said it rains in the desert? A Desolation and Gray Canyons (trip report)
Ask Wally

Voyageur’s Companion – January 2005

Greetings from the New President, Bonnie Gallagher
Webmaster Report
Trip Coordinator’s Corner: Permit Party (announcement)
Canoeing Smorgasbord – Learn, Discuss, and Demo: Pool Session (announcement)
Permitted Rivers
RMCC Discussion List
Salmon River (trip report)
2004 Open Canoe Slalom National Championships (report)
RMCC Trip Schedule 2005
“Life on a Twist of the Paddle”: Recreation Access Tax
Piedra River; Second Box (trip report)
Yampa River, Craig to Duffy Mountain (trip report)
Arkansas Eddylines – editorial

Voyageur’s Companion – March 2005

Year 2005 Off to a Great Start
Canoe Instruction 2005 – Description of Classes
Big Bend (trip report)
Esquif & Millbrook Boats – The Spark (boat review)
Smorgasbord at Pool
RMCC Founding and Early History (30^{th} year)
“Life on a Twist of the Paddle” – Conservation Report
Trip Schedule

30 Year History 2005

RMCC Founding and Early History by Jeff Keeler

Voyageur’s Companion – June 2005

Rendezvous (announcement)
Letter from the President, Bonnie Gallagher
Lake Superior (trip report)
Gunnison River (trip report)
Trip Leader; Membership Spotlight – Scott MacDonald
Welcome to the Following New Members
Trip Schedule
Liability Insurance for our Club
Dolores River (trip report)

Voyageur’s Companion – Fall 2005

Thank you to Lyn Berry for publishing the newsletter
Upcoming October trips
The Summer Rendezvous
Rendezvous Dutch Oven Contest Winners
Smith River (trip report)
Playing Hooky in Dinosaur (trip report)
Colorado River (Moab area) (trip report)
Smith River Photos (color) (trip report)
Mystery Paddlers: Name That Paddler

Voyageur’s Companion – November 2005

The Care of Canoes with Wooden Gunwales
Member Spotlight – Bob Cook
Letter from the Outgoing Presidents
Basic Physics of Whitewater Canoeing

Voyageur’s Companion – January 2006

Pool Sessions and Safety Fair schedule
2006 Pool Practice Sessions
Trip Planning – Permitted Trips
Lac La Ronge, Saskatchewan (trip report)
Planning for 2006
Arkansas River Canoe-Camping Adventure (announcement)
Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp

Voyageur’s Companion – March 2006

Safety Fair (announcement)
Help Wanted
A small incentive for leading trips
Interesting useful paddling links
RMCC E-Mail Network
River Safety Rules
Trip and Event Schedule
Conservation Report
CD recycling, or getting help in an emergency
Quartermaster List

Voyageur’s Companion – May 2006

RMCC Summer Trip Schedule So Far
San Juan River (trip report)
Ask Wally
I saw my Canoe the other day
Acknowledgments from the president

Voyageur’s Companion – Summer 2006

Trip and Event Schedule
Rendezvous (announcement)
Ask Father!
Before McPhee Dam was completed, Part 1 – 1983
Trimming your Canoe
The Annual RMCC Rendezvous
MY Rival, R.I.P
The Shortest Trip
Tips from the Field
Before McPhee Dam was completed, Part 2 – 1984
The trick of the spare paddle
Response to “Ask Wally”

Voyageur’s Companion – August 2006

Summer/Fall Trip and Event Schedule
2006 Summer RMCC Rendezvous – Acknowledgments
2006 Summer RMCC Rendezvous – Report
The RMCC Rendezvous, a Fresh Perspective
Colorado River from Pumphouse to Dotsero (trip report)
I Should Have Known (Desolation-Gray Canyons) (trip report)
Photos from 2006
A Winter Paddle on the South Platte
A funny thing happened on the way to …

Voyageur’s Companion – November 2006

Annual Meeting (announcement)
Boundary Waters Trip Report
Green River Trip Report
Safety Corner: Thoughtful’s Spring Padding After the 2005 Floods
A Brief History of Stream Gauges

Voyageur’s Companion – March 2007

The Wind at Our Back Adventurers (Saskatchewan trip)
You Can See It Form Space: River Stories
Minutes of the RMCC Annual Meeting
Wilderness Medicine Class Offered to RMCC in April
2007 South Platte Join Paddle Trip (announcement)

