24 Hours

Starting at about 4 pm Friday, several were arriving to set up their campsites for the weekend.  Ken and crew were getting close to having everyone off the river following their canoe, kayak and tube floats.  Brandie was meeting with a young couple that would be having their wedding reception in the lodge in three weeks.  And I took some photos of Kelly in full snowboard clothing and equipment while she sat on the chairlift...............she needed some pics for an advertisement at her employers place of business.....Scheels..........more on that later if she shares a photo.  A young couple from the Iowa City area came to ride the mt bike trails to gain familiarity before next weekends race.  Really nice people.

And then the cars, trucks, tractors, motorcycles and people started arriving for the fourth annual motor show.  It was a gorgeous night.  Right breeze, right temps, right forecast.  Frost was manning Coal Creek Lounge and Joel and Brandie moved to the food service as I started helping John park the classic vehicles on the lawn.......

In total there were 108 vehicles on display.  Jeremy, Ian (then Mike) and I gave free chairlift rides for the hour we promised.............starting at 5:45 and going til 7:30...............I know thats more than 60 minutes but it was a very popular attraction on a gorgeous night..............and the preparation of burgers, pulled pork, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches were keeping Steve, Connie, Sara, Brandi and Joel running........not to mention how popular Frost and Lynn were at Coal Creek Lounge.......

Jaslyn grabbed a camera and captured the evening for us...........thanks Jas............with some of the pics already on facebook............some here in the future.

The sun began to set and the Boone Class of 87 began arriving along with the band "Swing Crew".  The tiki torches on the patio were lit.........light jackets were retrieved from the cars and about 200 plus people enjoyed the evening.

Everyone at some point went home and slept fast so they could hit the ground running Saturday morning.

By 7 am we were well into cleaning the lodge and re arranging all the tables and chairs..........people from the campground were making their way to the showers.  By 9 am there was a steady stream of cars entering the parking lot with their occupants getting registered with Frost and Lynn in the lodge for their 9:30 float.......and that process continues until 2 pm.............sold out of river tubes again.........four buses in synchronized fashion carrying load after load of people to the river..........

At approximately10 am, food was carried into the lodge and a large PA system was installed in advance of two friends who were using the lodge for their 40th birthday parties. Ian stayed busy registering more campers and getting firewood for all to be used that evening.  At noon I counted 44 tents set up in the campgrounds...........another virtual tent city for Saturday night......... By 1 pm Steve and Mike were loading equipment and people on the buses as they finished their floats and got everyone safely returned to their vehicles.........while Kris, Ken, Nick and Aaron completed the process of transporting the final groups to the river to begin their floats.....

And by 4 pm Saturday night, the birthday party group was off the river and ready to eat and celebrate in the lodge............with more guests arriving over the next several hours.

That's it...........about 24 hours of action at Seven Oaks!

One week from today.......

One week from today, or Friday July 27, we will be having our annual classic car show (and trucks and motorcycles) combined with our antique tractor show.  We will be letting you ballot for the Peoples Choice Awards (best over the road vehicle and best tractor).  Meals will be available as well.....and oh yeah, some free chairlift rides for an hour or so as well.

Then at 9 pm when the show is pretty well over, the band Swing Crew will be performing in the lodge.  Understand there will be a 5 dollar cover for the evening entertainment.  It's gonna be a fun day!  Hope you can make it.

Groups Hustle

When I arrived at the lodge early............sorta early Friday morning, I was greeted with the news that the View / Gigglin Goat had sustained a major fire on their roof earlier that morning..........and then it started.

The phone was going nuts ............people desperately trying to find a replacement location for their event that had been scheduled at the Goat......a real hustle to find an alternative location for their wedding anniversaries, class reunions, receptions, meetings..............we were able to facilitate some but had existing groups already in the lodge on many of the dates people were needing..........but we were able to give them possible sites to check out for other facilities.

Brandie and Joel...........you two did an awesome job helping everyone........

Weather forecast continues to be pretty much the same but maybe a tad cooler...........in the 90's.  River is holding pretty flat with regard to changes in flow and volume.  Many think the conditions now are perfect for floating.  My point however is this........we have people floating seven days a week............literally...........and Saturdays are busy and Sundays are not much slower than Saturdays............so to insure you have the canoes, the kayaks or the river tubes you need.......DO make a reservation.............sooner is better than later.  Several other outfitters who use smaller rivers have already shut down due to the lack of rain.

Ken, Mike, Kris, Steve, Anthony, Aaron,Conner,  Dee, Frost, Lynn, Joel, Brandie ..........you are Team #1 when it comes to service to the Seven Oaks clients............way to go and a huge Thank You.

