WESTERN WATER
Eastern and midwestern waterways are generally clear and inviting. Not so in the far west. Desert rivers like the Colorado, Green and Missouri are brown-colored and too silty to drink. Visibility is measured in centimeters. The water, which looks like chocolate malt, has a murky, raspy taste. You won’t want to drink it even if […]
FEAR AND CONFIDENCE
Bob O’Hara: One of North America’s most experienced Arctic paddlers Since 1969, Bob O’Hara has spent every summer canoeing in the Far North. A partial list of the 24 Arctic rivers he has canoed includes the Thelon, Coppermine, Back, Dubawnt, Kazan, Elk, Quoich, Ellice and Horton. Once, he paddled on the ocean from Wager Bay […]
Montana Madness
Larry Rice (L), Cliff Jacobson (R). Northstar Phoenix canoes (IXP layup) Some of the “smaller” waves on the Yellowstone River Each September, friends and I do one last canoe trip before the snow flies. Our requirements for the route are simple, but at this time of year, elusive. We love rapids, so with rare exception, […]
LESSONS FROM CANOEING THE ARCTIC
INUKSHUK Wilberforce Falls, Hood River, Nunavut, Canada My first Arctic canoe trip was on the Hood River, Nunavut (formerly, Northwest Territories), Canada, in 1982. We ended at Bathurst Inlet two days early, so to kill time, we hiked to a traditional Inuit campsite about three miles away. It was a beautiful spot, nestled in hills […]
New Book: Justin Cody’s Race to Survival!
Wilderness users are an aging group. The U.S. Forest Service recently reported that the average age of those who go to the Boundary Waters is now around 50. Gray hair has replaced the darkened threads of youth. How can we attract young people to the wild outdoors? I decided to write a teen book that […]
A properly equipped family canoe. EVERYONE is wearing a life jacket!
A properly equipped family canoe. EVERYONE is wearing a life jacket! Hardly a year goes by when there isn’t a drowning on some lake or river, U.S.A. In nearly every case the victims were not wearing life jackets. Boats capsize and people die. Why? Because they don’t know what they don’t know! Those who have […]
TWENTY TIPS FOR CANOEING THE BOUNDARY WATERS
Much as I love canoeing wild, fast rivers, I can’t escape the lure of the Boundary Waters. And every year, since 1971 (when I moved from Indiana to Minnesota) I’ve made at least two annual trips there. I’ve observed that two types of people generally paddle the BWCA: (1) Inquisitive souls who are always on […]
SOME NOT-SO-POSITIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR NATIONAL PARKS
You are REQUIRED to hang your food in Yellowstone NP. Note that the bear-hanging pole is directly over a prime tent spot. Way to go, trail crew! DO NOT exit your car for a photo op! Animals have a minimum safe distance. Get too close and you’re toast! I grew up in Indiana, a few […]
SOME ADVICE FOR TRIP LEADERS
A bright summer morning on any river. A crowd of canoers prepare for a downstream float. It’s 9:30 a.m. and confusion abounds. “Weren’t we supposed to shuttle at 9?” someone asks. What! You say the shuttle’s gone? I didn’t hear any announcement. How’m I gonna get my car to Reedsville landing?” Between the mix of […]
WHAT? A NEW SURVIVOR SHOW!
I recently got a call from a casting director in California. She was casting for a new TV show, similar to “Survivor”. The idea was to pit an expert wilderness traveler (who often spends weeks in the wilds) against a gear-head with limited backwoods time. The wilderness pro will have basic stuff: map and compass, […]