WIND & WAVES

When the winds from the North don't venture forth.

Back in the Midwest, I never really got used to the wind. It was somewhere between an icy blast from the North. It's a tornadic rage from the west or a fiery blow torch from the South. Cool breezes were rare, calm days even more. The wind always seemed to be blowing. I can still remember those white-capped Minnesota lakes pushing the boats around.
As a kayaker, the wind is always advantageous. I can tolerate snow. Paddle through the rain on any day.
But it's always those stiff gusty winds that will prove to be the most troublesome. The wind is arguably the biggest environmental factor that can turn my otherwise beautiful kayaking day into a major struggle.

The America Canoe Association, Outdoor Adventures Kayaking book, published in 2009, says that the wind, particularly in touring and sea kayaking, where the paddler is exposed to large expanses of open water is usually the biggest factor to be concerned with. The instructional resource book says, "Wind causes two problems for the kayaker. First, a wind coming from any direction, except head-on, tends to weathervane the boat, sweeping it sideways toward the destination. This not only throws the boater off course but also makes the kayak feel less stable since it is being pushed sideways across the water."
The book went on to say what every experienced paddler already knows. Headwinds can quickly tire you out and make that destination you are heading for seem to take forever to get to. While a good tailwind can be a paddler's friend as long as the winds continue to blow in the direction you are traveling.
The wind is what makes waves. The unobstructed length of water over which wind can blow is called "Wind Fetch." The strength of the wind and the time it blows over the open water will determine the height of waves. The highest energy waves will form where there is a long expanse of unblocked water and sustaining high winds. So yes, kayaking can certainly be a wonderful experience on a lake like Lake Tahoe, but with some 22 miles of "Fetch" it can also be a tiger when the afternoon winds come up pushing large waves.
So, while the not the ocean, big lakes can have winds over 10-mph be dramatically change paddling conditions and change your relaxing experience into a Peloton workout in no time. Our Sierra foothills lakes can often be accompanied by a stiff westerly afternoon wind requiring some intermediate boating skills to take on the rough and choppy lake swells. Over the years, I've learned many of my favorite paddling lakes consistence bad habits of strong gust beginning in the late morning and continuing throughout the day but eventually dying down towards evening.

Plan your kayak routes and canoes around the expected wind patterns in your area. Mornings and evenings are best for excursions to avoid those breezy gusts of the afternoon that will make your paddling day and anyone you like to paddle with much easier.
But while nobody wants to paddle into a headwind, it can be an exhilarating exercise.

"If the waves are rolling and you are forced to make your way against them, there is the joy of battle," writes canoe guru Sigurd Olson, "Each comber an enemy to be thwarted, a problem in approach and defense."
I can share a bit of Olson's glee. But only for a little while. I prefer dodging the gust and waves and seeking protection along the calmer shore and around islands blocking the strong gusts and fighting the wind for shorter periods of short distances. At least, that is always my plan when the wind comes up.

 
 

Lake Comanche 

California's Camanche Reservoir, located east of Lodi, was named after the gold-mining town of Camanche built-in 1849, referring to the fierce southern plains' native American tribe by the same name. The town, now long gone at the bottom of the lake, is only a memory. But on breezy days, the waterway can live up to its fierce namesake when the northern winds toss whitecaps over the lake.
John Taylor and I have battled strong winds before. Both on the Sierra high Loon Lake and even on those blustery days on Lake Natoma. We've struggled to keep our group together on foothills finger Lake Clementine when the afternoon wind picked up. I have had to help a couple of tired paddlers back to the access by towing them along.
It was choppy when we started out on Lake Comanche. We headed out across the broad expanse of the lake from one of the many accesses of the Camanche Recreation Company campground and day-use area. We paddled to the east and found protection in the narrows of the lake. The high cliffs along the lake's east shores resemble a mini–Grand Canyon experience with tall multicolored rock formations on each side of us. After the narrows, we paddled into an area of grassy beaches called China Gulch, where we enjoyed wildlife views of eagles and otters.

