Kayaking with the Whales

Watching the video, "Paddle to Seattle", which I have mentioned before, my desire to get out and do some adventuring has grown.  The two men, J.J. and Josh posted the portion of their trip where they were boating along side some very large sea creatures, whales.  The video is very short but I hope it inspires others to get out even if it is just for a day and have a little adventure.

Touring Belgium

Again this was found on The Adventure blog.  This guy decided to take time and tour Belgium in a kayak even though he had very little experience with a kayak.  I encourage people to get out a try new things and go new places so long as they do not put you in a dangerous or immoral position.  Danger can be relative depending on your experience and intelligence unlike moral which is absolute.  Anyway, hope this video inspires you to get out and seek adventure.

Geocaching by Water

Geocaching is an exciting addition to any adventure, an almost Indiana Jones type of search for the Ark.  The clues are in your GPS and the map printed online.  Geocaching is an X marks the spot search with the prize at the end hidden from the casual observer.  Now a new element is being added to the adventure, kayaking.  

Some of the geocaches are being hidden in places accessible only by boat and being an avid outdoorsman the boat of choice is a non-motored canoe or kayak.  The adventure begins as a day on the water, hopefully in the sun, with an Indiana Jones ending a discovery of the hidden cache.  

I find geocaching fun because I get to see little hidden places around my own town I did not know existed.  And now with the addition of water accessible geocaches I will find new and exciting places to go.

The Cows in Texas

The cows are watching in Texas.  He is an example of that.  I have had this experience while kayaking.  I often wonder what the cows are thinking while starring at me (insert your imagination here).  The person taking the footage keeps mooing at the cows which is almost a funny as the cow just standing around starring.

A Winter Project

Photo by D. McMillin

It is Thanksgiving here in the states and I thought I would share a video I found on Youtube that show a man building a cedar strip kayak from start to finish.  Building a kayak is a wonderful experience it is also a good project for a father to do with his children.  No child will ever forget the time he and dad built a boat together.  So happy Thanksgiving.

A Modern Adventurer

Photo from Outdoor Empathy

Yuri Klaver is taking time to explore the wilder regions of Siberian Wilderness.  He is kayaking 1000 km/625 miles down the Indigirka River to the Arctic Ocean.  He had to brave loneliness, bears, and the worst of all the small yet fiesty mosquito.  Here is the first installment of his video journal.

Preview Into the far east of Russia from Yuri Klaver on Vimeo.

Five Adventures for Fall

Always looking for  adventures to do during every season of the year I thought I would create a list of fall activities.

1) Go for a hike - This is number one and really can be done during any season of the year all that is required is the proper set of clothing and footwear.

2) During the fall a bike ride is still possible and even enjoyable so long as it is done during the warmer hours of the day.

3) The waterways are still accessible and setting a kayak in for a quite day paddling along the shore of a peaceful lake gives a lot of time to reflect or enjoy the company of others.

4) Get out with your camera and take pictures of the spectacular display of fall colors, who knows maybe you will get a picture worth framing and placing on your wall. 

5) Go for a drive to a small town near you for a walk down main street and a sit down meal at the local diner or restaurant.  Usually the small town has a wonderful mom and pop joint.

Some of these adventures can even be combined like the hike and photography expedition or the kayak and a meal at mom and pop's.  The point is getting out will make Fall an enjoyable and adventuresome season.

Decent of the Rio Mambucaba

Ben, Pedro and Chris have taken upon themselves to do a first descent on this very exciting and wild river called the Rio Mambucaba.  There are points in this video where your think one of the kayakers will not make it, but as with most well done video's the hero's always make it out.

Mambucaba Report from Ben Stookesberry on Vimeo.

The Eskimo Roll - How to do it

This is an excellent teaching video.  The instructor breaks the Eskimo roll down into it individual pieces, a method called part-whole, and shows you how it is done.  The last time I tried to learn this skill, without taking a course, all I could do was flop around in the water while my friends laughed at me from the shore.

 

Extreme Kayaking - A New Video

Here is a very well put together video of some extraordinarily exciting kayaking and rafting.  Instead of saying any more let's just allow the video to say it all.

Jesse Coombs takes the Plunge

96ft Abiqua Falls

Here is another kayaker plunging off a very dangerous waterfall.  No one who has attempted this 96 ft plunge of death has come away injury free.  In fact this man Jesse Coombs suffered a fractured shoulder socket and collapsed lung.  The world record holder for the highest plunge, Tyler Bradt, he set the record over the Palouse Falls, suffered a broken back the next week after this was footage was shot.  He will walk again.  

Not really what I would call adventure but it certainly is good footage and exciting to watch.

Making Oatmeal for Outdoors

As saving money these days is very important and the desire to get out and explore still exists the need to find cheaper solutions to food becomes paramount.  Making your favorite variety of oatmeal is both easy and cheap, and all that will be require in the field is to add water.

Recipe for Oatmeal.

1) 1/2 cup of Quick Oats

2) 1 Tablespoon of margarine/butter.

Optional ingredients 

1) 1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar

2) 1 Teaspoon of cinnamon 

3) 2 Tablespoons of Raisins

4) 2 Tablespoons of Apple Chips

5) Huckleberry (if they are in season)
6) Salmon Berry (if they are in season)

These are my favorite additives but there are plenty of others only your imagination will limit you.

