Kayaking The Clarks Fork Of The Yellowstone River

The Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River is one of the deepest canyons in the U.S., with "The Box," located in northern Wyoming, being one of the more challenging sections of that run. Recently, a group of kayakers that included waterfall king Tyler Bradt, visited that amazing paddling destination, and the result is the video below.
Tip of the hat to Canoe & Kayak for sharing this video. They're quick to point out Tyler is still recovering from a crushed vertebrae that he suffered when he went over the 100-foot Abiqua Falls in Oregon this past spring. He still has four screws in his back from that little incident, but it doesn't seem to slow him down much on this paddle. 
Looks like a beautiful place to spend the day. 

"The Box" High Side of Good from Mike Perry on Vimeo.

Freya Hoffmeister Begins Kayak Circumnavigation Of South America

Freya Hoffmiester has embarked on her next big adventure, setting out from Buenos Aires on Tuesday to attempt a circumnavigation of South America by kayak. The journey is expected to take upwards of 24 months and cover more than 24,000km (14,913 miles).

The German kayak-queen had plenty of supporters on hand to see her off on his latest journey, which will now see her traveling south along the Argentine cost. Her first big challenge will come when she braves Cape Horn, and the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage, as she rounds the tip of South America. That should come in a few weeks time, but for now, she is getting acclimated to life back on the water and enjoying some paddling time for herself.

Freya is no stranger to long kayak expeditions. Not only has she paddled around Iceland and New Zealand, but in 2009 she also completed a circumnavigation of Australia that took 332 days to complete. Of course, circling that continent by kayak was just a warm-up for this latest venture, which will not only take twice as long to complete, but will offer its own set of unique challenges.

You can follow Freya's progress on her expedition map and trip log, although most will probably find her blog to be more interesting. The first two entries offer her thoughts on getting started and enjoying her time back out on the water.

This is going to be one epic expedition. Obviously Freya is use to long distance paddles, but even still, paddling around South America is certainly an ambitious project.

Circumnavigating Ellesmere Island: Nearly Done!

Way back in May, Jon Turk and Erik Boomer set off on a 2390km (1485 mile) expedition to circumnavigate Ellesmere Island. Since that time, they've been paddling and trekking their way through the icy Arctic Ocean and remote tracts of land that have seldom been visited by humans. Their journey may be coming to an end at last however, as according to Jon's blog, they expect to complete their expedition sometime today.

Located above the Arctic Circle in Canada's Queen Elizabeth chain of islands, Ellesmere presents a considerable challenge for any adventurer, even in the warmer summer months. But it seems Jon and Erik have gotten more than they expected, encountering harsh weather, polar bears, and thick pack ice. Those conditions have conspired to slow their progress and make this an amazing adventure in one of the most difficult environments on the planet.

An entry on Jon's blog from yesterday says that the two men are now about 35 miles from their planned finish point in Grise Fiord. That's still a long way to paddle, especially since they expect to face 10 knot winds throughout the day, but they are anticipating finishing up the expedition today. Needless to say, it won't be an easy day for them.

It seems the boys have had more than their fair share of bear encounters along the way. Just a few days ago the awoke to find that one of them had bitten holes in their tent, while five others prowled around the camp. Pretty scary stuff. I'm sure these guys have a lot of tales to tell once they're home. Can't wait to read them!

RainDrop: A Beautiful Kayaking Video

Living in Austin, Texas we're in the midst of one of the hottest summers on record. I believe today will be our 60th day of triple digit heat (38+ for the Celsius crowd), so we're always looking for a way to cool off. A nice paddle on a cool river would help a lot, but unfortunately we're also in the middle of one of the worst droughts ever to.

With those factors working against me, I turn to the video below for at least a little psychological cool down. It's called RainDrop and it begins with a single drop of rain that turns into running water, before flowing into rivers that only continue to grow in volume and intensity. It is a beautifully shot film and hopefully it'll deliver a refreshing feeling to you as well, no matter where you are. Enjoy!


RainDrop from DKayaking on Vimeo.

BelgiaKayak Update: Halfway Done!

Back in the beginning of July, I posted a story about Belgian Adventurer Louis-Philippe Loncke and his plans for a summer adventure. At the time, Lou-Phi was preparing to set out on his BelgiKayak expedition, which would see him paddling more than 600km of waterways between Brussels and Ostend. He hoped to document the beauty of the countryside, as seen from the river, as well as spread the word on why it is so important to protect Belgium's natural water sources.