Knowing the winds were picking up, we did not dare go further. Turning back into the wind, we knew it would be a battle to return to an even further access point where our truck was parked. When average wind speeds begin to climb into the 15 to 20 mile per hour range, that is when it’s time to get off the water. Anything above 20 miles per hour starts to become downright dangerous. We didn't know if it was blowing 10, 15, or even, 20 mph. All we knew was it was time for plan B. We needed to get off the lake as soon as possible.

Most lake paddlers start and finish at the same location. But wind can derail that plan. So, if you even have the slightest inkling that heavy winds could hamper your return, make sure you identify one or two other shoreline locations where you can land your craft if you can’t make it back to your starting location. There is no reason to tough it out, out there. Always think safety first.

I set my sights on a point on the other side of the lake. It was an island in high water, A peninsula when the lake is low. Either way, it would be our alternate landing.
The wind and waves seemed to push us backward as we slowly paddled toward the peninsula. John in canoe trailed behind became a tiny yellow speck slipping over the tops of the whitecaps. As we all know, canoes sit a bit higher in the water and are a little more wind prone than kayaks. John was in a real battle against nature.

"The beast's claws scraped at the sky from the water below," wrote Natalie Warren in her book Hudson Bay Bound about the lashing waves of Lake Winnipeg," The large swells grew taller and sharper, threatening to crest and crash with each peak. If we swamped here, we would be trouble."

I felt the same as bounded over the waves. Using shorter and more frequent strokes into the headwind, was considerably more tiring. Paddle, paddle. Maneuvered some more big waves, and I tried to look behind me to check on John's process.
It was to my relief that I finally made it across the lake to a safely protected cove. First, I could rest. And second, I could check on John. He and his canoe had been pushed off track, but he was making steady progress across the lake. But we were not done yet.
The peninsula is connected to the mainland by a strand of hardpack mud covered with an overgrowth of weeds. My paddling guidebook said it was about 80 feet portage. It proved to be much further.

Still, it was much faster and less exhausting than paddling all the way around against the wind. After our portage, we had to paddle another short distance in the wind, before coming to our alternate landing. And it was just our luck that a friendly camping couple was there and offered us a ride to our truck.
Nobody likes to paddle into a headwind. It’s always best to have that wind to your advantage as you paddle back toward your starting location. There is satisfaction in reaching any point on the lake map despite the wind and waves. Because, at the end of the day, when the wind finally dies. Though my muscles were sore, I still reveled in my day on the water.

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OVER THE BOW: THE RED RIVER

With all great journeys, the seed of adventure is planted long before the first step on a trail or the first stroke of a paddle. Looking back, I think a part of my soul was always searching the river. ---Leslie Warren

