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I’m thinking about getting an arctic anorak. I like going out during snowstorms. Call me crazy.

It would be nice to see a pack taking down a caribou during migration, but a turkey raid will likely be as close as I’ll get. Kinda sad, really. 😕

This is only my 2nd time seeing this pack, first on the snow. Yotes chase turkeys and deer in my front yard. A cousin said they’re near his place on Long Island. Pretty ubiquitous these days. I don’t think coyotes hunt in packs much. They’re loners compared to wolves. I did see several...

Went snowshoeing today in nearly ideal conditions. On a ridge trail I saw flashes of grey and squatted down. Some wolves had dashed into a rafter of turkeys about 80 yards ahead. Most of the turkeys took flight right over me, but a few ran across into the midst of additional wolves. Two...

Ice melt? You could then bail it, but the temperature would need to be in the 20s.

Grumpus, 6 degrees is half of the standard bend in most paddles. Maybe yours is metric. 🤣 I have a carbon bent shaft that moves much water. Never had an animal part paddle but if it gets me stronger without backsliding I’m willing to slap the water with a critter tail all week and twice on...

Yeah, my nominal shaft length is 30.5”. With a river paddle, I like a couple extra inches. Don’t know if that will hold true with a longer blade length. My guess is maybe. 😐

Early on, I did much resistance therapy with bands. I’ve since kept that as a minimum and incorporated more stretching, which seems to alleviate pain. I figure less pain means it’s healing. Heat helps too. Maybe I’ll add more resistance in a couple months as residual pain diminishes. Been...

I’m not convinced the extreme narrow boats with tumblehome are all that desireable. Seems to make them a little rocky in heavy waves, the opposite of what you want. My Magic can make my behind pucker if I’m battling wind. I’m used to it, but I don’t remember having the same amount of...

Lots of paddlers seem to experience shoulder issues. I had issues before my accident. I’m betting there’s a correlation. Spoke with a guy at Rutabaga Paddlesports who had surgery and paddled Wabakimi last year with an Ottertail. Nice discussion. He recommended I check out the Badger Sliver...

Well, I’m looking for an ottertail. Should help me recover without setbacks on lakes. Got a couple river paddles in mind for river tripping where rock gardens and swifts occur. Stupid shoulder makes pulling on the left hurt. Suffered a setback recently shoveling snow. Don’t think I’d be...

You’re right about the mechanics of the Ottertail, but they’re are exclusively lake paddles, right? I need something for shallow streams and currents also. Currently using a BB Explorer, which is 23 oz, 118 sq in blade.

Yeah, that would involve learning something new.

The swift website says “optimal load range” is 150-400#. Seems generous. With my dog, I’m at 235# (no gear). I generally take 3 packs weighing on average about 38# for 114#. So I’m likely to use 350# of capacity, or 88%. If I scratch the dog and his food, I’d be about 280#, or 70% of...

I should have mentioned that I have a ZRE Whitewater bent shaft that usually goes with me lake tripping. On rivers, I’ve been partial to a BB Explorer. Both suffice in shallow currents, but it seems like my shoulder might benefit from a narrower blade that is still durable for shallow...

What percent of maximum capacity is the sweet spot between performance and hauling? My P14’s capacity is 400 lbs. I’m thinking 75-80% of that (300-320) is as loaded as I’d want to be on a windy crossing. That would preclude any longer trips in that boat, certainly rule out taking my dog...

My shoulder is still pretty wrecked, and the wide paddles I’m using aren’t helping. I know there’s a lot of expertise out there. Prefer wood, straight shaft. I’m needing a paddle that pulls easier, lightweight, will work in rivers or lakes. Any thoughts?

Outstanding report. Was paddling upstream on Caribou River difficult? I’ll go back and glean some comments for fishing information. I’m trying to be minimalist on that.

I’ve seen to much to be able to comprehend that sarcasm. Besides, this site will either get inexperienced paddlers or it will die. Let ‘em feel comfortable. Wood Canvas had me head scratching though. Seen lots of that on the internet too 😄.

watching YouTube has made me to curtail my enthusiasm for a long Wabakimi trip. This first one will be easy going by Wabakimi standards. I’m just too old and busted up to take 2 weeks gear over 50+ portages now, not likely to improve a whole lot by August. Looking hard at Smoothrock Lake via...