Canoeing / Kayaking / Paddle Boarding / Rafting
The water is 32 degrees
Two canoeists paddled into the Duluth Ship Canal Thursday morning. They took turns standing up in the canoe, getting out and standing on a chunk of ice. They took photos of each other. (more…)
Paddling the Pier
Photographer A. Hoppenyan of Noct Studium studio took this photo last night at sunset on Lake Superior next to the Duluth Shipping Canal. The identity of the person in the shot is unknown. Hoppenyan would like to get a print of the photo to the mystery paddle boarder, so give a shout if you can provide a clue.
Late on the Water
I arrive at the paddleboard shop on Barker’s Island in Superior just before noon. Because I learned to paddleboard last spring, and because winters are long, I need a refresher on how to attach the folding seat and ankle strap to the board. (I don’t need a crash course on how to tie my shoes—they have Velcro straps.) Last year after I connected the seat and strap to my board, they stayed put until I deflated it in the fall. Heather, co-owner of North Shore SUP, helps me. (She’s friendly and supportive and would show me how to tie my shoes, if needed. It took me a long time to learn to tie them when I was a kid.)
It’s July 16, and I will paddleboard for the first time this summer. I’ve lost a month because a long, cold spring latched onto the heels of a long, cold winter. Toss in stormy weather plus the three days a week I provide daycare for my grandkids, and getting out on my board slid to the bottom of my list. (more…)
I stopped saying I wanted to learn to paddleboard and just did it
After a Saturday fling with a paddle board on Superior Bay, I was smitten. Within an hour of finishing my lesson, I wanted one. I experienced this same love-at-first-try feeling forty years ago when I cross-country skied for the first time and rushed out to buy skis. I used those skis for years. (more…)
Duluth Adventures: An Encyclopedia of Human-powered Multisport Adventures
I’ve been a bit obsessed with planning human-powered multisport adventures in Northeastern Minnesota. Even within Duluth city limits, the options for loops are nearly endless. I was curious if anyone else out there had done similar trips in the past. Then I thought about how cool it would be to have a documentation of many routes for others to explore, want to replicate, or spur their creativity for a new route/loop. And Duluth Adventures was born!
Check out duluthadventures.com. This website pretty much hinges on other people’s submissions so I strongly encourage anyone to navigate to the “submit” button and send in their own routes.
Video Archive: Illgen Falls Huckamania
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41ex3_9vzHY
Andy McMurray uploaded this video to YouTube ten years ago today — Sept. 5, 2008. It shows a group of Duluth kayakers plunging down Illgen Falls at the Baptism River, about 60 miles northeast of Duluth. The video also details the work a video crew went through to set up shots — rigging highlines, pulleys and ropes.
The video was described on Perfect Duluth Day in 2008 as “tightrope walking meets kayak boating.”
Video: Lester River Race 2018
Video of last weekend’s Lester River whitewater kayak race by Blue Forest Films.
Creamy Stouts on the Brule
Clint Massey plunges down the Brule River in this short video by Brian Robin and Jesse Credille, shot April 22.
Paddling in and around Lake Superior
Highlights from a year of paddling in and around Lake Superior — St. Louis, Lester, Cascade, Beaver and Baptism rivers; Lester point break, Duluth and Apostle Islands.
Price Check: Kayaks
Price checking kayaks is like shopping for puppies, with so many colors and personalities. There might never be a perfect time to get a puppy, but May is damn-near the perfect time to buy a kayak. The summer bug starts crawlin’ in with dreams of sunshine and light campfires. (more…)
Video: Lester River Race 2016
Point-of-view video of a run during last weekend’s Lester River Race in Duluth.
Duluth & North Shore Kayaking on NPR
NPR’s weekly sports show ended with a feature on the area’s whitewater kayaking. Hear Only A Game’s story on SoundCloud.
Canoe Repair in Duluth
Being Duluth has been recognized as the Outdoor mecca we all know it to be, it seems someone around here would do canoe repairs. Does anyone know of someone who does? I have a Tripper that needs patching and I don’t have the know how or the space. Any help would be great.
Stationary Kayaking on Chester Creek
The first four seconds of this video is the gonzo adventure part, but the next three minutes and 26 seconds of trying to get out of the water is pretty good comedy.
Canoeing the Duluth area
Entirely not enough PDD attention has been devoted to canoeing small rivers in the area. Yesterday, we canoed the Brule, a formidable opponent when the water is low, any other favorites? Has anyone put in at Jay Cooke and gone all the way to the mouth in an aluminum canoe?
Good place to buy a used canoe?
I’m thinking about buying a canoe and would like your advice on the best local places. A used canoe would be perfectly fine as long as it is not going to leak. I’ve heard some of the outfitters up by the boundary waters sell used canoes from time to time but don’t know where or when to look for these sales. Any recommendations about places to avoid would be welcome too.
Arrowhead Journey – Erik Simula – 1000 mile canoe journey
Arrowhead Journey 1000 Mile Canoe Journey
While on a hike this afternoon with my dog near Grand Marais I met Erik Simula on a unique canoeing journey. Erik is a Duluth native and he is in the midst of a 1000 mile Minnesota canoe journey spread of the next 3 months. The journey started in Grand Portage on earth day April 22nd and Erik will paddle and portage his way from Grand Portage to Duluth to Grand Rapids to International Falls and back to Grand Portage in time for the 2009 annual rendezvous on August 7th. O’yea….BTW… All in a canoe he made by hand and with his paddling partner dog Kitigan. Click Here for the details of his trip on Erik Simua’s blog. Good Luck Erik!
See a couple more pictures I took during my brief conversation with him on the shores of Lake Superior as he landed on shore to camp due to the poor wind conditions and rough seas for paddling. Hopefully he will be in Duluth within the next week or so!! Here is the url to his web site: https://arrowheadjourney.wordpress.com/