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| Wichita Ski Club P.O. Box 2451 Wichita, KS 67201 |
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Here are the stories of just a few WSC adventures. If you have written a story or have an idea for one, please Contact us.
Wichita Ski Club is going to Skiatook Lake, Oklahoma Friday, 24 July
through Sunday, 26 July 2009. We will camp at Tall Chief Cove, Skiatook
Lake, OK which is northwest of Tulsa and south of Bartlesville. Tall
Chief Cove is located on Highway 20, 4 miles west of the town of
Skiatook, and 11 miles east of Hominy, Oklahoma; about a one hour drive
from Tulsa. It is on the southeast side of Skiatook Lake, south of the
dam. Gentle rolling hills of Blackjack and Post Oak interspersed with
Tall Grass Prairie surround beautiful Skiatook Lake. The lake has a
surface area of about 10,500 acres and 160 miles of shoreline.
Facilities available are campsites, boat ramp, fishing dock, swimming
beach, nature trail, picnic area, playground, electrical outlets,
sanitary dump station, showers and restrooms, drinking water, and is
handicap accessible. We will be there from Friday, 24 July through
Sunday. 26 July 2009. Your cost is to be determined - currently
estimated at $40 per member and $45 per non-member. Please RSVP no later
than Tuesday, 21 July 2009, which is the next WSC General Meeting. Your
camping cost will be $12 per camp site. Maximum of three tents per site.
For the Saturday Night Dinner, meat will be provided by the club. Please bring a side dish to share.
Our Trip Captains are:
Please contact Jane Moriarty if you are willing to assist with the boating activities.
View these Skiatook directions
to where we are camping in a
PDF file
If you have any further questions,
Contact us and we'll get them
answered for you.
"Ain't No River Wide Enough"
"Ain't no mountain high enough"
"Ain't no valley low enough"
"Ain't no river wide enough"
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, in their 1967 hit, adequately described the Wichita Ski Club's thirst for adventure. Nothing was high enough or wide enough to stop us. That is, until we met the Illinois River on our recent float trip to Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Many of us headed south on Friday, May 1st, with excitement and anticipation. We ignored the dark clouds in the sky, the rivers of water running beside the highway, the fields now lakes, the rain beating against the windshield threatening to overpower the wipers, and the and the repeated warnings on the radio about rivers exceeding flood stage. "Ain't no river wide enough" for the WSC. Float on the Illinois we will, come hell or high water. And high water was coming at a rapid rate.
As we pulled into Tahlequah in the darkening light, the water was coming down and the river was rising. The brave ones headed for the War Eagle Resort camp grounds. The weak ones, writer included, headed for the nearest motel. For those that chose the camp ground, a school bus across the road blocked their access to the now flooded camp grounds.
Not being daunted by the rain and the flood, the campers chose to group camp in the activity building at War Eagle. One brave soul pitched his tent outside and witnessed the ferocious lightening first hand. However, the party went on far into the night, or perhaps it was far into the early morning.
Saturday morning bore witness to dark skies, but little rain. As we gathered at eleven to discuss our options for rafting, many long faces dotted the room. Options were not good and nothing was definite. We might be able to raft later in the day, perhaps Sunday morning, maybe Sunday afternoon. Or, we could have the option of leaving and having our money refunded for another day.
However, due to the resourcefulness and knowledge of some of our members, all was not lost. As the Statler Brothers noted in their hit song, "Flowers on the Wall," the thought that came to many was "Now don't tell me I've nothing to do." There was plenty to do, we just had to find it.
Fortunately, a beautiful Oklahoma state park was near to our location. Four cars headed north and east to Dripping Springs State Park. There we spent a wonderful afternoon hiking trails that circumvented beautiful waterfalls, hanging bridges, immense green foliage and colorful flowers. For those that made the short, slightly out-of-the-way drive, it was an afternoon well spent and made the drive to Tahlequah worthwhile. Great scenery viewed with great friends make long-lasting memories. "Now don't tell me I've nothing to do."
by John Kimball
[Thanks to John Kimball for providing these photos of the Wichita Ski Club on the Illinois River, Tahlequah, Oklahoma this May 1st - 3rd. Thanks also to trip captain Misty Woodard and all the other folks who pitched in this weekend on the Illinois River.]
Are you ready for swimming, water skiing, wake boarding, tubing, windsurfing, sailing fishing plus eating, drinking and having fun? Then you need to join us Saturday, 30 May 2009 at 2:00 pm until after dark at Dave Pauly's home, 2610 North Shore Court in Wichita. We will be eating staring at 5 pm. The cost is only $5.00 for members and $10.00 for non-members.
Here's what to bring:
Here's what is provided:
Directions:
If you have questions, please contact Dave Pauly at 316.250.2045 or Contact us.
Join The Wichita Ski Club for 4th of July in Breckenridge, Colorado, July 1st thru July 5th. We have lodging the nights of the 1st thru the night of the 4th. We will drive out on Wednesday the 1st and come home on Sunday the 5th! We will stay at Saddlewood Townhomes. Following are the links to our 2 condos:
http://www.resortquestbreckenridge.com/rental/house.html?ID=387
http://www.resortquestbreckenridge.com/rental/house.html?ID=385
Member cost is $160 and non-member cost is $190 for lodging and a meal and snack night. Rafting will be an additional $62. For those who are interested, we will raft the Royal Gorge half day on Friday July 3 at 1:00pm. If you want to rent a wet suit it will be an additional $5 the day of rafting. More info on rafting is at http://www.raftecho.com.
