The bowline is one of the most essential knots for camping, canoeing, kayaking, and living in the wilderness. I think the ‘rabbit and tree’ method is the simplest way to learn this knot, and this method consists of 4 steps… Make a loop a foot or two near the end of the rope to form […]
Type 1, 2 and 3 Fun Not all fun is created equal. Sometimes the word ‘fun’ really does mean that something is fun, and sometimes it means the very opposite. It was the mountain climbing community that first started using the terms Type 1 Type 2 and Type 3 fun to describe their adventures. These […]
A description of the route to Widgeon Falls which combines a paddle through the idyllic Widgeon Slough wetlands and then a hike through a beautiful forest until you get to a waterfall cascading over polished bedrock.
The first sail I ever built was an army jacket held up by two paddles and a stick. The two paddles were jammed in place between the bags and the bow seat, then held in place by a rope that looped from the center thwart to the top corner of the sail and then down […]
I was honored to speak to Paul Mason, son of the legendary Bill Mason and an icon of canoeing in his own right, on my podcast. Some of the topics we discussed included… Hazards for Paddlers, including foot entrapments, strainers, high water conditions, cold water conditions, and the two times in a paddler’s career when […]
In my paddling career I’ve spent a ton of time paddling into headwinds and crossing gigantic lakes, stroke after endless stroke. And that’s given me a ton of time to think about and experiment with different paddle strokes, trying to find the one that maximised power and minimised fatigue. This video summarises my findings about […]
I’ve learned an absolute TON about canoeing from Cliff Jacobson over the years and was thrilled to have him on my podcast. You can listen our conversation here or check out the highlights.
Bears are curious, persistent, and tremendously strong creatures. Given enough time they can break into just about any structure to ransack it in their quest for food. And if you travel enough in bear country you’ll inevitably come across some pretty elaborate fortifications that people have built to protect their cabins. One of the lowest […]
Getting started in something new is always daunting, and this especially true if you’re talking about canoeing, paddling, and other watersports. There is steep learning curve and potentially quite an investment in gear, so you want the process to be as painless as possible. I was thrilled to have canoe guide Mikaela Ferguson on my […]
I’ve learned a TON about traveling in the wilderness from books. Here are my top four wilderness canoeing books… The Path of the Paddle, by Bill Mason Bill Mason is a Canadian patron saint of canoeing, and this is the book that taught multiple generations of paddlers how to canoe. I took a copy of […]
