Recent content by Mason

I live in Bozeman, so I can pick it up for someone and store it until they can pick it up. I'll be driving to Bellingham WA in May if you want to meet off I-90.

I've been using both on my trips. Re:CCS, I made a nylon liner that goes inside the regular Duluth plastic liner so the plastic doesn't get stressed. I haven't submerged a pack, but I've had them out in torrential rains and things stayed dry (as well as my big dry portage pack) . I've had a...

I installed a footbrace on my WWC1 43 years ago. Still works, no cracks.

Have you tried a complete foam seat cushion (eg blue foam)? I've put those on all my tractor seats. One thing they might do is raise your butt up 3/4 inch, which might help with your pants (less seat depth). But I've never had problems with bare seats either--foam is just cushier.

Sounds like it's changed a bit since I paddled it in 1988. No other boats, no restrictions, me in my Wenonah WWC1, brother,his wife and toddler in my old Penobscot, and friend in probably a kayak (or maybe a MR Explorer). Certainly nice trip and good country.

The Grande Ronde is a fun trip. We did the Minam to Troy section many years ago. Pretty country--no idea on water levels.

They're cruiser (4x32) specced, so they should be close to an Advantage. A bit fuller though. Apart from depth, they paddled similarly to the 17 C1F, which preceded the Advantage racer (current Advantage is detuned from first model).

I've loved mine for over 40 years! I'll probably get buried in it (or cast off as a pyre).

Benson, your knowledge and research are greatly appreciated! I remember the term Warsaw Rocket but had no idea its origin, and was around Blue Hole and MR boats in the 70s (sorry, Old Town wasn't as popular in the southeastern rivers then. I did sell and own Old Town in the PNW in the early 80s...

Put your butt in first, then swing your legs around. Works in solo and tandem.

What's gotten better? Having money and time. I bought my first solo canoe in 1983--even as a dealer getting it wholesale, I couldn't afford Kevlar. However, at 51 pounds, it's still useable and is a delight to paddle. I'd rather carry my current 36 pound Kevlar boat. Wood bent shaft paddles...

I paddled the Eno while in college in 1979, with my geology professor (and wished I had taken more geology!). And then went to the Eno River Festival and listened to Doc and Merle Watson, may they rest in peace! Fun times.

Very true! However peering from x thousand feet over rapids of interest sure is fun! Here is the rapid that killed Art Moffatt on the Dubawnt River in 1955 (see "Death on the Barrens", by George Grinnell, or Skip Pessel's "Barren Grounds: The Story of the Tragic Moffat Canoe Trip"). With lots...

Good info. For those of you interested in the variety of satellite images for planning, here's an interesting comparison. I'm looking at a series of lakes with a thin stream (aka river) connecting, wondering how reasonable this trip is. Here are three available satellite images referenced in...

I use printed maps almost exclusively for onsite navigation. A standalone GPS is used only for lapses of befuddlement. However I'm currently planning a long trip in Nunavut for this summer. For this planning, I've recently started using CalTopo (on my desktop), as one of the other paddlers...