This past weekend I had a great time helping introduce about 40 Boy Scouts and adult leaders to the skills, thrills and joys of whitewater kayaking. Whitewater instruction was one part of the big BSA Bay-Lakes Council “Camporee” held at Gardner Dam Scout Camp on the Wolf River near White […]
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Kayak Videos: Music or “Au Naturel”?
I regularly post kayaking videos on YouTube and occasionally on Vimeo, but in case you missed any or all, here are my 2021 videos to date. I’m also sharing videos created by Angela (AKA “ang gru” on YouTube), who recently joined our gang of enthusiastic Wisconsin whitewater kayakers. By the […]
Perfect Day on the Verde
During our recent four-week RV trip, we spent most of our days hiking near Sedona and our nights camped at Verde Ranch RV Resort, nestled between I-17 and the Verde River outside of Camp Verde, AZ. We hiked a total of 91 miles on gorgeous trails all around Sedona, Camp […]
Favorite Kayak for Surfing the Great Lakes
Some people are surprised to learn you can surf on the Great Lakes. Well, it’s true. When the wind is strong enough, sustained for long enough and coming from the right direction, we can experience surfable waves three, five or even 10 feet high. Where I live on Green Bay, […]
Recapping 2020: Numbers and Favorites
Well, 2020 was quite a year, wasn’t it? (Understatement of the decade, perhaps.) We know there was much sadness and anxiety locally and around the world but I hope you found many moments of joy and happiness as well. Here are some of my 2020 joyous highlights in list form, […]
A Good Year for Sunsets
2020 was a good year for sunsets. Vibrant colors were due in part to wildfire smoke that drifted across the continent. The corona virus was also a factor. We stayed home more so we were positioned to shoot more sunsets. Some were subtle. Many were spectacular. Here are favorites. Unless […]
The Challenge of Piers Gorge
Whitewater kayakers and rafters flock to Piers Gorge for spectacular scenery and intense excitement. Piers Gorge is a beautiful valley formed by the Menominee River, which serves as the border between Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. I have kayaked here a couple of times before. On a beautiful day in October […]
“Public Trust” The Fight for America’s Public Lands
Instead of mind-numbing escapism featuring bachelors or masked singers, here’s a better TV viewing option. Invest 90 minutes in the new mind-expanding documentary “Public Trust: The Fight for America’s Public Lands” by Patagonia Films. If you have ever visited and appreciated any public lands, or if you ever plan to […]
Two Years After: Grand Canyon Kayaking with Team River Runner
(I wrote this yesterday but our internet was down so I’m posting a day late.) September 1 marks two years ago to the day that our Team River Runner crew, including five blind military veterans, set out on the mighty Colorado River for 12 days of adrenaline-pumping kayaking through the […]
Paddling the Wolf River at 1800 CFS
Wisconsin’s Wolf River ran last Sunday, July 27, at an incredible flow rate of nearly 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), which was the all-time high since USGS record-keeping began there. Normal flow for the Wolf ranges from 300 to about 1,000 cfs. Brian T., Derrick W. and I decided […]