A Man from Utah

This past week was another big one. Videos below show our first long distance paddle, we did 22 miles from the north tip of Antelope Island to the north tip of Fremont Island and back. It was a great run and we learned a ton. We've got many more of these to go before the big day, but getting the first one under the belt feels great. The other big news, the canoe materials arrived!!! Now the real building begins!

This past week has again been an eventful one. Progress has been made in two major area which I'll outline below. Paddle Prep This past week has been a big one for paddle preparations. Putting in at both Willard bay and Pine-view reservoir, the paddle practice count now stands at 22 miles. The weather has not been very cooperative with a lot of wind and waves, but I figure prepping under these conditions probably is a good thing so we're ready for anything. The goal for paddle practice is to hit 600 miles before the actual event in August, so here's hoping that the weather brightens up a bit. This weekend will be the first endurance test on the Great Salt lake. Our route will take us from the northern tip of Antelope Island to the northern tip of  Fremont Island and back which will log another 20+ miles to our paddle count. It will be a good gauge of what it will take to set and keep rhythm and how to regulate calorie intakes to k...

It has been an exciting and eventful past few days, and I'm excited to report on our progress. First off, the weather, fickle as it has been, finally opened up enough to allow for some paddle time. So I've been taking my kayak out to Willard Bay in the mornings tracking my speed, distance, stroke patterns and really just trying to get the old paddle muscles acclimated to a steady persistent rhythm.  My first morning out on the bay was gorgeous, and the fish were incredible. It was like some immense aquatic version of whack- a- mole, every where I looked fish were popping up, and just when one was heading back down another 15 were one their way up and out. It really was an incredible sight.   Time on the lake isn't the only development from the past week. I also officially began work on the Canoe that will take us on our voyage around the Great Salt Lake. While the canoe itself is not yet underway, the Strong Back which is the foundation upon which the canoe ...

The Great Salt Race August of 2016 I dove into the  dark and chilly waters of Utah/Idaho's beautiful Bear Lake and swam 7 miles non stop from West to East till I reached the other side. It was cold, dark, and one of the best experiences of my life.   Accomplishing this goal taught me many things, not the least of which was that when you set a goal and push yourself, really push yourself, there isn't much you can't accomplish August 2019 in the same spirit of accomplishment and human achievement, My Brother In-Law and I will board a canoe that has been crafted entirely by hand and set out to do something that has never been done before, a complete circumnavigation of the entire Great Salt Lake, a journey of 200 miles in less than 2 days.  Real preparations for this experience are now underway and I am excited to share this whole adventure from start to finish. The exercises, the boat building, the planning, the paddling and everythi...