Practice kayaking in a pool or take kids to read and hike

Joseph Dits, South Bend Tribune
·2 min read

Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area in Jones filled its snow-covered slopes with holiday skiers through Monday, but now it has paused operations at least through today to weather the warm, soggy conditions. Freezing temperatures, even if they’re only in the overnight hours, give the resort a chance to make more snow.

Check its website or Facebook page to see when it reopens this week, possibly as soon as Jan. 5.

Meanwhile, here are sure bets for hiking kids, indoor kayakers and Chinook anglers.

Books and Boots

In a free event geared toward ages 9-12, you can gather Jan. 6 at Ox Bow County Park, between Elkhart and Goshen, for a brief discussion of the book “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” by Florence and Richard Atwater, and then head out for a hike. You'll explore the habitat and behavior of birds that spend the winter in Elkhart County.

The Elkhart County Parks and the Elkhart Public Library have joined up to organize this. It will run from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

You don’t have to read the book in advance to attend, but you can visit the library’s website to check out a copy.

Meet at the Cottonwood Shelter in Ox Bow, which is at 23033 County Road 45, Dunlap.

Kayakers practice their rolls and other moves in the Concord High School pool in Elkhart several years ago.
Kayakers practice their rolls and other moves in the Concord High School pool in Elkhart several years ago.

Indoor kayak practice

Learn and practice whitewater kayaking skills in the safety of an indoor pool with experienced paddlers there to help. The East Race Whitewater Kayak Club hosts pool sessions on certain Sundays at Concord High School, 59117 Minuteman Way in Elkhart.

Experienced members can help with maneuvers like rolling the kayak. The pool will be open from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 and 15, Feb. 4 and 19, and March 5 and 19.

You must ensure that your kayak has been meticulously cleaned inside and out before coming to the pool. Organizers recommend cleaning it at a self-serve car wash and using pails of water to rinse the inside multiple times.

Before you come, contact Mark Kraus at mpkraus57@yahoo.com. A donation of $10 per person and $15 per family will cover pool rental.

Chinook in Lake Michigan

Here's a reminder: The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will hold two public meetings Jan. 6-7 to discuss its plans to increase the number of Chinook salmon that it stocks in Lake Michigan.

As I’d reported in November, the DNR plans to add 50,000 Chinook, upping its annual stocking numbers for the lake from 225,000 to 275,000.

The first public meeting will be at 7 p.m. CST Jan. 6 at the Michigan City Fish and Game Club, 3091 E. Michigan Blvd., Trail Creek. The second meeting will be at 10 a.m. CST Jan. 7 at the Indiana Harbor Yacht Club, 3301 Aldis Ave., East Chicago, Ind. There, the DNR will announce plans for soliciting public input on its work with the species.

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Kayak pool practice and kids hike start in Elkhart