River X is the longest single day expedition paddling race in the world. Canoes, kay- aks and a few lonely SUPs traverse 125 kilometers in 24 hours for glory and gloat- ing privileges. Navigating portages, rapids, waterfalls, chutes and gravel bars with only maps and compasses are necessary skills; all the better if you can do them in the dark, without sleep (www. muskokariverx.com).


23.


To prepare for a two- and-a-half-year canoeing journey through North America, Pierre Pepin and Jennifer Gosselin sold their possessions and quit their jobs. They set out on June 6 with pooch, Jasmine, on what they’re calling the Nor-Am Odyssey. “We’re not interested in breaking any speed records,” says Pepin. “That’s been done before. We want to make a connection with people, to encourage them to get involved with the natural world and live simpler lifestyles.” (www. wildravenadventure.com).


25.


Two Brits, James Warner Smith and Nathan Wilkins, had the goal of becoming the first to cross the European continent by connecting waterways and without portaging. After five months spent paddling 5,000 kilometers, from France east to Istanbul, they were stopped by November gales on the Black Sea. Forced to abandon their canoe but determined to finish, they took to the remaining 370 kilometers on foot, schlepping dry bags with paddles in hand. Ten days later, and 146 days after starting out, the pair limped through Istanbul’s city walls: “The first thing we did was have a kebob—in fact, we had four,” says Warner Smith.


26.


Our favorite reason why: For the hell of it.


27.


Always wanted to sleep in a giant slice of watermelon or show your love of the written word by peering out from between the pages of a gigantic paperback? Field- Candy’s innovative tent flys feature bold patterns and daring scenes, ensur- ing you’ll never confuse your tent with another camper’s again (www.fieldcandy.com).


28.


Or, say goodbye to tradi- tion entirely and take your camping experience to new heights—TREEPEE offers tents suspended high above the ground (www.treepee.com).


29.


Jim Coffey made open boat history after hucking a 60-foot drop on the Alseseca River in Mexico, breaking a 20-year-old record. Four months later, Brad McMillan upped the ante by launching his canoe off 70-foot DeSoto Falls in Alabama. Watch the jaw-dropping footage of McMillian’s huck at www. rapidmedia.com/0243.


30.


Why be put into a box when you can go out in a handcrafted cedar-strip canoe? Phoenix Boatworks offers unique canoe caskets for your final voyage. The best part? With a few shelves, the casket doubles as a bookshelf in the meantime (www. phoenixboatworks.com).


31.


Nick Offerman. See page 43.


32.


We’re not quite sure what Spirit Canoe is—art house flick or music video?—but we sure loved watching this wood canoe float through dreamy landscapes. We’re even less certain about the main character—a nostalgic


Now you can watch Bill Mason’s classic films on demand. Stream Mason’s adventures and teachings in breathtaking scenery through the long winter and from the comfort of your couch. While you’re there, check out the spring folk anthem, “The Black Fly Song” (www.nfb.ca).


30.


paddler who chooses to clothe himself in cotton, forgo a PFD and weild a paper map while carrying on through a storm. Watch it at www. rapidmedia.com/0244.


33.


Better quality recording, ever- evolving mounting systems and quality waterproofing mean that you can record your paddling adventures like never before. The smallest action cam of all is Pola- roid’s C3. Just a 35-millime- ter cube, it’s super tiny size could mean capturing angles never before seen.


24. 33. 34.


With the retelling of survival stories bravado often comes to overshadow misery. Not so for Marco Lavoie who set out on July 16 on a two-month canoe trip up the remote Nottaway River. Halfway through his trip, his site was ravaged by a bear and it became a survival mission to get out alive. When an injury later demobilized him, it was reported that he made the heartbreaking decision to kill and eat his German shepherd. Rescuers spotted his canoe and airlifted him out on October 30. He’d lost 90 pounds and doctors said he was in critical condition.


27.


www.canoerootsmag.com | 51


PHOTOS: COURTESY PHOENIX BOAT WORKS


PHOTO: COURTESY WWW.FIELDCANDY.COM PHOTO: COURTESY NFB.CA


PHOTOS: COURTESY POLAROID


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