Monthly Archives: April 2013

Props to Frank Clifford

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Frank Clifford joined me on an awesome canoe trip in February down the lower canyons of the Rio Grande. He wrote a great article that was just published in the May/June Sierra magazine. Check it out. It’s an accurate synopsis of the journey and I only shook my head once while reading it. After the pin, Frank implied that I entertained the possibility of “rescue”. That thought never entered my mind. I was positive we would get that canoe off the rock and I was positive we would be able to make it seaworthy again. And if I had been wrong I was positive we would be able to readjust our loads and complete our mission in three canoes. But elsewhere in the article, including the wonderful sighting of a panther bounding up a cliff face, Frank was right on and his skilled prose took me right back to the … Continue reading →

BWCA makes American Rivers 2013 List of Endangered Rivers

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American Rivers named the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness among America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2013 today. American Rivers is a leading environmental organization working to protect and restore the nation’s rivers and streams.  Since 1973, American Rivers has fought to help protect and restore more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and the annual release of “America’s Most Endangered Rivers”. American Rivers believes that the proximity of a proposed copper nickel mine near the South Kawishiwi River threatens the water quality of that watershed. The mine, proposed within the Superior National Forest but just outside the wilderness area, would produce large quantities of waste rock, sulfuric acid, and a variety of toxic metals. This is a reputable environmental outfit and their annual list of endangered rivers is short. The fact that the BWCA made the list shows a depth of concern. What makes sulfide mining … Continue reading →

Back from the Ozarks

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Three great river trips.

The Buffalo, AR

The Eleven Point, MO

The North Fork of the White, MO

Blue water, a burst of spring, lively current, great campfires, curious birds, mammals and even a hellbender, solitude and wonderful tripping companions

The Buffalo River

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Getting a little headstart on the paddling season by exploring the Ozarks. First  five days on the Buffalo leading an Uncommon Seminars LLC trip. Great adventure on an aquamarine river and summer-like temperatures (at least the last day was summer-like). Now enroute to the Eleven Point River in Missouri to scout for possible spring 2014 Uncommon Seminar trips.  Louisiana Water Thrushes, Red Shouldered Hawks, Elk, Otters and a Woodchuck. 71 miles of light rapids and one rock bluff after the next, oh yes, and a waterfall 200 feet high.