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Welcome. Looks like you got a great deal. I personally like the combination of a MR Explorer and beaver tail paddles when I paddle tandem.

Good valid explanation from repced, particularly the difference in population and hence difference in the gross size of demand between the two countries. Some of the comments above reveal a misunderstanding in the nature of tariffs (which is constantly lied about by the current US "leadership...

The comment by Dogbrain re the morning sun is accurate from my experience. Many years ago we had my son's Royalex Mad River ME hung under our back deck. One side was exposed to the sun for a couple of hours each day and the interior side and bottom were always in the shade. We were astounded...

It was a stroke of luck. I didn't "need" it, since I already had a NS Phoenix IXP (the only canoe I have bought new since 1992), but I have never regretted the purchase. I gave a buddy a ride down to look at two Bell Royalex Yellowstones which had been advertised and there it was, looking...

I have seven canoes with wood gunnels, the newest of which is 18 years old and most are over 30. All have been treated with Watco at least annually and all are in excellent condition. Maybe 5-10 minutes per boat per year- no big deal. Another thing to consider is the feel of varnished vs...

Yes- I read it last year and enjoyed it very much. I agree, it is probably worth reading again. "Throne of Grace" was really interesting because so much of it takes place on rivers and mountains which I have paddled or traversed- but by pickup truck rather than on foot or horseback!

I have trained my dog (a vizsla) to come when I whistle, using a whistle like those pictured. She gets to run off leash at the 40 acre dog park and gets pretty far away. When I whistle for her other dogs of various breeds often also come. I infer from this that wolves might also be curious...

I have also had good results by doing physical therapy rather than surgery to recover from multiple rotator cuff injuries (they were from mountain bike and skiing accidents-not paddling). After seeing a good friend endure two unsuccessful surgeries for rotator cuff tears, I have decided that PT...

I just finished "Throne of Grace" by Drury and Clavin. It's a history of the first mountain men and the exploration of the West following the Lewis & Clark expedition. They were incredibly tough men. A number of epic canoe trips are referenced, mostly from the 1820-1830 time frame. It has...

My post (#25) was truncated somehow. I strongly recommend practicing kneeling as you would in a canoe over the winter. It was painful on my ankles to have them flattened out under/behind the seat when I got back into solo canoeing. Now, after doing some kneeling yoga for a couple of years I...

I concur with the opinions from Steve in Idaho. I have a Phoenix IXP, a Royalex Mad River Guide and a Kevlar Bell Wildfire. The latter two were bought used-both "I can't pass this up"kind of deals. The Phoenix and Wildfire are very similar in handling. I really enjoy both of them on rivers...

Thanks for the info. Black Canyon is on my list. It is supposedly feasible to put in at Willow Beach, downstream from the dam and paddle up about 14 miles to the dam then return with the current. There are reportedly campsites and hot springs along the way.

Ppine- Is the trip on the Colorado the one you previously mentioned from Blythe to Yuma? What were the camping conditions like? How many days/nights? I am considering doing this trip with my son and grandsons who live in CA. Thanks for any trip details.

I agree with ppine on this. I bought a Bell Wildfire last year with wood that looked a lot like yours. It sanded down very well. Our relatively dry western climate seems to be a lot easier on wood than the humid east/midwest. The gunnels dry out and turn grey but don't thoroughly rot as...

I'm curious Jim- what length canoes have you carried on that rack setup on your pickup? Any problems with a canoe with more rocker touching the top of your cab above the windshield? Thanks for the report.

I just finished "An Unfinished Love Story" by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. It has nothing to do with canoeing, but is a fascinating history of the 1960's, for those (apparently many) of us who were coming of age in that era.

Problem with the above: you are still exposing yourself to mosquitoes/black flies when you open the hammock fly and "stand up". I assume that you are using a pee bottle when you say "cap", and not just peeing on the ground under the hammock. In a tent you don't really have to stand or...

Your guy line solution looked good to me. We had a really crazy setup while running the San Juan river one year. The campsite was primarily slick rock with no trees and little to no soil. Luckily there were a lot of boulders and big rocks around. We scavenged the end ropes from all of the...

They are great tents. I purchased the 4 man size about 40 years ago and it is still functioning. Sheds water well with just the single cotton layer. The only drawbacks are the weight (mine is 35 pounds plus 10+ pounds of poles) and the difficulty of setup in areas with shallow soil for tent...

Back in the 80's they used to haul us up in a flatbed truck on the West River dam release weekends. Is that a thing of the past? I had a "learning experience " on that river in an experimental open tandem Sawyer canoe which wasn't suitable for Class 3 rapids. The portage was no problem though!