Recent content by Gamma1214

Our Boy Scout troop had done some overnight trips on the local rivers but among my earliest jobs was the local Boy Scout summer camp where I worked as an aquatics instructor/lifeguard. I spent all summer teaching kids the finer points of boat control as I learned them/figured them out myself...

Not that it helps the OP find space-saving gear but I consider the occasional broken rod to be part of the experience and, like having a back-up paddle, I take 2. Neither is foldable, collapsible or otherwise packable and I use the same spinning rods & reels that I use for finesse techniques on...

Chivelston is 76.5 miles West of Armstrong and the lake appears to almost touch the rail line. From online research, it is reported to be the traditional starting point for an Albany River trip. I've been detailing what information I can collect in this thread and I'll continue to add to it as...

Not my idea. At least for me, it came from this forum. It's a piece of aluminum angle that I've bolted under the shoe of the circular saw so that it's 3/16 inch (7.62 cm) from the blade. I leave it there as that's all I'll use that saw for now. (a slight bend on the infeed side allows it to...

Probably easier than paddling with a large, white cat.

Thanks Ben. If I can successfully make it to Chivelston Lake this summer, I'll drop waypoints at portage entries & exits as well as any campsites that I see (I tend to check them all out as I'm rarely in a hurry) and then send all of that info to PP as well as FOW. Might as well make it...

Wow, ya learn something new here all the time. I'd have been the guy hopping onto any old sandbar. Hopefully, I'll remember some of this if I'm ever around this kind of terrain.

I'm very sorry to hear this and I'll think of you & your family as I make the rounds of friends and family in the coming weeks. That's a harsh reminder that our time is limited and no one knows to what degree... I won't be putting things off. Godspeed to you all

I've come to enjoy building canoes during the winter and experimenting with different wood combinations. The decision of what to build is normally tough but was made easy this time as the plans for my 2026 build are courtesy of @Alan Gage. Although this hull has been called other things, I'll...

Interesting... Not that I'm likely to build one (I'm more of the "drink beer all winter, get outta shape and suffer in the Spring" variety of paddler) but is there any way that you can get some pictures of the contraption? (I'm a big sucker for DIY and creative problem solving)

Thanks. Getting dropped in the dark wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me (I'd just sit tight close to the launch until dawn) but it's better that I'll be able to watch the scenery on the way to the drop point. Incidentally, that change must really complicate pick-up if the plan is to flag down...

Did the train schedule change since 2017? I've seen other reports of being dropped off in the middle of the night but the schedule says it leaves Armstrong around 9 am & arrives in Savant Lake (my nearest scheduled stop if I jump ship at Chivelston) around 2 hours later. I know the rail...

I've now done a couple of trips North and hope to do quite a few more. Having gone South as far as South Carolina, I am also looking forward to seeing more there too. Getting away from people seems to be much easier North of the border but spending the winter prowling swamps is very...

Welcome. It sounds like you might need to DIY one and start a stripper. Cypress might make a decent Cedar substitute if you want to remain budget-friendly.

I DO love a good yard sale.