It's About The Journey

Please Vote for Pack & Paddle

2011-06-06T09:55:00.001-07:00

Your hometown outdoor shop is nominated once again - this year in two categories. We would love to win the title in 2011, so, please - if you have the time - follow these easy directions and cast a vote for Pack & Paddle. We would very much appreciate your support!

Go to: http://extras.timesofacadiana.com/bestof11/

Enter your email (this keeps people from voting twice)

Scroll way down the list to the "Best of Retail" category

Scroll down to the "Best Outdoor Gear" and the "Best Hunting and Fishing" gear.

Vote for us!

Thanks,

John, Becky and the whole P&P Staff.

Leveraged Between Sea and Sky

2011-05-30T05:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where the idea came from, but Becky and I thought "wouldn't it be great if we could sail the Hobie kayak out to Marsh Island, catch a fish and then sail back?" This thought has rolled around in my head over the last couple of months. Recently we decided there was no time like the present, loaded up the Hobie Adventure Island Tandem Sailing kayak and headed for Cypremort point.

Becky and I met because of sailing. Back in 1984, windsurfing was a popular pursuit in the area. My search for windurfers that I could convert into instructors led me to the woman I have been married to now for 27 years. We would windsurf on the lake, take night cruises aboard a monohull sailboat that we had and enjoy ripping up the local waters on hobie cats. Sailing has not been as popular as it was back then, but many things about this trip reminded me why sailing is something we will always love.

A quick glance at the water as we drove though the gates of Cypremort Point state park told me a lot about the day we were about to have. The water was rough with the wind whipping the tops of the swells into whitecaps all across the bay. The Nestle Quik color of the water indicated it would be a tall order to catch a fish. Soon the kayak was on the sand. We popped in the sail, attached the ama's and aka's (the pontoons and braces), loaded our lunch, fishing gear, water bottles and a little bit of emergency gear. Within minutes, we were dragging the Adventure Island into the water heading south towards Marsh Island.

We punched through the chop with the sail hauled tightly to stay as close to the wind as possible. We would have to tack (zig zag towards the direction of the wind) since Marsh Island lies south of Cypremort Point. With the sail trimmed and the kayak heeled over onto the downwind pontoon, we raced across the swells. The feeling of freedom came rushing back as we sailed. "The wind is free" is a slogan that Hobie used in their advertising in the 1980's. The slogan pointed out how inexpensive sailing is compared to filling up your powerboat with gasoline price back then at an astronomical $1.20 per gallon.

Beyond this wink at gas prices, the slogan summed up the feeling of sailing. Free from the sound and smell of a boat motor, free from the daily grind, and maybe most of all, free from the feeling of always having to be busy doing something. We sailed south, bouncing across the swell knowing that all we had to do - and all we could do - is sit and enjoy the day. Simplicity is sometimes forced and the simplicity of sailing forces everything else out of your world. It's just you, the water, the wind and the boat. Connected at the same time to the sea and the sky in a leverage that has moved explorers across vast distances for a millennia.

Which is not to say that our situation was idyllic. As our kayak blazed its way through the water, virtually every swell would deposit a load of water into Becky's face. The thought of what would happen if something broke while we were far offshore crept into the back of my mind as Cypremort point faded into the distance behind us - finally disappearing completely. We tried to whoop with joy - but truth be told we were both nervous. No one else on the water other than shrimp boats and a couple of crew boats. I'm pretty sure the workers on these boats wondered what a couple of crazies were doing way offshore in skinny yellow sailboat.

After 2 ½ hours and over 18 miles of tacking southward, we started to wonder what we were doing out there as well. Even tacking and holding the kayak close to the wind, we were northwest of the island, but within sight of Southwest pass. With the continuous drenching, I could see that Becky's goosebumps had turned into shivering. We figured we had maybe an hour of tacking left to get right up to Marsh Island. After a quick discussion of the situation, we decided to turn to boat northward and head back to the point.

We didn't achieve our goal of catching a fish at Marsh Island. Maybe in retrospect, sailing and goals are counter to each other. Or maybe they should be. In any case, we left the goal out there for a future day.

P&P Will Host the Documentary Bag It with Bayou Vermilion District

2011-05-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to be bringing a screening of the documentary Bag It to Lafayette. Becky and I were able to attend a screening last fall and left the film feeling uplifted, motivated and inspired to do something about the litter problems that seem to always dog our area.

Bag It is a fun film to watch. Not at all a preachy environmental snore fest, Bag It is funny, irreverent and still amazingly informational. We learned so much about

the problem of single use bags, cups and other waste.

This screening will be shown as a prelude to the Annual Trash Bash on the Vermilion River. Margot from Bayou Vermilion District will be on hand to comment on the film and to talk about the problems Lafayette and specifically the Vermilion River face with regards to litter.

For the write up on the P&P site, go to:

http://packpaddle.com/serverside/tripdetail.asp?id=340

Here's a trailer for the film:

We hope you will join us for this free screening!

Fly Fishing Film Tour Rolls into Lafayette - Sunday June 12th - 4pm

2011-05-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

We've been jealously reading about showings for the Fly Fishing Film tour in places like Austin and Denver for years. It always seemed like a stretch for the tour to come to Lafayette. Finally, on June 12th, the Fly Fishing Film Tour will roll into South Louisiana.

We are excited to be hosting the festival with the Acadiana Flyrodders club and the Red Stick Fly Fishers club. Without the support of these two fine organizations, this event would never have happened.

For more on the festival and to view some of the trailers visit:

www.flyfishingfilmtour.com

To view the write up on the Pack & Paddle website, visit:

http://packpaddle.com/serverside/tripdetail.asp?id=339

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Pack & Paddle for $12 or online for $15 at:

www.flyfishingfilmtour.com/Tickets

Basinkeeper Paddle Trips Raise $5100

2011-04-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

We would like to thank everyone that signed up and supported the Basinkeeper paddle trip this past weekend. This was our second time to run this event and we've seen it as a successful way not only to raise needed funds for the Basinkeeper program, but also as a way for paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts to meet Dean (our Basinkeeper) and get to know him and the important work he does right in the basin.

Through the support of participants in the past 2 Basinkeeper paddle trips plus a $1,500 grant from Patagonia we were able to donate $5,100 to this important program. Thanks to everyone!

Here is a blog that Dean put together about the trip this past weekend:

On Saturday, April 9th Atchafalaya Basinkeeper trustee, Stacey Scarce, and I led about 30 people on a paddling trip on the east side of the Atchafalaya Basin. We paddled through beautiful Pat's Bay and visited some awesome old-growth cypress trees with incredible shapes and huge knees. Even with the high winds, everyone's spirits were great and we enjoyed being out in the field surrounded by people that support our work.

We made some very important contacts that opened the door for collaborations and new strategies. After the paddle trip, we all enjoyed a traditional fish fry. I fried fish for hours and everyone ate it as fast as I could put it on the table. From the amount of fish eaten, I guess it was good! The beer was attacked with a vengeance and board member, David Brown saved the day by going to the store to buy more beer. I want to thank everyone for their support. A special thanks to trustee Stacey Scarce for donating her time to lead the trip and to trustees John and Becky Williams for organizing the trip and their donation to Basinkeepeer. Thanks to everyone who supported Atchafalaya Basinkeeper throught this event. I assure you, you will not be disappointed with our work.

Dealing With Persistent Wet Weather on the Trail or Paddle Trip - Part 1 - Packing Systems

2011-03-24T16:51:00.001-07:00

Recently, I did a talk for the Louisiana Hiking Club on one of the most problematic things outdoors people face in their journeys. Wet weather. And I mean day after day wet weather that can start to saturate even the most careful packer. I've decided to share some of these ideas via my blog. This will be done in a number of installments (the talk lasted 1.5 hours). Our first installment will focus on packing systems.

Location and Priority of Accessibility
A major key to keeping your gear dry is where your gear is loaded in your pack or boat. I like to think of my packing in 3 levels of accessibility. Level 1 is all the things I could need to get to without taking my pack off or beaching my boat. These items should be in areas that are easily reached while walking down the trail or paddling. These items include:
Water
Snacks
Rain Jacket (Pants are level 2)
Pack Cover
Navigation (Map, Compass, GPS)
Water Purification (Filter, Chemical Treatment, Steri Pen)
Stove Fuel (I keep this outside not for convenience - but rather to prevent leakage inside my pack)
Camera

Level 2 items are things that you may need during the day and can access without removing the raincover from your pack. These items include:
Rain Pants, Hat & Gloves
First Aid Kit (Note that a blister kit could be level 1 if you are not sure of your boots or you are leading an inexperienced group)
Lunch for the day
Day Shelter (Bothy, Tarp, or Fast-Pitch portion of your tent system)

Level 3 items include everything else. These items are generally things you will need once you set up camp (spare clothes, sleeping bag and pad, tent body, flashlight etc...)

Pack Liners and Pack Covers
Pack covers are essential for keeping your pack dry. Think of it as a rain jacket for your pack. All packs leak at the seams and zippers - so a pack cover is absolutely essential. An alternative is a Pack Liner. This is a lightweight drybag that goes inside your pack. This system is utilized by hikers in wet climates like Scotland and proven to be superior to Pack Covers in keeping gear dry. All dry gear goes in your pack liner with damp things above it. Or - get 2 pack liners and use one for damp items and one for dry items. Many thru hikers utilize a very simple pack made with fabrics and foams that will not absorb any (or much) water. They rely on their pack liners and don't worry about bringing a pack cover.

Rainwear
Obviously, good raingear is essential for wet weather outdoor use. My preference is for a rainsuit (jacket and pants) as opposed to a poncho. Your rainsuit becomes your outer layer blocking not only rain, but cold and wind as well. It provides the most protection.
What you want to look for in a rain jacket is a high quality waterproof / breathable material that does not utilize a nylon or mesh lining on the inside. These linings add weight and become saturated with sweat anyway. The jacket should have taped seams and covers over every zipper. The hood should have a nice large bill on it to keep water from running down your face. A good suggestion is to bring a quick dry ball cap to wear not only for sun but also under your rain hood to help out with the problem of water running down your face.

I always recommend a very light base layer such as Patagonia Capilene 2 underwear to wear under your rain jacket. This spreads perspiration allowing it to vent out of the jacket quickly and easily. It also stops body oils from getting into the waterproof breathable coating inside the jacket. Even in warm weather - you WILL be more comfortable with a light longsleeve shirt on under your raingear.

Keeping your raingear in good shape is absolutely essential. EVERY waterproof breathable jacket - no matter the price needs to have the outer Durable Water Repellancy revived from time to time. This DWR allows water to bead and roll off keeping the nylon from saturating - allowing the jacket to breathe much better. To do this, we recommend a product called Revivex. It is applied while the jacket is wet after washing. You then "Set" the DWR into the jacket by running it through a warm dryer. Anytime your jacket isn't beading water anymore - it's time to Revivex it.

Hiking in raingear in warm humid weather is a challenge. For this I recommend an Umbrella. The umbrella can be affixed to your pack strap easily allowing your hands to be free for trekking poles. Click here to view how to set this up. If you like to take it to the extreme in lightness try a rain kilt instead of pants. Not only are they more ventilated and cooler - but you look at least 30% more tough (or maybe goofy).

Remember - it's not about looking cool. It's all about going light, being efficient with your gear and enjoying your experience in the outdoors.

One Day Without Shoes - Tuesday, April 5th

2011-03-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

One Day Without Shoes - Tuesday, April 5th
Millions of children grow up without shoes and at risk of infection and disease. One Day Without Shoes is the day we take off our shoes to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life. As part of this special event, Pack & Paddle employees will be going without shoes for the day, and we encourage other businesses, organizations and individuals to participate in this event.

Come by Pack & Paddle barefoot on Tuesday April 5th, and you'll receive a coupon for Saturday's big Style Your Sole event worth 10% off your TOMS shoes for that day. Not to mention getting to see Skip and Amy's toes!!!

Here is a link to the One Day Without Shoes website page:

http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/

TOMS Style Your Sole Day

2011-03-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

Style Your Sole Lafayette Day Saturday, April 9th
As a companion event to TOMS "One Day Without Shoes", Pack & Paddle will be hosting an official TOMS "Style Your Sole" Day. On Saturday, April 9th, local Lafayette artists will be at Pack & Paddle to turn your new pair of TOMS shoes into a wearable piece of art. A $10 donation to the artist helps support them for the day, and your purchase of a pair of TOMS shoes gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need. Pack & Paddle will have special TOMS shoes on hand for adults and kids that are perfect for your artist to style for you.

About the TOMS One for One Movement
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.

Why Shoes?
Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:

•A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.

•Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.

•Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.

Why We Give
Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk.

* Growing Up Barefoot. In many developing countries, children must walk barefoot for miles to school, clean water and medical help.

* Injury and Disease. Hundreds of millions of children are at risk of injury, infection, and soil-transmitted diseases that most can’t afford to prevent and treat.

* Education and Opportunity. Children who are healthy are more likely to be successful students, and access to education is a critical determinant of long-term success.

* A Better Tomorrow. A village of healthy, educated children have a better chance of improving the future of their entire community.

Where TOMS Currently Gives:
Argentina
Honduras
South Africa
Armenia
Lesotho
Swaziland
Burundi
Malawi
Uganda
Cambodia
Mali
United States
China
Mongolia
Zambia
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Ethiopia
Niger
Guatemala
Peru
Haiti
Rwanda

Hidden in the Mist - A Austrian Landscape Photographer Discovers Louisiana Beauty

2011-02-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

The following Blog entry was written by Georg Popp. Georg is a noted professional landscape photographer. He traveled to our area last fall in order to photograph the amazing virgin Cypress at Lake Fausse Point. I thought that Georg's blog put into perspective the world class beauty available to all of us here in South Louisiana.

To view more of Georg's photos and learn more about him and his wife, go to:

http://www.popphackner.com/

Assuming it’s mostly locals that come over to Lake Fausse for a leisurely paddle amongst gigantic bald cypresses and take some photographs, it must sound odd to hear a photographer from as far as Vienna, Austria would fly over for a week to do just that.

At least, when I stood - up to my chest - in the swampy waters of the Lake in early dawn on my first day here last November, my tripod deeply sunken in the muddy bottom, bracing myself to the knee-roots of a cypress, I felt pretty odd, too. Odd, but enormously happy to finally made it. As easy as it seems for somebody living nearby, it was quite the feat – from a logistic and organizing standpoint – to execute this photo-trip.

To explain this, it might be a good idea to give you a rough job description, of what my life usually looks like. I happen to be a professional landscape photographer, who – together with my wife – search for unusual and unusually beautiful – or unusual, beautiful AND unprotected (or even threatened) places of the earth. To do that, we have specialized in the traditional style of taking photographs with a large formal view camera. This means, we still shoot film, we have no autofocus, zoom lenses or any exposure programms to operate with. Worse, the whole set-up is clumsy and heavy and the 4x5 inch large slide films are expensive. All in all, the camera has not changed much from the early days of Ansel Adams.

The only advantage, that I could name, would be the incredibly detailed and crystal sharp prints that are possible to get from a 4x5” tranny, and are not yet possible with digital capture!

A second advantage might be the fact, that such a camera system seriously slows you down and forces the photographer to contemplate a lot about what he’s trying to achieve, which was exactly what I was doing on my first morning in the water, long before sunrise and under a cloudy sky that would prevent me from getting any special sunrise-light.

The main goal for me on a photo-journey is, to come away with at least one photograph, which I will print, publish or show to the public in any way I can, to make folks aware it is out there. No more, no less. If it happens to be a photograph that can make people look for more than a fleeting moment, get them interested in what they are seeing, my mission would be acclomplished. Of course, I’d like to believe some of our photographs have had some effect on helping to protect some of “nature’s jewels”.

So what was it that made me come to Lake Fausse Point?

First of all it was our current project – an exhibition on forests and trees of the world, which we are inivited to present later on in 2011 during a large photo-festival in northern Germany. For this festival, we have opted to present only a very few prints. These prints will be very large ones – up to 7 feet on the long side, shown in a very attractive setting. During the ten day festival, many thousand people will walk by these prints.

Because of the high profile of this show, we wanted to present very different kinds of forests and very special ones, too. And instead of opting for the classic California Redwoods, we wanted some other special forest of North America to be included. One that might catch people by surprise and make them shake their head, for not having seen such a place.

Just which forest might fit, we didn’t know.

By accident we stumbled upon the fine photographs of Louisiana based nature photographer David Chauvin (www.davidchauvinphotography.com) and were immediately convinced!

With the decision made, there were only a few questionmarks left: Where exactly can I find a spot to maybe get a chance to come away with a good shot in only a a week? How do I get out to the trees? Are they in deep water? Will I be able to stand in the water? Will my tripod (or I for that matter) sink and get stuck in the mud? Do I need a boat? Where will I be able to get a boat? How will I be able to transport the boat (canoe) with my rental car to the Lake? What would be an ideal time of year? What about mosquitos, and last but not least: will I get bitten by Alligators?

It ain’t so easy from oversees in Europe to find out all the answers, believe me! So it was the help of David (the photographer) who answered most of these questions and linked me up with John (of Pack&Paddle). I emailed back and forth with David about autumn conditions, water level etc.and when it seemed to finally come together, I booked a plane, packed my bag, jumped on and arrived here in the timespan of 72 hours…

On my first morning out, David was so generous to even accompany me out in a kayak to show me some good spots! I couldn’t believe how smooth it all turned to be. Against my initial plans to just hop into the water with my street clothes (or maybe hiking clothes) or maybe even without clothes, for hours, John convinced me (it wasn’t hard) to borrow his hipwaders (it turned out we have exactly the same shoesize!) and to rent a sit-on-top kayak instead of a canoe. (much easier to get in and out) Above all, the water level allowed me in many places (not all though) to be able to stand in the water, set up camera and compose some decent photos. We were even lucky enough to witness a bald eagle close to us, snap a fish right out of the water.

My only setback during the days to follow was the weather, which was often way too warm (around 75 F in mid November) for morning mist to build on the water and a constant breeze, which made the spanish moss move during most of my (usually long – up to 2 minute long) exposures.

For seven straight days, I was getting out in the lake every morning (rise at 4.30, drive to the launch spot, paddle out 40min) and every evening, paddling back in the dark. I felt as happy as a kid in the bathtub! I had such a great time, I even hoped for a Gator to swim by me, while I stood in the water, but it wasn’t to be.

The results from my week of shooting however, I would only see much later on, after returning back to Austria’s cold and snow. Because of the large format camera, I couldn’t be sure whether I achieved my goal of one special photograph for our festival or not.