I received a note from Loncke earlier today providing an update on his progress. He says that while the weather hasn't been great for his expedition thus far, he scenery has lived up to it's billing and has been quite beautiful at times. He is passing through areas that seldom are paddled, and the experience has been a good one thus far.

Despite the often spectacular scenery however, Lou-Phi reports coming across several "trash islands," and has he has often collected some of the junk himself for disposal at the end of the day. His list of unexpected junk has included: "plastic bottles, liquor bottles, cans, a condoms, a pamper, dead fishes, dead birds, food, a thermos, a baby trolley and a dead deer." The last of those he removed from the river while avoiding capsizing his kayak.

As of last week, Loncke was halfway through his journey, which will ultimately culminate at the North Sea. He'll resume the trip tomorrow, and thus far he's been averaging about 15 miles per day, which is pretty solid mileage considering he's had only one lesson before setting off on his route. Because of his relatively small amount of experience, he has sometimes had issues dealing with rough waters or the wakes of much larger vessels, but so far Loncke has managed to avoid any major issues, and is enjoying the paddling experience.

Follow along Lou-Phi's website for more updates and photos. It seems he's found a great summer adventure and he's doing a great job of sharing the experience with the rest of us.

Currents TV Heads To The Hood River

The Hood River in Oregon is a world class destination for paddlers looking for all kinds of unique challenges. That's exactly what the folks at Currents TV discovered when they visited the area recently. They also found some good news in the form of a dam removal. The Condit Dam is scheduled to be demolished starting in October, which should help to ensure the health of the river in the future as well.

Enjoy the latest episode from the good folks at Canoe & Kayak and Five2Nine Productions.


Currents v2_2: Hood River, Oregon from Five2Nine Productions on Vimeo.

Belgian Adventurer Prepare To Kayak His Homeland

Belgian adventurer Louis-Philippe Loncke is preparing for his first kayak expedition, during which he'll cover more than 600km (373 miles) of rivers in his home country. The project will begin this month and run through September, with most of the travel being done on the weekends.

The project, which has been dubbed the Belgikayak, has three goals in mind. First, to paddle the 600km of waterways between Brussels and Ostend. Secondly, to document the beauty of Belgium, as seen from the rivers, in photos and film, and finally to spread an ecological message of how important it is to protect the country's waterways. That last objective is especially important this year, as the U.N.'s topic for World Water Day was "Water for the Cities."

The entire journey will also be the subject of a documentary that will show the joy of paddling Belgium's waterways and how scenic the country can be from that unique perspective. The film will also serve to as a vehicle to spread the message of how pollution is effecting the rivers and how important it is to preserve them.

At each stop along the way, Loncke will meet with citizens in the various cities where he'll further spread his message and try to impress the importance of clean water on the children that live there. He also hopes to inspire them to be active, outdoor explorers themselves, encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

First Kayak Run Of The Season - Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Ah... spring time! When we all start to head outside once again and enjoy all the great outdoor activities that we missed during the long winter months. Like the paddlers in the video below, who took their first run of the year on Sixmile Creek on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. The video was shot back on April 24th of this year, and gives you an idea of what the area is like in the early spring. There is still plenty of snow on the ground and ice in the river, which makes it all the more challenging.

Paddling The Zion Narrows

The Zion Narrows is a path that follows the Virgin River through 16-miles of spectacular canyon scenery in Zion National Park in Utah. At times, the canyon reaches as much as 2000 feet deep, with the river running just 20-30 feet in width. As you can imagine, it is an amazing place, and a popular hike for those with an adventurous spirit and a great pair of water shoes.

As you've no doubt heard, it was a banner year for snow fall in the western U.S., and because of that, rivers are high right now, and the whitewater is really flowing. Last weekend, a group of kayaker set out to take advantage of that, and went on a two-day, self supported paddle through the Zion Narrows. The result is the video below, shot entirely on helmet cam, which show off just how amazing the Narrows are. Fantastic stuff!

America's Most Endangered Rivers

A few days back, American Rivers released their annual list of the ten most endangered rivers in the U.S., sending out a call for action to help protect these waterways from a number of threats, including pollution, mining, and over damming. For more than 26 years, American Rivers has worked hard to raise awareness of these issues, while also striving to restore rivers across the country for the benefit of the communities that live on them, as well as the wildlife and environments that surround them.

This year's list of ten most endangered rivers is as follows:

1. Susquehanna River
2. Bristol Bay Rivers
3. Roanoke River
4. Chicago River
5. Yuba River
6. Green River
7. Hoback River
8. Black Warrior River
9. St. Croix River
10. Ozarks National Scenic Riverways
Special Mention - Mississippi River

Clicking on the individual links will take you to the special report on each specific river as organized by American Rivers. Those are some pretty serious waterways to be endangered, and chances are, one or more, of them have an effect on where you live. 

