Thought I'd let y'all know that I completed a leg of my big river trip recently

I haven't done a write-up or posted pictures at my Flickr site yet. I paddled a total of 860-kms along the remaining section of the Saskatchewan Watershed up in northern Canada. I started at the Borden Bridge, near Borden, Saskatchewan and put out at Grand Rapids, Manitoba, where the river drains into the north end of Lake Winnipeg. Next year I expect to do the run from Grand Rapids to Hudson Bay...that leg, the final leg of my big river trip that began in 2002, will end the river section of my ultimate goal: to paddle from the Alberta Rockies to Newfoundland via the northern route (Arctic/Atlantic Oceans). For those of you who do not know, I am doing this trip in a Waters Dancing Lightning 17...a S&G kayak. Don't let the fact that your kayak is made of wood deter you from doing big trips...they can take a beating and are easy to repair. ;)

Robert N Pruden 

 


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RE: Thought I'd let y'all know that I completed a leg of my big river trip recently

Robert,

Glad to hear you're still around. Haven't heard too much from you since your forray to Texas, hanging out with Kurt. Looking forward to seeing the pics from the last leg.

George K

RE: Thought I'd let y'all know that I completed a leg of my big river trip recently

Waters dancing seems similar to the WR 180 being a multichine, is it? Are you pleased with the design? Is it a fast boat?

RE: Thought I'd let y'all know that I completed a leg of my big river trip recently

I am very pleased with its design. Generally speaking, its a fast kayak. The new Solace design is, however, faster. That said, I can pack enough food and provisions for 30 days of paddling (dehydrated food, small gear).

RE: Thought I'd let y'all know that I completed a leg of my big river trip recently

I am in the process of building a Solace 17EX right now.  Sounds like quite the trip.  Can't wait to hear more about it.  Also glad to hear first hand opinions of the water's dancing boats.

RE: Thought I'd let y'all know that I completed a leg of my big river trip recently

Congrats, Pruden--an amazing undertaking, and to think you're actually DOING  it.  We are all utterly green with envy.

 While you were gone, we tried to carry on as best we could.  Kurt would post jokes from old Reader's Digests that he keeps in the outhouse back yonder behind the carport, and Laszlo would re-type Letterman's monologue from the previous evening.  John's working on the script for his "Funniest Home Video", based on small car pulling a big sailboat up to Maine next winter.

But nothing worked.  Truth be told, none of us has a sense of humor.

You sound as though you're still a bit stiff from paddling but once you are back in form, we are looking for more from the Mark Twain of kayaking.

RE: Thought I'd let y'all know that I completed a leg of my big river trip recently

Been digging through the old messages, Camp...figured I'd catch up with you now. I am delaying the rest of my cross-Canada kayaking thing so that I can drive my new purchase, a 2007 Honda Accord EXL, across Canada with two kayaks on the roof. I am taking the VJ and a Night Heron S&G (currently building) and my new squeeze (introducing Linda) complete with camping gear and a couple of good paddles. I have been busy doing things not kayak related other than doing the odd paddle here and there. Didn't do any interesting paddles this year, was too busy finishing up the divorce (all done now) and deciding how I was gonna lead the rest of my life. Luckily for me, Linda loves kayaking and might even get into building them with me. :) I was going to paddle to Hudson Bay this year but changed my mind after Harper insulted les quebecois with his idiotic political commentary. I decided that I would drive across Canada instead and plunk the kayaks on intersting bodies of water along the way. I will end up at the Bay of Fundy (ultimate driving goal) and drop the kayaks there for a salt water forray. I know the whales go there to feed so I hope to get some good close up shots of them. I have no real itinerary for the trip because I prefer to do such trips with no more of an agenda than what spontinaity allows. I am also going to keep a detailed daily journal complete with photographs and voice recordings of the journey. I figure I might be able to get a book out of it if I opt to go that route. My only hope is that I don't find some kind of rapid to "accidently" paddle through. One rebuild per life is sufficient, wouldn't you say. Let me know if you are somewhere near my route and I will stop by and say hello.

 

Robert N Pruden

RE: Thought I'd let y'all know that I completed a leg of my big river trip recently

Great update, Robert.  Bay of Fundy would be a heck of a place to paddle.

Hey Linda, good to meet you.  As time goes on, you will hear all kinds of stuff about Pruden.  Don't believe any of it, it's not true.  He's ok, pretty much.  OK, that's an exaggeration. But still, you could do worse.  

RP, We need a pen name before you finish this book.  Sam Clemens got his by the two words he constantly heard on the boat as the soundings were taken--Mark! Twain!

I know.  How about "Oops Drat"?

Hah!

Yo think I'm gonna let her read this after that assessment? NAWWWWT!! truth is, for some reason I can see her in my minds eye already agreeing with you...kinda...she does croon about being around me. Not sure if that is just phermones or if she really does like me. Hee! Hee! She is a good girl and knows what is good for her so if she has opted to hang around with me then I must be ok. ;) Pen name, huh! Hmm...here is one for you: Mr. Upcreek Shitzin Widnopaddle

 

US Widnopaddle

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