CLIFF ROAST–A SPECIAL 90 MINUTE RADIO/VIDEO-STREAMING PROGRAM HONORING Cliff Jacobson
I was recently honored (“roasted”) on The July 21, 2021 CAMPING SHOW (W4CY Internet radio) hosted by CW Goetz. I was very honored and touched by the many wonderful comments. Check out the CAMPING SHOW to see the tribute and watch Jerry Vandiver perform a hysterical song he wrote for this occasion entitled “Cliff Jacobson.” […]
DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ TRIP GUIDE!
I turned 80 in September. No matter, I continue to think—and largely feel—like I’m 29…well, maybe 39. The heart attack I had in 2013 hasn’t slowed me down. Early in life I became a fan of Calvin Rutstrum’s books. I read them all, over and over again. In one of his titles (I believe it […]
TOUGHEST LOOP IN THE BWCA
Final portage on the Frost River that leads into Little Saganaga Lake. Correction: not a portage; it’s a rock-jumble that mixes seconds of paddling followed by seconds of lining followed by… whatever! Funny, how one’s perspective on things changes with age. Trips that are easy when you’re young become challenging with age. One late September, […]
IS CANOEING BETTER NOW THAN IN THE 1980’S?
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 […]
CARBON-FIBER PADDLE CARE
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; […]
WHY BENT PADDLES ARE BEST FOR CRUISING CANOES
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. […]
MARCH MADNESS/STUPIDITY ON THE BUFFALO RIVER!
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 […]
DUMB AND DANGEROUS THINGS…PART 2
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 […]
TWENTY-FOUR DUMB AND/OR DANGEROUS THINGS THAT CAMPERS AND PADDLERS DO!
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. […]
FOURTEEN SILLY CAMPING THINGS
Survival Bracelet! Compass, cord, light, kitchen sink! One of the joys of being a writer is that I get to try a lot of new stuff. Some products are genuinely useful; others are simply silly. Still, one man’s trash is another’s treasure, and admittedly, I judge them from the view of a wilderness paddler where […]