06/11/2020
The Finger Lakes Museum (FLM) is excited to announce their paddling program line-up. They have adjusted their previously scheduled programs to ensure social distancing, safety precautions and sanitation processes. They have a variety of new options for paddling as a family, paddling on your own, or paddling (safely) with the FLM. Read below to see what they have to offer!
We have all been thrown for quite a loop recently, and now we are all trying to figure out where to go from here. Well, you will be pleased to know that the Finger Lakes Museum has a PLAN! Once you get in a kayak and out on the water, it is pretty easy to maintain appropriate social distancing. And by now you must be ready to get out of your home/office/classroom/childcare center, and have an adventure on the “high seas” of Keuka Lake! Well, folks, you have come to the right place.
Taking into account the reopening plan established by the State of New York, and guidance provided by the ACA (American Canoe Association) and other reputable sources, we have created a new set of kayak protocols and life jacket protocols for our kayaking programs, and made some modifications to our program calendar. Our new protocols are based on information gathered from various sources that can be considered leaders within the industry. It is our intent to continue to provide high quality paddling experiences, while minimizing exposure to illness. The FLM believes that compliance with these protocols on the part of all parties will minimize the possibility of spread of infectious disease.
Of course, the health and safety of all who come to the Museum are of utmost priority. I think you will like what we have come up with regarding how to proceed with this year’s program calendar. See what we have to offer and join us!
Following the guidance of the ACA, we will wait until mid-June to begin our kayak programs. Certified Museum staff will teach beginner/intermediate lessons on June 27. We will proceed with our guided paddles throughout the summer. There will be a Sunset Paddle on July 25, a Breakfast Paddle on August 22, an Equinox Paddle on Sept 19, and a Fall Foliage Paddle on Oct 3. The Strawberry Moon Paddle, originally scheduled for June 5, has been postponed and transformed into a Blueberry Moon Paddle, which will take place on August 1. Sign up for any (or all!) of these paddles on the Museum’s events page!
Our monthly Community Paddles have been changed to something different this year: Town of Jerusalem Saturday Paddling days! We invite town of Jerusalem residents to join us on these days for a fun hour-long paddle, free of charge. We do require reservations by 5pm Thursday prior for any of the Saturday dates (June 20, July 18, and August 15) so please sign up if you are interested. Other private paddles can be arranged through Debbie (contact her at dlyon@fingerlakesmuseum.org) at a mutually convenient time, pending availability of equipment and personnel.
To provide additional time on the water, FLM has created a program for self-guided paddling tours. Canoes, single and tandem kayaks, paddles, life jackets and self-guided information packets will be available in 3 hour blocks from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays beginning June 15 and continuing through August 14. All of the days are listed on the events page and now is the time to sign up for this new program!
Also new this year will be our American Canoe Association (ACA) week. We are pleased to have ACA Certified Instructor Trainer Tom Nickels, owner of Riverwind Kayak, leading us through a week of fun (Monday’s kayak level 1/2 skills, Tuesday’s kayak level 1/2 skills, Wednesday’s power paddle, Thursday’s 3-day kayak instructor training). Tom has been leading kayak adventures and training instructors for almost two decades and we can’t wait to welcome him back this year!
The Paddle Keuka 5K is going VIRTUAL! Although many races around the world have been cancelled, we are pleased to announce that we will offer a different version of this popular event. The Paddle Keuka Challenge will be a “fun-raiser,” with all proceeds benefiting the FLM. It is a twist on the annual Paddle Keuka race that we all know and love. This month-long event will be done completely on your terms! Between July 15th and August 17th, you decide when you want to take the challenge, and you provide the timing results and a selfie or small group photo to us when you are completed. Swag will be provided to all who participate. You will have the option for three different race courses (1 mile, 3 mile and 6 mile). For one entry fee, you can paddle as many times as you want, and try all three distances. Results will be posted on Facebook and our website throughout the month. So get out and get wet to prepare!
In other news, we will also proceed with our June 27 Fishing in Sugar Creek program, led by NYS Licensed Guide Alan Fess.
Whew! We sure do have a lot going on at the Finger Lakes Museum this summer! Won’t you join us?
