March 19th, 2010 by admin

It’s been a few weeks since we checked in on Hayley Shepard and her efforts to kayak solo around South Georgia Island. At the time, she had just arrived at her destination, and was preparing to set out on her adventure, and now, three weeks later, she is off the water, and preparing to go home.

According to her blog, which she updated nearly everyday while paddling, yesterday should have been Hayley’s last day in the kayak. Unfortunately, due to a number of things beyond her control, she was unable to complete the circumnavigation of the island as she had intended. Strong winds, incredibly rough conditions, and logistics all conspired against her, and prevented her from making the serious attempt that she wanted.

But on a positive note, she doesn’t see these efforts as a failure at all, nor should she. After spending 3+ years planning this adventure, and funding it herself, she finally got the opportunity to visit the remote place she had been dreaming of for a very a long time. She also had 17 amazing days in her kayak exploring places that few people ever get to see, and she made the most of those days, testing herself as well. This is a perfect example of having everything well organized and planned, and being completely ready for the challenge, and still being unable to reach the finish line, and not unlike a climber who won’t see the summit, Hayley has no reason to feel down about her efforts. She gave it one heck of a try, but mother nature wasn’t all that cooperative.

Now that spring is just a few days away here in the Northern Hemisphere, things will begin to take a turn in the Southern. The always treacherous and demanding waters of the Southern Ocean will now take a turn for the worse, which means Hayley and her support crew will be heading home now, and they face another difficult journey across the Drake Passage. From there, it is back home to New Zealand, where she’ll no doubt begin planning her next adventure, although I wouldn’t rule out a return to South Georgia at some point.

March 3rd, 2010 by admin

Several months back I had the opportunity to test out a number of great gear items from Outdoor Research. At the time, I wrote a glowing review of the products that they sent my way, but little did I know that over time I would become even more impressed by those gear items. In fact, they are now amongst my most commonly used apparel when I head out on a trail, go climbing, or just kicking around town. That’s why I was so excited when I recently received a new OR Helium Jacket to review, although that jacket would have a lot to live up to from the other OR gear I was already using.

The Helium is a lightweight storm shell, and when I say lightweight, I mean very lightweight. In fact, the jacket is so thin that I actually had to weight for some warmer days before I could actually wear it and test it out. It has been unseasonably cool here in Austin, and while the Helium provides good protection from wind and rain, it isn’t the warmest jacket in the gear closet. That said, it isn’t meant to be either. This is the kind of jacket that compresses down to a very minimal size, and fits in your pack, without you realizing it’s even there, until you need to break it out.

Weighing just 6.8 ounces, the Helium is never-the-less, both waterproof and breathable, which is a great combination in any shell. Along with our unseasonably cool weather here in Texas of late, we’ve also had plenty of rain, and this jacket has weathered those conditions perfectly, keeping me dry, and comfortable in everything from a steady mist to a downpour. The water resistant zippers also worked well in all conditions and the hood served as a fine replacement when I managed to forgot my umbrella.

Like all the products I’ve used from OR, the Helium shows an excellent attention to details. For instance, the inside the zipper is a stormfap which helps to further prevent water from getting inside, and the stuff pocket is conveniently located on the inside of the jacket, which also makes for an excellent place to store small items that you want to keep dry as well. My iPod Nano fit in the pocket quite nicely, and continued to play away while the rain fell.

Perhaps best of all, this lightweight jacket does not constrict or hinder movement in any way. It is equally effective hiking a trail as it would be hanging on a rock face or in the seat of a kayak. On top of that, it looks good too. The first day I wore it out and about in town, I had a number of people compliment me on how it looked. While that’s not much of an indication on how it performs, nothing says you can’t hit the trail in style.

Outdoor Research’s logo is “Designed by Adventure” and personally, I think that’s pretty accurate. While it remains a somewhat lesser known brands when compared to the likes of Patagonia and the North Face, it’s is second to none in performance, fit, and function. The Helium definitely continues that tradition. (MSRP: $140)

Disclaimer: The Helium Jacket was provided to me by Outdoor Research for this review.

