Photo of the Day (10/22/2006)

by Erik Olsen on

I am assuming executive privilege here today with the Photo of the Day and posting my own photo. I am still rather giddy (and a bit fatigued) from my all-day paddle yesterday up in Kingston, New York. I will post details and lots more photos is the near future, but for now let me say that it was a killer day of paddling.

The trip was organized by Eric Stiller of the Manhattan Kayak Company and we were a group of guinea pigs, as it were, to try out a new fall foliage paddle trip the MKC may be starting on a permanent basis. I for one, hope they do, because the colors were riotous and the paddle was excruciatingly lovely. Kingston is a fine place to put in, I discovered, and a cool little town to boot. As you can see, we hiot the changing colors just about perfectly. I do love the East Coast for its seasons.

NYC Mayor’s Cup

by Erik Olsen on

I have to say I haven’t gotten myself over there yet, and the event is already in full swing…but right now over at the Hudson River the first ever New York City Mayor’s Cup is happening. It’s a big deal for paddle people who love the city. The race takes some of the nation’s top paddlers around the entire island of Manhattan (some 26 miles, by most people’s reckoning).

The event organizers say that the event offers some rough water, but I’m not sure what they mean since the closest thing we have to a rapid or wave on the Hudson is when the Queen Mary II goes by. But they point to Hell’s Gate, where water combines from Long Island Sound, the Harlem River and the East River, thus creating waves, whirlpools and “very confused water” (am I salty, am I fresh?).

I may try to hoof it down there today and will post some pics if I do.

via Manhattan Kayak Co)

Rafting the Zambezi

by Iva Skoch on

One of the items of my must-do list is rafting the Zambezi. Not that I am particularly into adrenaline sports, but this African adventure sounds amazing. I hear that Zambia is trying to market itself as the adrenaline-sports center of Africa, with rafting, bungee-jumping, climbing and such and it has become quite touristy. I wonder how Hemingway would feel about this “new Africa”. Since hunting for lions is no longer acceptable for Western tourists, I guess he would have to settle for white-water rafting.

The Zambezi River and the gorges below the Victoria Falls are classified as Grade 5, but a few portions are classified even higher – Grade 6: unrunnable. July-March are supposed to be the best months to go because the river is fairly low and more rapids can be done. Although Zambia does not publish a list of casualties, people who have done it say that it was, at times, a near-death experience. (Those might just be the people imagining the rare underwater encounters with hippos and crocodiles).

Any insights from anyone who has been?

Photo of the Day (9-28-06)

by Neil Woodburn on

For today’s shot of the day, I’ve dipped back into the wonderful collection of Buck Forester, one of my favorite photographers who regularly contribute to the Gadling Flickr Pool.

This phenomenal view was captured on California’s Mono Lake. Forester is careful to point out that the amazing magenta color in the sky was not photoshopped but is rather a “combo of some strange lighting from the various layers of cloud cover and my 2-stop hard GND filter.”

I just can’t get over the peacefulness this photo conveys. And the cold. Brrr… Don’t tip over when you’re shooting these babies, Buck!

Paddle Books

by Erik Olsen on

Well, we’re drawing to a close a rather wonderful summer. I don’t know about you, but out on the East Coast things were relatively mild and there were lots of opps to paddle, hike, bike or whatever. I got to do a piece about rock climbing that took me to the world-famous Gunks, and I had a killer time rappelling off a 200 foot cliff face. All cool. But what I’d really like to discuss briefly is paddling, and more than than, I want to discuss paddle books. You see, it’s about to get so cold that many will not be able to paddle, so the next best thing, I suppose, is to read about paddling. And so herewith, I offer you a solid feature from the folks at Sea Kayaker on hard to find paddling books.

Before I discuss some of the books listed here, let me briefly mention a few others I’ve enjoyed or plan to read. A while back, I bought Jon Bowermaster’s Alone Against the Sea and Other True Adventures, and while I STILL haven’t read it, I am confident it’s going to be great because I’ve liked all of Bowermaster’s other work. Also, sitting on my shelf at home is Eric Stiller’s Keep Australia on Your Left, which I enjoyed, even if it rambles a bit at times. It helps that Stiller is a friend and I am rather in awe of the expedition described in the book (attempting to circumnavigate the continent of Australia. Yes, you heard that right.

But to the list. Many of these books can’t be fond on Amazon, so I have no idea how you’d find them, but take the book Kayaks to the Arctic (1967)
by E. B. Nickerson. Tell me that the story of a women and her family paddling 1,000 miles down the Mackenzie River in Alaska and then hanging with the Inuvik doesn’t sound like compelling reading. Then, there is Enchanted Vagabonds (1938) by Dana Lamb. The Lambs, Ginger and Dana, left San Diego in 1933 and paddled and sailed their hybrid kayak/canoe/sailboat to the Panama Canal. Amazing. And I’m surprised in a way that this hasn’t been done yet as reality TV.

Anyhoodle, the list goes on.