THE SLOUGH SLOG
10 a.m., November 24
Woodinville, Washington
Directions are below
Email: Christian@paddlermagazine.com
Sea kayakers and whitewater kayakers will finally have an opportunity to see which style of paddling produces the fittest kayaker this Saturday.
The Slough Slog will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 24, at Woodinville’s Wilmot-Gateway Park. (Yes, that’s less than a week away, but we wanted to plan it 1.) to help those sea kayakers prepare for the Deception Pass Dash and 2.) to hold it when river levels are low. The Skykomish, by the way, will be less than 2,000 and Robe will be under 5 feet on Saturday).
The two-mile course is Class I with several bends and subtle eddies to use for strategic advantage on the upstream portion of the race.
This is a fitness race that demands some untraditional kayaking skills, such as drafting, passing and using those eddies to your advantage.
The event will consist of three separate classes, which we will choose on race day, depending on the boats that competitors will race in.
Ideally, however, we’d have: a whitewater kayak 9-foot and under division, an 11-12-foot whitewater kayak division and a sea kayak division.
The 9-foot and unders will receive a staggered head start, followed by the 11- to 12-foot whitewater kayaks and finally, followed by the sea kayaks.
The staggered time will eliminate the timed advantage of each kayak so many of the racers should be in contention for the title at the end of the race, regardless of what style of kayak they paddled.
The event will produce an overall winner, but each category will produce its own winner as well. Each will earn a year’s subscription to Paddler magazine.
This is an informal race. Don’t expect anything you might expect at other events, except of course, for the paddling and the people. Registration is by voluntary donation only ($5 recommended) and will be devoted to paying for the broken window in the ACA’s Subaru Forester ($580 bill). If you can’t pay the registration fee, you can race anyway. If you need a kayak, we MIGHT be able to get you one IF you notify us by FRIDAY and IF you drive the kayak to the start line. We can not transport the kayaks for you.
The one thing you must do is e-mail Christian@paddlermagazine.com by Friday at 9 p.m. to let him know if you will be participating.
Directions:
From Monroe:
1.) Start: WA-522, 12.4 miles
2.) Take the WA-202 E exit toward WOODINVILLE/REDMOND, 0.2 mi
3.) Turn LEFT onto 132ND AVE NE/WA-202. Continue to follow WA-202, 0.3 miles
4.) Stay STRAIGHT to go onto 131ST AVE NE., 0.2 mi
5). End at 17301 131st Ave NE Woodinville, WA 98072
Estimated Time: 18 minutes Estimated Distance: 14.25 miles
From I-5 (Seattle)
1.) Merge onto WA-520 E via EXIT 168B toward BELLEVUE/KIRKLAND, 6.8 mi
2.) Merge onto I-405 N toward EVERETT, 9.0 mi
3.) Merge onto WA-522 E via EXIT 23 toward US-2/WOODINVILLE/WENATCHEE, 1.0 mi
4.) Take the WA-202 E exit toward WOODINVILLE/REDMOND.
5.) Take the WA-202 S ramp toward WOODINVILLE/REDMOND.
6.) Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto 131ST AVE NE/WA-202. Continue to follow 131ST AVE NE, 0.4 mi
End at 17301 131st Ave NE Woodinville, WA 98072
Estimated Time: 25 minutes Estimated Distance: 19.97 miles
FROM I-405 SOUTH:
1.) Merge onto I-405 N toward EVERETT, 5.5 mi
2.) Merge onto WA-522 E via EXIT 23 toward US-2/WOODINVILLE/WENATCHEE, 1.0 mi
3.) Take the WA-202 E exit toward WOODINVILLE/REDMOND.
0.1 mi
4.) Take the WA-202 S ramp toward WOODINVILLE/REDMOND, 0.0 mi
Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto 131ST AVE NE/WA-202. Continue to follow 131ST AVE NE, 0.4 mi
End at 17301 131st Ave NE Woodinville, WA 98072
Estimated Time: 13 minutes Estimated Distance: 8.36 miles
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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