In this issue... JOC Newsletter April 2006 JOC Newsletter Fourth issue! April 2006
Greetings Fellow Jewish Outdoor Enthusiasts! Spring
is in the air! It's officially safe to come out of hibernation... Join us
for fun in April! And as always, spread the word to your friends. Adventures in April Sunday
April 2: Sunday
April 9: Sometime
in April: Sunday,
April 30: Sunday,
May 28: Details
on all events are sent to the yahoogroups email list, and posted to the
website at www.jewishoutdoorsclub.org Saturday night, Feb 25 Sunday, March 19 Wednesday, March 22 Wanna Keep in
touch with someone you've met? If you've made a friend at a JOC event,
the easiest way to keep in touch with them is to register at We've met.
This link will take you right there.
http://www.wevemet.com/wevemet/members/view_venue_hotspot_member_list.php?hotspotid=166398&callingfrom=venuesearch Our new
executive board is in place, but we are always looking for people to join
the general committee, and help plan events. Our
next meeting is Monday, April 3. Email me at jewishoutdoorsclub@yahoo.com
to find out how to get more involved. Thanks to all volunteers! Yasher
Koach to all the volunteers who are helping at the Israel Day Parade.
There are 46 of you!!! The parade organizers were overjoyed at the
turnout, and express their gratitude. The
parade is Sunday, June 4. ROW ROW ROW YOUR RAFT: A Guide
to Whitewater Rafting By Alon Krausz,
Reprinted from the Blueprint If you live in New York City and thirst
for a little adventure, the right time of year is here. As the Spring
thaw rolls around in April, and the snow atop the Appalachian peaks
melts, whitewater rafting season takes the Northeast by storm. So what is
whitewater rafting, you ask? Well, let me begin by stating what it is
not. Floating down the Delaware is not whitewater rafting, and, in fact,
involves a whole lot more yawn than brawn. Rafting the Lehigh – that’s
getting there. Taking a trip down the Hudson River Gorge – now we’re
talking. And for the truly brave, a psycho run down the Gauley, or an
epic adventure on the Colorado is a must. But I am getting ahead of myself.
Whitewater rafting involves guided trips
down foaming rivers in 4-10 person inflatable, self bailing rafts. Trip
goers do the paddling while the guide barks out orders, steers around
holes and boulders, and tries to keep the raft from overturning. The sport
is reasonably safe, though accidents can happen. Like most great outdoor sports, the
ideal place to live for rafting is not New York City. But it does beat
Iowa, and with a car, some great rivers are a short trip away. A list of
Northeast rivers and guides can be found at
www.dusers.drexel.edu/~ab257/raft.html The top overall choice for a one day
trip is the Hudson River Gorge in the Adirondacks, a 4 hour drive away.
In April-May, the river is a class IV river (for comparison, the Delaware
River is class I, and Class VI is considered unrunnable). It is a wild
ride, but not overly dangerous. The river is a good one for a beginner
who wants a whitewater experience, as well as for an experienced paddler.
Those who are a bit timid can run the
river in the summer when lower water levels make for a less fearsome
ride. Many outfitters run the river, try www.wild-waters.com for the
company that I use. A Good Intermediate River is the West
River (class III) in Vermont, 4 ½ hours away, or the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania,
3 ½ hours away. Numerous outfitters are available to serve as guides, use
the internet to find the ones offering the best deal. The Cheat River in Maryland is another
good intermediate River, but is a distant 6 hours away, as is the famous
Upper Yough, an advanced class IV-V river. For the true adrenaline junkie, rafting
the King of all rivers, the mighty Gauley of West Virginia, is the trip
of a lifetime. The river is the second wildest river in the US, and # 7
in the world, behind some greats like the Zambezi of Africa and Chile’s
Futaleufu. The Gauley is a Fall river, however, when a dam release gives
it its notorious reputation. It is nine hours away by car, but the drive
is a small price to pay for such big adventure. Whitewater rafting is a great trip to
put together for a day of fun with friends. Be sure to choose the right
river, the right guides, and go at the right time of year. Oh, and for the love of G-d, skip the
Delaware. About Us The Jewish Outdoors Club is a not-for profit organization
whose purpose is to help Jews find fun and adventure in the great
outdoors. email: jewishoutdoorsclub@yahoo.com
Alon Krausz
Founder and President
ROPES COURSE: Join Jennifer for a challenging and fun day at the
ropes course in Ring Homestead, NY. The website has all the details.
RAFTING THE HOUSATONIC: Join Maurie for this fun whitewater
adventure in Connecticut! Email peacenik9@aol.com for more info, or go to
the website.
WHITEWATER INSANITY: We're heading upstate to raft the Hudson
River Gorge as we always do, only this time, we are "on call".
In other words, when the water level is at its highest and wildest, the
guides will be giving us a holler to come pronto. Email me for more info
at jewishoutdoorsclub@yahoo.com
MOSHE'S FIRST HIKE OF 2006: Join JOC for the first hike of Spring,
location to be determined. Moshe will be sending out the details as he
figures them out :)
CLIMB MT WASHINGTON! : Yes, this one is a long way off, but it
does require quite a bit of planning. If you are interested in climbing
the highest peak in the Northeast, email Rivkah Fischman at
rfischman73@hotmail.com. This is an incredible opportunity that shouldn't
be missed! :)
PAINTBALL!
An overflow crowd of 29 people came for JOC's second indoor paintball
event at EJam Paintball in Hackensack. We managed to impress management
by showing that, indeed, Jews do know how to shoot guns. Many welts
later, we ended our evening and headed home, exhilarated, and eager to do
it again.
FORT TRYON HIKE LED BY RACHELLE LAPIN
The first day of spring foliage "hike" in Fort Tryon Park took
place as scheduled on Sunday, March 19th. Though sadly there was not even
a sprig of spring foliage to be found anywhere, the 25 or so brave
individuals who defyed the weather and attended gave it a two thumbs up!
;)
SKATING AT THE ROXY
28 JOCers had a fun time showing off their moves and making friends at
the Roxy last Wednesday. A good time was had by all, and we look forward
to doing it again!
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH NEW JOC
FRIENDS!