Obviously, climate change is having a direct effect on the world's water supply, and maintaining healthy water is becoming an even more important issue for the years ahead. The hope is that by naming these rivers as "endangered," we can do some things now to protect them for the future. 

Circumnavigating Ellesmere Island

Ellesmere Island is one of the most remote places on Earth, located above the arctic circle, and falling into the chain of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in the  Canadian territory of Nunavut. It is a cold, icy, mountainous place that is seldom visited due to its rugged and challenging nature. It is also the site of a spring expedition in which Jon Turk and Erik Boomer will be attempting to circumnavigate the island by kayak.

The expedition officially got underway a few days back, with Jon and Erik setting out from Resolute Bay last Thursday, and taking a series of short flights on "puddle jumpers" to eventually reach their starting point. The weather forecast had been good for their first week out on the water, but according to Jon's blog,  which was updated two days ago, that has changed some. The blog posts reports heavy snow in the region, and that the duo were holed up in a small cabin at the time of their last check-in.

They also report that the paddling has been hard going through the ice fields that surround the island, but when they move in closer to shore, the fjords have been smooth as glass. They've encountered quite a few polar bear tracks as well and even spotted a mother bear with her cub. The creatures are fairly common on Ellesmere, and of course they would like to avoid them as much as possible.

The journey will cover 1485 miles (2390 km) and is expected to take upwards of 100 days to complete. At the moment, they're just 75 miles into the expedition, and despite the fact that it is spring there, they are experiencing bitterly cold, sub-zero temperatures. Even in the height of summer, the place never really gets all that warm, so this will be a long, slow, challenging journey to complete, to say the least.

To check out the official expedition website, click here and for blog updates click here. This should be another interesting expedition to follow as it unfolds.

World Record Tandem Kayak Drop Caught On Video

I caught this video on The Goat this morning featuring Sam Freihofer and Todd Wells as they go over the 82-foot (25 meter) Metlako Falls, located in Eagle Creek, Oregon, in a tandem kayak. This big drop sets a new record for going over the falls in a tandem boat, and the video catches it all for the rest of us to enjoy.

Is there anyone that you'd go over an 82-foot falls with? Hmm... I'd have to think long and hard on that one!

Jesse Coombs Drops 94-Foot Abiqua Falls In Oregon

Here's a great video for aspiring adventure filmmakers. It shows paddler Jesse Coombs making a descent of Abiqua Falls in Oregon, a drop of 94-feet. But that is just the final portion of the video, which spends a good amount of time showing us how the video was shot and everything that the filmmakers had to go through to capture the drop. That included rigging up a zipline above the water for a cameraman as well. Really interesting stuff.

I found the video at the First Ascent blog earlier, and there is more information about how it was made and the kayak descent as well. Read the article here and enjoy the video below.

Bomb Flow Video Magazine Promises Paddling Fun

I caught this video over at the Outside blog this morning, and wanted to kick off the day by sharing it. It is a teaser for an upcoming series of videos for Bomb Flow Magazine that were shot by kayakers Evan Garcia and Fred Norquist, and as you'll see, it offers plenty of whitewater action. Shot on location in Chile, Washington State, and British Columbia, the video will certainly get you in the mood to hit the water yourself. It is filled with beautiful locations, beautiful water, and beautiful action. Enjoy!

Croatian Adventurer Sends Welcome Message To The World

This is a fun story I shared over at Gadling today, but wanted to post about it here as well. An outdoor enthusiast from Croatia has embarked on an ambitious project which he hopes will send a gigantic "welcome" to the rest of the world from his home country.

On Tuesday of this week, Daniel Lacko set out on a pre-set course that will take him through some wild Croatian backcountry on foot, kayak, and bike. The journey will cover more than 2500km (1553 miles) and will pass through eight national parks, three nature preserves, and a number of other protected areas. Lacko will climb ten mountains and paddle or swim on six different rivers, not to mention Croatia's legendary sea coast. All the while, a GPS device will be tracking his progress and marking his route, which if he adheres to properly, will end up spelling out the word "Welcome" in giant letters across the map of Croatia.

The entire journey is expected to take two months to complete, and Lacko hopes to arrive in Dubrovnik by June 5th, which is World Environment Day. That means he'll have to make good time through some very challenging terrain, and he must stay on his prescribed course in order for the project to succeed. So, no matter what obstacles are thrown in his way, he must find away to forge ahead.

