All things paddling

Combat kayak, anyone?

 

Pretty smart, although I remember a Tom Clancy novel where the metal cover of an outboard motor was picked up on radar of a similar Ukrainian vessel. Swing that oar!

 

If anyone is fascinated by long arduous trips, this series is worth watching. It’s well shot and edited, and the participants are pretty likeable. I am trying to do more canoe trips, but something like this is inconceivable.

Watching another series with the main guy doing 30 days in Northern Quebec.

 

Canada? This is from Ontario. Be prepared:

 

Solid pass on that. Some of those fish they caught were nice.

 

I did two nights in the Algonquin Park backcountry right before Labour Day. No issues with bugs. Two nights later I’m back in the city and get absolutely swarmed while pumping gas.

As an aside, found a great site this year. Had a beach with a fire pit. Full moon came up over the bay behind us after the sun set across the lake at the front. Nearest campsite to us was about half a mile. Just perfect.

 

First place I ever went rafting was on the Pigeon River near the state line. Hard to know whether that will still exist between the river channel changes and the economic strain post-Helene.

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/mone...fting-businesses-on-pigeon-river/75562212007/

 

Not paddling, but the long arduous description triggered something. I caught an NPR story a couple of weeks back about a female marathoner who ran the Appalachain Trail in forty days, end to end. Mind, blown. I can't imagine doing that.

 

Walk in the Woods is a good book. The movie, not so much.

 

2,189 Miles, 40 Days, and 3 Showers: How Tara Dower Destroyed the Appalachian Trail Speed Record

Friend of mine met them in Virginia and shot photos of her the rest of the way to the finish. Amazing feat.

 

As much rough terrain and uphill and downhill slopes as she had to traverse, 40 days just absolutely blows my mind. Roots, stumps, loose rocks, so many chances to twist or break an ankle covering that sort of ground so quickly. Amazing. No way I could cover 54 miles on foot in one day, let alone do it 40 times.

 

I've done the AT from Hot Springs to Damascus. Can't say I enjoyed it. Not my thing.