But photography aside one single morning made my trip so very special – no matter how the prints would turn out in the end:

I arrived at the canoe launch with the full moon still out, total calmness and fog on the water. It was one of my most memorable mornings ever! I needed no headlamp, my kayak gliding effortlessly through light mist, between ancient cypress trees, underneath the mystic looking moss, listened to an amazing number of owls, fishes jumping in the water here and there, bald eagles were already up too.

It was like being set back in a different time – maybe millions of years back. Some of the cypress trees appeared like dinos or huge creatures spreading their arms and staring at me. The knee-roots sticking out of the water like tails from a reptile. Like creatures from a different age, forgotten in an enchanted swamp, only coming out in the morning mist and hide during the day. To know there are REALLY some very large reptiles nearby was only making it even more perfect for me. When the sun came out and light beams wandered across the water and into the forest it was so magical, I almost forgot to take pictures. I just sat in my little kayak soaking it in, holding thumbs, that these “creatures” will forever be able to hide in the mist.

All landscape photos are by Georg Popp

Photos of Georg working are by David Chauvin

Adventure Trade Show Reps and Giveaways!

2011-02-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to update you on the reps that will be representing their companies at our upcoming Adventure Trade Show scheduled for P&P on Saturday February 26th. Here's our current listing:

Participating Vendors:
Jose Ruiz - The North Face
Tom Jester - Native Watercraft Kayaks
Steve Oxenford - Hobie Kayaks
Keith Richard - The Camp Fly Fishing School
Steve Sell - Wilderness Systems Kayaks
Walt Ernest - Steri Pen - Gregory Packs - PacSafe Travel Gear
Daryl Khoury - Spot Locater Device
Dave Blanding - Jackson Kayak
Thomas Flemmons - Diablo Kayaks
Jon Stewart - Hurricane Kayaks
Andy Duemling - Merrell Footwear and Chaco Footwear
Greg Allen - Yakima
Sabine - Vibram FiveFingers - Patagonia Footwear
Jerald Horst - Author of Troutmasters and other books

Saturday, February 26th, these and other reps will set up booths inside and outside of Pack & Paddle. This is the perfect time to meet the reps, talk gear and see new stuff for 2011!

Give Aways:
While you are at the Adventure Trade Show, you will be able to sign up to win one of these great prizes:
North Face Tent
The Camp 1 Free Hour Casting lesson Private ($75)
Jackson Kayak Tee shirt and hat
Olukai Sandals
$100 Merrell Gift Card to be used for the shoes of your choice
$100 Chaco Gift Card to be used for a pair of Chaco's of your choice
Costa Del Mar 400 Series Sunglasses - $189 Value
10 Costa Del Mar Croakies - LSU Colors
10 Merrell Coffee Mugs
12 Pairs Smartwool Socks
Werner Hats and Waterbottles
Mountain Hardwear hats and cozies

You MUST attend the Adventure Trade Show on February 26th to sign up to win!

White Wing Scoter at Lake Martin

2011-02-14T13:44:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to pass this news along from Kacy at the Nature Conservancy at Lake Martin:

I thought you might be interested in the attached photo and recent sighting of a White-winged Scoter in Lake Martin. Matt Pardue (our Land Steward) and I saw him last week, but Matt couldn’t make a certain ID and went back out today to go get him. This is a very unusual sighting and the first recorded White-winged Scoter on Lake Martin.

In other bird news, the Great Egrets are arriving late this year. At least, we hope that they are arriving. So far, I have not seen any large groups, but we had had a report of one group leaving in the early morning. When Matt and I went out last week to work on the rookery boundary, I was encouraged to see a good population of nesting Great Blue Herons- there were 30 to 40 treetop nests in the middle of the rookery area (where we would expect them), along with their nest tree mates, Neotropic Cormorants. We also saw about 10 pairs of Black-crowned Night-Herons in the north rookery area (they seem to prefer that over their old nesting area in the north end of the lake). I will let you know when the birds begin to arrive in numbers.

This year, we are going to begin to gather a baseline set of data with early morning point counts for the rookery. The scenario will basically be three people set up in three different places, 30 minutes before sunrise, either once or twice per week for eight weeks beginning in the middle of March. We will count fly-overs for an hour. It will be an annual effort after this year. In this way, we will be able to accurately estimate if numbers are increasing or decreasing from year to year. We will not be able to achieve an actual hard number for the birds in the rookery, but feel it will help immensely with estimations. Please let me know if you might be interested in helping with this effort.

All my best, -Kacy

Update on Spring Adventure Kickoff Weekend

2011-01-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give everyone an update on our spring kickoff weekend coming up the last weekend of February. We've received commitments from lots of factory reps for the Adventure Trade Show on Saturday, the 26th of February - including North Face, SPOT, Osprey, Native Watercraft, Hurricane, Hobie, Wilderness Systems, Yakima, PacSafe, Gregory, The Camp Fly Fishing School with more coming on board daily! All of these reps have also committed some fantastic prizes for our giveaways on the weekend. These prizes include a North Face tent, Kayaking accessories from several vendors, Smartwool socks and lots of other goodies.

A new feature for the Adventure Trade show on Saturday the 26th will be our new Seminar Room. We'll offer "how to" and "where to" seminars all day long. I've already booked most of the seminars - and will release a schedule for the day soon.

Also the Reel Paddling Film Festival is all set for Saturday evening February 26th at 6pm. We have received our tickets from RPFF and they are ready for purchase. Last year was a blast - and this year promises to be even better. I really advise everyone to purchase your tickets as soon as possible because we are limited to around 50 tickets - and have already sold over 10 as of this blog.

Our demo is on track to be a great event again this year. It's scheduled for Sunday the 27th of February. Virtually every factory rep will be on hand - as will the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club, the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club

The Pack & Paddle Family Grows Again!

2011-01-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

Becky and I are proud to announce that the Pack & Paddle family has grown again. Our son Matt and his wife Rebecca delivered our first Grandbaby. Liam Matthew was born on September 14th. Life has been so crazy since then, we're just getting around to letting everyone get their first glimpse of a whole new generation!
We are so proud and happy to have yet another Williams around. We can't wait to spoil him with great trips paddling, hiking and kayak fishing.

Brand New Liam still in the hospital.

Baby or Tree frog?

Mom and Dad already reading to Liam about having adventures.

Liam is already wearing Patagonia clothes!

Becky with Liam - His first time on a kayak!

Already a nature lover.

Full Specklebelly Moon

2010-11-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

The following blog post is written by a good friend of the shop, Possum - who writes a full moon report every month. They're all great to read, but I really wanted to share this edition with all of you. I hope you enjoy.... John

Full Specklebelly Moon

Full Specklebelly moon rises Saturday evening at 4 pm and the sun sets at 5, an hour later. I expect her to clear the trees here in my bottomland hardwood yard after 530, just about right. This should be a fine show down here on the gulf rim with blue skies and cool temps. My hope is to have the fire pit going with a glass of my latest tart red 3/$20 selection from Marcello’s cellar. I will toast you my friends and the moon, with my honey at my elbow and surrounded by admiring grandchildren, errr, to be honest they tolerate me and love and admire their Mimi. The chores should be all done and the chickens put up for the night, so we’ll just feed the fire and talk about the moon, the night, life and love and whoever is not there.

Last Friday I was at a tree seminar in Pollock, La. when I observed a great string of Snow geese winging over, headed south. It reminded me of the reports of huge congregations of Speckled Belly Geese or Greater White Fronted Geese south of Crowley, hence a perfect name for this moon with a local twist of course. Now that was before the shooting began on Saturday. In any case it is always a sight that causes me to pause, listen, and reflect. Ah, the great migrations.

Speaking of my natural world, GHOs (Great Horned Owls) have been gathering in my backyard every other evening or so to murmur to each other about who knows what owls talk about. This always concerns me for my little Peanut is so white, so small, and so an outside cat and kind of, well, almost a member of the family. We have had that little cat for 8 years and will miss when her time comes. I also worry about my hens, now they would make a fine meal for a mature GHO, Peanut is all fur and bones. And--- what a wonderful sound to go to sleep by.

While I’m yammering on about raptors, let me tell you the ultimate urban raptor, the Cooper Hawk. My students and grandkids say my stories go on and on, so bear with me. Wednesday, while driving to work through “The Ville”, that’s St. Martinville to you people not from around here, which is located down in the delta on the Teche ridge, the natural levee of the Bayou Teche. Now I go that way to avoid the stop and go traffic in Broussard on US 90, anyway I pass on the Cypress Island Road, named for the natural meander ridge it is built on which has cypress swamp on both sides. I then turn on the Prairie Road which passes by beautiful Lake Martin, through an awesome bottomland hardwood and next to a great hay meadow, across the Bayou Vermillion, up the Terrace (the escarpment or the left bank of the Mississippi River flood plain) and then turn on Carmel Avenue (the old Breaux Bridge Highway) to Louisiana Avenue to Johnston Street. Then to avoid the congestion at University Avenue, I zig and zag through the hood down to Lamar onto General Mouton. Ya’ll with me, I know this is a lot but it is well worth it. Well,--- I turns left onto Gen. Mouton so I can get to McKinley when I see this bird in the street, in the middle, like on the stripe, just sitting there. He turns out to be a Coop sitting and plucking on a dove he just knocked the life out of, still warm and bloody, but he waits until my truck passes within 4 feet of him and a car the same distance in the other lane clears the scene and in my rearview mirror is see him take off to about 3 ft altitude with this load of fresh meat headed for the roadside shrub to finish plucking and eating in peace. Now that was totally cool, and a real cool city dude at that.

Sorry, but it was a good story and I wanted to share. I needed the diversion. We are in the middle of a construction boom on campus to overcome the reality that our dorm rooms are among the most “dungeon-like” in the country. With our vision clouded by “more important issues” my employer, the university will remove (their sanitized words) 6 large healthy live oaks lining our main campus. They say they are diseased. All old urban trees have some defects and pockets of decay. This all makes me so sad.

Someone shared Jelaluddin Rumi’s poem The Guest House with me, thought you may enjoy it like I have.

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

I don’t mean to sound bitter about the campus live oak trees, I’m just deeply disappointed in my people. I see little hope for any substantial change. In my eyes it just keeps getting worse. My personal philosophy is that much of human pathology and disease is due to stress because of our human disconnected condition, disconnected from the natural world. We are biological organisms. We evolved in a natural setting where it is normal for us to develop as humans in that natural setting. When we cut those normal connections to live the all consuming modern life the result is stress, and violence to each other and the earth. We cannot relate normally to the earth and nature so we violate them and each other.

So, that being said, I have been doing daily thankfulness exercises in these days before Thanksgiving. My favorites are:

From Jake Swamp, “Humans have been asked to respect the life’s breath that enters our bodies and allows us to exist. Life is a precious gift of time and we need to continually be thankful for what has been provided for us.

All that is required for a happy and healthy life is already in front of us. We need to show respect toward each other’s individuality. We need to show respect for the sacred landscapes in which we live.

We need to respect ourselves and live in a peaceful and contributing way. Humans have a critical role in the well being of the universe by carrying the thoughts of love, sharing and respect, we can give future generations not only hope, but a way to fulfill that hope”.

From Maya Angelou, “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, a bird sings because it has a song”.

From Bruce Cockburn,

“Hear the wild moan in the bright diamond sky

these mountains are waiting, brown-green and dry.

I’m too old for the term, but I’ll use it anyway

I’ll be a child of the wind till the end of my day.

My thanksgiving holiday will be full of family around the table in my home with Mimi in charge. And black Friday and black Saturday spent on Rutherford Beach. Nothing like a South Louisiana beach on a winter weekend. There will be loads of shells, a warm fire, good food and good family fun, and waves. I cannot wait. Me-n-my people really hate to shop!!!!

Speaking of my people, Amy called to say that Mathew, age 2, looked at Sarah Palin’s photo in a rag and said the she looked like his dark haired Mimi, Paula, (as compared to yellow hair Mimi, his caregiver). Now Mimi says she does not look like SP and I says hmmm maybe a little. So I’ve been going around telling everyone I slept with SP last night. Of course I feel like I’ve let my liberal buddies down even kidding about that.

Peace, love and full specklebelly moon to you all,

Stacey's Home Grown Powerbar Recipe

2010-10-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

We've had requests for the recipe for the home-made powerbars that our guide Stacey Scarce brings on some of the trips she leads. S0 - here it is!:

4 cups rolled oats

1 container of peanut butter

About 16 oz or more of honey

Now add whatever of the following ingredients that you would like to include: maybe ½ cup of each, except flax can 1 cup

Flax seed (healthy)

Millet (my favorite and healthy)

Sesame, Pumpkin, Sunflower seeds, I usually add one or two of these but not all three

1 cup or more of dried cranberries

1 package of semi-sweet choc. Chips

About 1 ½ tablespoons of vanilla and cinnamon

You can add other stuff to it just make sure the oats are the most abundant ingredient. If you put too much millet, it doesn’t bind together well.

Mix it all together, dump it in a pre-greased pan then press it in. I use a glass with a little water on it so it doesn’t stick and roll the glass over the top to pack it down.

Bake 350’ for no more than 30 minutes. Check it out at 20 minutes to be sure it is not too brown. It should have a soft brown hue in the middle when it is done.

Stacey

Just Resting My Eyes

2010-10-25T08:26:00.001-07:00

Last week, I taught my favorite clinic - Ultralight Backpacking. We had a very receptive crowd and I thought that I was really in the zone teaching the class. Little did I know that one of my students in the back of the room wasn't nearly as impressed with me as I was with myself!

Things started off well enough - but Boone's body language is saying "What-EVER!!"

"No - No - Really - I'm just resting my eyes!"

"I just need a more comfortable spot to rest my back. Yes - I am STILL resting my eyes!"

"Hmlgrph... huh? ... Yeh - I'm resting my eyesss...."

"Uggg... What the heck - I can't take any more of this"

An Afternoon Well Spent

2010-10-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

For a while now, Becky and I have been meaning to get out to Lake Martin to try out some tandem kayaks that we are thinking of putting in our rental fleet. We've had that project rolling around on our to-do list for 5 or 6 weeks. Not exactly a to-do bullet point that you keep wanting to avoid. But somehow, we just never seemed to get around to it.

Last week we finally loaded the boat and headed to Lake Martin. As soon as we slid the kayak into the water, we noticed a regal egret standing rock-still on a log watching us glide silently by. We decided to head down towards the rookery. Approaching the treeline, a large bird swooped in - moving left to right. Our first Bald Eagle sighting at Lake Martin! We had heard there was a nesting pair and also a single bird at the lake - but never saw it before.

The wind and our momentum carried us into the trees, back towards the rookery and into a cacophony of bird life. A flock of thousands of migrating Grackles were everywhere. These birds are not the regal silent type. They are more like the guys you see on the floor of the stock exchange moving around and yelling, but you're not sure what it's all about. These Grackles were great entertainment. Their oily-black plumage accented by the deep iridescent green was beautiful. We tried to see what they were doing in the trees, but never could tell. Most likely they were just enjoying the afternoon at the lake just like we were.

As we made our way through the trees, the sun began to set. We turned our bow towards the sinking golden orange orb dropping over the other edge of the lake. Now completely relaxed and absorbed in the experience, we paddled across the open water straight towards the setting sun.

I often tell groups that there is a beautiful sunset at Lake Martin every single day. Every time we go out for a late afternoon paddle, we ask ourselves why we don't do this more often. I guess we're not the only ones. During our paddle we didn't see another canoe, kayak or motorboat on the water.

We can all agree that Lake Martin is truly a wonderful asset for Lafayette. But I think considering Lake Martin to be an asset kind of makes it abstract. I want to start thinking of Lake Martin as a canvas on which we can paint beautiful scenes in our life. The 2 hours we spent on the lake will be indelibly imprinted in our memories as an afternoon well spent.

Building Implosion at Pack & Paddle

2010-10-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is our locals version of a building implosion. We're cleaning out back near our warehouse to create a brand new kayak yard! In case you don't know him, Will Daley works for us at P&P building displays, fixing problems, and now... tearing down buildings.

Tour Du Teche Winners

2010-09-28T12:23:00.001-07:00

A 43-foot, six-man Texas Unlimited canoe named “314” walked away with top honors in the inaugural Tour du Teche this month, completing the 130-mile journey from Port Barre to Patterson in just 18 hours and 29 minutes.

Andrew Stephens, 30, New York City; William Russell, 27, San Antonio, Texas; Andrew Soles, 37, Arlington, Va.; Sam Ritchie, Philadelphia, Pa.; Dan Hammer, 26, Philadelphia, Pa.; and Amado Cruz, 22, Esperanza, Cayo, Belize, will share in at least $3,225 in winnings.

They won base prizes of $500 for being first over-all, and $100 for being first Texas Unlimited from Tour du Teche, plus $100 each prizes for firsts in class not claimed: first male tandem unlimited, first female tandem unlimited, first female solo unlimited, first solo composite kayak, first male and female recreational, first solo canoe recreational, and first solo and tandem pirogues.

Added to that is another $3,500 from the Town of Berwick, which has pledged to match all of the Tour du Teche base prize money provided by a grant from Teche Federal Bank.

Prizes could rise as expenses are sorted out.

On top of Tour du Teche prizes, the Texas Unlimited team won the “Prix du Gabriel Award” for the first male to reach St. Martinville, $100; another $100 for the first boat to reach New Iberia; and the $25 “Eugene Arnaud Award” for being the first boat to reach Arnaudville.

A unique feature of Tour du Teche is that communities along the way set up their own unofficial finish lines and awarded their own prizes.

“Steppe Missile,” Alan Lamb, 24, of Lansing, N.Y., and Richard Steppe, 52, Dallas, Texas, were second overall and first in tandem kayak composite at 21 hours, 17 minutes.

Their first-in-class finish earned them a base of $100 from Tour du Teche plus a matching $100 from the Town of Berwick.

Hot on their heels was “Illinois Brigade,” paddled by Wally Werderich, 37, Yorkville, Ill., and Gustave “Tave” Lamperez, 50, St. Charles, Ill. Their finish in 21 hours and 24 minutes was a first-in-class for tandem canoe composite, winning $100 from the Teche Federal Bank funding and a matching $100 from the Town of Berwick.

Adventure racers Laurence Cohen, 54, New Orleans, and Rusty Bernard, 52, Mandeville, paddling “La Madeleine” in tandem kayak recreational, shaved miles off the course by innovative portages across the necks of loops above New Iberia and Franklin to finish in 23 hours, 14 minutes, again winning of $100 from Tour du Teche $100 from the Town of Berwick.

