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Yeah, it was like “gray” light and kind of eerie.

I’m lucky enough to live in the path of totality in northern Vermont and was almost agonizing over where to watch the eclipse from. There’s a sandy point on the local reservoir that would have been perfect if it wasn’t still frozen and the water level 6 feet low, exposing acres of muck between...

You could take the gunwales off whatever new canoe you get and cut the scuppers yourself. I did it with a radial arm saw’s router bit attachment. Came out great and gave me full control over their placement to coordinate with screws and thwart bolts. I actually skipped the center seat section...

My Blackfly Condor came with a pump installed in the bulkhead saddle when I bought it used. All I had to do was buy the battery pack from Ridge Spirit Outfitting, who I’ve bought from before and is excellent to work with. Aside from plugging in the battery pack, it’s not the kind of thing you...

I’ve also been thinking about getting a net tent from Bear Paw Wilderness Designs to go under a tarp. That would make for a very versatile and lightweight setup. He made a custom net tent to go under my Golite Shangri La 6+ and it’s very good quality, especially for the price.

I have a 10’x12’ CCS tundra tarp in their lighter weight fabric. Like most, I set it up lots of different ways depending on site and conditions. I wish they made it in a light polyester, because it does stretch and pool when wet, so I almost always prop up or suspend the center point. On a trip...

I do both depending on the weather, but given the time, I prefer to fold’n’roll. It protects the poles from getting bent and packs up smaller than stuffing. What takes up more room, a folded newspaper, or one where every page is crumpled into a ball? I think folding is easier on the mesh too.

That’s awesome. Gotta love a brand new boat. Though, considering your background, I’m surprised you didn’t make ash gunwales for it.

I remember seeing those unoutfitted, new old stock hulls listed on eBay for a steal ($500-800?) a few years ago and wished I could have made it out there to pick one up. I think ORC was cleaning house. Sounds like a great boat. Bob Foote/David Yost collab? Sign me up! Similar to a Caption, set...

Oh yeah, I’ve watched all those Bill Mason films many, many times. As a camera nerd, I love how he used the compression of telephoto lenses to make rapids look even bigger and more stacked, but in that scene, those were some really big waves! And yet, the boats didn’t seem to ship a drop, mostly...

The first shot is of me in my green encore on the bottom rapid of the Lower Mad River, in Moretown, VT. A classic class III (IV) run. The second shot is my friend Patrick in his H2Pro dropping into the Punch Bowl on the Upper Mad River, just upstream of the old MRC factory in Waitsfield. This...

I guess I don’t see it much either, but maybe that’s because “it” is us! But probably because it’s only us. 😆 There isn’t much of the old guard left up here. But I’m doing my best to peak the next wave of interest in the old Jedi ways in a world of double bladed storm troopers. Here’s a...

I think it’s coming back, just like the popularity of canoes in general, but to a smaller extent. I just took up whitewater canoeing only about five years ago, and in a solo canoe a year later at 40 years old. As a kid, some of my friends were really good whitewater kayakers. One of them was...

No, thank you! I somehow missed the drive when it was happening, but saw your recent post in reference to it. Glad I saw it and could get caught up. And no, I don’t need no stinking badges!

I’m from the Adirondacks and will say it’s hard to find real wilderness. On the flip side, I’ve never been to the Boundary Waters but that sounds like a total zoo to me. In both cases, the further you carry, the quieter it will be, though, the St. Regis isn’t a huge area. It is probably pretty...

Nice! I’ve been trying to find more info on that river. Thanks for posting the video. Definitely looked low and bony, but like you said, more water may not necessarily “improve” the situation. I bet that gets pretty wild. Looks like a great time and great weather. I recognized that lion with...

Agreed. My small Ocoee bag is the standard material and it’s plenty durable, and light. It just happened to be that the best deal I could find on any of their larger dry packs was new military issue ones on eBay. 50L for $80 and 80L for $120 was a steal! Their customer service is excellent as...

I really like my Watershed packs. They’re well known in the whitewater world but it seems not so much in canoe tripping circles. Just as air and water tight as my blue barrel, but more comfortable to carry and easier to fit in my solo boats. I bought new old stock military issue versions on eBay...

Luckily, Paddling Magazine trims down the choices for us and excludes 80% of the canoes on the market in favor of the few brands that pay for their advertising. That buyers guide is a joke. Nothing but an advertorial. But, yes, I still want most of the boats listed just in case I might like...

Have you seen the new Nova Craft Prospector 14 Solo that was just announced? Not particularly deep for a river boat, but with 2.5” of rocker, I bet it’s more maneuverable than the Swift iteration. Comes in all the different layups/weights...