Back in 2011, the Red was my hometown river. The meandering ribbon of reddish-brown silt-filled water weaves, winds and snakes around for some 390 miles between North Dakota and Minnesota, rarely going the same place twice before entering Canada on its way to Lake Winnipeg. When paddling in the river's oxbows, North Dakota can sometimes be on the east. While Minnesota appears on the west along the river's corridor. Dropping at about a foot a mile, it's remarkably flat, to say the least. I've played on pool tables that have a worse slant. Formed in an ancient lake bed after the glaciers melted away 12,00 years ago, the river still practices the remnants of its glacial past. With a history of significant flooding, the beauty and nature of the river are usually overlooked. It's not uncommon to bald eagles, wood ducks, and deer along the tree-lined banks of the river.
Ten years ago, as it does today, the river ran right through the middle of Fargo and Moorhead. I would spend about any summer evening kayaking up and down the wandering the river sections. Access locations near my home made it the perfect retreat for my paddling fix after a day spent as a photographer for a local television station.
So when I heard about Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho's Minneapolis to Hudson Bay Canoe trip, retracing the route Eric Sevareid made famous in his classic Canoeing with the Cree, I knew I wanted to meet them and share their story.
Their 2,000-mile voyage started by paddling up the Minnesota River before heading downstream on the Bois de Sioux River, followed by the Red River. Fargo would be a pit stop for the duo. They still had miles and miles to go for their journey. Although they were just young college graduates, they were both season canoeists while attempting to make history as the first women to paddle this historic route.
"That confidence led us to believe that we could survive or even thrive, paddling together for three months through unknown territory with only each other, a canoe and our gear," Warren wrote in her recently published book, Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic. It's an account of their epic trip together, highlighting the ups and even downs of their adventure.
It had been an easy sell to talk my assignment editor into meeting up with two canoeists. Canoes, two women paddling on an epic journey, and it was right down the street. They were coming to us.
The Red River that summer of 2011 was running high and out of its banks. I can remember standing in the partially flooded campsites along the river with my tripod and camera in tow in Fargo's Lindenwood Park. If we had timed right, I wouldn't have to wait too long.
Watching downstream, I spotted their canoe moving quickly in the fast-moving current under the I-94 bridge. I panned my camera along with them, keeping the canoe in the frame. The women were all business as they moved through the swirling flow until they paddled out of the current into the calmer water. That is when they could smile for my camera. They pulled up onto the muddy shoreline. At the time, they had been on the river for 27 days were tired and more than a little bit ready to head to a hotel for a shower and a comfy bed. But they were more than gracious to do a quick TV interview with me. After that, they headed off with their family support crew.
They took me up on my invite to entertain their et rouge at a local Fargo winery later that evening. They would be taking a break from the river to re-supply, recharge and attend a family member's wedding before heading downriver.

You can get Natalie Warren's book Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic at her website at natalie-warren.com and on Amazon.   

Over the Bow is a feature from Outside Adventure to the Max, telling the story behind the image. If you have a great picture with a great story, submit it to us at nickayak@gmail.com

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THE ABC'S FOR YOUR SUMMER 2019

After a long cold winter and very wet spring, the days of summer are finally here. This weekend kickoffs the official unofficial start to summer.  It's time to organize and alphabetize yours for summer list of adventure and fun near the water. Not sure where to start? We have some from great tips A to Z  on how you can make this summer unforgettable. So you waiting for, as Van Morrison said, "Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly."

Abandon your phone Ok, not for the whole summer, but at least day or two. Writer Michelle A. Homme says, "The quietness we encounter will allow us to hear the birds sing and to hear the wind whip lightly through the trees as the seasons begin to change.  We can recharge without feeling like we’re being pulled in so many directions."

Blast to the Beach Whether crowded or remote, sandy or rocky the beaches rules are always the same. Breathe the sea air, rest, relax and reflect with no shoes required. "I feel so lucky to know the magic of travel by way of water," wrote kayak adventure Kate Hives in her blog At Home on the Water, "To intimately feel the ebb and flood of the ocean as it caresses the rocky shores and sandy beaches of this coastal playground. Sometimes I feel like I have been told a great secret of the mystery of the natural world and my – our – connection to it."

Catch a Wave  All of that white snow from this past winter means a summer of whitewater for rafters and kayakers as they anticipating a longer season than normal with rapids. “There’s nothing better than spending a great day in nature, on the river with some friends," said Whitewater Excitement's Phillip Schoenhoff, "If you’re looking to smile all day, laugh until your abs hurt, and experience the excitement and thrill of the rapids, come on out and join us!”

Demo Your Dream Ride You wouldn't think about buying a car without a test drive, so why would you want to do that with your kayak? Many shops have demo programs for people who are in the market to buy a kayak. The River Store
 
Escape the City Did you get outside today? No, really outside, away from the noise, traffic and the endless scurrying about. Scientific research has long documented how just spending time in the great outdoors can have numerous mental and physical health benefits for rebooting your body and mind. As John Muir reminded all of us, "Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."

Feast on Your Float Tired of the normal river food being peanut butter sandwiches, simple freeze-dried packets, and oatmeal? Check out Lacey Anderson's Camp Cooking WITHOUT Coolers cookbook series.  She has developed menus that are nutritious, good tasting and easy to prepare, that is also lightweight and does not require refrigeration.