Grady Reed, 33, Lockhart, Texas; Ginsie Stauss, 51, Austin, Texas, a.k.a. “Gatorhead and Da Shrimp,” were in the money as first mixed tandem unlimited at 26 hours, 30 minutes, winning the $200 in official prizes. Stauss will also receive $100 for being the first female paddler to reach Breaux Bridge – the “Scholastique Picou Breaux Award” – and $100 for being the first woman to reach New Iberia. She and Reed share another $100 for being the first mixed tandem unlimited to reach Patterson, a special award of the Pellerin Companies.

At 35 hours and 20 minutes, “XMA” paddled by David Dupuis, 47, was sixth overall and first in solo kayak recreational. Prizes total $200.

Ted Edinger, 61, Pineville, paddling “332,” a Texas Unlimited Solo, finished in 35 hours, 44 minutes, winning in addition to the $200 in official prizes $100 from the City of St. Martinville as the first male solo unlimited to reach that check point.

“Pogy,” Dennis Wise, 52, of Cecilia, and Tami St. Germain, 48, Arnaudville; paddling in mixed canoe recreational, finished in 39 hours and 8 minutes, earning $200 in first-in-class money plus $100 from Buck & Johnny’s Pizzeria of Breaux Bridge for being the first mixed canoe recreational to reach the Breaux Bridge check point. On top of that, Wise will get the “Golden Bed Pan Award” from the St. Mary Council on Aging for being the first senior to reach Franklin. With the award comes one night at the Fairfax Bed and Breakfast in Franklin and dinner for two at Main Street Cafe in Franklin.

Others who didn’t place officially but won unofficial awards include:

•Kenneth “Trey” Snyder, 38, St. Martinville, whose “Pont Breaux Pirogue” was the first solo pirogue to reach the Breaux Bridge check point, earning him $100 from the Kiwanis Club de Pont Breaux.

•Taylor Trahan, 16, of Breaux Bridge, paddling with Bo Lester, 19, also of Breaux Bridge, in “Budmaster,” a tandem canoe composite, wins $100 as the first junior paddler to reach St. Martinville, courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of St. Martinville, and $100 from the New Iberia Kiwanis Club as the first junior to reach that check point. The pair made it to Patterson in just 33 hours and 4 minutes but finished second in class behind Werderich and Lamperez.

•Bruce Bodson, 56, of Missouri City, Texas, paddling a solo kayak recreational named “Dagger Seeker,” was first solo senior to reach St. Martinville, earning $100 from the Rotary Club of St. Martinville.

Special prizes going unclaimed are $100 for the first tandem pirogue to reach Breaux Bridge (Kiwanis Club de Pont Breaux) and $100 for the first all-female tandem unlimited to reach St. Martinville (Pat Theriot, State Farm Insurance).

Something Old, Something New....

2010-09-22T16:19:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, the front of our shop was turned into a drive-thru by an out of control car last December. Since then, we've taken some time to decide what we wanted to do with this area. Since it's the front entrance of the shop, we wanted it to be in keeping with the building - but also wanted to do something different with it.

We have finally finished repairing the window and wall that were knocked in during the crash. For the project, we hired our good friend Mark Menou. Mark is one of those people that can do pretty much anything. Plus - he and his wife Jennifer have a fun, funky and artistic flair that we thought would add to the project. Mark did all the carpentry and painting work on the project and we couldn't be happier!

The way this window came together was this: We had decided to use some of our old windows from the previous project in the boat room. While searching around in the back, I came across three flat objects wrapped in brown paper. I pulled them out from the dust in the back of the garage and found some beautiful leaded glass panes. We then called another friend - Claude Martin to come by and help us create a panel. We started working on the design of the panel - but needed something to make it all come together.

That's when I thought of a stained glass panel that was up in a wall at the top of the shop in an area that nobody could really see. Claude took one look at it and said "That's it. Get that window and it will go right here in the middle".

This window was in an area of the shop that was originally the office in the late 70's. This photo shows my mom sitting at her desk probably the first or second year we were open at this location. Notice behind her (sorry it's a little washed out) is the window that we reclaimed and made the centerpiece of our new window. In talking to my dad about the leaded panes, he told me that those were panes taken out of my great grandmothers house during the depression in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

We're very excited and proud of how the finished window came out. We hope that you will come by soon to see - But please - leave your car outside!

2010-09-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this description of the Tour Du Teche from one of the racers that's also one of our customers. Jeri St. Blanc paddled the 130 mile route in her Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145. Thought you might enjoy reading it:

Hello to all Tour Du Teche participants! What a wild week-end! It was such a pleasure sharing the bayou with you throughout the week-end. I met many of you at some part of the race and enjoyed the conversations we had. I enjoyed meeting many of your friends, family and bank runners along the route. Their commitment to each of us and support was amazing.

I've been sharing stories with my family and friends just as I'm sure you have also. I would love to hear some of your stories.

This is the first time I've done anything like this so everything was a new experience. Here's a few of my highlights:

I left St. Martinville at 1:30 am (no moonlight) really scary.

I stepped out at Keystone Dam and sunk to my knees in mud- sucked my shoe right off my foot. I then had to portage my kayak through the path without shoes, then down the mountain and over the boulders.

After leaving the dam, I ran into a patch of lilies and something like a branch or tree down across the bayou, not really sure because there was so little light. I was jammed in the lilies and had to pull through them. I just knew a huge gator or moccasin was waiting to devour me. With my heart racing out of my chest, I wildly pulled through.

After getting through I just knew I had made a wrong turn into a drainage canal or something, I found my phone and called my husband to find out if I could have messed up. He assured me if I was on the left side of the bayou I was OK. I gave thanks to the Lord and continued on .

Reached my hometown of Charenton! What a homecoming!!!!!!!!!!!!! Took a rest at my home on the Bayou at the Charenton Bridge. After resting, and realizing the current was not going to turn just because I willed it to, I started out. Within a quarter of a mile, I heard rolling thunder. A gentle rain begins and then a torrential downfall. Ok, I'm beginning to wonder if the Lord is speaking to me. The rain and wind kicks up and is blowing toward Baldwin. Just as I think maybe I'll stay wet and take a free ride with the wind to Baldwin, streaks of lightning come down around me. I pulled my kayak out of the water and turned it over on the bank. All my gear is now drenched. I ran to a house and at that time my husband, hearing the thunder, calls to check on me. He picks me up and after drying up and repacking, I started out again.

Saturday night, we were blessed with more moonlight. The ride from Baldwin to Franklin started out really nice until I hit the bridge at Oaklawn. I knew it would be 6 miles until the Sterling Bridge and there would be little to no homes on the Bayou. I went in already a little apprehensive. I called and reported my position to my husband and Mom then started paddling. I now know where the gators hang out at dark. I saw soooo many gators, I began thinking about "Swamp People." The ones that crossed in front of me, I didn't mind. I would slow up, let them definitely have the right of way. One of them swam at me and then surfaced about 3 ft from me. After that I set a new paddling record. I was truly petrified.

I was told the last leg of the race, past the east gate of the locks, would be an enjoyable paddle without current. They didn't tell me the tour committee was adding wind resistance to make the end so much more memorable. Just kidding.......

All in all, the tour was challenging but such a rewarding experience. When asked if I plan to do it next year, my reply was, "Ask me again in two weeks!"

Jeri H. St. Blanc

Recreation Coordinator

Chitimacha Tribe of LA

Boone Discovers the World

2010-08-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

A little over a year ago, Becky and I sat staring at a list scribbled on a piece of paper. On the left side were all the things we like to do. Kayak fishing, day hikes, extended hikes, canoe trips, work, going out to eat, bicycling trips etc... On the right side was how we would do these things if we owned a dog.

Except for the last 3 years, we've always had a dog in our family. Our previous dog, Pepper had lived to the ripe old age of 18 and we were convinced that no dog could possibly replace her. Three years after Pepper passed, we found ourselves staring at this scrap of paper. Weighing the loss of our freedom against the fun of sharing life with a dog.

Long story short, we dove in headfirst (as we always seem to do), decided that our new pup would be our 25th wedding anniversary present to each other, and found what we thought was the perfect dog. We named him Boone (no special meaning - we just like the name) and have spent the last year watching him discover our world.

As a puppy, Boone was very relaxed and sleepy. Not at all like other puppies we've seen. But he loved water and loved going on long walks. Good signs for being part of an outdoor family.

Boone went everywhere with us - so when Harold Schoeffler invited us to go fishing with him offshore, we naturally brought Boone along. I don't think Harold was amused when Boone lost his breakfast in Harold's seat while we were riding out the swells near a rig in Vermilion Bay.
Boone's first real hike was near Salida Colorado at the Orient mine area to see the Bat caves. He was a good little hiker - following along and soaking in the experience in his good natured way.

Later on that same trip, Boone discovered one of his great loves: SNOW!!! The skies opened up and dumped 2 feet of early snow on Salida - leaving Boone a brand new playground. He dug in it, romped in it, tunneled under it, bounded over it and even ate it. He loved this strange white stuff and just couldn't get enough. Here are some pictures of Boone discovering snow:

The holidays are all about family, and Boone loves family. Here's a few pictures of Boone with family:

In January, Boone was a part of a very chilly cross-basin canoe trip with friends. We spent 3 days in the Basin crossing from Catahoula to Bayou Sorrell. Here's some pictures of Boone on the Basin trip:

In the spring, Boone was Becky's hiking partner for his first real backpacking trip. Becky and Boone hiked the Appalachian Trail all the way from Georgia to Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina. They spent 2 weeks on the trail and covered well over 100 miles. Here's some pictures from their adventure:

During the spring, Boone also took his first trip down the Buffalo River in Arkansas as part of a guided trip Becky and I led for a school in Houston. Here are a few pictures of Boone discovering the Buffalo river:

We have spent some time in Colorado hiking and mountain biking. Here's a few pictures of Boone in the high mountains of Colorado:

Watching Boone discover the world has been a lot of fun. Dogs are a wonderful reminder of what it is to trust, to celebrate, and to love. If there's a lesson in any of this, it's simply that taking a chance on love is always worth it. Here's to good dogs, good times and a great life!

Backpacking Cat

2010-08-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

We got these pictures and story through a friend's email. We think you'll enjoy them...

Kitty is a very adventurous cat. She is the beloved pet of American travelers, Peter and Marcia Simmons, who are hiking from Miami , Florida to Ushuaia in Argentina . They are currently in Colombia . Kitty is often seen resting in Peter's backpack as they travel. They have set up a little umbrella on the backpack to shade Kitty from the sun.

Kitty is enjoying the trip as much as her owners. She often climbs on Peter's shoulder to get a better view of the new scenery. She is not at all shy about meeting new people. If there was an award for the most adventurous cat, Kitty would be the purr-fect candidate.

Kitty is definitely Daddy’s girl…

Tour Du Teche Racers Gathering

2010-07-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Tour Du Teche Racers Gathering is for all people interested in finding out more about this unique 130 mile race along the entire length of the Bayou Teche. At this event, race organizers will cover details about portages and other features on the race route. During the meeting, organizers will cover and explain all the race rules as well as the race boat categories. We will host an informative session in which an experienced racer will give tips and tricks on how to eat, how to hydrate and other essential information that will make you more successful during the race.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, August 17th at Pack & Paddle at 6pm. All prospective racers and family are invited to this free event.

Alone On The Appalachian Trail

2010-05-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Recently, Becky Williams and her puppy Boone took a two week solo hike on the Appalachian Trail. In the following blog, Becky describes their journey together.

People have asked what was I seeking, wasn’t I afraid and what was my trip like. Anyone who has taken a big trip will understand that these are sometimes difficult things to define. In thinking it through, I believe that there were three threads that ran true throughout my trip: 1 - Facing Fear, 2 - Being Present, and 3 - Staying Found.

My husband John and I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail (AT) a couple of years ago and, while we were on the trip I was always a little in awe of the women starting their hike alone. Women you may know like Emily Starr Philips or Nancy Hall from the LA hiking club made me wonder - could I do that? John and I have been married since I was 18 years old, so I have never had to face my fears of being alone. This was my time to do it. I did bring along my puppy Boone, who was a constant source of companionship, a warm body to snuggle with and at the very least, a good bark. Not to mention good picture material!

What I immediately noticed about hiking alone was the incredible sense of being home on the trail. A lot of what we fear in day to day life is more in the stories we have heard or our imaginations running wild. Things could happen, but they could happen while I’m at home or driving to work. I have decided to use good judgment, but to live my life and enjoy it.

Taking some measured risks also tests and builds our faith. Long distance hiking always involves hitchhiking into town for re-supply. When I had to hitchhike, I spent some time praying about the people who would pick me up as well as for good judgment in the moment. Every time I had a great experience. Once it was a young couple dreaming of a thru hike of the AT themselves. Another time it was a couple about my age who were just finishing a 2 day trip. Yet another was a retired church-going couple from town. All these encounters may seem like risks to some, but the flip side are the opportunities for new friendships and positive encounters.

Another fear is things that go bump in the night. When hiking the AT, you will frequently camp in areas where others are camping also. On this hike I actually spent at least 4 nights totally alone. In one span of time, I went for over 48 hours without seeing another soul (outside of Boone!). One of the nights I heard the footsteps of a large animal. My heart started racing and panic was welling up. I had to fight myself into reason. I made myself think - there is nothing in my tent an animal would want - I am safe. Normally I would have yelled to scare it away, but luckily I had Boone to make all the noise for me. The animal (probably a boar) left and we went soundly back to sleep. I will agree that hiking with others is safer, but hiking alone gave me a different perspective and an opportunity to stay present and examine myself.

On a normal hike with John or other friends the constant buzz of people creates a lot of entertainment on the trail. This hike, however, was about introspection. I brought the perfect book along for this – The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A quote from the book is, “No heart had ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and eternity.” This perfectly describes why I took the hike. To accomplish this, I had to stay in the present moment. Not looking back at my past successes or failures and also not planning ahead for the next day or week. Simply trying to live in the moment. I found this difficult. Even though I was not making business or family plans, I could occupy my mind with plenty of things - how far to hike, what to eat, where to sleep - or even tasks of taking care of Boone, camp or journaling. One day during a rest, I was trying to catch up on my journal and my pen quit writing. I took that as a reminder to just be present. This time I heeded the reminder by lying on my back and looking up in the trees. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I was enjoying God’s artistry when a scarlet tanager flitted into the scene. Wow - wouldn’t want to miss that!

The lesson about being present also ties into staying found. On my last day of hiking, I found myself daydreaming about life when I get home. Just like my pen running out of ink, I took this as a reminder to stay present. As you may or may not know, I can be stubborn – and on this occasion, I just didn’t feel like it. I wanted to daydream. My route took me up, up, up out of a gap for 1 & 1/2 miles to an observation tower on the AT. I was following 2 guys and chatting. When we reached the tower, I realized it was too steep for Boone, so took off hoping to get to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in time for a late lunch. I daydreamed down, down, down the trail and came fully aware when I saw a road. My heart sank as I realized I was back at the original gap I started from.
My daydreaming cost me a very steep 3 mile up and down. Lesson noted, I started back up. I just could not stay in the present, though. I ignored my spirit telling me to stop daydreaming, just knowing that I could not possibly make the same mistake twice. I went up and over the field where the tower was and then down the trail to NOC. Daydreaming my way down, I became really sick when I saw the same road again. This could not be happening! Some other hikers came along and asked where I was from. I replied “Groundhog Day.”

I was so very confused. I knew I didn’t go down the same trail again - how could this have happened? Through talking to them, I realized I had followed the 2 guys up a trail on an old road which parallels the AT (then down, then up again). I then had taken the AT south where I came to the gap for the third time. Now I was 6 miles out of my way on an eleven mile day - big bummer. As with almost everything in life, there is beauty beyond the pain - if you are open to it. This turned into the best day of hiking on the trip. The group I met in the gap were incredible. I hiked the rest of the way in to NOC with a fellow past thru hiker - with the trail name “Corsican.” We talked of my trip and what it meant to me, of God and the beauty we were surrounded by.

The experience of these two weeks was incredible. I faced my fear of being alone and found there wasn’t much to be afraid of. I (for the most part) stayed present and fed my soul. I tested hiking, camping, and navigation skills and gained confidence and hopefully became a better hiking partner and partner in life with John. I have realized I can hike alone - I loved this experience. But my futures plans revolve around adventures with my Pack & Paddle friends, most importantly - John. You were missed partner!

Possible New Film Screenings with Jon Bowermaster and Conni Castille

2010-05-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

Last spring, many of you crowded into the Pack & Paddle venue to hear Jon Bowermaster speak and show slides of his amazing kayaking expeditions all over the world. We are currently working on hosting Jon and fellow film maker Conni Castille for an unforgettable evening. Jon will show his new film "SoLa, Louisiana Water Stories" and comment personally on the making of the film and his insights into our unique connection to the water. Conni will premiere her new film "King Crawfish".
We are currently working out the final dates for the event, but currently we are looking at the date range of June 21st - June 24th. Keep your calendars free and your ears open!

Huge Bass Caught from Kayak

2010-05-10T12:23:00.001-07:00

I got an email from Lisa Alexander about a fishing trip that she and friend Regina Womack took with their new kayaks to fish in Lake Valentine up near Alexandria. On the trip, Regina caught a near-state record Largemouth Bass. I have two accounts of the event. Here is Regina's account:

Thursday, May 6, 2010, at 8 PM, I caught a fish of a lifetime. I have fished Valentine Lake in Gardner, La for many of years. I would have never guessed that a fish of this size would be caught out of this lake. Someone pinch me!

That Thursday, my friend, Lisa Alexander and I took one of our many kayak fishing trips to Valentine Lake. We started fishing around 5:30 PM that evening. There were at least three people including a man fishing from the pier not too far from us. Lisa and I fish the southwest end of the lake because of the grassy shallow areas which I call a bass haven. Around 7:45 PM, I was watching the top of the water for any movement and notice a very big swirl on the opposite side of the Lake. I continued to watch and noticed that the swirl happened again in the same location. I decided to give it a few cast before going in for the afternoon.

I was fishing with a weightless worm, Zoom, Mag II plum. I casted out several times and on the four cast, she took it immediately. When she took it, it was like I caught something other than a fish. I was thinking an alligator at that moment. I started yelling at Lisa to come and help me. I didn’t have time to think, I could barely hold the rod and reel in my hands with all the jerking of my kayak. When I got it closer to the kayak I noticed the eye ball of fish underneath the thick grass that she had went through. I reached down into the water to grab her mouth and I felt a little frightened. Suddenly, I realized what I had caught. I pulled this monster fish into the kayak without flipping it, unbelievable! I held on to her with a death grip until my friend Lisa pulled up beside me. She couldn’t believe her eyes and I was so much in shock that I could say anything.

