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A small kid away at a summer camp in the Ozark's of SW Missouri, I somehow ended up in the stern of a tandem canoe on a very lazy stream. It is a foggy but fond memory and probably planted the seed. I didn’t canoe again until I was a young adult.

a lovely otter tail paddle made by Douglas Ingram in 1994. Cherry and his classic voyager grip. The shaft was delightfully slim and the balance was incredible. Alas, too long for me, 61.5” long with 33.5” of shaft, so sold a couple of weeks ago to a paddler/collector who has a cottage in the...

This one, I think?

Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River near Mankato MN. One picture is mine from July 2022, at about 1,500 cfs, at the start of a nice day trip on the water. The second is from social media earlier this week on Monday, when the river had just begun eroding its new bed around a clogged up and...

It is a Backlund paddle.

A small lake in Minnesota

A Lutra Pro 2.5S blade paddle, number 145 with a 31” shaft, essentially new old stock. This one is 22oz, sold and shipped last week to a gentleman in New York. I love how well balanced these paddles are, with the blade giving up some ruggedness to weight. I have two lutras left now, consecutive...

Love mine. I’ve found a lot of mixed reviews for the Rx hull, and testing some friends, I found differences in primary stability that probably can be attributed to thwart width. For safety and structural integrity you might consider a new thwart rather than trying to rehab that rot.

I keep royalex for the shallow days and anticipated rocky stuff. My ‘89 dagger reflection 15 is redundant to the Morningstar in ballpark hull specs but it weighs 65+lbs and oil cans a bit. but nothing like the handful of wenonah royalex boats I’ve paddled.

IIRC, somewhere it’s been written something like this: Bell northwoods > cut down to make Northwind mold > cut down to make Morningstar mold > stretched out to make royalex northwind mold. I’ve seen white gold layups be pretty durable to non abuse regular type uses. my Morningstar is set up to...

I added one to my Spanish fly, after holding out for a few years. With thr LiFePo battery that lasts a weekend, it’s only 3lb for the whole kit. It’s great for play boating. It also allows me to be safer in situations like you just described. I don’t love the aesthetic of the pump. I am...

More Cannon River. Hemlock cruiser paddle by Cricket Designs.

Got out yesterday on the Cannon River in southeastern Minnesota

I got on his list the last time it was open, which was a short window. If I remember correctly, the wait was more than two but less than three years.

Yes it is, good eye.

An early ice out in southern Minnesota

I always prefer the wildfire after swapping from the YS. That said, I haven’t found a general purpose royalex solo with symmetrical rocker and hull design that I prefer over the YS. Been wanting to try the Mohawk Odyssey 14. And the Esquif Echo.

More than I need but I have space and have worked hard to try many and to find good examples of the boats I love… Three solos for whitewater, all in the hard chine Frankie Hubbard design/tradition: a blackfly octane 85 that I’m excited to get to know, in PE; a mohawk viper 12 in royalex, which...

Are paco pads comfortable? How comfortable? I’m intrigued for camping on rivers and in my van, with uneven/lumpy surfaces. I have used a thermarest guidelite for ever. In summer if conditions are no issue, I’ll put a thermareat ridge rest underneath. After a very cold October bwca trip a few...