Recent content by jdeerfoot

The same for Lake Michigan.

When I think of paddling WW I remember what our instructor told us in the late 1970's - kneeling was a good idea and great position for praying.

Probably not relevant to your possible trip, but in 2017 a buddy and I traveled south from the railroad to the Kashisibog and Kopka rivers and on to Lake Nipigon. The Allanwater south of the railroad is not too exciting - in my trip journal I noted for "endless days of paddling endless...

Canoecopia is a great event - lots of boats to look over and talk with the manufacturers and a lot of gear for sale at discounted prices. However, there is no opportunity at the show to test paddle. The show offers many presentations of interest to paddlers. It is a very big show with many...

Yes, they were Beaver canoes made in Missouri for a few years in the late 1970’s into the early ‘80’s. I met a guy from Minnesota a few years ago who took my 40+ year collection of Canoe and Canoe/Kayak magazines. As I recall, he had collected 6 or 7 of them - he was hoping to get at least one...

Packrat, you will be an inspiration for many of us. I am a relative youngster compared to you and hope to be paddling and tripping for two more years when I turn 80.

Erica, if you are ever interested in attending Canoecopia you should request a spot as a presenter. This saga would go over very well with the crowd. You have a real knack for storytelling and I would bet you are even more entertaining in person.

I used to enjoy long distance rides on my bike but have ceased to go for the last 8-10 years - too many distracted and rude drivers. We had a similar incident to what tketcham experienced. While in a pace line on a rural highway, the driver of a tri-axle dump truck passed us and slowed down...

It may depend on what National Forest you are interested in and their policies on dispersed camping. For instance, the Hiawatha NF in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan has a wilderness area, Big Island Lake Wilderness, which allows camping anywhere as long as you camp the required distance...

The trick to paddling the Wisconsin Rv, especially downstream and heading west, is to paddle during the morning. I have always paddled it in the spring or fall to avoid the strong westerly wind which the river valley funnels into your face. Perhaps this is not a problem during summer, I wouldn’t...

Thanks much for the recipe. I don’t do anything regarding food prep at home or in the bush. But since I am increasingly base camping I need to liven up my mundane diet while camping. And I have a Lodge dutch oven that is mostly unused.

For a number of years my main paddling partner would bring his homemade reflector oven and make birthday cakes for whoever had a nearby birthday. They were commercial cake mixes but sure tasted good around the campfire.

I had forgotten about Early Winters and still have some of their stuff including several candle lanterns. They offered some interesting stuff you never saw anywhere else.

Kopka River July 2017. The birds were in Wabinosh Bay, Lake Nipigon, the other photos on the Kopka River.

So far in almost 20 years of travel in the Canadian bush the bear seem to be timid and quickly vacate the area when we are around. We have attributed this to the fact that most of our trips have been in lightly traveled areas so they are not habituated to humans. When I first met Clem Quenville...