After figuring out a plan to get her in, Lisa tied our kayaks together and made it to the pier where a gentleman helped us put her into my large storage bin of my kayak. It took us at least half and hour to get our kayaks loaded up and head back to Lisa’s house.

I called my Dad, and both of my brother-in-laws, they didn’t believe anything that I was telling them so I gave up on the phone calls. We got back to the house where I placed her immediately into an ice chest of water. She was barely alive. Lisa took her old meat scales and calibrated a bucket and found her to weigh 16.25lbs at that time. We called Lisa’s dad, which was a retired wildlife and fishery employee and gave us some names and numbers. We then called our good friend, T.W. Thompson, the commissioner in Alexandria, La. I immediately took the fish to the Mayor’s house. Approximately ten people were present and making phone calls to try and find certification. It was close to 10:30 PM by that time she was weighed at Kroger’s in Alexandria, La, weighing her at 15.88 LBS.

Here's Lisa's account:

Regina Womack an myself took our kayaks to Valentine lake yesterday after work.. we go regularly and always catch a few.. but this is what we left with last night.. .she caught it right as the sun was setting in her kayak... I was about a hundred yards away when she starts yelling.. "OMG.. OMG.. OMG!! Lisa come over here quick.. come help me .. OMG OMG OMG so I paddle over just as she hauls this BIG SOW into her lap... Regina was holding on with both hands to the bass's mouth and shaking like and earthquake... it was over 16 pounds last nite.. but official weight after losing some.. 15.88 lbs.. will be number 2 in La State record books.. omg.. what a nite!!!!

Both of us purchased kayaks from your establishment and have had many many good times and experiences with them!! Her's is a Native.. Mine is a Wilderness Tarpon.

Congrats ladies!!!! What a great story.

Pack & Paddle Sign

2010-04-20T13:07:00.001-07:00

We're getting ready to make a change to our sign out in front of the store. Artist Jon MacManus has created new original artworks to be installed on our current signposts. One side of the sign will depict a paddler in a typical Louisiana Swamp scene while the other will feature a hiker cresting the top of a mountain.

Jon worked from some images he found on my computer to come up with the ideas for the sign. Here is the picture he used for the paddling scene:
And here is the picture he used for the hiking scene:

Be on the lookout in mid-May for our new and improved sign in front of our building!

Spring Kickoff Weekend A Super Success!

2010-03-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

Perfect early spring weather arrived just on time for the outdoor community of Lafayette to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather. On hand for the weekend were 300 folks from Lafayette, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Shreveport, Baton Rouge and even as far away as Tennessee! We paddled, looked at new gear, caught up with old friends and generally had a great time. Suffice it to say that we can't wait for next year! Here's a few pictures of some of the events:

Kickoff Breakfast Paddle
A wonderful paddle at Lake Martin saw the Lafayette Paddle Club hosting 30 paddlers who turned out to enjoy sunshine, beautiful scenery and great beignets!

Adventure Trade Show
During the day Saturday, lots of folks showed up to see the latest gear from MSR, Hobie, Wilderness Systems, Yakima, Hurricane Kayaks, Yak Gear, SPOT, and Native Watercraft. We all enjoyed meeting Jerald Horst (author of Troutmasters and other books) as well as Lucy the Goat from Louisiana Wild products. It was a great time to meet representatives of the Lafayette Paddle Club and the Lafayette kayak Fishing Club.

Reel Paddling Film Festival
We hosted a capacity crowd for the first tour stop in Louisiana for the Reel Paddling Film Festival Saturday night. We all laughed through "Paddle to Seattle", thrilled to the whitewater in "Lucky 13", were inspired by "The Missouri Stream Team Story" and loved "Finding Farley". The films were great and the crowd was great. Overall, a wonderful celebration of paddling as a sport.

Kayak and Canoe Demo Day
The Demo Day on Sunday set records for participation with over 250 people showing up to try out the canoes and kayaks we had on hand. As you can imagine, it was hectic, but exciting.

Our thanks go out to all of you who participated in this very special weekend. We enjoyed hosting you and look forward to the Spring Kickoff Weekend being even bigger and better next year!

Lineup Of Participants at the Adventure Trade Show

2010-03-03T13:14:00.002-08:00

Jerald Horst, well known fishing author for Louisiana Sportsman and other magazines will be on hand to meet the Lafayette Outdoor Community. Jerald is the author of the popular book "Troutmasters" as well as other great books. Jerald will be ready to sign copies of his books as well as to talk fishing.

Keith Sonnier of "The Camp" fly fishing school will be presenting his spring schedule of classes and to represent the Acadiana Fly Rodders club.

Louise Prejean of Louisiana Wild will be here with her Goat Lucy. She will have her unique line of goat milk soaps for sale as well as the most popular activity when Lucy is around: Petting the Goat.

Outdoor Company Reps:
Scott Eddins - Osprey, MSR, Cascade Designs
Tom Jester - Native Watercraft
Steve & Lisa Oxenford - Hobie
Summer Williamson - Hurricane Kayaks
Steve Sell - Wilderness Systems Kayaks
Tom Jindra - TFO Fly Rods and Spinning Rods
Greg Allen - Yakima Racks and Vibram Five Fingers Shoes
Bill Bragman - Yak Gear Kayak Accessories

Clubs:
Lafayette Paddle Club
Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club
Acadiana Fly Rodders
Acadiana Chapter of the Sierra Club

This will be a great opportunity to get see all the new gear for 2010 and meet some great outdoor folks!

Lineup Of Participants at the Adventure Trade Show

2010-03-03T13:14:00.001-08:00

Film Festival Getting Exciting!!!

2010-03-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Becky and I spent 5 or 6 hours yesterday previewing 20 or so films for the Reel Paddling Film Festival this weekend. We are super excited with the lineup that we came up with to show our local crowd. If you have tickets already - you can officially start getting excited! If you don't have tickets, you should call the shop at 232 5854 to reserve some. We are limiting the seating for this event so that everyone can have a good seat. Here is a quick preview of our lineup for Saturday night:

Paddle to Seattle: Journey Through the Inside Passage
Duration: 40 minutes
In homemade Pygmy wooden boats, J.J. Kelley and Josh Thomas travelled the 1,300-mile Inside Passage. For three months, Kelley and Thomas paddled to Seattle facing the hardships that accompany a lifestyle removed from civilization. The film is a stunning display of the awe-inspiring landscape of the Pacific Northwest and of the light-hearted spirit of the young adventurers.

Our Take:
Certainly one of the best films of the night, this movie shows the ups and downs of a long trip. The scenery is amazing and the characters are a lot of fun. We guarantee you one thing: You'll want to book a plane ticket to the Pacific Northwest this summer!

Lucky 13
Duration: 6 min
Lucky 13 chases a West Kootenay-based group of whitewater kayakers in search of a wild paddling in their backyard. Compiling footage and outtakes from the last two seasons of spring paddling.

Our Take:
Whitewater is not a big part of the paddling experience in South Louisiana. But we felt that the festival would not be complete without some thrills and spills on the steep creeks. This film is raw, and just a little scary.

Twenty Years: The Missouri Stream Team Story
Duration: 28 min
The Missouri Stream Team project is one of the nation's finest environmental stewardship programs and an inspiring story of what can happen when ordinary citizens take ownership and pride over the waterways that truly belong to them. This film covers many stories that are inspiring.

Our Take:
I was inspired by this film. Taking pride in our state and the public lands and waterways that are free for our use is something that none of us do enough of. I don't know what to do to get the ball rolling here in Louisiana, but watching this great film is a good start.

Kayak Fishing: Game On 2
Duration: 5 min
This film follows world-renowned big game kayak angler Jim Sammons on the adventure of a lifetime. Game On 2 features Sammons' epic, three-hour battle with a 120-pound tuna.

Our Take:
Big game offshore kayak fishing is definitely a niche activity, but watching Jim Sammons battle this huge tuna in a kayak is something we're sure that nobody in our area has witnessed before.

Following Directions
Duration: 3:10 Minutes
Following Directions brings a smile to your face in the spirit of the classic short, silent film. Inspired by a real-life conundrum. Filmed and edited by amateur filmmaker Melanie Buckle of Toronto, Canada.

Our Take:
This one is just for fun. I won't even try to describe it other than to say that it is probably worth 3 minutes of your life!

Finding Farley
Duration: 46:07 minutes
Filmmakers Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison, along with their two-year-old son Zev and indomitable dog Willow, set out to retrace the literary footsteps of renowned Canadian author Farley Mowat. Their 3,100 mile trip - trekking, sailing, portaging and paddling from the Prairies of western Canada to the Maritimes of the Atlantic ocean - ends at Mowat's Nova Scotian summer house.

Our Take:
This film is worth coming for all by itself. Watching this family deal with adversity in the wild with a small child reminds me so much of our 4 month hike/cycling trip in 1989 with our then 3 year old son Matt. You will be treated to a great family adventure that you won't soon forget.

P&P Named As Finalist for Backpacker Mag Retailer of the Year

2010-02-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

SNEWS and Backpacker Magazine put out a call for nominations seeking the best outdoor specialty retailers in the US. An avalanche of forms were submitted leading to over 250 nominations. After several rounds of vigorous judging, 15 finalists were named.

Your very own home-town Pack & Paddle was named as one of the 15 finalists! No - we didn't win. But we were honored to be listed among the finalists. Among others, these finalists included well known shops like: Backcountry.com, Midwest Mountaineering (the eventual winner), REI, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Rockcreek Outfitters, Rutabaga Paddlesports and Backwoods.

We thank all of you for nominating us for this award. It feels good to be recognized and to be named as a finalist. All we can say is "Wait 'till Next Year" - maybe the outdoor community of the US will be saying about P&P "Who Dat?!" in 2011.

Wild and Beautiful Atchafalaya

2010-01-17T10:27:00.001-08:00

It all began innocently enough when Stacey Scarce called me and said "Let's paddle across the basin!". Her idea was to create a paddle route through the Atchafalaya Basin that would connect two of the leading environmental figures involved with this great wetland. We would begin near the home of photographer Greg Guirard in Catahoula and find our way through the cuts, sloughs, canals and bayous of the Atchafalaya to finish at Bayou Sorrel near the home of Atchafalaya Basinkeeper Dean Wilson. Stacey's hope was to bring attention to the Basinkeeper program as well as giving us a first hand look at the basin for ourselves. The participants included Stacey, Martin Arceneaux, musician Drew Landry, Becky and I with our dog Boone and our friends from Salida, Colorado Jon and Rickie McManus.

Early in the morning of our first day, the water pulsed through the canal, dirty and brown sweeping us downstream away from the launch at Catahoula. Confusion started early as we swung into a cut to see if it was our first turn off. We were immediately met by 3 hunters in an old, well used aluminum boat. "Where ya'll goin' in those things?" the hunters wanted to know. Our reply came (a little sheepishly) "Bayou Sorrel". "What?! Ya'll better be careful!" they replied. "The river's high and there's some whitewater down there at the Zig Zag. You're not gettin' back up here if you go down in those canoes." With their warnings ringing in our ears, we navigated the Zig Zag (it's not really whitewater) and into our first long canal of the trip.

Heavy currents are a fact in the Atchafalaya Basin. Since the levees were built in the 1930's, the water flow has been intensified within the confines of these protective earthen structures. Dredging of many of the natural canals has also made the currents stronger. In times of higher water, (for our trip, the Atchafalaya was at 15 feet) the current will run away from the Atchafalaya river. What this meant for us was that we would be paddling mainly upstream until we reached the Atchafalaya River and then downstream to the east levee at Bayou Sorrel. These currents have become a serious issue in the Atchafalaya basin.

"What do you feel some of the changes that have occurred?" Drew asked a hunter we met during our lunch break. "Well - the biggest thing is that so many of the bayous and sloughs we used to hunt that are all silted up now" he replied. "We can't even get to so many of the areas that we used to hunt anymore. This place has really changed". His voice trailed off with the resignation of a man that sees a problem but feels powerless to make any changes. We were left to sit and imagine what this place must have been like less than a lifetime ago.

The Atchafalaya River carries up to 40% of the flow of the Mississippi river, bringing with it sediment from lands as far away as Minnesota. Much of this sediment races down the Atchafalaya and ends up in the Wax Lake Outlet - one of the few coastal deltas in Louisiana that is actually increasing in size. Some of this sediment however flows into the side canals and waterways of the basin. This sediment would normally flow along through the swamps of the basin - slowly settling out bit by bit until it hits Morgan City. Unfortunately, the north/south flow of these natural waterways has in many cases been disrupted by the construction of pipeline and oilfield canals. Many of these canals run east/west with the spoil banks of the canals disrupting the natural north/south flow. This causes the water to slow down - dropping too much sediment in certain areas - causing siltation.

The current intensified as we approached the Atchafalaya River, paddling up Bayou L'embarrass and Long Lake. Finally, we reached the Atchafalaya, heading south with the flow of the water. After a day of paddling upstream, we laid back and enjoyed the river moving us along until we reached our campsite on Splice Island. The Island is fixed between the Atchafalaya River and the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel. We paddled past numerous signs such as "Posted Big S Hunting Club" and "No Trespassing - Private Property" before we started finding the "State Lands" signs we were looking for. As the sun dropped over the Atchafalaya, we got our fire going strong to ward off the arctic cold front that had gripped Acadiana over the last several days. Our group settled in to their spots on the log and enjoyed the folksy sound of Drew playing his guitar and singing songs about Greg Guirard, the politics of the common man and Angola state prison.

There was a tension among the group the next morning as we prepared to cross the big water of the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel. Before we left for the trip, we were warned "Make sure you get a sheriff's boat to meet you at the river before you cross. The currents are extremely dangerous and the wash from a tug can be lethal." As if that wasn't enough, she warned "I had trouble crossing with my 150 horsepower motorboat last week". We had assurances that we could make it across from other acquaintances, so the decision was made that we could handle the currents in our small crafts. Being from Colorado, and having never visited the south, everything seemed very foreign to Rickie. She has run many 100 mile ultramarathons in her life, but from her expression, I could tell this crossing had her worried. Looking out from an eddy alongside Splice island, everything looked tame enough. No tugs, no whirlpools. "Let's go!" We started paddling hard upstream, angling the bow of the boat towards the east shore. After what seemed like a really long time, we were all safely in an eddy on the other side. Rickie's smile told it all. We were across.

After a quick portage around a steel dam, our group found itself in a pipeline canal just off of Bloody Bayou. A few miles up the canal, we saw a motorboat approaching. It was Dean Wilson, the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper. He had come out to check on us and see how were faring. We gathered around his boat as Drew asked him questions. "What do you think are the biggest problems facing the Basin right now?" asked Drew. "Right now, I would say that siltation is the biggest problem. Every year we are losing waterways to siltation. And the problem is very solvable." said Dean. Drew asked "Where do we go from here?" Dean replied "we can build sediment traps in areas where water flows from the Atchafalaya into the smaller waterways that feed the sloughs and swamps. By trapping most of this sediment, I feel we will greatly reduce the pace at which the waterways are silting up".

This pipeline was our home for the night. We spent the evening telling stories, listening to music and eating great food. All too soon, we were loading our canoes for the final day of paddling. A 70% chance of rain and impending cold front gave us a little extra urgency to get on the water. While the route on the west side of the basin was simple enough to follow on a map, the east side route was a labyrinth of turns in waterways that many times were too small to see on the map. Dean had helped us with some GPS coordinates that we combined with our map to find our way to Bayou Sorrel. As we made our way towards the east levee, Jon from Salida asked "Why haven't these oilfield companies removed all of this old equipment out of here?" That was a question we didn't have an answer to. We passed old platforms, small valve trees surrounded by old decrepit inflatable oil spill booms, a half sunken barge near an abandoned well and many other signs of drilling from another era. This left a slightly sour note on the beauty we had witnessed over the last 3 days as we pushed on through the cold rain towards Bayou Sorrel. Finally, with the landing in sight, there were smiles all around as we paddled the last few yards to our take out.

What we found in our three days in the swamp is that the Atchafalaya Basin is truly a land of paradoxes. Songbirds, woodpeckers, hawks, cormorants, herons and countless other birds graced the trees and shorelines during our trip. Yet these birds are threatened by the cypress logging sins of our generation and previous generations. Private landowners claim areas that boats can float through while commercial fishermen and recreational users claim that these are navigable waterways. The sediments that can help to rebuild our receding coastline are silting the waterways our fathers and grandfathers fished, hunted and paddled. The domestic oil production that our country so desperately needs has created a graveyard of old unused equipment rusting in the water. But what stands above all of these paradoxes is the immensity of this wilderness. The Atchafalaya is still a wild and beautiful place and the story is still being written on how man will interact with this paradise into the future. We finished the trip feeling a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie as well as an awe for the immensity and beauty of this wilderness. We can't wait to go back!

Crossing the Atchafalaya

2010-01-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

On January 4th, a small group from Lafayette (with friends from Salida, CO) set out to cross the Atchafalaya basin by canoe. We paddled the cuts, canals, bayous, sloughs and rivers for 3 days. Here's a few photos of our journey:

Boone and Becky headed down towards the ZigZag just downstream of Catahoula. Boone's got his jacket on too!

Stacey Scarce and Martin Arceneaux headed towards the Atchafalaya on a pipeline canal. Note Drew's guitar in the back.

Boone after a tough day at the office. This is at Splice Island while we were up checking out campsites.

Drew Landry playin' some cold weather guitar. The group really enjoyed his folksy songs that seemed to fit right in with our surroundings in the Basin.

Stacey and Martin paddling through a fishermans route deep in the heart of the Basin.

Drew navigates his kayak through some tight spots.

Our friends Rickie and Jon McManus from Salida, CO enjoying a very different surrounding from their home town.

The group headed towards the takeout on the east side of the Basin early on day 3. Note the ominous clouds in the background.

Becky picking Oyster mushrooms off a decaying willow tree.

The rain caught up with us about 6 miles from the landing. It served to only make the Basin even more beautiful.

The group at the takeout on the east levee at Bayou Sorrel. We made it!

Car Crashes, Friends and Lucky Horseshoes

2009-12-08T08:33:00.001-08:00

As you may have heard, Pack & Paddle made the news last week. A freak traffic accident on Pinhook Road sent a Mitsubishi Galant into the front of our building. I thought that we would blog this week on the event so that you could see some photos of the accident.

