Canoeing

Bianca Boettcher

Oh the Places I Went

Sylvania - main floor Sat 10:30am-11:15am

Bear - upstairs Sat 12:30pm-1:15pm

Sylvania - main floor Sun 12:30pm-1:15pm

Peter Frank

4,853 mile eastern US circumnavigation by canoe

Bear - upstairs Fri 3:30pm-4:15pm

Bear - upstairs Sat 9:30am-10:15am

Algonquin - main floor Sat 2:30pm-3:15pm

On October 20th at 9:43am, Peter Frank completed the circumnavigation of the eastern United States, "The Great Loop", becoming one of the few people to complete the route by paddle. The journey, spanning 5,043 miles, was performed solely by canoe, and took 500 days to reach the destination from whence it began. There was no dedicated support crew, he spent most nights in a tent, apart from the times he was hosted by strangers whom he met along the way. Peter started at 22 years old, and crossed ... Read More

Tracy & Nick Georgiade

Campfire to Canoe: Hands-On Mastery of Gear, Systems, and Skills for Traditional Canoe Tripping

BWCA - main floor Sat 12:30pm-1:15pm

Superior - main floor Sun 1:30pm-2:15pm

Step into the past - and the present - with a hands-on exploration of the gear and techniques that continue to define northern canoe travel. In this interactive workshop, Tracy and Nick demonstrate the art of traditional canoe tripping, from balancing a tumpline and packing a wannigan to understanding the craftsmanship behind a wood-canvas canoe.

Participants are invited to handle authentic equipment still used on modern Temagami expeditions, learning how traditional tools ... Read More

Martin Koch

Buffalo National River

Superior - main floor Sat 1:30pm-2:15pm

Kyle Parker

What a Cross-Country Canoe Journey Taught Me

Quetico - main floor Sat 10:30am-11:15am

Quetico - main floor Sat 4:30pm-5:15pm

Quetico - main floor Sun 11:30am-12:15pm

In this reflective and engaging presentation, long-distance paddler Parker.paddles shares the deeper story behind his cross-country canoe expedition, not just the 5,000 miles traveled, but the mindset shaped along the way. Over months of navigating from Neah Bay, Washington to Key Largo, Florida through remote rivers, wild weather, and long stretches of solitude, Parker discovered unexpected lessons about resilience, fear, trust, time, and the quiet, profound kindness of strangers met along the ... Read More

Bear Paulsen

Canoeing to the Arctic Prairies

Quetico - main floor Fri 4:30pm-5:15pm

Quetico - main floor Sun 12:30pm-1:15pm

Bear, his wife, Claire, and son, Dashwa paddled for almost a month to reach the Arctic Prairies. They began the trip on Damant Lake near the headwaters of the Elk River in the land of little sticks. For almost two hundred miles they hiked and camped on eskers, which snaked sinuously across the country. Then, on the Thelon River, they visited the ruined cabin of John Hornby, an eccentric Englishman, who starved there one hundred years ago. The last 200 miles of their 600-mile trip passed through ... Read More

Don Richard, Chuck Rose

Northern Tier-Bissett: Tales from 50 Years of Scouting's Most Extreme High Adventure Program. Wilderness Canoeing, Gold, Float Planes, and Three-Legged Polar Bears

Sylvania - main floor Sat 11:30am-12:15pm

Bear - upstairs Sun 1:30pm-2:15pm

Lost.

Or the portage trail was, anyway. Ten Boy Scouts and their four adult leaders found themselves confused, at least temporarily, along the shore of an unnamed pothole. As frustration mounted, they pitched their tents on a big rock near the shore.

From this humble beginning, Northern Tier launched a 50-year program where nearly 16,000 participants (so far) have logged 100,000 camper days of some of Scouting's most extreme highest adventure outpost, near and in ... Read More

Kris Simonson

How to Go Solo at Any Age

Superior - main floor Fri 3:30pm-4:15pm

Algonquin - main floor Sat 9:30am-10:15am

BWCA - main floor Sun 10:30am-11:15am

Traveling solo can be intimidating, especially as we age. When I started my attempts at solo BWCA trips, I struggled with gear weight, safe travel systems, and managing my own expectations. Came learn about the changes I made to lighten my gear and the physical and mental preparation that have allowed me to safely expand beyond entry point lakes. Learn about strategies to pare your gear to a weight that can be single portaged.

Calem Watson

Alone Across the Northwest Territories

Quetico - main floor Fri 3:30pm-4:15pm

BWCA - main floor Sun 1:30pm-2:15pm

Jared Wold

A Beginner's Guide to Exploring Moving Water

BWCA - main floor Fri 4:30pm-5:15pm