All -

This thread picks up where a thread/poll left off: see   (You need to Login or Register  Kudos to Old Salt for keeping the idea going since last year's CanoeCopia.  I think this could be fun.

Snow_Dog, Old Salt, & I jointly wish to determine if there would be interest in holding a winter QJ rendezvous somewhere in the vicinity of the Twin Cities.  

Our agenda would be to keep it fairly simple: socializing, dinner, and, IF there is enough interest, perhaps informal program of some sort.  The time frame we are looking at would be the latter half of January, 2011.  Most likely we would shoot for a Saturday evening, targeting the 5pm to 7:30pm time frame.  Yes, I AM certain there are those of us who might choose to carry on well beyond this time frame... especially if the appropriate brews are at hand.  We will find a decent restaurant that offers a quiet room where we can meet as a group (establishment suggestions welcomed!).  Hopefully we can set it up in proximity to reasonably-priced lodging for those who might wish to drive into The Cities for the rendezvous.

Anyway, that's the basic idea.  Pretty simple stuff.  There is no intention here to pre-empt/usurp the CanoeCopia 2011 event which will occur a couple months downstream.  We're neither competing with that nor do we wish to replace it on your winter getaway calendar.  Rather, you might actually find carpooling-for-Copia partners OR even future canoe-camping partners by venturing through the snow & joining us in January.  A great many of my paddling party members over the past several years have originated from acquaintances made at off-season QJ events.  We daydreamers seem to enjoy company.

At this point we are mainly looking for INTEREST LEVEL.  So, if you are likely to attend this Twin Cities rendezvous, please respond to this post OR drop a personal note to Snow_Dog, Old Salt or me.  If we determine there is sufficient interest, we'll invest more time & effort into the planning & take a couple more steps (ie. lining up a restaurant & room, determining if there is interest in some sort of program, etc.).

If nothing else, a rendezvous can be an opportunity to swap fishing hole, campsite, routing & equipment information.  Some neat trips get born at these get-togethers.  They serve to feed the canoe-camping hunger many of us feel during the LONG northern hard-water season.

Hey, if you have interest OR questions please post to this thread or drop us a note.  The more, the merrier....

Jimbo   8-)