Becky and I were out of town when we got a frantic call from Skip. "A car has crashed into the building! It's inside the shop!". Wow - you don't get a call like that everyday. Skip was with a customer only 8 feet away from where the car came through the wall. No wonder he was shaken up! Jamie said "I heard a crash and started walking towards the window. That's when I heard vrrrooooom and the car came through the window".

What happened was that the Galant was rear ended on Pinhook. The drivers foot became pinned to the accelerator, taking her over the grassy corner, through the parking lot, between two cars, over the bike rack, over the blue ski chairs, through the small cypress fence and through the wall of the shop.

911 was called and the driver was extracted from the car. Then the car was extracted from the building and our staff did their best to clean up the mess. Mark Menou put some plywood up to seal the hole for the night and everyone headed home.

In thinking back, it's amazing how lucky we were in how things turned out. First and foremost, nobody was hurt (including the driver!). Secondly, the car came through the building in an area with a high beam - so no structural supporting posts were knocked out. Lastly, we were surrounded by friends that helped us through the event. Thanks go out to Harold Schoeffler and Mark Menou who were on the scene helping us to get the building secured. Also thanks to all who emailed and called with offers to help clean up, hammer nails and do whatever it took to get us operating again. My brother called and said that his 6 and 8 year old sons had seen the news and wanted to give us their money and their help to get P&P up and running again.

The picture below is very interesting. Notice the car in the building. Take a closer look at the hood and you'll see a lucky horseshoe that fell onto the hood of the car as it came into the building. This is like a sign that all things eventually turn out for the best. We are surrounded by friends and a community that showed they really care. Our shop is now all fixed up and ready for Christmas. We are so appreciative to all of you and look forward to the future!

The Younger Generation

2009-11-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about what's to become of "the younger generation" that we all refer to. I am as guilty as anyone of thinking of today's kids as an internet obsessed, cell phone connected, ipod listening, video game playing group of clones that would keel over and die should they be dropped onto a deserted island without electricity. Just yesterday, I had an experience that made me rethink a lot of my attitudes.

This past Wednesday and Thursday, Becky and I teamed up with Wes and Chris Franciol to take a group of junior high boys on an overnight canoe trip. This group was made up of the 5th, 6th and 7th grade classes of St. John Berchmans (the boys side of the Academy of the Sacred Heart) school in Grand Coteau.

Our first goal was to teach the boys how to paddle a canoe correctly. The chaos of the first few minutes slowly progressed into a more and more orderly group of young kids piloting their own canoe. Each time that I would begin to worry that one of the teams would not be able to master their skills enough, the light would begin to dawn, confidence rise, scowls turn into smiles and the canoes to magically begin to travel in a straight line.

After we felt the boys had acquired enough skills, we loaded the boats with all the tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear and food for the night and headed off into the wilderness. With their loaded canoes and miles of water to cover before making it to our wilderness home for the night, I sensed from some of the boys that slightly nervous feeling about the uncertainty that lay ahead of them. Could they paddle the miles that it would take to make it to camp? Did they have the gear they needed? Would they be scared in the tent at night? Or maybe - would they just be bored after being disconnected from their electronics and with the outside world?

After a couple of miles, the few canoes that were still zig-zagging their way down the canals began to straighten out. Clumsiness with a paddle gave way to subtle skills that can only be learned from doing. And before long, this group of kids - most of whom had never been in a canoe a few hours before - were confidently powering themselves and their gear for the night towards a campsite of their own making.

We arrived at the Highland Waters primitive canoe-in campsite around 3pm. After unloading, the kids set their own tents up. I was amazed to watch the small tent city rise as the boys figured out on their own how to pitch their tents and set up camp. After setting camp, one of the teachers led a biology experiment. With the sun dropping in the sky, we all got back into the canoes and paddled around to the west side of the island we were camping on. We arrived just in time to see an amazing sunset over the Cypress lining the Bird Island Chute. The boys were so invigorated by the freedom of paddling their own canoes, that many of them took off in an informal race to a duck blind in the middle of the Chute.

As night fell and stomachs were filled, middle school madness took over as the boys played multiple games of "searchlight" and "hide and seek" in the dark woods near camp. Soon they gravitated towards our roaring campfire. The milled around and joked with each other until they suddenly heard the sound of Wes' Native American flute. Transfixed by the notes that dripped from this instrument whose sound is synonymous with wilderness, the boys listened and settled into their spots near the fire. Over the next few hours we all told ghost stories and indian legends, sang songs, told jokes and watched the golden light dance off the canopy of live oaks above our heads.

After a hearty breakfast the next day, we loaded the canoes and headed across the lake to see some of the older cypress that still lined the distant west shore of the Bird Island Chute. We talked about the value of mature Cypress forest to the migratory bird population and the dangers that the Cypress mulch industry to these Cypress. We saw an Osprey fly just overhead with a fish in its talons. All too soon, it was time to make our way back towards the park to meet the bus that would take the boys home.

I think it was about the time that the boys all lined up to shake our hands that it began to hit me. What I was seeing were bright, clear eyes of strong and enthusiastic boys. So much promise and potential. Maybe the failing of "the younger generation" did not fall with the younger generation at all.

Maybe "the younger generation" are "plugged in" because we as outdoor enthusiasts have not taken the intitiative to give them an option. As I saw their faces, I thought about the time and energy our scout leaders and my parents had invested in me when I was young. What a gift that turned out to be in my life.

And what a gift it was to have the honor of passing a little of that along to an amazing group of young men that I am proud to call "the next generation of outdoorsmen".

Paddling Season is Just Getting Cranked Up!

2009-10-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Kayakers and Canoeists in most of the country are putting their boats in mothballs and going into hibernation for the next 6 months. Here in Acadiana, the paddling season is just getting started. As October melds into November, lots of wonderful things are happening for those of us that own a paddle craft.

Gone is the heat and bugs that have plagued the last 3 months. The steady procession of cool fronts will be rolling through bringing the temperatures and humidity down. These breezes will keep the insects at bay as we enjoy the beautiful waters of our area. The leaf change is about to begin in earnest. All of which make a trip out to Lake Martin, Two O'clock Bayou, Buffalo Cove, Lake Fausse Point, the Vermilion River, Whiskey Chitto or any of the myriad of opportunities we have in our area a special treat.

If you are a kayak fisherman, things are just beginning to get good. The Redfish are up in the marsh, hungrily feeding on the grass shrimp and other critters that have been growing all summer in the back ponds and grass beds as the north winds and lower tides of fall push them out. The Speckled Trout are moving inland seeking the right salinities to spawn. And the flounder action at this time of year is second to none. In other words, Kayak Fishing season is officially on. If you don't have a fishing kayak - now is the time to get one and get in on the fun!

If you enjoy the company of a group when you head into the outdooors, the trips hosted by Pack & Paddle, the Lafayette Paddle Club and the Lafayette Kayak Fishing club are just ramping up into full gear. P&P has a big variety of trips coming up as well as some we have not yet announced. The Lafayette Paddle Club (www.lafayettepaddleclub.com) has a Archaeology Paddle Trip, a Black Creek Overnight Trip, a Christmas Paddle and much more coming up. The Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club (www.lafayettekayakfishing.com) has group trips to Dulac and Cypremort Point as well as a Kris Kringle kayak fishing tournament coming up soon.

Whether you enjoy the solitude of paddling or want to get involved in a group paddle or kayak fishing trip - get your gear out and cleaned up, because Paddling Season in Acadiana is just getting ready to start!

The Wind Is Free!

2009-10-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, Becky and I were at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show where we were testing out new kayaks and canoes that we were considering carrying here at the shop. It was exciting to see the new innovations from Native Watercraft, Wilderness Systems and all the other boat lines out there. But as we tested boats, something we weren't expecting took us back to a place in our past that we will always treasure.

During the demo, we began to test the Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks. The ease of moving across the water with leg power was fun and addictive. But what kept catching Becky's eye was the beautiful red Adventure Island Kayak/Sailboat hybrid.

The Adventure Island was sitting off to the right side, and every time it would go out, Becky would watch it longingly. Soon she was wading through the waist deep water to hop onto the sleek, beautiful craft. What many of you may not know about Becky and I is that probably the only reason we met was sailing.

In those days (1984), P&P sold Hobie sailboats and Windsurfers. Becky grew up in Lake Charles and spent every free afternoon during high school sailing on the lake. While we were dating and early in our marriage, we spent countless hours Windsurfing and sailing many different types of boats. Since living in Lafayette, neither of us has been on a sailboat - and the Adventure Island was calling her strongly.

As Becky pedaled the boat out of the test area and onto the open lake, I could tell she was in love. She unfurled the sail, and a puff of wind set her skimming across the water.

Afterwards, we talked about our time out on the sailboat. There's something about sailing and pedaling these Hobie kayaks that took us back to our early days of windsurfing and Hobie Cat sailing. I'm not sure if it's the feeling of freedom, the exhilaration and speed, the ease and fun of the boats or simply the fact that there's nothing to do but to sit, relax, explore and enjoy our time on the water.

We look forward to sharing the world of pedal driven kayaks and kayak sailing with you!

Under the Red Oak

2009-09-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

If you've been in lately you've probably noticed a few things happening on the boat room end of our parking lot. This past summer we built a privacy fence along the property line. Constructed of Cedar and corrugated metal, this unique fence makes our yard cozier and will provide a backdrop for everything else that we plan to do in this area.

The next thing that made an appearance were some 4ft wide culverts set on their ends. The tall one serves as a base for the Cypress Cistern that now sits on it. The rest of the culverts will become planters.

All of this activity will create a nice outdoor space for events such as our Outdoor Gear Garage Sale (Sept 26th - see calendar of events) and other things that we are currently working on. All of this is being created in the shadow of our beautiful Native Red Oak. Jay Branch of Bob's tree preservation said that this is one of the few (and largest) Native Red Oak that he's seen in Lafayette.

If you haven't noticed what's going on, take a quick look next time you're in the shop.

Father, Son and Wilderness

2009-08-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, our son Matt and I spent a memorable 5 days in the Pecos Wilderness of New Mexico. The trip was a few weeks in advance of Matt setting off on the adventure of pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Georgia. His pending move is what sent us to that dusty trailhead northeast of Santa Fe - looking for adventure and memories together before he moved.

The Pecos Wilderness is a prisine and beautiful Wilderness area that contains 13,000 foot peaks, trout streams, incredible wildflower displays and miles of amazing trail. One of the crowns of this Wilderness is the Truchas peaks - which were our goal for this trip. We hiked in, climbing steadily past Pecos Baldy Lake, across the incredible Trail Riders Wall, and then into the basin below the towering Truchas Peaks.

Over the next few days, we had some unforgettable adventures climbing peaks, camping out, fly fishing and hiking trails. On one memorable day, we attempted to climb Truchas Peak. We climbed up off the trail and reorganized into a single pack. Over the next couple of hours, we ascended a sub-peak of Truchas and decided that was high enough for that day. The time we spent on the peak soaking in the views was amazing. As we sat behind a rock on the edge of the peak sharing a powerbar, an Osprey rocketed by at mach speed. We both took this bird as a good omen for the future and headed back down the mountain.

That night we spent at Beatty's Flats after hiking through head-high wildflowers all afternoon. Later I got to watch Matt catch his first native brown trout on a fly rod near our campsite as the sun dropped out of the sky. The next day brought more fly fishing at Beatty's flats and then on the Pecos River. We waded in our hiking shoes - letting them dry out on the trail as we walked. All too soon we found ourselves back at the trailhead sign and our trip was over.
I've been thinking a lot about our trip during the month that has passed since we stood together at the trailhead in New Mexico. I've struggled to put my finger on what it meant to spend those days with my son in the wilderness. Life is changing for both of us. Matt and his wife are on to a new huge adventure in Georgia. Becky and I are even more like empty nesters than we were before. None of us know what the future holds. The thing I do know is that I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend with Matt before they moved on.

One thing that occurs to me in all of this is that the Wilderness is one of the threads that ties our family together. Wilderness serves as a backdrop for us to be together, enjoy each other and build memories for the future. It allows us to accomplish something that we can be proud of and remember. Wilderness cuts through the clutter of life - no work stress, no cell phone, no email.

Nothing to do but to experience life together. And what would be a better way to send a son off to new adventures than to have one with him?

First Time Outdoors Students Visit the Gates of Narnia

2009-06-08T11:06:00.001-07:00

Introduction from John:
As a parent, it's always gratifying to see your kids "give something back". Our son Matt and his wife Rebecca just finished their first year teaching high school in Opelousas. To culminate the year, they gave 8 students the trip of a lifetime. Four days and three night floating the Buffalo National River in Arkansas was the backdrop to an amazing experience for this group of kids. These students had no canoeing, camping or other real outdoor experience before this trip. Matt is my "guest blogger" for this email. I think you'll enjoy experiencing the river through this blog entry.

First Time Outdoors Students Visit the Gates of Narnia

My wife Rebecca and I have been teaching high school at the Magnet Academy for Cultural Arts in Opelousas, LA for the past year and all of our hard work finally paid off with the opportunity to take eight of our students on the Buffalo River in Arkansas. It was their first real outdoor experience and well worth the work we put into it. We spent four days and three nights on the river, and they experienced many of the joys and miseries that make the outdoor experience so special. They slept on the ground, ate food off of rocks, made s’mores (a first for several), paddled until they got blisters, swamped canoes, rescued their swamped canoes, skipped rocks, hiked in their rain gear, jumped off of rocks, swung from ropes, and visited “Narnia”.

Our trip began with the obstacle of finding enough decent gear for eight first time campers. Rebecca and I sent emails and made calls to all of our friends who we thought might have gear to borrow. We had lists of who offered what and who needed what. It was really a big mess to try and figure out. Luckily, my parents have tons of leftover gear from an adventure crew they used to lead, and Rebecca’s brother Loren also had a lot for his group of students at Hope for Opelousas. Before we even left for the trip we had spent many many hours working with organization, planning, and gear.

When we finally got on our way we were definitely ready for a vacation. The river was spectacular, the first two days provided crystal clear water and beautiful warm weather. With all of the trials trying to get eight students onto the Buffalo we were not able to start our first day’s paddle until 5:00 and still had several miles to paddle. By the time we got to camp everyone was tired and hungry. We collected an enormous amount of fire wood and burned it all up to have a bed of coals on which we cooked our first meal. We made pizza inside of pita pockets and cooked them in foil packets. The kids were so hungry they were using rocks as spoons to eat the extra piazza sauce from the can. We then played music, made s’mores, and hung out around the fire. From there it was straight to bed.

Our second day was much more relaxed, we were able to pull out art supplies and skip rocks. Somehow it is just more fun to draw on each other than on paper, oh well. For the students, one of the very frightening things about spending several days away from modern amenities was going to the bathroom. The students coined the term visiting “Narnia”, and in order to insure privacy they went in groups and left several brave friends at “the gates of Narnia”. For each of the challenges of life in the woods they were able to come up with their own unique way of coping.

On the morning of the third day we planed to hike from our camp to a knife edge ridge (a narrow ridge about the width of a sidewalk with cliffs on either side). We woke up to dreary, drizzly weather and contemplated skipping the hike, but it is always the somewhat miserable experiences that you remember the most, so we had them all put on their rain gear and get ready for the hike. To begin you have to walk quite a ways through waist high grass then along a dirt road. We then climbed from the road up the side of a hill and onto the ridge. As it was still rainy most of the kids were not up for walking across. Two of them did though; it really is scary especially in the rain. Afterward when we asked them if they were sacred they said “No you wouldn’t have let us do it if it was dangerous.” It’s a little disconcerting to have that kind of trust from someone.

When we got back from the hike we packed for our longest day of paddling. The weather in the morning was beautiful and we were able to jump off of several rocks into the river and do a couple of rope swings. It was really a fantastic day for a while. After lunch we had an experience which really made the trip memorable. There was a bend in the river where the entire flow passes through a fallen tree. When approaching it you can tell that it will be bad but as hard as you can paddle to get away from it the current is strong enough to overcome. It swept all five of our boats into the tree and flipped three of them, we had gear everywhere, three boats floating down the river and six people trying to swim to shore. By the end of it we were able to recover almost all of the equipment, but everything and everyone was soaking wet, even our dry boxes containing our sleeping pads, stove and cooking equipment, and tents were sloshing with water. To make matters worse it started raining; but even this could not dampen our students' spirits. One of our students confessed, “I wouldn’t want to do it again but it was really exciting.” We finished the last several miles and set up our wet equipment on a wet, sandy gravel bar in the rain then we settled in for our last night. In order to stay warm we had to get everyone dry, so we all sat facing one direction and let the kids dry off and change in the back of the tarp. Finally once everyone was in dry cloths the rain stopped and we cooked our last meal. Needless to say we were all exhausted and we made it an early night.

We woke up early on the last morning and paddled out 9 miles in the rain to Gilbert. We all changed into car cloths and headed to a restaurant for an early lunch. Even after a real difficult last day and a half, all of the kids were in high spirits. Many said it was the best senior trip they could imagine and all hoped to have more opportunities to do things in the outdoors in the future.

When we returned home at 9:30 p.m. Rebecca and I laid out all of the equipment in our garage to dry. Then headed to bed after deciding to deal with the mess in the morning!
We would like to give a special thanks to Pack & Paddle, John and Becky Williams, Donna and Nathan Carriere, Loren Carriere and Hope for Opelousas, Wes and Kris Franciol, Jason and Jenny Cohen, Ashley Carriere, Jamie Gondron, Jessica Howell, and all of the parents. Without your help our trip and this amazing experience for our students would not have been possible.

Spring 2009 Highlights

2009-05-22T12:24:00.001-07:00

It's already almost June, and spring has most certainly slid right into summer. The spring season at P&P has been busy, busy, busy. Over the last few months, we have hosted over 30 events and trips. Early in the season we endured rain, rain, rain. But to the credit of all of our great participants - this didn't seem to dampen spirits. We had so much fun and we as a staff would like to thank all of you for that.
For this blog entry, I decided to hit a few of the highlights: (click the photo if you would like to see more pictures of a certain event)

The season began with a trip to the Backbone trail. Wet weather did not dampen the spirits of the people on this trip.

Our Valentines trip was wet, but memorable. We arrived at Lake Martin in the rain, but undaunted, pressed on. After the paddle tour, we headed back to the shop for beautiful music, fun and amazing food.

Our sunrise paddle at Lake Martin is always special - and this trip was no exception. Cool and misty weather treated the group to a view of Lake Martin that you can only get if you rise early.

In late February, we led a corageous group for an overnight canoe trip down Black Creek. We had rain, cold, sun, and even snow during our time on the river. The group did a great job and had a memorable time on the river together.

