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In order to prevent thread drift I'll start a new thread but I'm curious about your approach to whitewater. In the Shoutout your local builder thread, Robin posted a pic where the paddlers seemed to be taking a conservative line. This led to the comment that: Now, IMO, that's the smart play...

The game plan coming into winter this year was to finish the Raven that I'd started and to get another solo finished before spring. This one will be built from White Pine & Cherry. These woods should look nice but I expect them to be a more bland combination than the Tamarack / Sassafras or...

While I'm waiting for fiberglass, I've decided to clean up another project: Awhile back, one of my horse customers saw some of the wooden paddles in the back of my truck and wants to buy one to be auctioned at the local Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation fundraiser at the end of January (who even...

A rare free Saturday without horses to do or other responsibilities allowed me to hide out in the boat shop all day. I wanted to replace the Catalpa paddle that I'd lost this summer and I got a little carried away. While I had the bandsaw outside, I cut up a scrap piece of Cherry and a...

I used Paddle Planner to help with my first BWCA trip but mostly for campsite reviews, portage descriptions and pictures so I'd have a little better idea of what to expect. I wasn't a subscriber then so I couldn't build routes or save them. It would show approximate travel time between 2...

I'm starting to plan for 2025 and thinking of a mid August / early September trip in the Wabakimi area. (hopefully this past July's bugs are dead by then) At this point, I'm considering parking in Armstrong and taking the train to Chivelston Lake (just East of the Savant Lake stop). From...

I'm absolutely certain that I found the best backcountry campsite I'll ever occupy when I was unexpectedly offered a cabin at Meta Lake Lodge on my Marshall Lake loop this past July. I'm still searching for my low point (and hoping that I do so until I can no longer trip) as none have struck...

I’ve heard it said that life is about 10% what happens to us and about 90% how we react to those events and, I suppose that I (mostly) agree with this assessment. Like many, my primary issue is that the decisions we make daily often seem questionable in hindsight and this year’s canoe trip to...

In my wrap-up from my BWCA trip, I'd stated that I'd share the inReach link next trip so people could follow along at home if they wished. I, of course, didn't do that last year when I did the Steel River loop but as Glenn suggested in this thread, I will do so on this year's trip. (Glenn: if...

Rather than add to my previous build thread (and to make this subject more searchable), I'm starting a new thread on an old theme... namely, penance for my sloth of the past. When I built my first stripper, I cut some corners and had some fun with the fact that I largely skipped "the sucky...

I've been having issues getting the strips consistent for my Raven build & it turns out that the bearings were shot on my shaper. New were ordered (arrived Saturday in fact) but, while it was down, I figured I'd take the opportunity to try my hand at making a paddle. Leftovers from the first...

Since Easter Sunday, PA has gotten a ton of rain with my hometown of Blairsville checking in at 4.7 inches by Thursday. This caused severe flooding throughout the region and the Ohio river crested at over 28 feet at "The Point" in Pittsburgh (the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela...

This comment in another thread got me thinking... I'm unsure if we have a psychiatrist on the forum but, at times, I think we could use one. I know that we have teachers, assorted medical professionals, building contractors, at least one lawyer and a couple of college professors (active or...

Coming soon to a garage near me... Round 2 starts next week. This time I'll be looking for a bit more maneuverability in moving water and, as this boat is destined to ply some waters favored by Memaquay, it seemed fitting to trust his judgement and build his preferred hull. This time, I'll...

The Background: Ever since returning from my BWCA trip, I've been wanting to get out on another extended wilderness solo. I wanted something even more remote where I might not see people for days at a time and it had to be a loop so I could do it without arranging shuttles. Initially, I was...

I've been using a Nikon Coolpix B500 for tripping / hiking/ etc photos and I like it a lot (clear pictures, 40x zoom, video capability and great low-light performance) but it doesn't seem to be at all compatible with water. I got caught in the rain last week (and not a very hard rain), it spent...

"If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans." Pre-trip Trip: I spent much of the winter searching out some local canoe tripping possibilities and found a seemingly nice prospect in the Little Muskingum River in Ohio. I researched drift speed at various water levels and camping...

Forgive my ignorance as I almost never paddle tandem and the overwhelming majority of my whitewater experience has been in a (gasp) kayak with a (imagine the horror) double blade. (usually chasing rafts as a rescue boat) In a tandem canoe running whitewater, why would the stern paddler be in...

It was the best of ideas, it was the worst of ideas. It was an act of excess in an era of economy, a bold and confident move that belied the uncertainty of the outcome. A plan so crazy that it seemed logical and so sacrilegious that it was divinely inspired. Hmm… Seems like a bit too much...

I watched a YouTube video last night where the kid (yep, I'm again considering taking advice from someone 1/2 my age... slow learner) ...anyway... this kid said that he's found longer portages to be easier if he walks rapidly / jogs them and felt that, in the long run (pun intended), it was...