Go

Live

Incredible

Delights

Experience

Intimacy

Natural

Wonders

Experience

Tranquill

Lush

Amazing

Nature

Delta

Serenity  Paddler and operator of Delta Kayaking Adventures Kathy Bunton loves her experiences on California's waterlogged delta so much she put in the form of an acrostic poem to encourage you to come to glide along.

Help Clean Your Waterway Last year, cleanup organizers and volunteers spend a lot of time outside getting dirty as according to American Rivers the National River Cleanup registered cleanups at 3,166 sites, mobilized 57,228 volunteers and removed almost 2,000,000 pounds of trash. American Rivers
 
Indulge in S'mores What's a good camp out without the best dessert? Who doesn't love chocolate, marshmallow and Graham crackers? But as camping mom, Christy Harris Bryant points out pay close attention, "Because the golden rule with s' mores is. Never burnt, never burnt, Nobody wants a burnt s' more."

Journey Down A River "I love river trips," wrote outdoor educator Jeff Jackson in Paddling Magazine, "The whole trip though, not just the exciting bits or the paddling parts. I love the early possibilities and preliminary ideas, finding the maps and digging for the info I need to connect the dots."

 

Kayak a Lot That needs no explanation. Just go do it.

Love Your Parks "National parks are the best idea we ever had, wrote Wallace Stegner, "Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." We heartily agree. Whether it's a national park or state park visiting these national landscapes of beauty and history shouldn't just be done in the summertime, but all year round. National Parks State Parks

Mix and Mingle at Water Festival These gatherings celebrate the river community and its history. Some are well-funded mega-fests while others are grassroots efforts led by volunteers with a universal love of showcasing their river. "These unique assemblies of river enthusiasts, first-timers and nomadic paddlers produce intense challenges, excellent learning opportunities, and unforgettable memories," wrote Kalob Grady in Paddling Magazine, "While non-kayaking friends will love the live music, vendors, silent auction and wild party."

Navigate Your Neighborhood When you live somewhere long enough, it has a tendency to stop being interesting by being too familiar. "Throughout my life, I fell in love with places other than where I was living. This feeling is common in many adventurers," wrote Natalie Warren in her paddling town series for Canoe and Kayak Online, but, after exploring the beauty, and history and the attractions she had second thoughts as she treats her hometown as a new destination and recommends you do the same, "While I don’t doubt that you would love it here, remember to love where you live. Explore your home."


Open a New Window "Summer means promises fulfilled, wrote naturalist Sigurd Olson, "Objectives gained, hopes realized. The surge of doing and achieving, of watching and enjoying is finally replaced by a sense of quiet and floating and a certain fullness and repletion, as though one cannot absorb any more."

Plunge into Boating So what's stopping you? If you been thinking about learning to kayak either whitewater or just want to know how to tour the lake lets just say there are boatloads of ways to get on to the water. "We all know adventure and exploration are not just for teenagers," writes Current Adventures Kayaking School and Trips' Dan Crandall, "Learning to kayak is an easy activity that will rekindle your youthful enthusiasm for many years to come." Current Adventures

Quiet Your Mind It's summer. It's time to stop stressing. Chase away those negative thoughts and take advantage of your precious time. Writer Michelle Maros said, "Sometimes we even forget that the whole point of going on vacation is to relax and have fun! This week, let’s leave all the stress behind and focus on how to really enjoy your time away, no matter where you’re going or who you’re with."

Race on the River Whether you want to support a great cause, get in shape or awake your gladiator spirit. Whether with solo or with a team there are divisions and courses for everyone using almost anything that floats. “If you’re in a competitive class you’re gonna go and go fast pounding down the river to beat your neighbor," The California River Quest race director Emily Matthews told the Chico Enterprise-Record about this weekend's event, "In the adventure class you’re out there to play and have fun. But in both classes, you pretty much paddle the whole time.”Race the Red  Great American Triathlon

Swim in Nature I don't mean skinny dipping but then again, why not. Adventure athlete Sophie Radcliffe‏ tweeted, "There’s something about swimming in nature that makes me happy and relieves stress; I love watching the world float by and gliding through the water with the sun on my back."