February 27th, 2010 by admin

It has been a more than a month since we checked in with Jake Stachovak and his Portage to Portage Expedition. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll probably remember that Jake is making a journey around the entire Eastern United States, completely by Kayak, beginning and ending in Portage, Wisconsin. He had already paddled down the length of the Mississippi River, and when we last checked in, he was heading out onto the Gulf of Mexico.

It took Jake 37 days to paddle the length of the Gulf Coast, including 30 days in the cockpit and seven days off for bad weather. Now he has turned his kayak north and is beginning to paddle up the Eastern Shore Board. According to his blog, he is currently in the Miami area, where he’s been enjoying some rest and relaxation, while he gears up for the next leg of the journey. He’s also headed over to the Sweetwater Kayaks Symposium being held in St. Petersburg this weekend, which gives him a good excuse to stay on dry land for a bit longer.

The rest of the journey will see him paddling up the East Coast of the U.S. to New York City, where he’ll navigate through canals into Lake Ontario. From there, he’ll paddle across the Great Lakes, to the Fox river, which will allow him to paddle upstream, back to Wisconsin, where he started the entire journey from.

Below, is a video of Jake as he officially leaves the Gulf of Mexico behind, paddling under the Highway 1 bridge in Florida, and entering into the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. He pauses long enough to share some thoughts on the journey thus far, but the hilarious captions that his home team put into the video before posting are what really makes it all work. Good stuff and a very cool adventure.

February 25th, 2010 by admin

Solo kayaker Hayley Shepard arrived at South Georgia Island yesterday, and according to her blog, the waters are as wild and challenging as she expected. Hayley reports that there are plenty of ice bergs off the shore of the island which sits in the Southern Ocean, not far from Antarctica, and the legendary weather systems are already playing havoc with her plans, as high winds have prevented her support boat from reaching safe anchorage at Eleshul Bay. She and the crew were hoping to reach that place today.

The arrival of her boat at South Georgia followed a week of travel from the Falklands across very rough seas. She’ll now spend a few days getting her gear together, and prepping her kayak, to begin her attempt to become the first person to make a solo kayaking expedition around that remote place.

Hayley mentions in her latest blog post that she is over joyed to finally be at the place that has been her goal for so long. She’s been plotting this expedition for more than five years, and is even self-funding it, just to see her dream come true. She mentions that the mountains, beaches, and the wildlife all feel more dramatic and welcoming than she had ever imagined, and now she’s more eager than ever to head out on the water.

While the entire paddle is “just” 375 miles in length, it will be extremely challenging none the less. The waters are beyond cold, and the weather is unpredictable and dangerous. Still, that’s the reason we visit these remote places right? And after a couple of starts and stops, and years of preparation, it seems that at long last Hayley will be getting underway soon. Expect updates on her progress in the days ahead.

February 17th, 2010 by admin

Last week I posted an update on Hayley Shepard, the woman who was preparing to make the first solo kayaking expedition around South Georgia Island in the Southern Ocean. When we last checked in, the expedition was in a bit of jeopardy due to the crew of her support vessel being down one member after Greg Landreth, the captain of the boat, was injured while making a rough crossing of the Drake Passage. Without a full crew, the Northanger wouldn’t be able to perform her duties adequately, which could have forced Hayley to make a journey around the Falklands instead. A noble venture to say the least, but not what she had originally intended to set out to do.

Fortunately, the New Zealander is going to get the opportunity to go after her goal after all. A post to her blog yesterday indicates that she is “South Georgia Bound“, after first mate Keri set down a few ground rules about how the trip would transpire. Basically, they’re going to be very cautious, as Greg’s leadership as the skipper of the boat will be missed immensely. If another crew member goes down, they’re turning back. If weather conditions get too challenging, they’re durning back. Hayley and the boat will stay in constant contact while she is paddling, and they will take their time, not racing a clock, to complete the journey.

