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: Adventure Complete!

Last week I posted an update on Jon Turk and Erik Boomer's attempt to circumnavigate Ellesmere Island and at the time, they were nearing the end of their journey. In fact, when I wrote that story, the feeling was that they would finish that day, but strong winds and navigating through ice, slowed their progress and the boys didn't reach their end point, located in Grise Fiord until the following day.

When they did finally finish, they showed the toll that the expedition took on their bodies. According to Jon's blog, he could hardly walk by the time they had reached their final destination on Friday, and Erik's feet had swollen to the point that they were two shoe sizes larger than normal. Despite all of that, they were reportedly in good spirits, but ready to come home.

In the end, their expedition really was quite and adventure. The two men spent 104 days skiing and kayaking around Ellesmere, a remote island that falls in the Arctic Ocean to the north of Canada. In all, they covered 1485 very challenging miles to become the first men to circumnavigate the island.

There hasn't been much in the way of updates since last week, and I can only assume that Erik and Jon are now on their way home and looking forward to a much deserved rest. I'm sure we'll get more information about their journey once they've had time to decompress and recover some. Until then, we'll just have to send them a hearty congratulations, and hope that all is well.

Expedition 1000 Update: Rollin' On The River

While we're checking in with expeditions in progress this week, I thought I'd also update you on Dave Cornthwaite and his attempt to stand-up paddle the length of the Mississippi River. Dave set out from Lake Itasca, located in northern Minnesota, back in June and has been making his way south ever since. When he's finished, he'll have covered more than 3862km (2400 miles), going from source-to-sea, before finally ending in the Gulf of Mexico.

A few days back, Dave hit a major milestone by reaching Memphis, TN, which puts him at the 2612km (1623 mile) mark. In an e-mail I received from him yesterday, he indicated that he received quite the welcome, as about 20 local paddlers came out to meet him, while a news helicopter hovering overhead. Memphis is about 2/3 of the way to the Gulf, and was a perfect opportunity to take some time off the water and get some rest before he went back out onto the water again today.

While in Memphis, Dave met with a local reporter for a television interview, during which he explained why he has undertaken this journey, what hazards he has faced along the way, and more. It's a great news story, which you don't always get from the local press, and it seems Dave and his host were having a good time with the conversation.

Never one to stay put for too long, Dave resumed his journey this morning, and I'm told he was heading out of town dressed as Elvis. He has 800 miles yet to go, and he hopes to complete the journey sometime in mid-September or so.

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.

Adventurers Plan To Walk From Mongolia To Hong Kong

Two adventurers are preparing for an epic expedition that will have them traveling on foot and by kayak from Ulaanbaator, Mongolia to Hong Kong, China. The journey will cover more than 3500km, and because it wasn't challenging enough on its own, they've decided to do it during the winter.

In November of this year, Rob Lilwall and Leon McCarron will set out on a self supported expedition that begins in Outer Mongolia and travels south through the Gobi Desert. From there, they'll cross into China and follow the Great Wall to the Yellow River. Once they arrive at the river, they'll use inflatable kayaks, which they'll carry in their backpacks, to paddle to the city of Xi An, a city whose history dates back more than 3100 years. From there, they'll get back on land and finish their expedition with a trek through the mountains of central China, before ultimately reaching the finish line in Hong Kong. If all goes as planned, that should happen sometime in March of 2012.

The journey will be chronicled and eventually turned into a television series for National Geographic, but will also serve as a vehicle to raise funds for the Viva organization, a non-profit charity that works to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged children across the globe.

No strangers to adventure, Brit Rob Lilwall once rode more than 48,000 kilometers on his bike, starting in Siberia and ending in London. Along the way he visited Tibet, Afghanistan, and a number of other out of the way places. Irishman Leon McCarron is a documentary cameraman who has worked on five continents and has put in a fair share of time on the bike as well. McCarron recently rode more than 23,000km from New York to Hong Kong while shooting footage of the people he met along the way.

Be sure to drop by their website at WalkingHomeFromMongolia.com for more information on their expedition and to follow along when they get started in a few months time. Good luck boys!

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.

Expedition 1000 Update: Stand-Up Paddling The Mississippi

A month ago I wrote about the fourth stage of Dave Cornthwaite's Expedition 1000, which was just about to get underway. This stage of his journey has Dave traveling from source-to-mouth along the Mississippi River on a stand-up paddleboard, a distance of 2400 miles (3862km) that began in Lake Itasca, located in northern Minnesota, and ends when the river enters the the Gulf of Mexico, of the coast of Louisiana.