March brought us on a great kayak fishing trip down in Grand Isle. We all enjoyed the hospitality of Danny and Kristin Wray as well as the beautiful weather and good fishing.

The spring migration took us out to the northern Atchafalaya Basin to Indian Bayou. We enjoyed a paddle trip and a hike to this unique area on the same weekend. We enjoyed good weather and wildlife watching.

Michael Pears hosted his ever-popular kayak fishing seminars this spring. Both sessions were well attended as Michael gave lots of good fishing advice and gave away his favorite 30 spots to kayak fish across the state.

Our Canoeing 101 class was a lot of fun - as students learned proper technique for forward strokes, back strokes, Draws and J-Strokes. A good time was had by all!

Our marquis event of the spring was a talk and slideshow by Jon Bowermaster. His tales of paddling all over the world allowed everyone to live through the lens of his camera. His photos were awesome. His stories were amazing. Jon commented that this was the largest and most enthusiastic crowd he has spoken to in this type of setting and was very impressed with the outdoor community of Lafayette.

The first ever P&P trip down the Wild Nezpique was a big success. The group was aided by a good current and favorable winds - getting them in to the landing just before the skies opened up.

Buffalo Cove is always an adventure - and this year was no exception. We floated high water, battled through water lilies enjoyed every minute of it. We saw a pair of Osprey on its nest, snakes clinging to trees and even the illusive Prethonotary Warbler.

These are just a few of the trips and memories that we have of the first half of 2009.
If you would like to see photos of all our events and trips, click here.

Yes - it's been a busy time. We are so thankful that we can be part of the Lafayette outdoor community and look forward to the summer and fall!

Jon Bowermaster to Speak at Pack & Paddle Venue

2009-04-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give you, my faithful blog readers, the first heads-up on a VERY exciting event coming up in May. Through months of phone calls and emails, we have been able to arrange to bring National Geographic author, adventurer and living legend Jon Bowermaster to Lafayette for a talk and slideshow.

The date for the event is Wednesday, May 6th.

We being with an open house at 6pm where you can meet Jon in person. We'll have food from Great Harvest Bakery and live music with Jane Vidrine. The slidshow and talk begins at 7- but get there early for good food, good friends and a good seat.

This very special event has been made possible through a partnership with Mountain Hardwear. Representatives of Mountain Hardwear will be on hand at the event to answer questions about gear and for give-aways.

This event will benefit the Basinkeeper program which works tirelessly to protect our local wilderness wonderland - the Atchafalaya Basin. (http://www.basinkeeper.org/) In keeping with all events at the Pack & Paddle Venue - this will be a free event. We are asking that all attendees consider donating $10 or more per person that night to this worthy cause. All donations collected will go directly to the Basinkeeper program.

Here's a little background on Jon:

For more than 20 years, writer and filmmaker JON BOWERMASTER has explored the environment and exotic corners of the world for a variety of national and international publications, primarily for the National Geographic Society and the New York Times.

Author of eight books, three with renowned polar explorer Will Steger, his travels have taken him to seven continents and included two-person sledging across Antarctica, sailing a 60-foot sailboat across the Atlantic, and first descents of rivers from Chile to China.

His expeditions have been supported by six grants from National Geographic’s Expeditions Council.

Begun in 1999, Jon’s OCEANS 8 project is a series of expeditions launched to explore the world’s oceans from the seat of a sea kayak. Used as both transportation and as floating ambassadors, sea kayaks allow Bowermaster and his teams— comprised of some of the world’s top photographers, filmmakers, scientists and navigators—to reach corners of the world rarely seen.

To see a full bio on Jon, go to http://jonbowermaster.com/pdf/jb.pdf
For more info on Jon Bowermaster go to: www.jonbowermaster.com

About our event:
Jon will present a slideshow about his Oceans 8 project. This will give you a unique opportunity to hear about his adventures sea-kayaking around the world from the adventurer himself.

These trips have taken him to the Aleutian Islands, Vietnam, French Polynesia, South America’s Altiplano and the wild coasts of Gabon, Croatia and Tasmania and the Antarctic Peninsula. The goal of each expedition was adventure crossed with an assessment of the health of the seas and the lives of the people who live and depend on them. Around the planet more than 4 billion people live within 35 miles of a coast and depend on the seas that surround. Meanwhile, impacts on marine ecosystems have compromised the relationship between the world’s oceans and humanity. The OCEANS 8 project allowed for a unique exploration of this profound connection.

Besides his work for periodicals such as The New York Times and National Geographic, Jon has the following book and film credits:
Books
GOVERNOR,
University of Iowa Press, 1987
SAVING THE EARTH,
Alfred A. Knopf, 1990 (with Will Steger)
CROSSING ANTARCTICA,
Alfred A. Knopf, 1991 (with Will Steger)
THE ADVENTURES AND MISADVENTURES
OF PETER BEARD IN AFRICA,
Bulfinch Press, 1993
OVER THE TOP OF THE WORLD,
Scholastic Press, 1995 (with Will Steger)
BIRTHPLACE OF THE WINDS,
National Geographic Adventure Press, 2001
ALEUTIAN ADVENTURE,
National Geographic Society, 2001
ALONE AGAINST THE SEA,
Lyons Press, 2004
Films
Birthplace of the Winds (Aleutian Islands), 1999
The Dangerous Archipelago (French Polynesia), 2002
A Slowboat to Somewhere (French Polynesia), 2002
Into the Altiplano (Chile/Argentina/Bolivia), 2003
The Lost Coast of Gabon, 2004
Borderland (Croatia), 2005
Around Tasmania, 2006

How to Attach an Umbrella to your Pack

2009-03-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

I've been asked a number of times how to attach an umbrella to a backpack. This allows your hands to be free for using trekking poles. Read on to see how simple this is:

1) Get 2 cordlocks and 2 pieces of bungee cord about 6 inches long.
2) Loop the bungee cord through webbing that is mounted on your shoulder strap. Do two bungees - about 3-6 inches apart.
3) Put both ends of the bungee cord through the cordlock and tie an overhand knot to keep the cordlock on.
4) Place the handle of your umbrella through the bungee cords.
5) Tighten the cords.

That's it! The umbrella rests on the top of the pack behind your head and the cords control the umbrella in the front. This system got us through the entire Appalachian Trail and the entire Colorado Trail. We find that it works in almost any weather. If you have a strong crosswind, you may have to hold the handle with your hand and point the umbrella slightly into the wind. If you have any questions - just email me at john@packpaddle.com

Cold Water, Warm Smiles - Our Adventure on Black Creek

2009-03-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Becky and I just returned from a memorable weekend that was shared by 16 hardy souls on Black Creek. Just south of Hattiesburg, Black Creek runs clear and cold through DeSoto National forest. Our route was to take us from the small town of Brooklyn down to the USFS take out called Cypress Creek. This trip was our first time to lead a group down this beautiful section of river.
Our adventure began as we approached DeSoto National Forest and made one last stop in civilization in the small town of Wiggins. With 5 cars following us, Becky and I circled this tiny town several times trying to find the Whistle Stop Cafe where we had planned to eat with the group before hitting the woods. The townsfolk must have thought it a very strange procession to see a car with 7 canoes on a trailer followed by 5 other cars circling over and over again. We finally found the restaurant and enjoyed all you can eat catfish and shrimp.

Thirty minutes later, we were at Moodys launch and our campsite for the night. Thick clouds obscured the sliver of moon above us as the group set their tents up in the dark. A few folks explored down to the edge of the creek, but most decided to turn in.

The next morning everyone was bustling under very threatening skies to pack their gear while the rain held off. We had a quick breakfast and headed for the put in. While on the way, the rains commenced in earnest. We unloaded the boats under the shelter of the bridge as the torrent continued to fall. But luck was with us as the rain had quit before the drivers of the cars returned from running our shuttle down to Cypress Creek.

Once on the river, the group quickly fell into a rhythm. Unfortunately the rhythm was one of those erratic jazz compositions nobody can understand. The upper section of the river is littered with stumps, logs and strainers - all of which are great opportunities to flip your canoe. The group dipped, cut, and dodged its way down the river. We did have one flip over on the first section, but survived it amazingly well.

Six miles down the creek found us having a wonderful lunch on a creek-side gravel bar. We enjoyed wraps with home-made black bean salad, ham, cheese, turkey and hummus. After lunch, we passed several small creeks that flow into Black Creek from either side of the river. Before we knew it, we were at our campsite at the 12 mile mark. Tents were quickly pitched, a kitchen set up and firewood collected. It was getting cold quickly now - but we felt safe and secure on our sandbar along the side of the creek.

That evening, with a fire roaring, we were treated to Becky's hot gumbo and french bread with home-made brownies to top it off. We stayed up till paddlers midnight (8:00pm) telling ghost stories and enjoying each others company. The wind was roaring, making the fire twist and turn in the darkness. That’s when we noticed the tiny snowflakes flying in the flashlight beams.

Right before bed I noticed that the creek had risen a couple of inches. This meant a long night ahead of getting up every couple of hours to check the rise to make sure that camp would be safe. By midnight the creek had risen another 15 inches making our big sandbar quite a bit smaller. By 2am, it had only risen a couple of more inches and I could see the creek had nearly crested and that we would be safe for the night. Back in the tent, we could hear the ice and sleet hitting the top of the tent, driven by the heavy winds. Finally nodding off, I knew that tomorrow would be very interesting - and very cold!

It was a little harder to get everyone out of their warm dens Sunday morning, but we finally got everyone on a roll. After a breakfast of Muesli and Cinnamon bread from Great harvest, we were on the river paddling again. The group resembled the Michelin Man with everyone putting on nearly every layer they had in their bags. Over the last twenty four hours, the group had transformed from an erratic stump dodging jazz improv to a coordinated and smooth symphony. We glided along through forests, bluffs, riffles and gravel bars making amazingly good time with the high water and tailwind. By 11, we were only a few miles from our takeout.

We all enjoyed Rosemary Almond Chicken Salad sandwiches with Kettle chips for lunch. Finally, the sun made its first appearance as we ate. With everyone in great spirits, we headed off to a fine finish. Unfortunately even a symphony can hit a sour note.

I came around a bend to see our group stopped and trying to rescue an overturned canoe. We quickly paddled up to find two of our group swimming in the freezing water. They made it to the shore where Becky helped them with changing to warm clothes while Frank and I headed down to see if we could stop the swamped vagabond canoe. We cornered the canoe against the bank, pulled it partially out of the water and quickly flipped it upright. After bailing it out, we towed it back up to the group where our unfortunate friends were trying to catch their breath from the cold water. Soon we were on our way again and minutes later we had reached the end of our trip.

I would like to say thank you to this group for reminding me of how game a group can be under adverse conditions. We had rain, sleet, snow, cold water and much more. This group always had a great attitude and great smiles - making it all worthwhile. Meagan, Eddie, Grant, Steve, Linda, Jim, Roger, Anthony, Lauren, Emily, Gaye, Danny, Duke and Frank - I want to say - that ya'll are awesome and Becky and I cherished the chance to be with you for this adventurous weekend!

2008 - Outdoor Lafayette Year in Review

2009-01-09T05:37:00.000-08:00

The new year is always a time to look forward to things to come. But it’s also a time to look back and reminisce about things past. I find myself particularly nostalgic for the year that was 2008. Over the last year, we've seen the Outdoor Community of Lafayette grow. Lots of new folks are paddling, kayak fishing and hiking. Others are noticing as well. Lafayette (and Pack & Paddle) was mentioned in National Geographic Adventure Magazine as a "50 Best Places to Live for Outdoors" in the country! We have enjoyed being part of this movement. Read on for some of the highlights of the past year.

If you’re not into reading and would like to see a montage of photos from trips and events, Click Here.

Watching students to make their very own alcohol stoves out of beer cans and then going outside and lightning them in the parking lot was a lot of fun. I sharpened my skills by attending our outdoor photography class. The Valentines Romance Paddle was an incredible evening that Becky and I hosted with our son and daughter in law Matt and Rebecca. Wow! What an evening! Other standout events early in the year were our Grand Isle Kayak Fishing Expedition, our Namaste Waterfall Day hike, and Michael Pears teaching Kayak Fishing the Marshes of South Louisiana. Early in the year we also were a venue for the Cinema on the Bayou film festival. The evening with Christina Melton introducing the “Atchafalaya Houseboat” film was particularly memorable.

Early summer found us paddling Buffalo Cove on a memorable high water day, paddling the Virgin Cypress for the first time on a picture perfect late spring afternoon and heading to South Texas for an incredible kayak fishing adventure. Our community screening of “The Real Dirt on Farmer John” co-hosted with Earthshare Gardens was a highlight. Ken Waldman - the Alaskan Fiddling Poet put on a great show for our first ever musical evening at P&P. Captain Danny Wray from Grand Isle captured the kayak fishing community with a great talk on tackle and strategies when fishing from a kayak.

As late summer came and fall began, we had a great kids hike at Fausse Point highlighted with playing in the fountains. One great memory for me was at our kayak fishing trip to Grand Isle, seeing Dan Selph catch a HUGE redfish from the seat of his kayak. During this time, Becky and I were gone for almost two months. The first part of the trip was a trade show. The second part was a 37 day hike of the Colorado Trail. While we were gone, Lafayette hosted 2 near misses on hurricanes. Our Bio-Fuel night was an amazing success with Tim Metcalf and a great film highlighting the night.

Fall brought a wonderful art film called “Rivers and Tides” that got a lot of response from the outdoor community. Author Pete Cooper came to the P&P venue and talked fishing to a rapt crowd that hung on every word (especially me!). We hosted Dean Wilson - the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper for a wonderful program on some of the environmental problems in the Basin.

In addition to all of the events listed above, we had many great Howl at the Moon evenings at Lake Martin, Kayaking and Canoeing 101 classes, Waterfall hikes, Backbone hikes, Indian Bayou birding hikes and paddle trips, Chicot hikes and paddle trips, backpacking clinics, demo days, food drying clinics and canoe camping seminars.

WHEW!!! If you are still reading - thank you! This was a totally amazing year. We have enjoyed sharing time with you and look forward to some incredible adventures in 2009.

Christmas Memories

2008-12-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, I grew up here at Pack & Paddle. The store was founded by my parents in 1974 in a small Acadian shack on the edge of the Vermillion river. I was 13 years old at the time. Since that year, Pack & Paddle has in many ways defined this season for our family. As you might imagine, we've built up a lot of stories over the last 34 Christmas seasons.

Our first year sales were very slow - so it was announced that everyone in the family was getting Christmas presents from Pack & Paddle. The pile grew under the tree until when, a week before Christmas, the shopping madness finally hit. That's when us 5 kids watched our Christmas presents get unwrapped and sold to customers looking for gifts!

There are lots of great memories as well. Ask anyone in our family who the "last customer of the season is" and you'll hear a chorus say "Harold Schoeffler". Harold has a tradition of coming in on Christmas eve and shopping for his whole list. We all look forward to Harold making his appearance and having fun picking out gifts for the whole family.

When Christmas eve finally arrived, we would all take a picture by the front desk and the usually go out to eat and celebrate - having survived another crazy Christmas The photo above is of our family at P&P circa 1978. I am on the upper right). We had made it through together, built some great memories and became closer as a family in spite of (or maybe because of) the hard work.

These days, many of you have become involved in our Pack & Paddle family through our trips and our in-house events. It has been a joy to join you over the last year here at the shop for films and events as well as out on the water and on the trail. These programs have allowed us to get to know all of you so much better.

There are so many memories of the last year: Watching groups struggle though the final miles uphill out of the Waterfall hike - then celebrating on the porch of the Pond General Store. The epic muddy pullover at Buffalo Cove was a huge effort that was rewarded by the beautiful views of Bayou Gravenburg and Buffalo Cove. Likewise, the first tentative strokes of students in a Kayaking or Canoeing 101 class morph into confident paddling skills as we glide through the trees of Lake Martin at sunset.

Experiences like these that you share with your family - especially the struggles - give you a common thread. A common life blood. And memories that last a lifetime.

All of us at Pack & Paddle thank you for joining into our extended family. We look forward to being outdoors with you next year and wish you a very merry Christmas!

John, Becky, Amy, Cheryll, Jamie, Skip, Joe, Kristin, Emily

Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club Conquers Dulac

2008-11-10T14:40:00.000-08:00

Special Thanks to Keith Drouant for the photos used in this post.

Recently, I had a super great day fishing with the new Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club in Dulac.

Our day began with a meeting at 4:30am meeting at the Albertsons in Broussard. Yes- 4:30am. This club is serious about catching fish! After a quick break at McDonalds in Houma, we were at the launch in Dulac just after sunrise. I have not done a lot of fishing with other folks - so it was interesting to see how everyone had their boats rigged up for fishing.

The launch was just a wide spot in the road with a mud and rock bank. The water was quite open, with marsh grass rimming what looked like a large lake. Our revered president Greg Sonnier was in the water first and fishing hard along the bank that paralleled the road. I decided to head to the corner, and as I was passing Greg, he connected with a trout. Things were looking up!

As I fished the corner, I came to an area with a small island near a trenasse. I suddenly had a hit on the purple cocahoe minnow with a chartreuse tail. I missed (of course) and quickly cast back to the same area. I caught several small Speckled Trout in that area before continuing working the points up the bank. Just as I started up the bank, I caught a nice trout. I got him into the boat, removed the hook and turned to put him into the ice chest. That's when the trout made a perfectly timed flap of his tail, and he was airborne. I guess he earned his freedom.

I was fishing this area with club member Keith Drouant. Keith worked the opening and the island for a while - and I enjoyed watching him fish it and seeing his approach. As I moved up the bank, I got to hang out and talk to other club members. When I reached a sharp point, I heard Karl Shexnaider in a battle with a big Redfish. I was so jealous! I needed an adrenaline fix - and small trout were not going to get it done!

I moved across the lake into another area and cast towards an opening. My cork moved across slowly in the way that can only mean one thing: FLOUNDER! I set the hook and pulled in a big flounder that gave me a fit trying to get it safely into the ice chest. I can't tell you how many flounder I've done accidental catch and release for - but it's a lot. I put my foot on him, grabbed him with the Boga Grip and safely got him into the ice chest.

It was getting late, and I thought I would have to settle for a few small trout and my flounder. But my fishing adrenaline fix was still unsatisfied, so I headed back up the shoreline to fish the points.

I tried to make my mind have a positive attitude. One of the best fishing quotes I've read is by Billy Billeaud who says "You've got to will the fish on to your hook". I knew I was almost out of time, but I applied myself to willing a fish onto my hook. The first point produced nothing. As I approached the second point, I cast just off the point and started working the cocahoe back towards me, making noise with the cork. That's when the cork shot under the water in a way that can mean only one thing: REDFISH!!!