Payment schedule:
Payments will be collected at SNO's, meetings, mail or pay at the following additional locations set up on payment dates.
Following are planned activities while in Breck. As other people are interested in doing other things and arrange them, we will let you know.
Our Trip Captain is Michelle Grillot, her cell phone is 316.304.4127 or Contact us. The address to mail payments to is 770 N. Silver Springs Blvd. #723, Wichita , KS 67212.
Lodging is limited! Room assignments will be determined on the order of signing up and payments.
by Michelle Grillot
Photos at flickr
Tag of
smokyhills09
Hikers met at 8:30 am Saturday, 25 April 2009 at the Cracker Barrel Country Store in Park City. It was a small group, John Hough, Mike Lietz, Ileen Penna, Debbie Taylor, Linnea Baker & Brian Coplend, Roger Skaer, Charlotte Farrar, and Tony (Toothfairy) Hoss! After a hearty breakfast we headed north in our caravan towards Kanopolis State Park. We initially missed a couple of hidden Highway #4 turns through Lindsborg, but after our brief 75 min. drive we got to our trailhead to Horsethief Canyon. Several of our crew must have been getting outdated weather forecasts, because they showed up wearing only t-shirts, anticipating 80 degree temps and lights winds, but instead discovered at the trailhead a very cool low 60's with gusty northeastern winds! Without even thinking to toss a jacket into their car, for those with goose bumped arms, anything long sleeved, immediately developed a high market value! After those with layered clothing donated to the clothing 'poor', we started out on our trails in and out of the canyons of these Smoky Hills.
At first we hiked up one side of the bottom of a broad valley with steep walls. There was a creek running down the center with beaver dams about every 50 yards. Lots of little springs trickling out from the walls meant that we had to navigate numerous muddy spots along the trail. But, the canyons at least protected our group from the winds on the prairie above. It seems that the sandstone of the walls had for a century encouraged everyone to scratch their names into the rocks. It was as if the stone facing had become a Travelers Directory. Several caves offered an adventure to clime up to an entrance hoping the see a critter that might be living within. One became the perfect spot for a short lunch break. Farther up the main canyon was a smaller box canyon where Indians had hidden stolen horses, and a unique water fall that was carving a mortar & pestle formation at the end. At the end of the canyon we had to clime up over the legendary steps that were supposedly worn into the cliff wall by buffalo that traveled into the canyon to get to water.
From the top of Horsethief canyon we crossed in and out into the prairie, by heavily eroded sandstone rock formations, and into several more canyons. We wound through canyon floors filled with woodlands shelters by high walls from the winds above. Crossed numerous small streams and saw countless beautifully colored sandstone formations that could take what ever shape your imagination could envision. Eventually at our highest point we came to a gate, where on the other side was the beginning of 24 miles of trail in Wildlife Preserve. We very wisely thought, another time! We were getting on the tired side of the day, taking more, and more short breaks. Our hardy group decided it was time to head back to our motorized chariots and fine the mythical watering hole we had heard of in Lindsborg. Again, we had to twice cross a wide lake inlets using one of the many dams that the busy beavers had built. After about four hours on the trails, our vehicles were a welcome site.
We headed for the legendary "Ole Stuga" in Lindsborg where we had heard the refreshments were guaranteed to relax. The "Stuga" is one of those earthy collage type hangouts with doors that are perpetually open. Thumbtack dollars on the ceiling attested to the talents of student creativity at its finest. After a light meal of Ruben's and brew everyone loaded up and headed back to Do-da. I'm sure all who ventured out into the hills with us this day, enjoyed a very good nights' sleep that glorious Saturday. Be sure to join us this fall for another hiking adventure into the beauty of Kansas that is too seldom seen by its residence. Remember, we're all getting older, but you never have to be old. Ilene, you are a model for us all!
by John Hough
Photos at flickr
Tag of
flatland09
Wichita Ski Club again did well at the Flatland Ski Race in Copper Mountain, Colorado in January 2009. John Clark has sent in some of his photos of the Snowshoe Race event which are included here. John says the two groups are the A and B team snowshoe racing teams. The two racers in the starting gates are the Russian girls. The A team was Patsy Botts, Dave Pauly, Scott Brannon and Paul Warren. The B team was Dave Barker, Andy Glatt, John Hastings, and Lisa Hartnett. The Russian girls names are Tatyana Bobrova and Galina Faulconer.
The searchable results of Flatland 2009 will be available online soon.
Photos at flickr
Tag of
crestedbutte08dec
We have photos from the first ski trip of the 2008 - 2009 season thanks to John Clark. The accommodations were excellent as you can see in some of the photos. The snow was plentiful too. Crested Butte has always been a nice place both on the slopes and for après skiing.
Paul Warren will bring items left on the bus from the Crested Butte trip. If you can't make it please make arrangements to have someone collect your belongings tonight.
List of items left on bus Monday morning:
First, our longtime member Seth Roland submitted a few of his photos of the past, a houseboat trip in 1987. Now another longtime member, Lou Myers, has sent us some of his golden oldie photos from the 1960's. If you recognize yourself or any other members having a good time in one or more of these, please leave your comments at our Flickr photos.
Would you like more information on the Wichita Ski Clubs membership and history? We have half a century of adventures and a few of the original members to prove it. Visit our club history to find out.
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El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa- Ski/Snowboard Special
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Each year we present this trophy of the Copper Boot to the person (or persons) whom the board feels has gone above and beyond in helping promote the fun and camaraderie that the Wichita Ski Club is all about. You could be next!
Here are our past recipients:
wichitaskiclub.com
