-
-
-
Recent Posts
ADS
Our Favorites
Kayaking
Choose My Adventure, Day 4: Just Dew It
Spend a few days with the Gear Junkie, and you’ll become inspired to experience the outdoors actively, to accept challenge eagerly, and to live your life superlatively. Kinda like how they do in them crazy 80’s Mountain Dew commercials (see this, this, and O yes Lord! this.)
The final day of our Choose Your Own Adventure vacation with the Gear Junkie, proves to be the perfect launch pad for all that extremey inspiration. We’re kayaking ginormous Raystown Lake in the heart of the Alleghenies, and you’ve voted that I should pull a stupid stunt, just like in those vintage Dew ads.
So throw on your Daisy Dukes and read on for the full story and an ice cold 12-pack of pics!
Choose My Adventure Vote #4: Roll a Kayak or Mountain Dew Commercial Stunt
Tomorrow is the final day of our Choose Your Own Adventure sweepstakes trip with the Gear Junkie. And with your help, we hope to go out with a bang. Or maybe a splash would be more appropriate.
We’ll be kayaking in Raystown Lake, a colossal man-made body that’s 30 miles long. Since I’d rather not circumnavigate this entire Alleghenian ocean, I need your votes on how to keep my blood — and adrenaline — flowing all day. So, should I:
Roll a Kayak
Sound too easy? Not with the wider kayak I’ll likely have. And did I mention I’ve never rolled *anything* larger than a batch of lefse before? Plus, I’m sure Pam would be happy to assist, if needed.
-OR-
Stupid 80s Mountain Dew Commercial Stunt
You remember those, right? Dudes with cutoff jeans rope-swinging over water, then landing on surfboards that’ve been thrown onto the rapids, all the while with their bikini-clad girlfriends riding on their shoulders? Barring the phony John Mellencamp soundtrack, I’ll attempt something at least half as easy (and twice as stupid) as that.
Watch for today’s report of mountain-biking the Allegrippis Trails, later tonight. In the meantime, VOTE NOW to decide my fate: Roll a Kayak -or- Mountain Dew Stunt!
On an Adventure with the Gear Junkie — and So Are You
Word mighta leaked out that yours truly had won a vacation getaway to the Alleghenies, courtesy of everyone’s favorite gear junkie… uh, well, The Gear Junkie. Good news, right? Well, the better news is that you’ll be a part of that adventure.
As grand prize winner of the Choose Your Own Adventure Sweepstakes, I got to pick from an array of outdoor adventures in fly-fishing, kayaking, hiking and mountain biking.
So here’s where you come in: Each day, you’ll get to vote on the next day’s activities. Will you help pick a biking route? Request a demo of survival skills? Have me challenge the Gear Junkie to a physical challenge? Just like in the books, my fate will be in your hands.
But first: “What the heck is an Alleghenies?”
Some Paddling Deals Worth the Drive North
In a day and age when people kayak down ski hills and surf in Lake Superior during winter, I’ve decided there’s no such thing as an ‘end-of-season’ anymore. For any outdoor activity in Minnesota. We just crazy that way.
That said, you’d be really crazy (in the literal sense this time) if you didn’t check out the monster deals on used kayaks and equipment at Superior Coastal Sports’ site right now. Word reached us last week of the deep discounts offered, but we just wouldn’t feel right to buy them all ourselves and not spread the word.
If you’re interested, John at Superior says, give me a call. But at last check, there’s still open water, so just don’t call it an end-of-season sale.
Gone Fishin’, Swimmin’, Kayakin’, Campin’
Posts will drop off for a few days, as we’ll be vacationing this week along the sun-drenched Minnesota Riviera. Check back next week for more of UpNorthica.com!
Snow Kayaking Has Me Dreaming of Winter in July — What’s Wrong With Me?
The kayaking world lately seems fixated on Highest Waterfall Drop record-setting. Glad to see somebody’s out to set a record for Most Fun.
This video was shot in Austria, but snow kayaking really needs to happen right here in Minnesota, right now. Or six months from now (I’m just trying to be emphatic. whatever.) I’m thinking Lutsen is where it should start. Do they have any jumps that would land you in the Lake? That’d be like, a total twofer… Via The Adventure Blog.
Reel Paddling Film Fest
Disclaimer: Not my fault. I did not create this trailer for the Reel Paddling Film Fest. I will not be personally offended if you forego this four-minute advertrailer timesuck (If you’re quick enough with the pause button, you might actually catch a shot of people paddling boats.)
Ahem. That said, the festival itself (in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 21) looks to be absolutely worth your time. It’s the best films on canoeing, kayaking, (sometimes surviving) and protecting some of the most beautiful waterways on the planet.
One highlight is this year’s pick for Best Canoeing Film, Digging Water: A Voyage by North Canoe. A brief synopsis…
In 2008, over 300 paddlers set out to commemorate one of the world’s greatest geographers and explorers, David Thompson. Their 66-day journey retraced Thompson’s historic fur trade route from Rocky Mountain House to Thunder Bay. These modern-day voyageurs traversed four provinces, three drainages and two centuries worth of Canadian history.
Midwest Mountaineering (of course) hosts the event. Tickets are $8 at the store, or $11 online. A pretty good deal, but if I have to sit thru that Teva promo again, I’ll be demanding a full refund.
Podcasting Minnesota’s Water Trails, One By One
If it’s bigger than a puddle and it’s in Minnesota, Lynne and Bob Diebel have likely canoed it. The lifetime paddlers traveled almost 3,000 miles along 58 rivers in researching their books Paddling Northern Minnesota and Paddling Southern Minnesota.
Now you get to ride along as they host Tales of Water Trails, a new weekly podcast on the MN-DNR’s site.
The Diebels give helpful descriptions of favorite spots, difficulty ratings, wildlife, campsite availability and even manage to sneak in a few fond reminisces. A small, but very nice detail: the old-timey audio texture in each podcast makes me feel more like I’m comparing routes around the campfire, versus listening to a digital media file on a PC. I almost don’t miss the standard Google Map for each episode (hint hint.)
This week they covered the Cloquet River (MP3 file). After a listen, I’m about ready to start packing.
This is a novel resource for trip planning; one that’s made all the better by that human element of storytelling.
Video: Kayaker With Hydrofoil Outpaces 4-Man Kayak
The speed this guy reaches is unbelievable. While the Flyak design may, or may not, branch out to other recreational vessels, just imagine what hydrofoils could do for pontoon boats full of retirees on Rainy Lake. Via Paddling.net
Canoe vs. Kayak – which is faster?
HowStuffWorks dares to ask: Which boat is faster – canoe or kayak? Find out for yourself, but the answer may not be as simple as you think.
I could definitely tell you which is less fun to portage, though…
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Flickr
