ARE YOU RAPIDS-SMART?
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 […]
CANOEING MYTHS
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 […]
DEFINING “EXPERTISE”
Drying off after a heavy rain. Heat from the fire reflects into the twin tarps and dries wet clothes. Smoke exits through the slit between the tarps so you can sit back, and be warm and dry even during rain. See my video, The Forgotten Skills and/or my book, Camping’s Top Secrets. Some years ago, […]
THE LEGEND OF WHITE OTTER CASTLE
The Castle: White Otter Lake, Ontario My friend, Chic Sheridan and I discovered “White Otter Castle” by accident in 1984 while canoeing the Turtle River, near Ignace, Ontario. We’d been pinned for hours in a rocky cove of White Otter Lake by a fierce east wind which kicked up man sized rollers. We knew our […]
SEALED WITH A MISS*
The Seal River is located northeast of Tadoule Lake, in a remote corner of northern Manitoba. It is one of the most beautiful canoeing rivers in Canada, and one of the more challenging. The Seal runs fast from start to finish. The closer it gets to Hudson Bay, the faster it drops. If the water […]
AN HEROIC RESCUE: What Would You Do?
The following life-threatening experience took place on the Turtle River in northern Ontario.* The Turtle is not a particularly difficult canoe route. The rapids are short and well-defined, and the portages are generally good. The major obstacle is a number of large sprawling lakes which you must navigate and which demand attention if the wind […]
HOW TO GET A GOOD DEAL ON A GOOD USED CANOE
Have you priced new canoes lately? Top-end composite models begin around $2,500 and, depending on lay-up and trim, top out at over $4,000! The good news is that GOOD canoes appreciate over time; bad ones do the opposite! Canoes depreciate about ten percent when they leave the store, another ten percent when they get their […]
GRAY HAIRS!
Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Frost River Some years ago, I presented a program for the Minnesota Canoe Association. About 150 people attended. With the exception of six teenage girls—who were there to show slides of their trip in the Boundary Waters—everyone (including me) had gray hair. Murmurs of “look at all the gray beards” bounced […]
TWELVE ESSENTIALS FOR WILDERNESS CANOEING
Old Town Tripper canoe. Hood River, Nunavut, Canada Canoeing wilderness rivers in northern Canada and Alaska is the same as paddling in the lower 48, with these exceptions: the water is bitterly cold—a capsize can be serious; the rapids are often longer, wider and much more powerful; portages aren’t marked or cleared, and many dangers […]
BEST KNIFE (KNIVES!) FOR THE BUSH!
—————————————- My 90 minute video, THE FORGOTTEN SKILLS details the most important camping skills. If you can do them all you’ll be a hero to your friends! *My teen book, “Justin Cody’s Race to Survival” mixes a fictional wilderness survival tale with practical outdoor tips everyone should know–a first for books of this type. Adults […]