Time Travel in a Canoe Go back in time this summer. No special effects needed for this odyssey. All you need is paddle and canoe to feel like a voyager discovering the lake for the first time. "We need to be more aware of where we are headed and from whence we came," said famed canoeist Bill Mason, "An appreciation of the canoe and acquisition of the necessary skills to utilize it as a way to journey back to what’s left of the natural world is a great way to begin this voyage of discovery.” Sy Park BWCA

Unwind at Sunset  English Novelist Pamela Hansford Johnson eloquently paints this description of dusk while on the water, "The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire." Who can argue? The sunlight flashing in each droplet from our paddles as the water glows in a golden glitter. How can you resist the sight of tranquil lake basking in the dimming light?

Vow to Wear Your PFD "We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: when you’re on the water, wear your life jacket, also known as a Personal Flotation Device or PFD." states the NRS website, "Year after year, dozens of people lose their lives while boating. And year after year, statistics show that many of these tragedies could have been prevented by wearing a well-fitted, properly-adjusted life jacket."

Wander Like Your Lost  It's the perfect quote for summer from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings that says, "Not all those who wander are lost." It encourages you to slow along the way to the lake or river. Stop in at the paddle shop to get some advice, hike that trail that you have always paddled or stop at that scenic vista. Summer days go by so quickly, you should make them last as long as possible.

X-Out Your Own Adventure "Let’s celebrate that we had our own adventure," writes Pete Delosa in his blog River Bum suggesting in these Instagram days of big water and even bigger drops there is no reason to count out your triumph. "If you went on the water and had fun then you won today and that is worth celebrating. Other people might have been looking paddleboarding kind of day today than we were and that is ok. I hope they found what they were after, but that doesn’t take anything away from our success."

Yoga on Your Paddle Board We get it. Just standing up on the board is challenging enough for some, but as the founder of Stoked Yogi, Amelia Travis told Yoga Journal, "Before you write off stand up paddleboard (SUP) yoga as impossible, here’s what I tell all first-timers: “If you can breathe, you can do yoga. If you can stand on one foot, you can paddle."

Zigzag a Water Trail Whether you want to go the distance or simply float to the next landing there is a water trail just waiting for you. Featuring public water accesses, campsites, rest areas and miles and miles of best paddling anywhere you can spend the day, week or the entire summer just like John Connelly did when he took his epic 1500 mile paddling adventure across the Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada. In Dying Out Here Is Not An Option, a chronicle of his trip he wrote, "Seeing the canoe loaded with all I require to survive for the weeks to come," he wrote, "Makes me think. this canoe and I are going to forge a relationship over the next 800 miles. What will that end up looking like? What will be the story?" US Water Trails

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URBAN PADDLER

The Mississippi River and downtown St Paul, Minnesota.

There is a whirl of activity at Hidden Falls Park in St. Paul, Minnesota. Shuttle buses are coming and going. Kayaks and canoes are being unloaded and carried to the grassy staging area next to the river. Numbers are have been assigned, pictures are being taken, while water, apples and granola bars are packed into the boats. It is the annual Mightyssippi River Adventure Race day on the Mississippi River. Over a 100 hundred paddlers have signed up for the 14-mile charity event through the Twin Cities. The paddler's instructions on the river are easy: Be Safe, stay to the right of the river when traveling downstream. Avoid all boats and barges and have fun.

A countdown from the loudspeakers and soon the river is filled with kayaks and canoes of every color and size. Before long the paddlers spread out going past Fort Snelling State Park and the skyline of St Paul giving each one their own perspective of the famous river. At times it is gritty and industrial, but also offers an oasis of nature in the heart of city dwellings.

A night on California's Lake Natoma.

Most paddlers feel like they are discovering it for the first time. They are surprised that an urban river can contain so much beauty and nature. It happens all the time for urban paddlers. The waterways thought to be dirty and polluted are found clean, inviting and full of wildlife. On the Red River between Fargo and Moorhead, I have seen deer, beaver and even a bald eagle along the bends of the rivers just blocks away from downtown. River otters splash and hide in the rocks underneath the Rainbow Bridge over Lake Natoma and the American River, while farther down Californian quail, deer, and Canadian geese find a haven in the sloughs.

