Brandon and Heather Nelson are pretty much the quintessential adventure couple. They met in California in 1998, and since then have been on a series of rather impressive, not to say envy inducing adventures. To wit: in the summer of 2000, they cycled the length of the Continental Divide. After that , they paddled the length of the Sea of Cortez. And during my favorite trip of them all, they sea kayaked Lake Baikal, the earth’s largest lake. But there’s more. In 2005, the couple raced the Yukon River Quest, billed as The Longest Annual Canoe and Kayak Race in the World. I stumbled across Brandon’s most recent record-setting paddle recently and then did some more digging and discovered how much more he had done…including these amazing trips with his wife. Here is a rather old (1994) interview with them after the Baikal trip that’s pretty cool. Good for them. Apparently the couple that paddles together, stays together. Or so we hope.
On Stebastopol
I was in California about two months ago for a wedding that happened to be up near Santa Barbara and passed through the little town of Sebastapol. I’d never been there before ,but was immediately struck by its charm and the distinct No Cal outdoorsy, crunchy vibe. I made a note to myself that someday I’d come back and spent a few days there. Located right on the Russian River, the town is a hot spot for hiking ,paddling and, of course, wine making/drinking.
And then just a moment ago, I came across this series of great towns in Outside Magazine and was pleased to see the town mentioned as one of the great towns to live in. While I won’t be leaving New York City any time soon, I have to say there is real appeal in places like this. The whole series here, though is worth checking out. It could provide some fine ideas for those who are tired of city life.
24-Hour Paddle Record
Being out on the water paddling for a few hours is enough to wear your arms down more than working out at the gym. But what about paddling for 24-hours straight? Not many people I know, and I know a fair number of paddlers, could do that. But last May, Brandon Nelson not only paddled for a full day, but he paddled farther in those 24 hours than anyone in history has without the benefit of current. Oh, and then he collapsed.
Nelson kayaked 146 miles around a two-mile course on Washington’s Lake Whatcom to complete a new world ultra marathon kayak racing record. The 34-year-old hard-core paddler was out not just to set a new record, but also to raise almost $20,000 for a local hospice foundation. The effort honored Nelson’s mother, a Hospice worker who recently died from ovarian cancer. Looks like the previous world record was 137 miles, set by South African kayaker Marinda Hartzenberg in 1991.
Fall Colors Paddle
As promised, here are some photos I just uploaded over at the Gadling Flickr site of last weekend’s fall paddle in Kingston. We got amazingly lucky with the weather, with clear skies and colors at near peak .The “expedition” (a mere 9 miles) was led by the intrepid Eric Stiller of the Manhattan Kayak Company. As fine a day of paddling as I’ve had in a while.
Photo of the Day (October 23, 2006)
Following on my post about the Li River, near Yangshuo, China, here’s a shot I took from the kayak. The rain had just finished, but we could hear thunder in the distance. The river was moving swiftly, carrying us past this “commuter.”