SEPTEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN PACKRAFTING ASSOCIATION

Dear APA Members and Subscribers,

HALFWAY to 1,000
The American Packrafting Association recently passed the 500 member mark, half way to our goal of 1,000 members.

The key to our success is building a critical mass so that packrafting is taken seriously. Keep your friends and family coming to APA â€“ we hope to pass the 1,000 member mark in 2013! If you are not a member, it is still FREE TO JOIN, so please follow this link:

http://www.packraft.org/American_Packrafting_Association/Join_APA.html

We are a real organization recognized by the IRS and the State of Wyoming as an unincorporated non-profit association. We have an active and engaged board of directors and an executive council of some of the most accomplished adventurers in North America. We have provided testimony to Congress on packrafting access to public lands, we have been featured in several news articles and public land managers are starting to take notice.

ACCESS MATTERS
Snake River Headwaters
In June and July, we made a big push to overturn the decades-old paddling ban in Yellowstone National Park. In addition to strong comments submitted by APA and our partners American Whitewater and American River, many of you made your voice heard. APA provided testimony to Congress on the issue and was contacted by the Congressional delegations and other elected officials of affected states. Thanks for putting a paddle in to correct this grevious wrong that makes it a crime to packraft on public lands and waters.

The National Park Service is currently digesting the comments on the issue and is expected to issue a final decision on whether packrafting will be allowed or banned on select rivers in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.  APA is continuing to track this issue and will keep you posted of new developments.

Special kudos to APA Executive Committee member Ryan Jordan for his articulate video on the issue:
http://vimeo.com/69363764

You can see the letter submitted by APA at:
http://www.packraft.org/American_Packrafting_Association/APA-FINAL-YNPletter.pdf

Tell Us About Your Disasters
We've all had our share of misadventures, when things did not go as we hoped or planned. Bad swims, lost gear, major and minor epics happen to the best of us.

We think it is important to share these experiences with the packrafting community so that we can all learn to become safer packrafters. We have dedicated a section of the packrafting forum to Accident Reports, and we ask you to share your stories and the lessons you learned. We will closely monitor this section of the forum so that no one gets flamed or shamed.

To find the accident reports section of the forum, go to: http://packrafting.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=2489

APA now maintains the packrafting forum for our members (www.packrafting.org). This is the go-to site for information about all topics related to packrafting, including gear, routes, river conditions, partners, and much more.

Packrafting in the News
APA made a big splash in the news surrounding the Snake River access issue. Some of the news pieces can be found in the links below:

Billings Gazette:
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_97ee1c74-1dc6-5341-81c9-65e64d033652.html

Jackson Hole News and Guide:
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=10006

WyoFile:
http://wyofile.com/kelsey-dayton/21962/

Planet Jackson Hole:
http://planetjh.com/2013/06/25/a-plan-without-a-paddle-park-forest-plan-for-snake-river-use-doesnt-include-paddlers/

Congressional Oversight Hearings:
http://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=339839

Packrafting is Conservation
Here at APA we think that packrafting is synonymous with conservation. Packrafts are the ultimate low-impact craft, requiring no infrastructure such as parking lots, boat launches or even trails. With a packraft, time and imagination, you can go nearly anyplace on the planet without the need for a motorized vehicle. Witness the 4,000 mile journey of Bretwood Higman and Erin McKittrick in which they traversed the rim of the North Pacific Ocean over the course of a year and never needed a ride in a carbon-burning vehicle.

We encourage you to plan your trips to limit your carbon emissions. We would love to hear about your low-impact adventures, so send us your stories and we will share them with the world.

To learn more about our views on conservation, check out this section of our webpage:
http://packraft.org/American_Packrafting_Association/Packrafting_and_conservation.html

Packraft Fest 2013
The first annual Packraft Fest in McCarthy, Alaska went down in July and was a smash hit. Kennecott Mountain Guides did a fabulous job hosting the events, including two races that drew 45 participants.  If you did not make the first annual, you won't want to miss the second annual in 2014.

APA is planning a packraft fest in the lower 48 from July 3-6th 2014 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Watch here for more details!

Media Feliz Teams Up with Alpacka on Packrafting 101 Videos
Nate and Sam of Media Feliz, with support from Alpackaraft, have put together a brilliant three-part series of how-to-packraft videos. Check them out here:

Getting Ready for the River: http://vimeo.com/73018838
Strokes and Eddy Turns: http://vimeo.com/73059748
River Navigation:  http://vimeo.com/73062087

Sponsors
We would like to thank our sponsors, Alpackaraft (www.alpackaraft.com) and Jackson Hole Packraft Rentals Anywhere (www.jhpackraft.com), for their support.

APA is seeking sponsorships from businesses, including gear companies, retailers, guides and outfitters. If you or your business are interested in being a sponsor of APA, please contact us at info@packraft.org.

Donations and Stickers
APA is a lean and efficient organization that can travel light, fast and far on a dollar. We do need some money and welcome your support. APA is organized and recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit association, and donations to APA are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

You can donate through PayPal at the APA website (www.packraft.org) or by mailing a check to:
American Packrafting Association
3948 Hawthorne Lane
Wilson, WY 83014

APA has logo stickers that look great on your helmet, paddle, truck and coffee mug. If you would like to get two of these stickers and support APA, put a $1 bill in a self-addressed stamped envelope and mail it to the address above.

Find Us, Follow Us, Contact Us
You can find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AmericanPackraftingAssociation where you will find the latest news, packrafting videos, updates on our projects.

At our webpage, www.packraft.org, you can join APA, donate, learn about the history of packrafting and more.

Feel free to contact us at info@packraft.org

We will see you on the trails and on the water!

The APA Board of Directors
Brad Meiklejohn, President
Tom Turiano, Vice President
Amy Hatch, Secretary
Moe Witschard, Treasurer
Forrest McCarthy
Roman Dial
Julia Urbanski

The APA Executive Council
Kevin Colburn, Missoula, MT
Mike Curiak, Grand Junction, CO
Chris Erickson, Portland, OR
Michael Fiebig, Bozeman, MT
Bretwood Higman, Seldovia, AK
Ryan Jordan, Bozeman, MT
Andrew McLean, Park City, UT
Luc Mehl, Anchorage, AK
Jeff Pflueger, Berkeley, CA
Rich Rudow, Phoenix, AZ
Mik Shain, Jackson, WY
Scott Solle, Sandy, UT
Brian Whitlock, Bozeman, MT

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