A Rambling about Races

Most of you know we held the first ever in Iowa Gladiator Assault Challenge in May of this year with about 1500 people taking on the course ............great weekend by the way............and we are hosting another one in May of 2013 as well.

But did you know we are hosting a Cross Country Mountain Bike Race on August 5.............it is a points race for those who are in the sport.............spectators are free........

And did you know that our annual 12 and 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race will be held on September 8 and September 9......this is a very cool event.   Imagine your team having one rider on the trail for every minute of a continuous 12 or 24 hour period.  Pretty cool to see the bikes and riders with their light on the bike and a light on the helmet winding their way thru the course............more info can be found at www.24hoursofsevenoaks.com

AND I bet you did know that Boone is the site for the Boone Speedway...........a quarter mile dirt track with IMCA races every Saturday night during the season.  This track has been in existance for over 40 years and draws in excess of 2,000 fans each week  Of course the biggie is the IMCA Supernationals ........this year September 3 thru 8..............and man oh man what a crowd of race cars, fans and pit crews they draw.  www.raceboone.com is the offical web site.

What isn't a race is a leisure float down the river in a canoe or kayak or in a tube............just taking it all in.......

Wow

Yesterday July 4^th my wife and I along with our 2 college age sons spent most of the day on the river. 

We had a great time but what I want to bring to your attention is your staff

From the time we checked in to the time we left we felt like we were treated like kings.

When we arrived at the drop location you were organized.  When asked what we rented without hesitation they grabbed the boats and put them in the water.  Loaded us and pushed us out.

Later on we stopped at the first bridge for a break and ran into another staff member clearing a path to the river.  He took time to explain the bridges and the significance along with a few other facts about the river.

When we arrived at the end of the trip we were greeted by two young men that came out and pulled the canoe and the kayaks up to the shore.  They asked us how the trip went and told us to leave all trash in the boat but take out cooler to the top of the hill and look for an Astro van.

The driver greeted us and immediately loaded our cooler and took us to our car.

I have been on many float trips where we would assist loading and unloading the watercraft but not here…it was refreshing. 

You folks took care of everything for us and that impressed us beyond words.

We are planning another trip later in the month and drag some of our friends along

I will highly recommend your company to others

Thank you

Terry from Ames iowa 

OTH....OHT....THO....TOH....nope....it is HOT!

Well, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that it certainly has been HOT for the past several days and nights too.  There are only two good ways to beat the heat that I am aware of ...........air conditioning and water...........and a whole lot of you have chosen option two...........water.  (Well, I guess you could leave and go somewhere it isn't hot, but for most that really isn't an option.)  Just saw the forecast for Friday.........a high of 101...........and Saturday hot too but a few degrees cooler.  And as you can imagine, the full service river floats have been busy, busy, busy.  On Independence Day Holiday we were sold out of river tubes and kayaks and had most but not all the canoes on the river.  It would appear based on your on line reservations and phone call reservations that tomorrow thru the weekend will be quite busy as well.

We want you to have a GREAT time on the river but above all..........be safe and thanks in advance for always respecting the beauty of our natural resources! 

Got a really neat thank you..........compliment.........email from one of our groups that floated earlier this week that we have shared with each of the Seven Oaks team and I want to share in the blog with you........but I want their permission first so it will, I hope, be forthcoming.  The Seven Oaks team busted their you know whats on July 4th..........with the large number of floaters and the heat........but did an AWESOME job!  Congratulations and thanks to each of them and to you who take a minute to send a thank you compliment.............know we always share them with the whole group.......and thank you for taking the time to do it.

Last Saturday friends and neighbors of Seven Oaks (that would be the Wearmouths) held their daughter's (that would be Courtney) wedding reception at the Lodge at Seven Oaks.  It was a beautiful evening for a beautiful bride to have a beautiful reception.  It was a very fun night.  There are still a large number of wedding receptions scheduled for Seven Oaks from now to winter.

And before you know it Boone will be hosting the Farm Progress Show............and we will all take a turn visiting the county fairs and the Iowa State Fair............and then the kids go back to school..............

And Remember...........in five months we will be skiing, snow boarding and snow tubing!  WOW..........

Turn those 9's into 7's

Yeah, there are a lot of people wanting to see some 7's as in Seven Oaks when all they have been seeing is a bunch of 9's as in 94, 95,97, 99.........for day time highs.  Hot isn't it.  I think we are sold out of tubes for Independence Day Holiday.......or darned close...........might be some canoes or kayaks not yet reserved.  You will have to call in and check.

  River height is still running good for the full service floats.......some rain predicted Sunday north of us which if it happens will be down here in a couple days.  But as of now it is fine.   Cool.........and wet...........

As always...........be safe out there!