Winter Roll Sessions

The Viking Canoe Club will be hosting winter roll sessions at Shawnee High School's indoor pool this January and February. They will be on Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following dates:

• January 9
• January 30
• February 20
• February 27

For more info check out the Viking calendar or their forum.

Breaks Interstate Park

The recent snow storm in Eastern Kentucky left it's beautiful mark on the mountains at the Breaks Interstate Park. Patrick Jeffreys was there when the storm hit and took this great photo.

Big Bend National Park

Part of Camping Blogger's top five parks to visit in 2010, The Bardstown Boaters will be doing just that in January.

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park, in southwest Texas, is one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States and is the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the country. The varied terrain of the park ranges from an elevation of 1,800 feet along the Rio Grande River, to 7,800 feet in the Chisos Mountains. There are three campgrounds in the park, including Cottonwood, Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Village.

People in Yosemite: A TimeLapse Study

Yosemite is bigger than Rhode Island at almost 800,000 acres, but it receives about 3.5 million visitors each year, and most of them spend time in Yosemite Valley.

Downtown Development Authority approves funding for design of Grand River whitewater course in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids Whitewater is a group of individuals, paddling clubs, fishermen and businesses dedicated to helping Green Grand Rapids achieve the dream of putting rapids back in the Grand for everyone’s enjoyment. It is our goal to partner with the city to create a safer, more exciting river experience.

Read more …

Lightweight Food Options

From Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking

A couple years ago I purchased a dehydrator because I was convinced I was going to be backpacking on a near daily basis. After all, dehydrating is what “real backpackers” did and that was my goal. Well, marriage, kids, and eternal responsibility have a way of clarifying reality. In as much as I’d like to use the dehydrator for the backpacking trips I am able to schedule in the midst of balancing life, I use it a lot less than I expected both because it is a bit of a hassle and often I just don’t have the time to deal with it. When I’m pinched for time or need something quick, my options for trail food either include food from the local grocery store or lightweight options available from online sources.

With that, I thought I’d mention a few food sites offering lightweight options which I enjoy.

Both Enertia Trail Foods (http://www.trailfoods.com/#) and Pack-It Gourmet (http://www.packitgourmet.com/) are likely the best known dehydrated vendors aside from those at REI. To me anyway, these meals taste better and offer solid nutrition.

Harmony House Foods (http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/) offers quite a bit of stuff which includes sizeable portions of only add-in (i.e. beans, spices, tomatoes, cheese, butter powder, etc.). Much like Just Veggies (http://www.justtomatoes.com/), they offer items which are nice contributions to any meal and can be used to add taste, nutrition, or just to mix it up.

Aside from, well, “permanently borrowing” (i.e. stealing) from fast food vendors, have you ever wondered where you can get single use packets of things like salt, pepper, relish, mustard, etc.? The answer is Minimus Biz (http://www.minimus.biz/).

If you’re looking for a healthier version of jerky, check out Paleokits (http://paleokits.bigcartel.com/) who sell jerky, nuts, and berries with less sugar and carbs.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, Meal Pack (http://mealpack.com/) offers meal replacement options in the form of a bar the size of a standard Cliff Bar. It is packed with calories and might be a good idea if you need to boost your energy with a mega dump of calories (energy). It might also be a decent emergency food option in case you are late making it off the trail.

Few products offer the punch of necessary fat and calories in a lightweight package like peanut butter. If you want to carry something with differing tastes in a single serving container, check out Justin’s Nut Butter (http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/).

All of these vendors are identified on the side of my blog in addition to many other links which might help you on your backpacking journey.

Kayak Trip From Springs to Bays

From member Danielle Hutchins:

I have attached the information and registration forms for a kayak trip for Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend (January 15th-18th). The deadline for registration is January 5th. We will kayak in three different bodies of water in northwest Florida: a spring-fed river, a cypress pond, and a shallow bay. We'll meet in Marianna, Florida, between Pensacola and Tallahassee. It is 3 hours east of Mobile and 8 hours south of Nashville. Call Join us if you can.

Click here for all the information.