Re: [Paddlewise] kayak trip information

From: Wes Boyd <boydwe_at_dmci.net>
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 17:59:56
At 02:31 PM 3/26/00 -0600, Knox wrote:

>I camp, hike, and fish, so I understand about food, water, PFDs, etc.
>
>What am I missing?  What could I do stupid that would endanger my life or
trip?
>
>What special equipment should I consider?  A foot rudder?

It's been done -- not real frequently, but often enough. I know a guy that
has done the length of the Missouri, ending up the trip going up the
Mississippi and Illinois to the Great Lakes. Somewhere, buried on the
"Wavelength" web page, is a story by a guy that took a sorta kayak from
Saskatchewan down the Missouri, Mississippi, up the Atlantac Coast and then
up the St. Lawrence, then back home. "Blue Skies Across North America" it's
called. However, not a lot of information for what you're planning.

Some thoughts spring to mind:

First, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to get some experience -- by
which I don't necessarily mean years, but some time spent with the boat
under a variety of conditions to get yourself used to what you're dealing
with. Most foldables are pretty stable and user friendly, if not
necessarily the #1 choice for such a trip. A GII ought to be OK.

Second, although it's not directly applicable to your trip, check out a
copy of "River Horse" by William Least Heat Moon. He's going up the Misery,
not down, in a power boat, and so forth, but has some observations that
will give you food for thought. It's fairly common in the bookstores today,
and in libraries. Only about a quarter of it pertains to your trip, but
it'll be worth the time.

Third, remember the second most common phrase from Lewis and Clark, after,
"We proceeded onward," to wit, "Musquettors verry troublesome."

It sounds like a wonderful trip, and one that I'd love to make if I could
clear away the freedom to do it. Don't be afraid to drop stupid questions
onto this list. We may not always agree on everything, but there's plenty
of food for thought in the disagreements.



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Received on Sun Mar 26 2000 - 16:52:19 PST

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