Recent content by yknpdlr

Years ago, Charlie Wilson explained to me that if you heel offside, the canoe will present the shape of a banana to the water, and will tend to guide the canoe to turn away from the heel, countering the opposite side stroke torque. That works generally well on most of my canoes. Even, or...

For those of us who live an hour or more away from major retailers that handles the type of outdoor gear or other normal life supplies my wife and I might need or desire (Walmart, LLBean, Lowes, Harbor Freight et. al.), Amazon with overnight or two-day delivery on some items is a God-send in...

I have a PB Rapidfire with a custom (1.5 in) higher than highest usual available optional seat. With one notable exception, I 99.99% paddle it single blade, the only .01% exception is in some races that require double blade to be used in the canoe class (solo-recreational, equal to or less than...

Bats attacking you in the head and tangling in your hair is in the category of an "old wives’ tale". I have spent many days spelunking for sport and University research in bat populated caves of NYS and also for a couple of US national park service research weeks in the larger known and several...

My granddaughter, now 25 years old, last paddled with me on a 12 mile out and back race from Old Forge when she was just 8 years old. We won the family class and she was so excited. Living for several years overseas in the military with her family, then in TX and now in southern CA, and not...

After you have paddled in the official 90 miler a few times (this year is my 30th), you may be tempted to do the totally unofficial "Cannonball-90", as we call it. The goal is to complete the old traditional 90-mile route all within a single calendar day. I like to start in Old Forge at the...

My used recently acquired, just newly refurbished Savage River Saranac model C4 racing canoe. It will be in this year's Adiorndack 90 mile canoe classic.

Here is the Final result, just received a two part epoxy clear coat from a well-known canoe sales and repair shop in my area. I am very happy with the quality of the finish. Unless I actually paddling, it will be kept well protected away from the sun in my garage

When I raced and camped on the Yukon River, both the race directors and the local First Nation residents we talked to said to be more afraid of moose than of bears. Unless cubs are threatened, in most cases a bear only wants to take your food. But an agitated moose wants to take your life.

12 August 2026 Partial Solar Eclipse at maximum coverage (~14%) from the edge of the western adirondacks (through an 8" Newtonian reflector telescope).

While the radiant of the shower appears to originate from a singular point in Perseus, that is only the radiant, an area in the sky defined by motion of the earth in our orbit intersected with the general direction of the debris from the original source comet's orbit around the sun. A meteor may...

Gene's health was not good the last time I saw him. He retired from racing the 90 miler 3 years ago.

I do not know Jeremy or know what marathon races he participates in. But every fresh water race I have ever seen or raced has prohibited rudders on canoes.

#25 is on a small peninsula with an open to the lake "frog pond" on the north side. Years ago (1970's ), Several times I would paddle the family in our Grumman to our favorite #25 for a few days with wife and 2 kids and a dog to catch frogs, son would terrorize his younger sister and I would...

I believe we were told that during the shorter 440 mile race, Whitehorse to Dawson City, that there were special permissions for us. We had to have headlamps available, as well as a flashing strobe, but dd not have to have either oprating during the "night". We were more likely to see the Yukon...