Outdoor Writer & Consultant – Wilderness Guide – Custom Canoe Expeditions into the far north
Outdoor Writer & Consultant – Wilderness Guide – Custom Canoe Expeditions into the far north
Kopka River, Ontario. I was once asked what prompted me to start writing about canoeing and camping. “Myths,” I replied. I was incensed at the many stupid things that were parroted, edition after edition, in the canoeing literature. Here are some examples, many of which still survive today in modern books. SEA ANCHOR Going with […]
Alumacraft 17′, “wrapped.” Hells Gate, Kettle River, MN. This canoe is being salvaged so it won’t pose a danger (obstacle!) to paddlers. Round the bend you see the dancing horsetails of the rapid. As is the stern’s prerogative, you command the bow to “brace” so you can stand for a better look. The way ahead […]
Boundary Waters Canoe Area. These canoes were on land but not tied up. A big wind blew them into the water and over a falls. They were all rentals. PART ONE We’ve all observed unskilled campers and paddlers do dumb and/or dangerous things. Admittedly, what is dumb and/or dangerous, is largely a matter of perspective. […]
Mariscal Canyon, Rio Grande River, Texas Rio Grande River (“The Great Unknown”) I was born in Chicago and spent the first 14 years of my life there. We lived on the third floor of an apartment building in the heart of the city. There were no wild places nearby, not even a city park. The […]
Grizzly. Camp along the Fond du Lac River, Saskatchewan. 13. NOT FOLLOWING THE TRIP LEADER’S EQUIPMENT LIST.Good trip leaders provide a detailed equipment list which should be rigorously followed. The leader will review personal equipment and clothing before the trip and approve safe alternatives. But some people are stubborn and “after inspection” delete or sneak […]
Typical late March scenery along the Buffalo River The national wild and scenic Buffalo River in Arkansas is one of the finest canoeing rivers in America. I’ve done it three times and will canoe it again this March. We’ll begin at Ponca and run to the White River–a distance of around 130 miles. Administered by […]
FreeStyle expert Jim Mandle, Buffalo River, Arkansas. Bell Wildfire solo canoe; Zaveral 12-degree carbon-fiber paddle. I resisted bent-shaft paddles long after they were in vogue. I thought they looked goofy, and in whitewater, I couldn’t brace on the off (back) side. Then, friends and I canoed the Steel River in Ontario with our solo canoes. […]
Cliff (L), Larry Rice (R). Both Phoenix canoes. Yellowstone River. CCS spray covers. Bear Paulson, Phoenix canoe Cliff, Phoenix canoe. Upper Missouri River, Montana The Phoenix is a slightly larger version of the no longer manufactured Bell Wildfire/Yellowstone solo canoes. Its extra volume (I judge about 15 percent) is carried more forward and aft than […]
Cliff: RioGrande River, Texas. Bell Wildfire carbon/Kevlar solo canoe and Zaveral carbon straight-shaft paddle. Once you’ve used a carbon-fiber paddle, you’ll need real determination to return to wood. Admittedly, there’s a warmth and beauty to wood that is unmatched by synthetics. But a good carbon paddle weighs about half as much as a wood one; […]
Cliff: Boundary Waters Canoe Area, 1980. 17′ Grumman aluminum canoe. A recent article in an on-line magazine listed seven reasons why now is a better time to be paddling than the 1980’s. I’m not sure. Except for bent-shaft, carbon-fiber paddles and my three carbon-Kevlar solo canoes—which I dearly love—I think that we had it better […]