Outdoor Writer & Consultant – Wilderness Guide – Custom Canoe Expeditions into the far north
Outdoor Writer & Consultant – Wilderness Guide – Custom Canoe Expeditions into the far north
Third and final pitch of Wedding Cake Falls* Just west of Armstrong, Ontario, in the rocky shield country of Canada, lies a spectacular river called the “Kopka”. Along its length is one of the most magnificant falls within the tree line. Here, at what was once called “Mink Bridge Portage,” the entire contents of the […]
By Cliff Jacobson Here’s an interesting new product. RADLIGHT is a “take off” on the old Zippo lighter, but it’s much larger, has a very powerful “upright” flame for lighting campfires and gasoline stoves. It’s as windproof as the old Zippos and (unlike Zippo) it’s really waterproof. I submerged mine in water for three minutes—opened […]
My Bell Yellowstone Solo Canoe. It has been EVERYWHERE! When I was much younger, I made an annual trip down the Snake River in Minnesota. The upper Snake–beginning at the now practically defunct town of Woodland–is beautiful and remote. The upper section is characterized by thick woods and intermittent rapids. In the mix there are […]
Above: Gransfors Axes: Top to Bottom: Small Forest Ax, Wildlife Hatchet, Mini Belt Hatchet Lennart Petterson making a Mini Belt Hatchet It’s small and light and perfectly balanced. It can sharpen a pencil to a piercing point, slice a tomato paper thin, and shave the print right off this page. It will frizz fuzz sticks […]
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 […]
Cr. Chris Baker Photography (With addendum that tells the fate of the two paddlers and the wrapped red kayak) Some people don’t like to do the same river twice—attitude being “been there, done that, seen it all.” Maybe not. I’ve done many of my favorite rivers several times. And each time they have provided new […]
This guest blog, by, Tony Heck, is a great read. It’s long, but worth your time. About Tony: Tony is a jack-of-all trades outdoorsman, paddler and master sausage maker. He travels with his little Beagle dog, Tu. Tu has grown quite comfortable sitting atop Tony’s specially outfitted Old Town Tripper canoe. Tu never complains. Tony’s […]
Kayaks now outnumber canoes on almost every waterway. Why are they so popular? Some years ago, I guided a group of teens on a canoe trip in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. As we rounded a point, a yellow kayak darted toward us. The paddler—a young woman in her twenties—flashed a smile, then poured on the coal. […]
Renee and Ken Sebranek on a wild Wisconsin river. Reneee is totally blind! Their heart-warming story is in my book, CANOEING WILD RIVERS, 5th Edition. Question: Should you tie everything into your canoe when you run rapids and big lake waves? Or, should gear be allowed to float free in a capsize? If you’ve ever […]
Yes! The fishing (and everything else!) is AWESOME in Northern Canada. North Knife River, Manitoba You’ve made many successful trips into the Boundary Waters. You’ve never gotten lost – maybe just confused for awhile; you’ve weathered storms, made fire in the rain, never capsized or been threateningly cold. After each trip, you’ve come home […]