On the river urban views are blocked by trees. The only reminder that one is even close to civilization is going to the cities train and highway bridges. The buzz of traffic echoes off the water giving us the only clue we are close to home. In some places, we go back in time past turn of the century mills and remnants. Along the Red River on the Moorhead side, I can still find broken bottles from the prohibition days when North Dakota was dry and Minnesota taverns were right on the river. On the American River, huge piles of dredge tailings are still visible from gold mining days. The waterways are no longer highways or dumping grounds and the rivers have now reclaimed their banks.

Canoeist Natalie Warren founder of the outdoor education nonprofit Wild River Academy has trekked the waterways across the country to observe how rivers are promoted in their communities. In a recent interview with Canoe & Kayak Magazine said, "When I paddled urban rivers from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay and from Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico, I realized that our local water trails have their own beauty and, even more, provide a classroom to learn how our country uses rivers. My experiences on wild and urban rivers inspired me to speak about building a culture around urban paddling, diversifying the paddling community, and increasing recreation, positively impacting all aspects of society."

Warren's goal is to increase recreation through the public waterways in river towns with the addition outfitters, hiking and bike paths, restaurants and interpretive centers, campgrounds and most important access to the water.
 "I hope to highlight the positive ripple effects of opening up to the river and prioritizing water trails to improve recreation and trails, tourism and economies, and increased environmental education and ecosystem health. It all starts with a paddle in the water. Every time you paddle locally you are partaking in a larger movement for the betterment of communities, ecosystems, and the future of river-town economies."

Paddlers taking part in the Mightyssippi River Adventure finished the day under the Interstate 94 bridge, 14 miles downstream. They came away with sore muscles and smiles with this annual day on the Mississippi. Of course for some, this experience is only a warm up to their annual Boundary Waters trip or lifelong dream of going down the Grand Canyon. However, paddling locally and exploring their neighborhood water trail gave them a low-cost view of the river, right in their own backyard.

This article was originally published in Outside Adventure to the Max January 17, 2015. 

 

Jury convicts Arizona man of shooting at Flagstaff kayakers 

An Arizona jury was deadlocked on attempted murder and kidnapping charges against Danny Eugene Button who was accused of shooting at four kayakers but convicted him of endangerment and other counts.

Button was found guilty earlier this week, of endangerment, aggravated assault and disorderly conduct with a weapon according to the Mohave Valley Daily News.
Button, 68, used a handgun to fire five shots at a group of kayakers as they were paddling down the Burro Creek in February 2017. Tyler Williams saw one round hit about four feet from him. He bailed from the kayak and floated downriver to escape. He was found unharmed the next day. The rest of the party was ordered out their kayaks by Button and held at gunpoint and ordered them to return upstream to the campground. Button claimed they were trespassing on private property. Button's wife's family owns the land surrounding that section of the creek, while prosecutors say the kayakers did not trespass on the property because is creek is a navigable waterway and boaters did not come contact with the bank or bottom.
The judge ordered Button to remain in custody without bond until his sentencing, which is scheduled for next month. He could face 20 to 30 years in prison.

Kayaker attacked river otter, fearing for her life, battles animal with paddle

When we think of river otters, we think of the playful critter sliding and wrestling, belly flopping, and somersaulting through the water. Unlike a mountain lion or alligator we know we have little to fear. But, in Florida last weekend a paddling trip turned life-threatening when a river otter surprisingly attacked a 77-year-old woman
Sue Spector was kayaking with a group on Braden River in west-central Florida when an otter climbed onto her kayak and then jumped on her scratching and biting her arms, nose and ear.

