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I used to have the attitude that a little bit of plastic burned in a campfire was a proverbial drop in the ocean but not anymore. Sure, if I'm the only one burning a little garbage the harm is minimal, but millions of people go camping every year so the effect isn't small. Now I pack out...

I don't use cloud accounts so maybe I can send you a direct message with an attached file. I'll try it...

Yup, and you're welcome. I actually find spreadsheets and charts to be fun. And let USGS know that their data is useful. This is something new that they're offering and they could use some encouragement to keep it going. I'm not familiar with the suggested run levels you provided (never ran the...

A limited/permitted hunt of cougars (for meat) near residential areas might be somewhat effective in reducing attacks. Biggest problem is hunting IN residential areas. The overpopulation of deer is a related problem. Too many deer in and near residential areas but no good way to hunt them. I've...

As with most human foibles, the range of biophobia to biophilia is a spectrum but extremes in either direction probably aren't good for us. For example, I don't spend as much time in the woods or along streams and shorelines as I once did because of the risk of ticks/disease and the interaction...

I'm really looking forward to canoeing in 2026, more so than usual. Last year was an OK year but due to other commitments and priorities we didn't get out as much as I like. This year is dedicated to canoeing so I'm hoping to do a lot more camping and backcountry trips, paddling with friends...

I've been looking at that canoe as well. I found some reviews and discussions (here and other websites) but it's mostly about how well the Polaris works as a solo canoe, not as a tandem. There's a thread (kbobb) asking about the Polaris over at the Tandem Forum but no activity so far.

I like maps, too. I used maps extensively for my job and my love of maps goes way back, when I'd go into old drugstores or hardware stores to see if they had any old (pre-1950's) USGS maps. Those had all kinds of now-lost information about homesteads, camps, single-room schools, lookout towers...

We ended up terminating our Tracfone accounts and went with T-Mobile, which offers satellite texting when outside their cell coverage areas. We've used it once while driving within the Adirondacks but I haven't used it for texting while backcountry canoeing. I don't like using my cell phone...

Here's a chart of annual discharge averages for the Owyhee River at Rome, OR, which shows how variable the flows are from year to year: And here's a chart of monthly streamflow from 1950 to 2024 displaying middle 50% of discharge (2nd & 3rd quartile boxes with median and mean indicated)...

Snowpack water equivalent is tough to predict this early in the season because a couple of good storm cycles can bring it back fast. You'll get a better idea as the season progresses. And as mentioned, this can be a flashy river system come spring runoff, whenever that happens. You can get a...

I didn't buy this on a Monday or a Friday but it was cyber and remains so... PaddlePlanner - Quetico/Superior

Good luck, Steve. Seems there are plenty of us that got shut down that year. Hopefully my trip to Quetico is finally going to happen next September.

I noticed they offer two grip styles; which did you get?

Good question! I just measured the blade angle of a Zaveral Medium paddle using a crude plastic protractor and get around 12 degrees but it's a very rough measurement. I'll have to think of a way to more accurately measure blade angle.

I just don't handle the cold as well as I used to so avoid the potential for cold water swims. A dry suit would certainly extend the season but I'd still think twice about paddling with water temps below 45F or so, even on flat water. Besides, there are plenty of other things to do that time of...

There are useful pieces of information from both websites but it's up to each person to honestly assess how they'd react to cold water immersion and whether they would be able to rescue themselves. I know my ability to respond has declined considerably over the years due to reduced strength...

I tried using my Sigg-Tourist cookset (bought with the SVEA 123 in 1972) with a MSR Whisperlite stove but had to modify the opening of the windscreen and didn't find a good way to have the burner at the right height. The Pocket Rocket might work better but it looks like it's a bit tall and might...

I bought my first canoe when was in my early 30's, a well-abused Blue Hole OCA tandem whitewater canoe. A heavy Royalex beast that must have weighed 80 pounds. It had been wrapped around a rock in a rapid so there was a sizeable crease in the hull with bent and warped gunnels. But I installed a...

Building a wood strip canoe was a goal of mine back in the day but I now accept that if I haven't built one by now, it's never going to happen. So, I'm impressed when I see someone build one, let alone two or more. A stupid naive question, but without a table saw, how do you keep the strips...