At this point Hayley has to be overjoyed. She’s been planning this expedition for years, and is even self-funding the trip, all so she can challenge herself in one of the harshest ocean environments around. The 375 mile paddle isn’t about the distance, it’s about the harsh conditions, which is the appeal to many adventurers that make their way to that part of the world.

So, the expedition is on! We should begin getting updates from South Georgia in a few days time. Good luck to Hayley and the whole crew.

February 13th, 2010 by admin

About a month back I posted a story about Hayley Shepard, who was planning on making a solo kayaking expedition around South Georgia Island, something had never been done before. Today we get an update on her progress, courtesy of ExWeb, and so far, things are not going quite as Hayley had planned.

The New Zealand woman and her support team set out on January 30th, as planned. Everyone was aboard the Northanger, which is the name of the ship that Hayley hired to act as her support vessel and emergency back-up, something that was required by the New Zealand government before she could set out.

For those that don’t know, South Georgia is a very remote island located in the Southern Ocean, not far from Antarctica itself. The weather, as is typical throughout the region, is wild and unpredictable, and simply making the voyage across the Drake Passage to the island can be quite an adventure, even under the best of conditions. Apparently, these weren’t even remotely close to the best of conditions as Hayley wrote on her blog that they experienced four days of incredibly bad storms, which tossed them all about and left Greg Landreth, the owner and skipper of the Northanger injured.

Due to the injuries to the captain, the ship diverted course and traveled to the Falklands Islands, arriving on the 7th of February. Landreth was immediately taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery on his hand, and while he is expected to make a full recovery, his injury leaves the ship down a crew member, which is now threatening the entire expedition.

Fast forward to today, and Hayley and the crew ares till in the Falklands, where they are plotting what to do next. She has posted an ad looking for someone to join the crew in hopes that she can resume her journey to South Georgia, which is where the real adventure was suppose to begin. But she has also not ruled out the possibility of kayaking around the Falklands, something that has never been done by a woman before.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what becomes of the expedition. Hopefully, Hayley will get her shot at South Georgia, something she’s been planning for some time. Keep in mind, she is also self-funding the expedition, and is doing so to raise awareness of the plight of the Albatross and other sea birds.

February 3rd, 2010 by admin

Adventure travel website Wild Junket has a great story up today listing eight adventurous spots from around the world. The article actually links each of the locations with an adventurous activity that will give travelers a challenge, while fueling their desire for adrenaline fueled fun in unique places around the world.

The eight spots listed are, as you can imagine, all quite unique and interesting. Starting with rock climbing in Jordan, their number eight selection, gets things rolling with a great suggestion that isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you consider a destination for climbing. Likewise, number seven on the list is Thailand, where they suggest you go sea kayaking. There are a lot of things that you can do in Thailand, but generally sea kayaking isn’t the first that comes to mind. Other locations that make the list include Borneo (caves and jungles!), South Africa (sand boarding), and Australia, which is lauded for its great scuba diving.

We’re now a month into the new year (Where did January go by the way?), and it’s time to start putting together our own travel adventures for the year ahead. Over the weekend, I began to do just that, and my destination corresponds with their number one choice as well, which is Nepal, where they recommend mountain trekking. As it just so happens, that’s what I’ll be doing. The plan is to head up to Everest Base Camp in April. Hopefully it’ll all come together, and I’m sure I’ll be sharing more on that as we get closer to the spring.

So? What’s on your agenda for 2010? What adventures are you planning and what remote place is calling to you?

Thanks to the Wend Blog for the heads up on this cool story.