"I took my paddle and I tried to get him off of me and he wouldn't let go and I kept screaming, I kept beating him with a paddle," Spector told Tampa Bay's Fox 13, "When you're [in the middle of] it you don't have a lot of thought except you hope you survive."
As she fought to beat the animal off, her kayak flipped, Fox reports, leaving her in neck-deep cold water still battling the possibly rabid animal
The otter eventually let go, as Spector's nearby husband also beat it with his paddle, leaving Spector needing stitches and rabies treatment.
While this is extremely unusual behavior for otters, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson told the Bradenton Herald they have heard reports of at least four injuries due to an aggressive otter.

Urban Paddler

The Mississippi River and downtown St Paul, Minnesota.

There is a whirl of activity at Hidden Falls Park in St. Paul, Minnesota. Shuttle buses are coming and going. Kayaks and canoes are being unloaded and carried to the grassy staging area next to the river. Numbers are have been assigned, pictures are being taken, while water, apples and granola bars are packed into the boats. It is the annual Migthyssippi River Adventure Race day on the Mississippi River. Over a 100 hundred paddlers have signed up for the 14-mile charity event through the Twin Cities. The paddler's instructions on the river are easy: Be Safe, stay to the right of the river when traveling downstream. Avoid all boats and barges and have fun.
A countdown from the loudspeakers and soon the river is filled with kayaks and canoes of every color and size. Before long the paddlers spread out going past Fort Snelling State Park and the skyline of St Paul giving each one their own perspective of the famous river. At times it is gritty and industrial, but also offers an oasis of nature in the heart of city dwellings.
Most paddlers feel like they are discovering it for the first time. They are surprised that an urban river can contain so much beauty and nature. It happens all the time for urban paddlers. The waterways thought to be dirty and polluted are found clean, inviting and full of wildlife. On the Red River between Fargo and Moorhead, I have seen deer, beaver and even a bald eagle along the bends of the rivers just blocks away from downtown. River otters splash and hide in the rocks underneath the Rainbow Bridge over Lake Natoma and the American River, while farther down Californian quail, deer, and Canadian geese find a haven in the sloughs.

The American River Parkway

On the river urban views are blocked by trees. The only reminder that one is even close to civilization is going to the cities train and highway bridges. The buzz of traffic echoes off the water giving us the only clue we are close to home. In some places, we go back in time past turn of the century mills and remnants. Along the Red River on the Moorhead side, I can still find broken bottles from the prohibition days when North Dakota was dry and Minnesota taverns were right on the river. On the American River, huge piles of dredge tailings are still visible from gold mining days. The waterways are no longer highways or dumping grounds and the rivers have now reclaimed their banks.

Paddling in downtown Fargo, North Dakota.

Canoeist Natalie Warren founder of the outdoor education nonprofit Wild River Academy has trekked the waterways across the country to observe how rivers are promoted in their communities. In a recent interview with Canoe & Kayak Magazine said, "When I paddled urban rivers from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay and from Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico, I realized that our local water trails have their own beauty and, even more, provide a classroom to learn how our country uses rivers. My experiences on wild and urban rivers inspired me to speak about building a culture around urban paddling, diversifying the paddling community, and increasing recreation, positively impacting all aspects of society."

Natalie Warren left and Ann Raiho in Fargo, N.D., during the 2011 Minneapolis to Hudson Bay Trip

Warren's goal is to increase recreation through the public waterways in river towns with the addition outfitters, hiking and bike paths, restaurants and interpretive centers, campgrounds and most important access to the water.
 "I hope to highlight the positive ripple effects of opening up to the river and prioritizing water trails to improve recreation and trails, tourism and economies, and increased environmental education and ecosystem health. It all starts with a paddle in the water. Every time you paddle locally you are partaking in a larger movement for the betterment of communities, ecosystems, and the future of river-town economies."
Paddlers taking part in the Mightyssippi River Adventure finished the day under the Interstate 94 bridge, 14 miles downstream. They came away with sore muscles and smiles with this annual day on the Mississippi. Of course for some, this experience is only a warm up to their annual Boundary Waters trip or lifelong dream of going down the Grand Canyon. However, paddling locally and exploring their neighborhood water trail gave them a low-cost view of the river, right in their own backyard.