Already made a few posts inquiring for info but I might as well introduce myself.
I’m 68, and a lifelong resident of AL. Lived and paddled all over the state from the Appalachian foothills in the north to the black water rivers down at the FL Panhandle. Currently I own an old 17’ Grumman from my teens, a Native pedal fishingYak, an Old Town Pack circa early 90s, and a new Esquif Echo.
Started running the local class II/III WW as a teenager in the old Grumman, along with camping and fishing out of it. After college in the 80s got a Royalex Mad River ME and later a Perception Dancer WW kayak. Continued to do class III+ WW all over the Southeast up until a few yrs ago when rheumatoid arthritis kinda made my roll no longer bombproof. So I reluctantly sold my Dagger Mamba. But I’ve continued to camp, fish, and light tour outta the old Grumman or the Pack.
These days I mostly just fish or camp overnight the nearby flatwater TVA controlled creeks and backwater, nearby class I/II streams, or camp/fish at the local reservoirs. I’m lucky we have so many choices to paddle nearby.
I want to do some more serious touring this fall when the weather cools off a bit, hence the Echo. But Im gonna start slow w/ a couple of nights out at a time. That’s about all the boat and tent my old body can take right now, lol. But I’ve been practicing, building my stamina back up for 2-3 hrs almost daily in the late evenings. Plan to do some multi day trips, near and not so near that I’ve never done due to I was so WW focused for so long.
Anyway thanks for the info y’all have already provided and glad to be here!
I’m 68, and a lifelong resident of AL. Lived and paddled all over the state from the Appalachian foothills in the north to the black water rivers down at the FL Panhandle. Currently I own an old 17’ Grumman from my teens, a Native pedal fishingYak, an Old Town Pack circa early 90s, and a new Esquif Echo.
Started running the local class II/III WW as a teenager in the old Grumman, along with camping and fishing out of it. After college in the 80s got a Royalex Mad River ME and later a Perception Dancer WW kayak. Continued to do class III+ WW all over the Southeast up until a few yrs ago when rheumatoid arthritis kinda made my roll no longer bombproof. So I reluctantly sold my Dagger Mamba. But I’ve continued to camp, fish, and light tour outta the old Grumman or the Pack.
These days I mostly just fish or camp overnight the nearby flatwater TVA controlled creeks and backwater, nearby class I/II streams, or camp/fish at the local reservoirs. I’m lucky we have so many choices to paddle nearby.
I want to do some more serious touring this fall when the weather cools off a bit, hence the Echo. But Im gonna start slow w/ a couple of nights out at a time. That’s about all the boat and tent my old body can take right now, lol. But I’ve been practicing, building my stamina back up for 2-3 hrs almost daily in the late evenings. Plan to do some multi day trips, near and not so near that I’ve never done due to I was so WW focused for so long.
Anyway thanks for the info y’all have already provided and glad to be here!
