Paddle Trails Canoe Club and Washington Outdoors Women Collaborate at Fall Workshop 2026
By iLeana Areiza and Linda Newman
Paddle Trails Canoe Club (PTCC) partnered with Washington Outdoors Women (WOW) for its 2026 Fall Workshop at Camp Killoqua, near Stanwood, Washington. The weekend brought together approximately 90 participants and 20 volunteer instructors for hands-on outdoor learning, skill-building, and camaraderie.
See photos of the WOW Weekend Workshop here.
Since 1998, WOW, an educational outreach program of the Washington Wildlife Federation, has helped women build confidence and self-reliance in the outdoors while promoting environmental stewardship through traditional and relevant skills taught in hands-on workshops.
When WOW Executive Director Lori Johnson reached out to Pacific Northwest paddling clubs in search of a canoe instructor, several recommended PTCC. iLeana Areiza volunteered to teach, inviting Linda Newman to join her as co-instructor. Together, we developed the curriculum and a class description for Introduction to Tandem Canoeing, which attracted 11 participants.
Camp Killoqua provided a beautiful setting for the workshop. The rustic outdoor retreat features dormitory-style cabins nestled beside Crabapple Lake with 185 acres of forest, wetlands and waterfront.
We arrived Friday in the pouring rain, grateful for the opportunity to get settled a day early. We checked the equipment and boathouse, inspected the aluminum canoes, and rehearsed our curriculum. We were excited to introduce women to canoeing, share our knowledge, and help participants feel more comfortable and confident on the water during our four-hour workshop.
Friday evening, instructors and participants gathered at the lodge for introductions, warm-up activities, appetizers, drinks, and an orientation to the weekend. Canoeing was just one of many activities offered. Participants could also explore Dutch oven cooking, navigation, birding, outdoor photography, fly fishing, knot tying, wildlife awareness, and much more.
Saturday morning began with the challenge of fitting everyone with a life jacket and paddle. Our size options were somewhat limited, but we did our best to find suitable equipment for everyone.
After introducing ourselves, we outlined our goals for the class. Participants would learn basic paddling strokes and techniques, understand the roles of bow and stern paddlers, identify the parts of a canoe and paddle, recognize the importance of appropriate equipment and clothing, and learn the basics of planning a safe outing on the water.
We started with equipment familiarization and paddling demonstrations before moving to the practical portion of the class.
Of course, learning about canoeing on land is one thing. Actually getting into a canoe is another!
Working in teams, participants helped move the canoes from the racks down to the lake. We demonstrated how to get into a canoe without getting our feet wet, then invited everyone to give it a try. For the most part, it worked!
Our participants arrived with varying levels of experience. Some had never been in a canoe, while others had paddled on lakes before. We quickly discovered that one teaching approach wouldn't work for everyone. Some needed hands-on coaching and encouragement, while others were ready to paddle across the lake almost immediately.
It was a good reminder that teaching a mixed-experience group requires flexibility, patience, and individual attention.
Not everything went according to plan. We had prepared exercises using floats, but they weren't weighted and kept drifting back toward the dock. We also planned a ball-tossing game, but the canoes weren't maneuverable enough for the activity to work as we'd hoped. So, we adapted and made the best of what we had.
There was one important camp rule posted in the boat house: no capsizing allowed. Fortunately, we managed to follow that rule!
The experience reminded us that outdoor instruction requires more than a good lesson plan. Instructors must also be ready to adjust when equipment, conditions, or the group's needs don't cooperate.
During our debrief, we received encouraging feedback. Participants were happy they had taken the class and enjoyed their time canoeing. That was rewarding to hear.
We also recognized that having a third instructor would have made a real difference. With 11 participants at different skill levels, additional support would have allowed us to provide more individualized coaching. At one point, iLeana spent much of the session working with a canoe whose paddlers needed extra help.
This reinforced the importance of appropriate instructor-to-student ratios, particularly when teaching hands-on skills on the water.
One moment, in particular, stayed with us. One participant arrived feeling uncertain, intimidated, or unsure of what to expect. Later that morning, Linda had the opportunity to paddle with her. By the end of our time together, she was smiling broadly. She later acknowledged how much she had enjoyed the class.
That was a wonderful reminder of why these experiences matter. With a little encouragement and an opportunity to try something new, they can leave feeling more confident and having genuinely enjoyed themselves.
For us, that was one of the most rewarding moments of the day.
Would We Do It Again? Absolutely!
We learned a great deal—not only about teaching canoeing, but also about adapting activities to the available equipment, working with different experience levels, and giving participants the support they need to succeed.
Next time, we would make a few changes, including arranging additional instructor support and adjusting some activities to better suit the all levels of skill of the participants. But seeing participants gain confidence, get out on the water, and finish the class smiling made the effort worthwhile.
We did miss the evening bonfire, though!
Overall, the workshop was a valuable opportunity for us to share our knowledge, connect with a community of women eager to explore the outdoors, and help introduce more women to paddling and to PTCC.
We are grateful to Lori Johnson and Washington Outdoors Women for inviting us to participate, to all the women who joined our class, and to PTCC for supporting opportunities like this.