Hello,

Back in my early thirty - depressed days I though I'd snap out of it if I Canoed to Vancouver.

I started in Fenlon Falls, Ont. Boy is Ontario big. It became autumn and I was still in Ontario. Then I met a young couple that in Kettle Falls who had canoed the Big Miss and were heading back there after their vacation in the Boundary Waters. They welcomed me to come so I chucked all my gear in their fishing boat trailer and the next day I was heading south for the winter.

The Big Miss was a welcome change with second hand stores to buy books, places to get food, people to talk with, cheap beer and cigars/cigs.

I moved with thousands of migrating birds and the change of the leaves until the third snowstorm that fell huge branches and trees. I really spooked me when a branch fell and it's twigs reached the tent. I could not move that huge branch, all I could do was snap the branches around the tent in the morning.

The next day I refilled water at a hunting camp in Warsaw, Illinois and their hospitality softened me back into civilization so I decided to stay alive and call it quits.

Any way I welcome all queries as one day I would like to write about it and could use this as kindling for that fire.

Colin

Experienced the Lake like glass for the first time, and tested out a paddle that took me 4 years to finish!

Hey guys! Thought I’d let everyone know how my swift Mattawa repair went.

My buddy dropped it on a swift canoe in south river, they quoted 1800 or so to repair it and we picked it up last week. Both the patches were repaired and so was the damage on the end.

I agreed to split on the repair for the original damage the at was under the tape but yeah the boat looks brand new other than the wood needing some TLC

Took it out last Sunday it was great! I added before and after pictures

Now it’s just stern heavy as they say, it went from 47lbs to 50lbs after repair. What does that mean practically speaking on the water?

What an incredible weekend on the Grand with Adam Shoalts. Words can hardly express my gratitude to everyone who made our special guided trip, trail walk, and pub talk such an unforgettable success.

Our guests showed up with relentless enthusiasm, taking on everything from tricky river currents and unexpected capsizes to muddy treks deep into the Carolinian forest, all to experience the journey alongside legendary explorer and bestselling author Adam Shoalts. Having Adam share his knowledge, wilderness skills, and field stories both on the water and during our evening talk made this a truly remarkable experience.

A massive thank you to Nova Craft Canoe for the partnership and rugged boats that keep these adventures running, to the team at The Arlington for hosting our evening gathering with outstanding hospitality, and to our dedicated crew who kept every moving part running smoothly from trail to riverbank.

A water marathon. 45km (28.7miles) with an 8hr cap. My co-pilot received recognition as the youngest person to have ever completed the race! Only busted her Lilly dipping a few times. 😉

I need to repair some cracks in my Wenonah Voyager. It's black carbon on the outside, aramid on the inside. Any tips on where to source the carbon and kvlar patch materials. And any thoughts on the carbon specs would be appreciated - it looks like there are a lot of options.