You can find out more about the project, and read Daniel's blog, on the official website and keep updated on his progress on the Facebook page as well.

Nat Geo Launches "Fringe Elements" Adventure Video Series

National Geographic has launched a new line of adventure sports videos called Fringe Elements that looks to have a ton of great potential. As you can imagine, coming from Nat Geo, the quality is extremely high, and they cover a broad base of outdoor activities. In the first round of videos alone, there is everything from  rock climbing to trail running, with just about everything in between.

Along with the launch of these new videos, there is all a gallery of "expert tips" which offers up some great advice on a number of important topics. For example, there are tips on how to pack lighter (always important and appreciated on my end!) as well as a list of the top gear for aspiring adventure filmmakers.

Check out the full list of a launch videos by clicking here. I've also posted an example below. Great stuff to start the day.

Universal Sports Network Declares April Adventure Month!

The Universal Sports television network, which is owned and operated by NBC, has declared April Adventure Month, and has scheduled a whole host of great outdoor oriented programing to celebrate. If you're luck enough to live in a market that gets the channel, you'll have plenty of great television to enjoy over the next few weeks.

Amongst the great shows that you can enjoy throughout the month of April are a series of documentaries from our friend Jon Bowermaster. In fact, the entire collection of Jon's Oceans 8 project, as well as his Terra Antarctica film, will be available for viewing. Oceans 8 chronicles eight amazing sea kayaking expeditions to a number of unique and diverse locations around the globe, while Terra Antarctica returns Bowermaster and his team to Antarctica, a place he knows very well, where they explored the effects of climate change on the Antarctic Peninsula. Each of these films is excellent, and will give you a great perspective on the environments they explore, from one of the best vantage points possible – the seat of sea kayak.

To find out where you can watch Universal Sports in your market, click here and to see a complete schedule of programming click here.

On a personal note, if you haven't seen Jon's films, you really should grab this opportunity to do so. They are extremely well done, inspiring, and informative. I have all of the DVD's, and thoroughly enjoyed the all of them. They'll make you want to buy a kayak of your own!

Paddler Makes First Ever Atlantic Crossing In Sea Kayak

Yesterday our friend Jon Bowermaster, who happens to write for Gadling.com as well, posted a great story on that site about a paddler who completed the first ever crossing of the Atlantic in a sea kayak. The journey took just shy of 99 days to complete and covered 3352 miles.

Way back in October, Polish paddler Aleksander Doba set out from Dakar, Senegal with his sights set on arriving in Fortaleza, Brazil. Jon points out that that is a distance of just 2000 miles or so, if you travel in a straight line, but thanks to high winds, especially in the first two months, and drift from ocean currents, Doba wasn't able to travel in a straight line, or anything close to resembling such. Those high winds and currents helped to tack on the extra 1300+ miles of paddling.

Doba is no stranger to long distance paddle either. Amongst his other achievements in a kayak are a 2,600-mile paddle around the Baltic Sea in 1999, a 3,300 mile journey from Poland to Norway back in 2000 and a 1,200 mile circumnavigation of Lake Baikal that was completed just last year. Jon notes that the Pole paddles a 23-foot long sea kayak "with monster roll bars and a pair of flotation cabins at either end."

As if reading about Doba's accomplishments in a kayak weren't inspiring enough, he also happens to be 64-years old. Pretty impressive accomplishment at any age, and even more so after 60. I hope I can be anywhere close to that active when I'm that age.

Well done Aleksander!

Fun Whitewater Video To Start The Day

I caught this video yesterday on the Outside Blog and thought it was a lot of fun. It features paddler Aniol Sarrasolses on recent whitewater expeditions to Romania, Portugal, France, and Mexico, with some great action shots on the water. The music and tone of the video conveys a great sense of fun out on the water, which is of course the whole point, right? Enjoy the scenery and action. It looks like everyone is having a blast.



Winter Highlights from SB Productions on Vimeo.

Paddling Dipper Creek In British Columbia

Looking for a fast, furious, and beautiful place for your next paddling expedition? Then look no further than Dipper Creek, British Columbia.  But beware, the river isn't for the faint of heart or the beginner, as you'll see in the beautifully shot video below. Paddlers will find a little of everything there, including deep gorges, waterfalls, challenging rapids, and more. Looks like a fantastic place to visit, either in your boat or on foot.

Thanks to Canoe & Kayak Magazine for sharing the video.


Dipper Creek, BC 2010 from Fred Norquist on Vimeo.