The fish shot out towards the middle of the lake - making the drag on my reel scream. I unstaked my marsh anchor and the Cajun sleigh ride was on! This fish was lively. He pulled me at least 200 yards out into the middle of the lake before tiring out. Having had my fishing adrenaline fix - I headed back to the launch site.

Most of the club was back when I got there, unloading the boats and putting them on the trailer. We all hung out waiting for Keith to come back from the Island. Pretty much everyone had been really successful on our outing. We all got together for a group picture, and headed for home.

In a way - this day wasn't a lot different than most fishing days. But since we were able to share the excitement with each other, feed off of each others energy and success - it was that much more fun and satisfying. If you've never fished with the Kayak Fishing club, I highly recommend it. This is a great group of guys and girls that love big fish, light rods and small boats - and it doesn't get any better than that.

Looking For Signs on an Uncertain Trail

2008-10-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

One thing that's different about the Colorado Trail from other trails that I've hiked is the markings. Or should I say, lack of markings. The CT can go for miles and miles without a single mark to confirm that you're on the right trail.

I will admit to you that I tend to obsess. Here's how things play out in my head: First you get that little seed of doubt - "Hmm... it's been a while since I've seen a trail marker". Then you start to get a little upset - "why in the world don't they put more marks on this trail"; I'm sure we're right, but uggg... if I have to climb this hill, I'm going to freak". This is usually followed by full blown gnashing of teeth - "This can't be right. A major trail like the CT would have better markings than this. If this is wrong - we won't make it to our camp before dark. We could freeze out here. Did I just hear a bear?"

Today I was thinking about all the bad economic news that's out there right now. It seems like we're all feeling a little like I did on the Colorado Trail. We're asking ourselves "Where's that next trail marker?" Nothing seems solid anymore - and it's easy to second guess whether you're on the right trail or not. And right when the trail is the roughest - you guessed it: No trail markers!

I don't have an answer to the current downturn in the economy. The same can be said for other problems in life. I find that time in the wilderness teaches lessons, and the lessons I took home with me from the Colorado trail are these: Walk in clear and aware consciousness. Pay attention at every cross trail and think through each decision at these crossings carefully. Then in between, walk with purpose. Hold my head up and trust my skills. Know that if somehow I did go wrong, that I'll have the strength and competence to get back on the right trail. Like all good lessons - these are things that are easier to say than they are to live.

Obsessing over the next trail marker makes us miss out on the fun, surprises and joy that life has for us (even in rough times). So - my condolences for your 401K. It's time to lace up our boots (or water sandals) and get out there. Take some risks and push yourself out the door. Winter in Louisiana is the best time to enjoy the wilderness and the lessons it brings in its quiet way.

Clear Creeks, Small Boats, Big Fish

2008-10-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

The cool clear waters of the Ouiska Chitto slid silently by the sand beach as we prepped our kayaks. This was a trip that I had been wanting to take since I met Jeshua Smith at Pack & Paddle. He had told me about his passion for fishing creeks that were "small and tight" in kayaks. Jeshua reinforced his talk (and my desire to go) by emailing be photos of stringers of bass they pulled out of these little clear running creeks.

I met Jeshua and his friend Cory at the Calcasieu River Bridge over Hwy 190 near Elton, LA at 6:15 sharp. Jeshua, I could tell, was serious about his fishing and I knew that I didn't want to be late. We left my car at the bridge and shuttled up to Carpenters bridge in his truck with 3 Redfish 10's in the bed. We arrived 20 minutes later at Carpenters bridge to a beautiful scene.

The water was crystal clear, gliding over the sand bottom. There was a light mist rising as we paddled down past the bridge. The light was still very low as we started down the creek. Jeshua and Cory explained to me the technique for fishing these small clear running streams. "There's two ways to fish this. The Buzz Bait is what I call the No-Brainer way of catching fish here. That's what I put on your rod." Jeshua had read me right. I will take the no-brainer way of fishing every time. "The other way is to fish plastics like you would for bass in a lake. We like to give the lure a more movement - and swim it off the bottom instead of bouncing it off the bottom like you would fishing bass in a lake". I threw the buzz bait with the ultra-light rod Jeshua had loaned me for the day. This seemed like something I could handle.

We floated quietly down the creek - looking for deeper "holes" that had a darker look to them - usually around fallen logs and other obstructions. It didn't take long for the action to begin. Jeshua and Cory had fish in the boat within minutes. My first fish came when a Spotted Bass took my buzz bait off the surface in a slow spot on the creek. I missed a couple of strikes and then landed a largemouth bass. As I fished, I could hear Cory and Jeshua exclaiming everytime they caught a bass (which was often!). The banter back and forth covered lots of topics but always came back to fishing. There was trash talking on both sides for beating their personal creek record fish of 3 pounds.

After a couple of hours, I wanted to switch to fishing the plastic creations that Jeshua was using. It took a little while to get used to the technique: Fish the same dark holes, but throw it in, then work the plastic by raising your rod tip to "swim" the bait. I wasn't catching, and started thinking about switching back to the buzz bait. That's when a largemouth bass hit my bait and the fight was on. Same result on the very next cast. Two fish in two casts had me hooked on fishing the sub-surface plastic.

As we fished, we glided past a mixed hardwood and pine forest that was often more than 10 feet above our heads on small bluffs that had been carved out by the creek. White sandbars dotted almost every bend. The water was in constant motion - with no slack pools, making it easy for us to drift without lots of paddling.

Just after lunch (on an inviting sandbar), I was watching Jeshua fish. He would flip his plastic out - sometimes only 5 or 6 feet as he worked the logs and obstructions. I was half watching, half daydreaming when I saw a splash and heard a whoop. I snapped to attention to watch Jeshua's ultralight pole bend almost in half. He worked at controlling something big that was swimming under his boat towards the brush. A few minutes later, Jeshua was holding a HUGE largemouth bass - grinning from ear to ear. You could tell - he was proud to have bragging rights between him and Cory for their personal record. The fish would later weigh out at 5 pounds 1 ounce.

We caught fish all day long - keeping our limit and throwing back lots of fish. What I think I liked most about this type of kayak fishing was the adventure of it. The creek demanded constant attention to your paddling. Boat control was of paramount importance to be able to work the baits correctly. The clear running stream water was wonderful to fish in. We didn't see another soul all day long. It felt as if we were the only fishermen that had ever fished this creek. When we were done, we had that good feeling of having worked hard and played hard. And we each had 10 of the most sweet tasting bass I've ever tried.

In summary, I wanted to say thanks to Jeshua and Cory for a wonderful fishing experience I would like to repeat very soon!

Seeing Clearly in an Election Year

2008-10-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

Time spent in the wilderness has a way of making things a little clearer. Becky and I just returned from 37 days on the trail, hiking from Denver to Durango on the Colorado trail. Clear running streams, muscular peaks, Elk bugling through the night, Aspen trees slowly moving from green to gold to red.
While on the trail, I thought about how lucky we are that we live in a country that has a legacy of preserving places like these - not just for Becky and I, but for our son, Matt - and his future children and grandchildren. We as citizens of this great land can access and experience the wonders of these public areas. Lands available from right here in Louisiana all the way to the Artic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
As we hiked the Colorado Trail, we walked through areas in which thousands of cattle were being grazed within the national forest. Miles of trail were torn up by hooves (as well as thousands of 'gifts' being left for us on the trail by this livestock). While I still felt lucky to be hiking these areas, I was disappointed that the government was renting my public land to ranchers raising cattle. Land use issues like grazing, logging and drilling directly affect the quality of these lands now and on into the future.
I, like many of you am inundated daily with the upcoming election. Iraq, the bailout of our economy, education, health care and many other issues dominate the headlines. We all live in a malestrom of billboards, 30 second commercials, biased radio and TV personalities spewing their opinions as facts and media soundbites.
I would not pretend to be qualified to tell anyone how to vote. As a person who treasures the outdoors, I would like however, to bring forward a thought. As people who value the outdoors and the environment, we should put into consideration which candidate we feel would uphold the integrity of our public lands and will govern best for the environment. Factor this in along with the other concerns you have for the new leadership of our country. Then on November 4th, get out and vote!
Native Americans had a concept known as "seventh generation". The Seventh Generation accoring to WikiPedia is an ecological concept that admonishes the current generation of humans to be working for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future. After living in the (nearly) pristine wilderness of Colorado for the last 5 weeks, I feel that I have some clarity that our environment and the use of our public lands should be an election day issue - not just for
me, but for seven generations down the line.

If you would like to research further, Patagonia has a website with great links that can help with your research:

Click Here!

Fear and Excitement

2008-07-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's with a mixture of fear and excitement that I am writing today's post. For weeks, I have been debating whether to let anyone know (0utside of our family and staff) that Becky and I are taking off on another long hike. We are scheduled to start the Colorado Trail (479 miles from Denver to Durango) around the 18th of August.

First the excitement: We have the opportunity to take 5 weeks to hike one of the most beautiful trails in the world. The trail travels through 6 wilderness areas and 8 mountain ranges on it's way to Durango. We'll witness summer fading into fall as we hike. Most of all, we're going to experience the freedom and simplicity of life off the grid. Our days will be in tune with the rising and setting sun. Our comfort will be dictated by the weather and the mileage we have to cover. Our life will move away from grey area decisions to the black and white reality of life in the wilderness.

Now for the fear: At the beginning of any journey, there's always the nagging worry of problems that can arise. You know the discomforts you'll face: hunger, cold, heat, bugs, lightning and mileage. You just don't know what level each of these discomforts will rise to. My biggest concern right now (and the reason that I was hesitant to let anyone know we were going to hike the trail) is with my fitness.

Ever since we returned home from the Appalachian Trail (has it been two years already?!!) I have been haunted with pain in my right knee. As this trip grew nearer, I had two incidents with the knee that led me to getting an MRI. The MRI led me to having surgery to repair a torn meniscus. This was 3 weeks ago. I am just getting up to speed for walking the neighborhood and park, but I honestly have no clue what will happen when I subject it to a backpack, mountains and miles to cover every day. My doctor only chuckled when I asked him if he thought I would be ready to hike 500 miles 6 weeks after surgery.

That said, there's no way we're not going to give this a shot. I have often told people that the definition of adventure is setting out on a journey that you cannot predict the success or failure of. For Becky and I, this journey is an opportunity that we are so thankful for. We are ready for a time of introspection, inspiration and exhilaration. Without the difficulty, I don't think these factors can root themselves fully to your core. That's what wilderness travel is all about.

We invite you to travel along with us by following our trail journal. The link is: www.trailjournals.com/johnbecky. Then scroll down until you see the "2008 CT" Link on the left nav bar.

Note that we will update the journal every 5-8 days along the way, so keep checking back. I plan on journaling our thoughts, difficulties and (with some luck) victories. Our start date is around the 18th of August. We look forward to sharing our journey with you!

Kayak Fishing - Texas Style!!!

2008-07-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

It appears that the South Texas coastline has survived the Cajun invasion of kayak fishermen. We just got back from a fantastic kayak fishing trip to the Rockport area. Our group consisted of me, Becky, Wes & Chris Franciol, Michael Pears, Cheryll and Bud Guilbeau and Mike McDaniel. When we left Lafayette on Friday afternoon, we didn't have a clue as to what to expect when we arrived in Rockport.

Kayak fishing in Texas is very different from the fishing we've done here in Louisiana. First off, most of the waters we fished was very shallow (8-18 inches) and very clear. Our method was to quietly paddle into the flats keeping a keen eye out for bait fish breaking the top, and for redfish moving and feeding in the shallows. It took a little practice to be able to pick out tailing reds from other fish moving in the water. Becky (as usual) was the first to catch a fish - staking out in an area where a cut flowed into a lake.

Later that morning we came on a lake with about 8 or 9 inches of water. We got out of our kayaks and quietly waded towards some movement we had noticed. Tailing Reds! We were throwing very light 1/8 ounces spoons and plastic DOA minnows rigged weightless and weedless, so we were pretty limited on the distance we could throw our lures. We stalked until we were close and then threw. My line went right on top of the pod and they scattered. For a split second, I thought I had scared them off. Then I realized that I had a redfish peeling line off my reel like crazy. A few exciting minutes later Mr. Redfish was at my feet. Wow! What a feeling!

Later that day, Chris Franciol reeled in a nice flounder. To help her out, I grabbed the flounder with my new ($120) Boga Grip. Our guide wanted a photo of us, and just after she snapped it, the flounder flapped and the Boga Grip with the flounder attached fell into the waist deep water. I groaned thinking of my Boga Grip being gone (not to mention Chris' fish!). Captain Sally said "Feel around - I don't think that flounder could get far with the Boga Grip on it. I thought this was pretty hopeless, but I started feeling with my hands in the waist deep muddy water. After a couple of minutes Chris thought the flounder had just touched her foot - so I headed that way. By now (of course) all my supportive team mates were laughing their heads off at me. I had the last laugh though when suddenly I felt the rope that I knew must be attached to the Boga Grip. With a flourish, I pulled the Boga AND the Flounder out of the water. Everyone laughed, cheered and another picture was taken for posterity. Funny part: After this picture, the flounder flapped again and escaped the Boga. I guess he earned his freedom.

That night our group headed out to eat at a small local spot right on the bay. Everyone (except me) thought it was hilarious to watch me falling asleep sitting up at the table waiting for the food to come. Hey- it's tough on a guy to do hand to hand combat with an escaped flounder! After dinner, it was off to bed.

The next morning we were at the dock for The Skimmer at 6am. The owner of the boat (dubbed by Michael as "Cap'n Ron") met us and helped us load our gear and kayaks for a run out to San Jose Island. The sun was just coming up as we cruised across Aransas Bay. We arrived and all of us jumped into waist deep water off the back of the boat. The kayaks were offloaded along with all our fishing gear. Before long, we were fishing the flats of Fence Lake and the estuaries that run towards South Lake. We fished till around 2pm in crystal clear flats - casting to fish we could see swimming and feeding, catching several nice redfish as we went.

Too soon, it was time to meet The Skimmer and Cap'n Ron to head back to Rockport. On the ride back across the bay, I couldn't help but to think about the way that Kayak Fishing can open up portions of the natural world that we wouldn't likely have visited. We had the adrenaline of catching fish, but we had that good tiredness that comes with paddling hard for 2 days, seeing lots of birds, enjoying our fellow paddlers and meeting some really interesting new folks. Kayak Fishing truly does lend itself to weekend explorations all over the gulf coast - and maybe even across the nation and the world. Believe me - we'll be back!!!

Buffalo River Magic

2008-06-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

This week I wanted to share a wonderful spot to take the entire family for a great low key adventure. The Buffalo National River in northern Arkansas is a free flowing National Wild and Scenic River with crystal clear water, imposing bluffs, beautiful gravel bars and some of the best canoe camping in the nation. The Buffalo has Class 1 (and the occasional easy class 2 on the upper section) rapids for some excitement as you paddle. At night, gravel bars become your home as the sun drops behind the bluffs and the fireflies emerge in the forest line.

The Buffalo runs for approxiamately 120 miles before emptying into the White River. The entire length of the river is a designated national park - leaving the river a wilderness. While on the river you won't see camps, docks, private campgrounds, stores or other reminders of civilization. Floaters can choose from several sections for day and overnight trips.

The upper river is known for its higher level of whitewater, but can dry up over the summer and into fall. The middle river is floatable most of the year and is known for its high bluffs, fun riffles and great camping. The lower river is wider, with larger gravel bars and beautiful bluffs. We generally opt for the middle section, with our favorite float starting at the Carver put in and ending at either Gilbert or Hwy 14 (depending on whether we want a 4 or 6 day float).

Paddlers with basic moving water skills can generally navigate most sections of the river. I suggest describing your skills to the outfitter from which you rent your canoes to see if they think the challenge level is appropriate at the water level that you have when you arrive at the river (see links at end of article).

While on the river, you can enjoy floating down the rapids on air mattresses, bird watching, fishing for bream, smallmouth and largemouth bass, skipping rocks (the Buffalo is a world class rock skipping river!), building campfires, roasting marshmallows and much more.

Our recent June Trip to the Buffalo:
There are very few things that are a constant in life. For my family, the Buffalo National River is one of these things. Since the early 70's three generations of my family have enjoyed floating the Buffalo. It never seems to get old. And it always has magic. A few weeks ago, Becky and I accompanied a group of friends to the Buffalo. One of the special things about this trip was that is was my brother Doug's sons first trip to the Buffalo. Caleb and Aaron had been dreaming of the day that they would paddle, fish and camp on the Buffalo since last fall when we started planning the trip. The boys were joined by Ruthie Menou - on her first Buffalo River trip at age 7.

We arrived at Gilbert, Arkansas to threatening skies. Our plan was to camp on the Gilbert gravel bar and put in the river the next morning. We awoke at 4am to lightning and thunder. The rain came down hard and heavy the rest of the night and into the next day. Since the Buffalo can rise extremely fast, we decided that it would be a good idea to wait a day before getting on the river. Sure enough, the river rose 5 feet that day. Luckily- it dropped just as quickly allowing us to get on the river the next day.

Once we were paddling down the Buffalo, the magic quickly kicked in. We were accompanied by Doug, Caleb and Aaron as well as our friends Wes and Chris Franciol, Brent and Patty Prather and Mark, Jennifer and Ruthie Menou and our son Matt and his wife Rebecca. As we paddled away from the put in, we felt immediately comfortable on the moving water. We swept down the river past rugged grey and brown bluffs, thick willows and expansive gravel bars. We reached our intended campsite of McRaven Bluff to find it just as we had left it on our last trip a couple of years ago.

The group was soon involved in firewood collecting, rock skipping, swinging on the rope swing across the river (great job Patty, Brent and Chris!) and fishing. It wasn't long before I heard the familiar "I got one!" cry from Caleb - who looked almost astonished that he had caught a fish all on his own. This so much reminded me of when our son Matt (now 22 years old) when he was little. It was amazing and beautiful to watch Caleb and Aaron discover the wonder of the river one event at a time. Catching a fish. Paddling a rapid. Catching a turtle. Starting a campfire. Baking a cake on a camping stove. Cleaning a fish and discovering a large crawfish in its belly, Watching the fireflies. Seeing more stars than you ever thought possible. Sleeping in your own tent. Getting there under your own power.

