News stories tagged with "paddle"

(10/06/10) A New Jersey woman spent most of this summer paddling from the Adirondacks to Maine. Cathy Mumford is the first woman to solo through-paddle the entire 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail. During her 62-day kayak odyssey she passed through 22 rivers and streams, 56 miles of lakes, 55 miles of portages in 62 carries and three national wildlife refuges. The trail crosses northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Quebec. NFCT officials say fewer than 30 paddlers have completed the full length of water trail in a single trip, since it was completed in 2006. Mumford grew up along the shores of a reservoir in Colts Neck, New Jersey. With her children grown, and after being laid off from her job, Mumford wanted to take a long-distance kayak trip that would allow for some soul-searching. Now, she plans to share the challenge of wilderness tripping with young women, and write about her experiences. Todd Moe spoke with Mumford about the summer trek, celebrating her 50th birthday on the water and relying on her 9-foot plastic kayak, nicknamed "Sparky".

(09/28/10) An Old Forge couple spent most of this spring and summer outdoors. Catherine and Ryan Thompson paddled the Northern Forest Canoe Trail from Old Forge to Maine, and then hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. They began the nearly 3,000 mile journey from the Adirondacks to Georgia, by canoe and foot, in April. They finished their trek last Thursday. This was their fourth backpacking adventure together. Todd Moe talks with them about life on the water and trail.

(05/04/07) It's a big paddling weekend in Canton. Saturday and Sunday are the 46th Annual Rushton Memorial Canoe Races on the Grasse River. Among the racers in the college student category will be a team from St. Lawrence University who built their own canoe. David Sommerstein visited their workshop when the canoe was under construction for today's Heard Up North.

(07/07/06) Heavy rain this summer has been tough on farmers and on the North Country's tourism business. But the wet weather is great news for whitewater paddlers. Many streams that would usually be bony and dry are still flush. Brian Mann paddled the East Branch of the Ausable River and sent this audio postcard.

(05/15/06) The Ausable River flows from the Adirondack Mountains down into Lake Champlain. At its mouth, the river divides into winding channels. The Ausable Marsh, just south of Plattsburgh, is one of the wildest places on the lake. Brian Mann went on a solo paddle on a rainy Saturday and sent this audio postcard.

(12/29/05) The end of the year is a time for looking back. And one major thing that happened this year at the station was that we got a new reporter, Gregory Warner. He had only been here a couple of months when he set out with Brian Mann to explore the Whitney Wilderness. It was Gregory's first time in a canoe, a fact he wasn't able to keep secret for long...

(06/28/04) The Kesagami River flows north through some of the wildest country in Ontario, before draining into James Bay. Earlier this month, a group led by St. Lawrence University's outdoor program paddled the river. The ten-day expedition was part of a research effort aimed at producing the first detailed guidebook for whitewater rivers in the region. Brian Mann made the trip this year and sends this audio postcard.

Production Note: Portions of the audio in Brian's story sound distorted because his microphones were soaked repeatedly with river water.

(05/11/04) The high water season of spring gives paddlers an opportunity to run the North Country's best stretches of whitewater. Every year the Adirondack Mountain Club's Laurentian chapter sponsors a classic run on the Grasse River in southwestern St. Lawrence County. From the put-in at Lampson Falls to the town of Russell, the river roars down 9 cascades and miles of rapids. David Sommerstein hitched a ride in the trip leader's canoe and sends this audio postcard.

(07/18/02) The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton hosts the Fifth Annual Festival of Oar, Paddle and Sail this Saturday, July 20th. From sailing races to a cardboard boat parade, museum spokeswoman Charlotte Yehle says this year's event is the biggest yet.

(05/06/02) Canoe season is in full flood - both for recreational boaters and more focused paddlers. Races opened the season in earnest on rivers across the North Country. In Canton, C-1 Pro World Championships headlined the 41st annual Rushton races. The Teva Black River Rodeo brought kayaking pros to the Black River in Watertown. And wintry weather ended just in time for the hundreds of boaters gathered from around the country for the 45th annual Hudson River Whitewater Derby in North Creek. Brian Mann dropped by for the race and sends this audio postcard.