What it Takes to Coordinate a Trip for the LCCC
Before you apply to coordinate an LCCC trip, you should know the requirements.
You have to be an Olympic-level paddler, able to run a four- minute mile, lift 200 lbs overhead, and vault an obstacle taller than your boat is long. You must know telepathically who can paddle and who cannot. When a rock rolls over or tree falls in the river, it’s your job to know about it. And last but not least, you must bring spare paddles and repair kits for every kind of boat, and a first aid kit that will cure any and all injuries.
Actually no you don’t!
None of those requirements are real. If you’re a decent paddler with knowledge of a local run and the willingness to show it to a few more people, you are qualified to be a Trip Coordinator. You do NOT have to take responsibility for anyone other than yourself.
According to the LCCC Member Handbook, each and every participant assumes the risk of sharing an adventure. We don’t use the term “trip leader” because we don’t want to contribute to the misperception that coordinators know everything and can help in every way. Trip Coordinators are regular paddlers who are willing to suggest and go on a trip. So relax, already.
Furthermore, regardless of your position on a trip or in the club, you are covered under our general liability insurance if someone sues you. Shared adventuring means that we CAN help each other out, but there is no legal fault if we don’t, or if we try and fail.
What the Trip Coordinator (TC) Does
First, you post the trip to the email list and/or to our facebook group. The invitation post usually goes out during the week—a few days before a weekend. Include the date, difficulty, and what river(s) or section(s) you’re considering. If there’s a style or type of trip intended, like a skill-builder, play run, downriver run or exploratory mission, say so up front. Then wait for replies and reply to questions.
An official LCCC trip must have three boats or more. If you go with just one other person, it cannot—by definition—be a club trip. Once a trip coordinator has a 3-boat quorum, they often repost, saying “this trip is a go” and extend the invitation again. If you don’t get enough interest in your mission, you can cancel the trip. If you don’t want a big group, cap the trip up front and say so. When all you’ve done is post looking for interest, nobody has the location information so folks won’t show up for a trip that isn’t happening.
The final pre-trip communication goes out ONLY to the confirmed participants with the meeting times and places. Usually we have two meeting spots. One is in town for those who would like to carpool, and one it at the takeout—for folks who live close to the chosen river. TC’s are encouraged NOT to post trip meet information to the entire club, because people may show up who did not communicate with you first, complicating your mission. If club members are bringing friends or family they are supposed to tell you—and you can ask them to find out.
Once you’re actually headed for the river, it takes some communicating to get the shuttle set up and everybody to the put-in and ready. At the launch point TC facilitates a pre-trip talk with the float plan and the emergency plan. In general, the emergency plan is to do what we can while on the river, and to call 911 or send a runner to call 911 if there’s a problem that we can’t deal with ourselves.
After the trip, there’s a little “paperwork” (really, emailing) to do. If there were injuries or other losses, there’s an accident report to complete. More on the fun side, send a roster of participants to the Day Trips Chair, who keeps records. Also, please send a brief trip report to the newsletter editor—or recruit someone on the trip to write one and send it. We all want to hear about your adventures!
What we all do
There are lots of things that the trip coordinator is NOT solely responsible for. No one person can be expected to do all of the safety-related things. All of us can and probably should know the water level and weather predictions. We join forces to get recent wood reports, learn about alternate access points, and set up safety on the water. We all do our part.
Everybody brings what they have—spare paddles, repair kits, communications devices, first aid and survival gear. Anyone can suggest that the group may be too big for the run and it’s time to split up. ALL OF THESE TASKS are shared among us. Each participant is responsible for finding out what they need to know to make a good decision about whether to join a trip.
Warning sign at Kelly’s playpark in Idaho.
Folks always have the option not to launch, even if they get all the way to the river. There is no shame in retreating from the river any time the conditions are wrong or you’re just not “feeling it”. A trip coordinator has the prerogative to cancel their trip, or decline to admit any person because of safety concerns. Any participant can portage a rapid or otherwise manage their risks according to their tolerances.
It’s so easy
The paperwork only takes 3 hours. NOT!! Most of the time there is no paperwork! The TC may have to deal with waivers and incident reports, but not on every trip. If the crew is made up of current members with signed waivers on file, and nothing disastrous happens, there is no paperwork to do! When a guest paddler wants to join, the TC asks them to sign a waiver. They can fill out the waiver online and send you a screen shot to prove that they did. If the guest refuses, they can’t come. If you are coordinating, bring a few waivers. The incident report can be filled out after the trip, if needed. That’s it!
A pre-launch discussion is not required by the handbook, but it helps trips go smoother. First-timers will have questions. The easiest way to get information out there is to get the group together and let them ask each other. New trip coordinators are wise to recruit experienced members to join their trips, especially if attempting challenging runs.
I have everybody circle up, introduce themselves and talk about their paddling experience and knowledge of the run. Then we review signals. We chat about the float plan and the character of the run, any hazards or big rapids, and stops like scouts or lunch. This is a good time to recruit volunteer lead and sweep boaters, and to remind everyone to keep an eye on the boat behind us. I also ask who has a whistle, rope, knife, spare paddle, first aid kit, repair kit or personal locator beacon. Nobody has everything, but everybody has something.
A planned break during a portage on the Sandy Gorge.
This ritual of circling to talk is to answer people’s questions, relieve anxiety and build group cohesion. Familiarity helps us feel comfortable and makes us a better team. When we have confidence in our crew, we can relax and play on the river together. And that is what we are all about.
As the club changes with the times, our methods for posting trips may change, but the core remains the same. We are people who love rivers, and sharing them with other river lovers.
My intent with this article is to dispel misconceptions about the role of the trip coordinator. Hopefully when folks understand that you do not have to be a professional guide or paddler to coordinate a trip, and that every single member is responsible for their own choices and actions, we’ll post more trips.
TRIP COORDINATOR CHECKLIST
Post trip to email list (date, rating, particulars)
Print a few waivers to take with you
Know your emergency plan (call 911 soon as you can get to cell reception)
Re-post with updates and “this trip is a go” when you have 3+ boats confirmed
Email participants with the meeting place(s) and time(s)
Meet the crew on the day at the time specified, sort out carpooling and shuttle
Get a signed waiver for any guest paddlers
Have a pre-paddle talk as needed
Have a great day on the river
Turn in waivers and incident reports (if any) to lowercolumbiacanoeclub@gmail.com
Send roster of participants to Day Trips Chair
MORE RESOURCES
Here are the slides from the TC talk given 8/15/23. The first 20 or so are an outline of how to coordinate trips. After that are a series of RESOURCES slides with links to everything you need, from a start on river gauges to the waiver and incident report form.
