Great Hudson River Paddle

by Erik Olsen on

Once again, the Great Hudson River Paddle comes to a close
in New York City, ending a week of vigorous paddle pulling down one of the country’s great rivers. Today is the last
day, when the hordes of eager water warriors put in their last 13 and a half miles paddling from Yonkers to New York
City. they’ve been at it now since Friday, July 8th, when they paddled from Albany to New Baltimore, a solid 15 miles
or so. A good, hard day of paddling to be sure.

The governor usually pulls a few strokes over the course of the week for a very good purpose: to bring attention and
appreciation to a waterway that was once on the brink of catastrophe.

15 Reasons We Sea kayak

by Erik Olsen on

I got into sea kayaking about 10 yeas ago when I was living in Seattle and sea kayaking was
just one of those things people do. But I got addicted. There was something about the way you see the world from the
seat of a kayak that was really cool.

And since then, I’ve done trips all over. Not nearly as much as I’d like, though. My favorite trip was probably
Alaska, but the San Juans are also great. But other than thinking about it in a general way, I’ve never enumerated the
reasons I like the sport. I’ll bet you haven’t either.

Now someone has done it for us. Check out this
article in Sea Paddler magazine, a British mag. It lists the
15 reasons we go sea kayaking. Travel, people, a
new perspective, a good pint. All are right on, and a great reminder why some of us do this sport.

Head to Tahiti

by Adrienne Wilson on

Before I really knew anything about Tahiti hearing the name of the country always reminded me
of the vacation grand prize you could win on a game show, but I always
wondered did anyone really go there? Whether or not anyone really flew the friendly skies then or now, it
sure is calling my name. With the weather not so bueno in the Caribbean these days the Pacific seems
perfect. There is tons of deep blue to dive, lush green to hike, and hot sand to fall out on. You get the
picture.

There are also numerous culture and outdoor events happening year-round as found on the
Tahiti Tourisme web site.  For the coming months visitors
can attend the Polynesian Artists Festival happening in August, Raid Painapo, a mountain team race through the Oponohu
Valley on September 24 and The 3rd edition of surf competition at the Taapuna Pro also taking place in September.
Sounds like a good mix of everything.

Start Paddling Now

by Erik Olsen on

It’s been a great paddle season so far. The weather (if you disregard hurricane Dennis for a
moment) has been great, and many of the country’s rivers are flowing at respectable levels. But maybe your efforts to
get out to experience the world of paddling has been hindered by a fear that you’re not sure at you’re doing out
there.

Fear no more. Why not take a paddle course and have someone teach you all you need to know. From eskimo rolls to how
to self-rescue and even first aid, you can search for some of the better paddling schools at GORP.com,
Kayak Schools.com. For white water buffs, Away has also got a
nice section on the country’s wild rivers. And
finally, Canoe and Kayak Magazine has a “getting Started” section to
help introduce you to the sport and all the fun (and cost) it entails.

Nice Tahoe Gallery

by Erik Olsen on

Years ago, I spent a winter working at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe and remember the time very fondly. But while many
people know Tahoe has a winter destination, it is also a kick-ass summer spot, with fine mountain-biking and hiking, as
well as water-skiiing on the Lake (remember that scene in the Godfather of folks skiiing on the lake…for some reason
that always comes to mind).

Anyway, no big deal here, but a
pretty nice
little gallery on Tahoe can be seen at the Sac Bee (requires registration). It shows some of the summer fun at the
Lake and gives a niice taste of what a nice place it is to while away some summer days.