Put your ingredients into individual sized Ziplock bags.  When you are ready to eat heat your water and add to the bag and let sit for a minute to allow the Oats to absorb the water then eat and enjoy.

Review of the Pygmy Pinguino Sport

In the past I have written about Building the Pinguino Sport kayak designed by Pygmy.  But here I wanted to give a short review of the kayak.

The Pinguino Sport is a 13'-0" long kayak with a 13" depth and a 25 1/2" beam (side to side at the widest point) and weights a measly 34lbs (the weight may vary some depending upon how much epoxy is used in the construction process). 

The kit comes in two boxes, the first contains the pieces for the boat the second provides all of the necessary accessories and epoxies to put the boat together.  Everything is well marked and organized.  The instruction manual is both easy to read and well organized.  If you follow the instructions as they are written you will have a close to perfect boat, even someone who has never built a boat before can put this boat together.  As a side note, your kayak will not be completed overnight, there are many factors affecting the amount of time it takes.  Also, before ordering the kit make sure to consider the climate you will be building your boat in as the epoxy dry times can be seriously impacted by temperature.    

The boat itself is wonderfully designed, easy to carry and load, and provides plenty of space for those of us over 6ft in height.  I have used it for day trips around the local lakes and five day trips in northern Idaho.  The boat is very stable and it tracks well without a rudder.  Even when fully loaded and in two foot white caps the kayak remains comfortable and upright.  

For those looking to build a beautiful kayak this is certainly a good option.  Pygmy also provides phone support while you are working on the boat.  What more could you ask for than a well designed boat that everyone stares and drools over.

Kayaking at Night

Photo by D. McMillin

Recently I tried Kayaking under the stars and learned some valuable lessons I think worth sharing.

1) Trust your compass and not your eyes - While moving across the water the only thing I could see was the shadowy outline of the trees along the shoreline and the water next to the kayak.  The water next to the kayak always felt like it was pushing me sideways, however the compass said the kayak was moving in a straight line along with the shadows on the shore.

2) Use a flasher - The flasher/strobe light made me stand out to other boats on the water, especially the motor boats.  In fact a boat slowed down because they saw the my flasher.  The only thing I would do different with my flasher is put it behind me instead in front so that my night vision is not affected.

3) Try to stay clear of the normal boat lanes - Even with a flasher not all boats pay as much attention to their surroundings as they should and as a general rule it is wiser to be the cautions boater then getting run over by a less observant driver.  

If you have any other suggestions for kayaking or canoeing at night write it in the comments.

Kayaking Around Kalispell Island

Papoose Island Photo by D. McMillin

If you are looking for a nice afternoon kayak Kalispell Island, on Priest Lake, ID, is a good place to go.  The adventure more then likely will begin at the Kalispell Bay boat launch.  

There is a nice sandy beach at the boat launch sheltered in behind the docks.  From here paddle about a 1/2 mile across the lake to the island.  The paddle around the island is about 3 1/4 miles.  While kayaking around Kalispell there is a nice little side trip out to Papoose Island.  Papoose is just a little island that should take you no more the 15 minutes to paddle around, be warned the island is posted as no public access.  

Kalispell Island also has nice sandy beaches to get out and play on when you want to get out of the boat and play.  For the bird watchers, on the east side of the island at the three pines camping site is an eagle nest near the top of one of the trees, if you are fortunate you may catch him watching you. This is definitely a nice day trip and, if you want, Kalispell Island also has camping site for those overnight trips.

Kayaking Prince of Wales Island

Here is a video of a group of people who decided to take a kayak trip around Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. It is a little over 3 minutes long but shows a beautiful oceanscape, and the most important part, a little fellowship along the way, something every adventure should have.

Kayaking a Waterfall

Here is a video I found on Youtube.  The waterfall system in this video is very spectacular and the two kayakers look more like sticks left adrift upon the surface of the water.

Adventure at any Age

Photo by Bruce Lipsky

Hortense Morris a 99 year old woman still has that adventuresome spirit.  On her 99th birthday Mrs Morris decided she wanted to go kayaking for the first time in her life.  Her grandson, a kayaking guide, took her out along the Fort George River in Florida.  Not wanting to be lazy she even did some of the paddling herself.  

This only goes to show that you can have adventure at any age or stage of life.  What is more, next year when she turns 100 years old she wants to have a more extreme adventure, skydiving.  George Bush senior, you better watch out.

Adventure on the St. Lawrence

I recently found this article on WBEZ 91.5 about a man who, despite all the usage of the St Lawrence River, a discovered and existing space for both wildlife and adventure.  If I may get on my soap box for a moment.  It is extraordinarily interesting that nature almost always finds a way to adapt to what we call man made problems.  Even though we who more or less have dominion over all of creation create problems creation is still set to adapt as it's creator has designed it.  

So back to the adventure of the man kayaking the St. Lawrence River.  Riding downstream sounds enjoyable while observing the local flora and fauna, however, paddling back upstream is not for me.  This unnamed man did both.

Kayaking South Dakota

I just found a wonderful blog about a man who is recording all the lakes he is kayaking in South Dakota.  This is what I am always looking for is people who are looking for Adventure in the place they live.  Jay Heath lives in a state where the major water ways do not include large lakes or oceans, South Dakota.  His blog is called Kayaking the Lakes of South Dakota.