January 20th, 2010 by admin

A couple of weeks back I mentioned the Portage to Portage Kayak Expedition, in which paddler Jake Stachovak is attempting to circumnavigate the Eastern U.S. by kayak along an interesting route that begins and ends in Wisconsin. Along the way, he’ll pass along the Mississippi River, into the Gulf of Mexico, up the Atlantic Coast, into the Great Lakes, and finally along a river back to where he started.

When checking his progress today, I discovered that he has completed the first leg of that expedition by reaching the Gulf. Considering the cold weather conditions and blizzards that he was dealing with back in December when he first launched, he has to be feeling good about the warmer weather he’s experiencing now. It seems like he’s making good time, but then again, when you watch the video below, you’ll understand why. I found this over at CanoeKayak.com, and while it’s mostly just a view of Jake paddling, and telling a rather silly joke, the subtitles, most likely supplied by his support team are pretty amusing. On top of that, we discover that Jake takes 76 paddle strokes a minute, which is fairly impressive, and helps to explain how he reached the Gulf already.

Of course, he still has a long ways to go, and paddling in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean won’t be nearly as easy as the Mississippi River. But, it seems that Jake his happy with his progress so far, and is determined to paddle all the way home.

January 14th, 2010 by admin

I caught wind of this expedition on the Canoe & Kayak Magazine website, where they have posted an interview with Hayley Shephard, a New Zeland woman who intends to paddle solo around South Georgia Island.

Hayley’s circumnavigation attempt may not sound all that challenging at first. After all, it’s a “mere” 375 miles around South Georgia. But when you take into account that the island is located in a very remote area of the Southern Ocean, some 870 miles from its nearest neighbor, and that the region is legendary for its incredibly bad weather, you start to have an appreciation for what she hopes to accomplish. The coastline is said to be both rugged and beautiful, and there will be few places where Hayley will be able to escape the elements. The place is so remote and foreboding in fact, that no had circumnavigated it by kayak until 2005, when a team led by Andrew McAuley accomplished the feat, and an indicator of how dangerous it can be, is the fact that she’s required by the New Zealand Government to have a support vessel with her at all times.

As you might expect, Hayley will be attempting this epic paddle for cause. She hopes to raise awareness in the general public about the plight of the albatross, a sea bird that she has come to love in her many wanderings at sea. She says that many of the birds, as well as other species, are being killed by outdated fishing techniques used in the commercial fishing industry. She hopes to put pressure on that industry to adopt some new techniques that won’t endanger the birds.

In the C&K interview, Hayley talks about her thoughts on why she wants to make this journey, how she had prepared for it, and why it has been delayed for several years. This year, in order to achieve her dream, she took out a loan, essentially going into debt, to see this expedition through. You have to really admire someone who is willing to self fund their own adventures in order to chase their dreams.

Find out more about Hayley and her expedition at KayakingToSaveAlbatross.com

January 10th, 2010 by admin

Back in early December, paddler Jake Stachovak launched his Portage to Portage Paddling Project that will see him circumnavigate the entire eastern United States by kayak. The 5000 mile journey began in Portage, Wisconsin, and if all goes as planned, will end there too.

Stachovak will paddle down the length of the Mississippi River, then turn east across the Gulf of Mexico. He’ll then travel down the west coast of Florida, before making the turn at the Keys. From there, he’ll go north up the entire east coast of the U.S. to New York City. The 34-year old adventure paddler will then navigate through some canals into Lake Ontario, which will allow him to cross the Great Lakes, returning to Green Bay Wisconsin, where he’ll connect up with the Fox River, and finish his journey back to Portage.

The expedition got underway back on Dec. 6th, but a massive snow storm in the Midwest caused him to abandon the river for a short time. Jake relaunched near St. Louis on the 12th, and has been making progress ever since. You can more about his adventure on the official website and follow along with Jake’s progress on the Trip Blog.

I love that Jake says his inspiration for doing this trip was to show to everyone that adventures still exist, and they can be found right in our own backyard. I never would have thought about a route like this one, but it’s exceptionally cool.