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, […]
Tag: kayaking
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 […]
Brace Yourself
The Red River near Gresham, WI was running at a hefty 430 CFS Tuesday evening. In this video, kayakers in order of appearance, first at Monastery Falls: me (orange helmet and orange kayak), Matt, Justin, Mike, Cliff. And later at Zeimers: me, Justin. There was a glitch with the video […]
Paddling During the Pandemic
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 […]
Team River Runner – Apostle Islands 2019
It was my third year to organize and lead our Team River Runner kayak camping trip in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Sept. 14-19, 2019. This year 12 participants, (including eight military veterans with disabilities) enjoyed spectacular weather, paddling, camping and hiking in this kayakers’ paradise. For some it was […]
Foggy River Breakdown
A few photos from Tuesday evening “golf league” on the Red River. The air temperature was nearly 80⁰F and the water was 63⁰F, which produced dramatic scenes as the evening sun shone through the fog during quieter moments on the river. Boaters: Mike, Matt, Cliff and me. A blue heron […]
One Year After: Team River Runner in Grand Canyon
One year ago today I set out on a 12-day Team River Runner kayak trip on the mighty Colorado River through 226 miles of Grand Canyon. I had a feeling it would be special but I didn’t know at the time how profoundly this remarkable journey through the canyon would […]
My Version of Tuesday “Golf League”
Some people like to golf, and that’s okay. But instead of joining a golf league, here’s how our informal group of whitewater kayakers (numbering anywhere from 4 to 14) enjoys spending every Tuesday evening at our local whitewater venue, the Red River near Gresham, WI, flowing tonight at about 400 […]
First-time paddlers try whitewater
Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers’ (NEWP) annual student whitewater outing on the Red River took place this past Saturday. Each year this event gives students from NEWP-led kayaking classes in Appleton, Green Bay and Fond Du Lac the opportunity to practice skills they learned during indoor pool classes. For some it was […]
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.