Since getting underway, Dave has been making great progress, and has already covered more than 500 miles, arriving in Minneapolis a few days ago. Tonight, he'll be giving a presentation at Midwest Mountaineering at 7PM, where he'll share tales from his various adventures, which have included traveling across Australia on a skateboard and paddling more than 1400 miles along the Murry River as well. Tomorrow, Cornthwaite will once again take to the water, where he'll resume his journey southward. With about 2000 miles to go, he still has quite a bit of paddling ahead of him, but he hopes to complete the trip by early September.

Expedition 1000 is Dave's attempt to undertake 25 unique journeys that will see him traveling 1000 miles or more using different types of non-motorized transportation. He has already used the aforementioned skateboard and canoe, but has also tandem biked from Vancouver to Las Vegas, covering 1400 miles, before launching his Mississippi SUP expedition. The entire project has been conceived as a way to raise £1 million (roughly $1.5 million) for various charities.

So what's it like out on the river on a stand-up paddleboard all day? Check out Dave's latest video below to find out.

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!

Fourth Leg of Expedition 1000 Project Set To Get Underway

The fourth leg of the Expedition 1000 project will get underway on June 20th, with adventurer Dave Cornthwaite setting out to run the length of the Mississippi River on a Stand-Up Paddleboard. The journey is expected to take approximately 85 days to complete, covering more than 2400 miles between Lake Itasca, located in Minnesota, and the Gulf of Mexico.

I've written about Dave and Expedition 1000 on more than one occasion in the past. He is hoping to raise £1,000,000 for charity by completing 25 separate adventures, each measuring at least 1000 miles in length, using a different form of non-motorized transportation.  He has already skateboarded across Australia, covering 3638 miles on that journey alone. Cornthwaite has also paddled the length of that country's Murry River, covering another 1479 miles, and most recently he completed a tandem bike ride from Vancouver to Las Vegas, which tallied up another 1400 miles. The SUP expedition on the Mississippi is simply his next big adventure, and one that he hopes will bring awareness about he ecological challenges that the river now faces.

If successful, this will not only be one step closer to completing Expedition 1000, it'll also be a world record for the longest distance covered on a Stand-Up Paddleboard. Along the way, Dave is encouraging others to come out and join him on the water. But if you aren't able to join in on the fun on a personal level, you'll also be able to follow along on his progress both on his Facebook page and Dave's twitter feed as well.

Good luck Dave! Enjoy the paddle and say hello to my friend and family along the Mississippi in Iowa when you go past!

Teva Mountain Games Results

Over the weekend, the 2011 Teva Mountain Games took place in Vail, Colorado. The 10th annual event saw some of the top outdoor athletes in the world going head to head in a 23 different competitions that included mountain biking, road cycling, trail running, bouldering, paddling, and more. As usual, it looks like this was a great event, that combined outdoor adventure, music, and art into one big party.

One of the highlights of the event was the paddle down the whitewater of Steep Creek, which challenged kayakers with its wild rapids and treacherous boulders, before eventually crowning Adriene Levknecht of Lowell, Michigan the champion. To get a sense of what that run was like, check out the video below and then click here to get a list of all the winners in the various categories, including the Ultimate Mountain Challenge, which pits the top outdoor athletes against on another in a 10K trail run, a cross country mountain bike and road cycling time trial, as well as traditional paddling event and a stand-up paddling race as well.

Congrats to all the athletes who took part in the games. It looks like it was another great weekend in Colorado, which seems to be the capital for these kinds of events.

National Trails Day Is This Saturday

Just a reminder for residents of the U.S., National Trails Day is this Saturday, June 4th and everyone is encouraged to get out and hike, bike, run, paddle, or climb your favorite route. There will also be a number of trail maintenance events around the country, giving us all the opportunity to help build and restore trails in our own communities.

This is the 19th annual National Trails Day, which is sponsored by the American Hiking Society. The event is designed to help encourage Americans to live a more healthy lifestyle and appreciate their wild, green spaces as well.

This year, there are more than 2000 events scheduled to take place on NTD. To discover one close to where  you live, click here, scroll down the page, and use the interactive map to see what is happening in your state. With that many official events going on, there is bound to be something that you can participate in.

Not that any of us need an excuse to get out on a trail!

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.