It’s tough for kayakers to get out to enjoy the water these days. So far this year COVID-19 travel restrictions and questions about what constitutes safe outdoor recreation during these “uncertain times” have kept some paddlers from paddling. I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of kayaking (28 times this […]
Category: spring
How to Saturday: Kayak the Wolf at 1250 CFS
Here’s video of a beautiful Saturday morning and a nice high CFS on Wisconsin’s Wolf River today. Derick spins at Hansen’s. We rinse and repeat at Gilmore’s.
Kayak to Split Rock
Photos and data from today’s paddle on Lake Superior from Twin Points Public Access to historic Split Rock Lighthouse. Water: 35°F, air: 43°F. Sunny and calm. 7.85 miles round trip. A beautiful afternoon on a Great Lake.
Finding Flow in SE Wisconsin
Early season whitewater kayaking has turned into a birthday tradition for me these past few years. However, the rivers in northern Wisconsin are still iced in (up?) so on Wednesday I drove down to the Grafton and Cedarburg area to meet up with my O.W.K.M. (Original Whitewater Kayak Mentor) Rob […]
Lester River Race 2018
Held each spring to coincide with the start of the snow melt runoff, the Lester River Race marks the unofficial start to the whitewater kayak season along Minnesota’s North Shore, drawing expert kayakers from across the region. Uniquely situated within the city limits of Duluth on the Lester River as […]
Last Ice Paddle of the Season
Last evening (April 30) I paddled on Green Bay with kayaker friends Mike Stone and Jacob Tarlton. We wanted to paddle around the last big ice sheet remaining on the bay — right in front of my house — which required launching at Volks Landing down the street and paddling […]
Spectacular Beauty at Copper Falls
High waters of the Bad River and Tyler Forks River make for spectacular sights right now at Northern Wisconsin’s Copper Falls State Park. The two rivers flow through a gorge and drop over several waterfalls. I saw only one other visitor this past Sunday morning, possibly because ice made the […]
The Myth of the “Experienced” Kayaker
We’re now in the most dangerous time of year for paddling. Air temperatures are rising. River and lake ice is breaking up. River levels are high. The desire to get on the water in marginal conditions — possibly without proper equipment and training — inevitably leads some people to the […]
2017 Images in Review
It’s New Year’s Eve so it must be time for a Liquid Adventuring year in review. Three outdoor themes stand out for me in 2017: 1. Stepping up my whitewater kayaking skills on new-to-me rivers out East; 2. Mary and I becoming motorhome owners; and 3. Being named a brand […]
Drowning. It’s Not Just for Stupid People
My recent attendance at a water safety conference stirred up a memory I don’t think about often but it’s always in the back of my mind. It was the time I nearly drowned. Looking back, I can see that the incident had a long-lasting influence on my life. Before I […]