Voyageur’s Companion – April 2007

Help out REI and RMCC at the same time
Carson Nature Center / South Platte Park – Potential VOC/REI service project
Spring Meeting (announcement)
Trip Schedule
Sixth annual South Platte River Joint Spring Paddle (trip report)
Kodiak Island (trip report)
Jess Decides to Race (trip report)
Canoe Instruction Program: 2007 Classes

Voyageur’s Companion – June/July 2007

Summer River Rendezvous 2007 (announcement)
Trip Schedule
Northgate Canyon (trip report)
North Platte – Six Mile Gap to Treasure Island (trip report)
Swift Water Rescue – report

Voyageur’s Companion – August 2007

RMCC Officers Update
Deso-Gray on the Green River (trip report)
Shoot the Chute, S Platte below Deckers (trip report)
Hypothermia Fundamentals
Gee, I didn’t know that! (boat inspection at Gross Reservoir)

Voyageur’s Companion – October 2007

Message from the Interim President
Green River, Flaming Gorge to Swallow Canyon Boat Ramp (trip report)
Down a Muddy River: The Colorado from Cisco Landing to Big Bend (trip report)
Rodeo Rapid (accident)
Ashes to Splashes: A Middle Fork Epic (Part 1) (trip report)

Voyageur’s Companion – January 2008

President’s Letter
Insurance Situation
Counterpoint
South Platte Joint Paddle Trip (announcement)
San Juan River – Sand Island to Clay Hills Crossing (trip report)
Ashes to Splashes: A Middle Fork Epic (Part 2) (trip report)
Quartermaster Inventory

Voyageur’s Companion – March 2008

President’s Letter
Joining the American Canoe Association
REI Paddle Demo
RMCC Winter Pool Olympics
South Platte River Joint Spring Paddle Trip (trip report)
Thank you by Paul Holscher
Volunteers Needed for School Canoe Trip
Canoe Storage – Looking Up
RMCC Email Discussion List Tips
Trip Schedule
Westwater Wild and Serene (trip report)

Voyageur’s Companion – June 2008

Paddlemoanium – aka the Prez’ Letter (trip report)
The Dolores River, Slick Rock to Bedrock
Rendezvous (announcement)
Personal Locator Beacons – report on the SPOT

Voyageur’s Companion – August 2008

Prez’s Paddlemania
2008 RMCC Rendezvous Roundup (trip report)
Fitness Training for Canoeing
First Aid Kit for Canoe Trippers

Voyageur’s Companion – October 2008

Prezidential Picks
A Paddling Venture on Shoshone Lake (trip report)
A Wind in Our Face Adventure on the Drinking and Churchill Rivers (trip report)
A Novice Trip Coordinator’s Experience Using ACA Insurance
Warning about camping a Lake McConaughy in Nebraska

Voyageur’s Companion – February 2009

Prezidential Picks
2009 Winter Pool Sessions
Recipe for a Sweat Lodge…River Style
Hate Tamarisk? Love to get a free Green River Split Mt Trip?
Editor’s Eddy Lines
Paddling in Veracruz, Mexico
Camp Hand-washer

Voyageur’s Companion – April 2009

The Prez Ponders
Administrative Update
Children in the Outdoors and in the River: Fun? Frustration? Or Future Investment?
The Paddling Season Ahead
Big Bend Trip (trip report)
RMCC Suggested River Trips – Class I to III
Just Doing My Part (volunteering)

Voyageur’s Companion – June 2009

Prez Postings
Why would I want to attend the Rendezvous?
White River Trip – (trip report)
Annual RMCC Rendezvous at Radium (announcement)
Secrets of Trip Leading, Simplified
A Mostly-Newbie Experience Taking Canoe Classes
Another voice chimes in on the canoe classes
A Solo Trip – Near Disaster – Desolation and Gray’s Canyon (trip report)
The Half-Tank Rule
Physics of Crossing Eddy Lines

Voyageur’s Companion – August 2009

Prez Posts Paddling Pontifications
Fabulous Flaming Gorge, Lovely Loma to Westwater trip (announcement)
Rio Chama (trip report)
Yampa River through Dinosaur (trip report)
Rendezvous Dutch Oven Cookoff Results
Anne’s Pizza
Secrets for Keeping Ice for 6 Days in the Desert, and other thoughts on managing food on a river trip
Canada 2009: Water, Water, and More Water (trip report)

Voyageur’s Companion – October 2009