Currents
ONE SPRING CHICKEN. PHOTO: PETER MATHER
Explore
ADVENTURE BOOM 50 IS THE NEW 30 AS EMPTY-NESTERS FLOCK TO NORTHERN RIVERS
To the uninitiated, paddling seems like a young person’s sport. Adventures by canoe and kayak, complete with portages, open water crossings and especially whitewater, can seem best enjoyed by young bucks. I recently read an article in Rapid titled, “Paddle Til You’re Fifty” (
www.rapidmedia.com/0093). While the mate- rial of the piece actually encouraged paddlers to continue well into their golden years, the title stuck in my craw. Not only did it imply I was past my best-before date, but most of the paddlers I know are exceptions to that watery ceiling. Am I part of a deluded co- hort, paddling my way over the edge of mortality? I have the great fortune to offer paddling expeditions on twenty
rivers across the north, from Alaska to Nunavut, all of which are life list-worthy destinations. Most people are surprised to learn the average age of our guests is 57. Of course, this means many of the clients are older than 57—the oldest was 84. In fact, Genera- tion X and Y are noticeably absent from northern waterways, on both guided and self-guided expeditions. Even while our own stats show that more paddlers take on big
trips after they hit the 50-year milestone, these demographics fly in the face of research by the Outdoor Industry Association. The OIA’s 2013 Outdoor Participation Report shows that outdoor recreation for
36 CURRENTS || Annual 2014
the average American begins a slow and steady decline starting at the age of 40. The population segment where outdoor activity is growing the fastest is in males between the ages of 13 to 17—unfor- tunately, they can’t afford northern river trips, nor the sleek refine- ments that increase the longevity of the sport for Boomers. Indeed, Boomers and Zoomers are fully capable of enjoying the
paddling world, whether in canoes, rafts or kayaks. For some, it’s not until they’re older that they feel confident in the skills required to embark on their dream destinations. Their outdoor experience, techniques and risk management abilities acquired over 50 years far make up for the bull-headed power of a 20-something. Ultimately, economics play a big part in why there’s more grey
hair on northern rivers. Being over the hill often means more dis- posable income, which comes with increased opportunity to travel and access to better equipment. When you factor in the skilled guides, great food and even better wine that paddling tourism offers, what’s not attractive to a golden-aged adventurous spirit? Neil Hartling is owner of Nahanni River Adventures and Cana-
dian River Expeditions, an author and Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He’s 52 and sees no end in sight to his paddling career.
www.nahanni.com.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212