That night, Brent led us in a great variety of folk songs around the campfire while the (old and young) kids got stuffed on S'mores. No worries though - we were all sufficiently tired from our paddling to conk right out when we finally made it in to the tents. The next day saw Caleb, Aaron and Ruthie getting more and more comfortable with their surroundings. They rode the rapids on air mattresses, found fossil rocks on the gravel bars - and of course - fished. As the sun began to wane, Chris and Wes got an emergency phone call and had to paddle down to take out early along with Patty and Brent.

The rest of the group enjoyed another enchanting night at Lane's bend. The next morning came all too soon as our group confidently paddled the rest of the distance to Gilbert and took out of the river. The kids got their Buffalo River T shirts as true veterans of the river now. Our little group split ways for the trip home - filled with memories and the simple magic that is the Buffalo river.

Links for planning your Buffalo River Canoe Trip:

Main Buffalo River Site: http://www.nps.gov/buff/
Canoe Rentals: http://www.nps.gov/buff/canoe-rentals.htm (we always use the Gilbert General Store www.gilbertstore.com or (870) 439-2888 or 439-2386)
River Levels: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/uv/?site_no=07056000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 or call park headquarters at 870-741-5443 for level information (24 hours per day).
What these levels mean: http://www.harrisonarkansas.org/riverlevels.htm (use the hwy 65 line of the table to compare to the lower graph on the waterdata site).

Of course, we extend a welcome to you to drop by Pack and Paddle for books on the Buffalo as well as help with gear and with planning your trip!

Fishing, Football and Fathers Day

2008-06-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

With Fathers Day approaching quickly, I thought this would be a good time to give you a view into my dad and a few of my memories and stories from growing up. I apologize in advance to my Dad who I am sure doesn't want me writing this. You see, he was never one to want to take the spotlight. But looking back through my 47 years, I can see how much his gentle guiding hand has affected my personality and my life.

Known to most folks simply as "Doc" (he was a childrens dentist in our pre - Pack & Paddle days). Many of my earliest memories with my dad involve the camp our family used to have on the levee near Fausse Point state park. In those days, my dad had a serious fishing fever - and my two brothers and I would often accompany him on his many trips into the basin in search of fish. I can remember always getting to the landing in total darkness. We would launch the boat and my dad would take off at mach speeds down canals that I wondered how he could see down in the inky black. The ride always seemed cold and long, so we would climb underneath the pull-over boat he had tied across the gunwhales of his motorboat to try to get out of the wind. Once, we arrived at our fishing spot in the dark and my brother caught a "fish". When he pulled it out of the water - a big snake was hanging on the hook. That line got cut.

I can remember my dad at some point in the trip always taking me to fish between these 2 certain trees in Buffalo Cove that we had caught fish at once. I'm not sure if we ever caught fish there again, but he would take me there to give it a try every time. Our diet in those days was "interesting". We would eat honey buns for breakfast followed by Ritz crackers with cheese out of a can for a snack. After that, we would have Vienna Sausages for lunch. One of my favorite memories of our camp happened when we were on our way driving out to the camp through St. Martinville. My dad pulled over to (I think) a hardware store. I got out with him, not knowing what we were stopping there for. He walked in and bought me a BB gun. It was one of the greatest moments of my boyhood.

It seems as though we always caught fish in those days. One thing that I could never understand about my dad was that when we would get back to the landing and someone would ask if we caught fish, I would be bursting to pull open the ice chest and say we caught a ton of fish, but my dad would always say "We caught a few" and leave the ice chest shut. I always thought he was trying to be humble. Now I wonder whether he was just trying to keep his fishing holes secret.

Another memory I have of my dad is his love of football. Many Sunday afternoons were spent watching teams like the Colts and Dolphins. I can still remember loving my toy Colts helmet with the blue horseshoe on the side - pretending I was Johnny Unitas. When we started a neighborhood team (not exactly sure who we were going to play against), my Dad got us "jerseys" for Christmas. In high school when our team played in the Superdome for the playoffs, my parents and grandparents wore "Tiger Ma and Tiger Pa" shirts.

As Pack & Paddle grew, my dad scaled back his dental practice to help out with the family business. Everyone would say that my mom would come up with some crazy idea and my dad would figure out how to make it happen. Some of these ideas included building a ski machine, remodeling the shop many different times, making our own wooden mannequins, adding on to the building 3 times and much more. One of my favorite stories is that when the big addition that currently holds our boat room was under construction, we had a thunderstorm blow through late one afternoon. We all heard a crash and ran outside to look. The entire addition was blown over and was sitting in the parking lot in a huge heap. My dad walked over and looked at it. He shook his head and said "I think I'll go down to the store and get some beer".

People that know my dad love him for his gentle spirit and wry sense of humor. He embodies that old school graciousness that I fear our society is losing these days. The way that he put his busy dental practice on the back burner to help chase the Pack & Paddle dream amazes me. He went from spending weekends in the basin to swinging a hammer and turning a wrench. He embodies humility, always making the other person in the conversation feel important. He knew how to work hard - and passed that along to all of us kids. He taught us all how to support your spouse in their personal growth and dreams. He instilled in all of us what it is to be a true outdoorsman and adventurer. If all of this isn't what being a dad is all about - I don't know what is.

Happy Fathers Day Dad! We appreciate you and love you!

End Note: Many people ask me how my mom and dad are now. They are doing well - still riding their bikes and staying active. My dad took us out a while back in his boat to check out a spot in the basin for a canoe trip. This brought back many memories. He just bought a membership in a fishing club - so he'll be passing his love of fishing on to the grand kids.

Summer Trip Ideas Part 1 - Southeast Adventure

2008-05-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

Becky and I just got back from a very interesting trip to West Virginia. This makes a perfect summer road trip with things to do packed in all along the way.

Via Ferrata
Here is a basic write up of exactly what the Via Ferrata is:
Via Ferrata is a type of mountain climbing route which has a safety system permanently installed, making the climb suitable for persons without prior training and using minimal equipment. The climber is attached at all times to a steel cable which runs along the entire route; no climbing rope is generally required. Steel rungs, ladders, bridges and similar installations are used. This helps to keep the physical difficulty of the climbing well within the ability of reasonably fit first-time climbers, while providing access to high, vertical faces and extreme mountain terrain which would otherwise be accessible only to experienced, roped climbing parties.
Becky and I were able to climb on the Via Ferrata on a recent trip sponsored by Mountain Hardwear. I can tell you from first hand experience that this is an amazingly fun adventure for adults and teenagers. While it somewhat physical, almost anyone in decent shape can do the route. When you are on the route, you feel safe, but that exhilaration of exposure is still definitely there. The route begins by going straight up a 100 foot fin of rock, then traversing on a ledge to a spot where you go around a corner to the other side of the fin. You then traverse another ledge high above the valley floor until you arrive at a long swinging bridge. This bridge is a thrill for almost anyone. Don't worry, you're clipped in at all times, and can enjoy the thrill of a couple of hundred feet of air under your feet.
After the bridge, you climb up another fin of rock and around the other side for a long traverse to the finish followed by a walk down a trail in the valley below the swinging bridge.
This isn't for everyone, but if you have adventurous teens, and don't have time for taking classes on technical rock climbing, the Via Ferrata is for you. For more info go to: http://www.nelsonrocks.org/via.html

On the Way There or Back
I would suggest stopping at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Visit www.noc.com to see some of the programs and rafting trips they offer. This is a world class whitewater facility with a really cool atmosphere that you will absolutely love. A great idea is to stop at their Ocoee outpost on the way to the center, then head up to the main center a few hours north after your raft trip.

If you are passing through Hot Springs, North Carolina, I suggest stopping overnight at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn. You can stay overnight in this beautiful B&B and enjoy his Vegetarian fare for supper and breakfast as well. Hot Springs is right on the Appalachian Trail - so you might meet some AT Thru hikers while you're there. Also, you can do some hiking or join the Nantahala Outdoor Center Outpost for a raft trip on the French Broad. Go to: http://www.noc.com/index.php/whitewater-rafting.html and then click "French Broad" at the top.

For a nice backpacking trip on the way, I would suggest Grayson Highlands State Park. You can follow the Appalachian Trail up to areas where wild ponies run free and enjoy the beautiful views and wide open scenery. http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/gra.shtml

These are just a few of the jewels to be discovered on a trip through the Southeast. I hope you have a great summer filled with adventure!

Fish Nets, Morse Code, Gift Wrapping and Mothers Day

2008-05-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

Joan at her Desk in the 70's at Pack & Paddle

Growing up, my family had 2 older sisters, me and two twin younger brothers. This was a handful I am sure for my parents. When I starting thinking about Mothers day and what I could blog about, it occured to me that we had a very unique upbringing that helped to form who and what we are as a family, and in turn formed a lot of what we all are as parents now.

As a younger kid, I can remember always being involved in projects that my mom came up with for us. At one time we were all making fish nets from strings with long plastic net shuttles. We would all sit there and make nets for hours. How my mom got our attention focused on this for so long, I have no idea. I once spent (what seemed like) an entire summer learning Morse Code for a scout merit badge. We would click out dot dot dot; dash dash dash; dot dot dot for hours trying to learn this important skill. During the winter, I can remember making "icycles" by turning the sprinkler on the bushes during freezing weather (yes - it did freeze back in those days). We were constantly taking classes at the Natural History Museum. My favorite was a Taxidermy class. As we drove the roads, my eyes would be peeled for road kill that would make a good subject for my next taxidermy project. What other mom would pull over to the side of the road to pick up a dead hawk?

As we got older, we branched into canoeing, taking trips to Saline Bayou, Ouiska Chitto, Tangipahoa, Buffalo River, Ouchita River, Nantahala River, and many more. I can remember one freezing cold Thanksgiving trip to the Ouchita. My mom told me to go and burn the trash. I grabbed the nearest trash bag and threw it on the fire. Turned out the bag was full of wool socks. Needless to say I was in the dog house for that one.

Since 1974, our family has been drawn together by Pack & Paddle. Growing up we all served in many different roles in the shop. My brothers and I were gift wrappers in our teens every Christmas. This was the day and age of actually wrapping presents in a box with wrapping paper. You've never seen such unconventional wrapping jobs. We tuned skis, handled rental canoes, folded shirts and once tore down an entire barn for the wood that is now on the inside of Pack & Paddle.

I think the genius of my mom was creating situations for us to explore, learn, work and grow. She was a "Tom Sawyer" infecting us with enthusiasm for the strangest of pursuits. My siblings and I will always be thankful to our mom for instilling in us a questing mind that wants to answer the question "what if?" and questing nature that wants to know what's around the next bend. This adventurous spirit was tempered by the fires of growing up and working in a family business. The frustrations and opportunities of the situations the business created grew us into problem solvers, risk takers and hard workers. These situations were created by both our parents working together to create these opportunities for their kids. As parents, we can all learn from Joan and Doc and the unusual way that they raised their gaggle of 5.

Happy Mothers Day Mom! We appreciate you and love you!

John, Cheryll, Louise, Doug and Les

Get Outdoors with the Kids This Summer!

2008-04-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

Our son Matt is now 22 years old, married and about to graduate from college with a degree in physics. He is in every sense of the word a success story for his parents. We feel so lucky for things to have turned out like this. The challenges of raising kids in the 21st century are so daunting that I just don’t know how we would have done it had Matt been born 10 or 15 years later.
It seems like families need something to be at the core of who and what they are. Something they can enjoy together - and even more so, be a rock that they can always return to. For our family, this has always been wilderness.
When Matt was 3 years old, we embarked on a 4 month journey with him. We spent 2 months on the Appalachian Trail, hiking with Matt in a 3-wheeled baby jogger from Springer Mtn. Georgia to Erwin Tennessee. We then bicycled on the roads from North Carolina to Bar Harbor Maine. When we tell people about this trip, they invariably ask if he remembers any of it. She says that he remembers bits and pieces. But that this trip formed a lot of who he is. Patient in solving problems, comfortable in the outdoors, adventurous in spirit and friendly with other people. We’ve also had a thread of summertime Buffalo River canoe camping trips dating back to when Matt was only 4 years old.
But I wonder if the types of experiences that Matt grew up with will slowly become some kind of old school Americana in the coming generations. There is evidence that suggests that families are embracing wilderness adventure less than prior generations. Between 1995 and 2005, overnight stays in national parks declined 20% overall, and camping and backcountry stays dropped by 24%, according to statistics compiled by the National Parks Service. This represents a drastic change in our society.
Whether this shift it is a bad change or not, I am not qualified to comment on. I can say that our experience in raising Matt would have been much more challenging and much less fulfilling without the experiences we shared in the outdoors.
Which brings me to the point of this blog. Even with the rise of the internet providing more information that you can handle, I still find families are struggling to figure out where to go for a wilderness experience. With summer coming, I thought that I would make a few suggestions for things to do with the kids:

Easy and fun trips close to home:
The Lafayette Nature Station is a great outing you can do several times during the summer. www.naturestation.org
The Vermilion River is Lafayette's most serene get-away, running right through the middle of town. Thanks to Catherine at Bayou Vermilion District for reminding me of this great in-town getaway. www.bayouvermilion.org
Fausse Point State Park offers cabins if you don’t camp that are right over the water and beautiful. They have added a water fountain style playground that the kids would have a blast playing in. You can fish, walk the trails and much more. www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ilakefaus.aspx
Chicot State Park offers camping with bathrooms and showers as well as cabins to rent. There is a 20 mile hiking trail and 8 miles of canoe trails. www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ichicot.aspx
Also, you can stop by at Pack & Paddle to pick up maps to 5 or 6 great hiking areas that are a little more secluded if you are interested in that. We can suggest some day hikes, overnight backpack trips or places to car-camp. www.packpaddle.com

Great trips not so close to home:
The Buffalo National River is a federally designated Wild and Scenic river. It is an amazing asset to our country and you should go there if you have a chance. The Buffalo is a 8-10 hour drive from Lafayette, but worth the trip. www.nps.gov/buff/

Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas is a great place to go camp and hike with your family. You’ll find great camping and nice cabins. www.petitjeanstatepark.com/

The Nantahala Outdoor Center is an amazing place for older kids and families. Located where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Nantahala river, you’ll find world class whitewater rafting, mountain biking, hiking and much more. www.noc.com

When it gets hot in midsummer, I would suggest escaping to anywhere in northern New Mexico or to Colorado. We love Durango, Silverton, Ouray and, well, there’s too many spots to mention.

So make a plan this summer. The crowds are down. The scenery is beautiful. Adventures are ready to be made. Get out and build some memories with your kids. You will never, never ever regret it!

A Weekend Of Local Paddling

2008-04-07T04:37:00.000-07:00

Becky and I were enjoying a cup of coffee at the coffee shop in Breaux Bridge with our friends Mike and Allison Purpera this past Saturday. We were on the way home from our paddle trip to Buffalo Cove. Mike and Allison have been paddlers for years. They have run whitewater rivers in their kayaks in Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado and many other states. The interesting part of the conversation was about how amazing the paddle through Bayou Gravenburg and Buffalo Cove was, and how easy it is to overlook the beauty and paddling opportunities we have right here in our own backyards.

You'll hear the term "Sportsmans Paradise" tossed around describing Louisiana. This weekend kind of sums up some of the opportunity that out there for us living here in Lafayette.

Saturday morning found us leading a trip into Buffalo Cove - a legendary part of the basin known for it's serene beauty. Our trip began at Sandy Cove landing near Fausse Point State park and headed south on the GA cut. We did a portage over a small hump into Bayou Gravenburg and were soon immersed in a forest of Cypress and Tupelo, sliding through water that didn't have a ripple on it. We slid by a pair of Barred Owls sitting on a tree branch right above us. A Prothonotary Warbler was busily flying around a stump - not concerned in the least at the passing canoes. We met a crawfisherman and his wife in their boat who yelled out "Ya'll havin' a good time?!". When we asked if he had caught anything he held up a crawfish for us to see in a passing salute to 2 diverse groups of Atchafalaya Basin users. On the way home, Becky mentioned possibly going Kayak fishing on Sunday to round out a weekend on the water.

After some advice on where to go from our friend Michael Pears, we headed out early Sunday Morning for Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. Our plan was to fish the marsh, then head down to the coast to fish the jetties from our kayaks. If we had any time left, we planned to visit the Holleyman-Sheely Migratory Bird Sanctuary and do a little birding. We put in and headed out into the marshes. The marsh was alive with bird life and lots of fish. It wasn't long before POW! a big red took my bait and drug my little kayak around the marsh for a while. We caught our limit of redfish, 4 nice speckled trout and a couple of flounders. We saw lots of birds and heard a lot of birds we couldn't see. We stayed in the marsh way too late (having too much fun!) and we were still cleaning fish at 10:30pm.

Between the beauty of our own great wilderness of the Atchafalaya Basin, to the immense opportunity for kayak fishing and birding in the marsh, we truly do live in a "Sportsmans Paradise". While others may be able to rock climb an hour or two from their house, we have world class paddling opportunities all around us.

Banana Guards and Rain Kilts

2008-03-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Becky and I attended the Louisiana Hiking Club's annual Campfest at Chicot State Park. We set up a small table with some of the latest cool "must have's" from the store. Things like ultra light alcohol cooking systems, Shoes with built in gaiters, new trekking poles from Black Diamond, Sil-nylon tarps and of course, the grandaddy of them all: The Banana Guard.

Over and over, people would walk up and look at the gear and when they saw the Banana guard, either confusion or laughter would take over their face. We had lots of fun demonstrating how their banana would not get bruised if they had a Banana guard. As you can imagine, the comments got a little out of control at times. Maybe you had to be there. Or maybe you have to know the type of hikers we are at these things.

The fun continued when I gave two seminars: One on lightweight backpacking and the other on staying dry on the trail. Both were well received, but the high point was when I was demonstrating a technique that is the ultimate for staying dry while backpacking in the southeast. First, an umbrella is installed onto the shoulder strap of your pack (pretty geeky). Then, to top it off, I donned the new Sil-Nylon Rain Kilt (there may be no higher level of geeky-ness). By the time the kilt was on, everyone was laughing, hooting and having a great time.

Around Lafayette, you'll hear country folks ask "Who are your people?" (meaning family). For Becky and I, we were most definitely with "Our People" at Chicot Saturday. Outdoor people have a zest and love of life that's infectous. We loved being there with the club and look forward to next year. I just don't know how I'll top the Banana guard!

Slow Travel

2008-02-20T05:08:00.000-08:00

If you keep up with my blog, you know that I like to write my own stuff. Today, though, I came across an article on Backpackinglight.com by Simon Clissold. I just had to share with you. Enjoy!:

Slow travel and the philosophy behind it is nothing new; think Bashō and his bamboo staff on his ‘narrow road to the deep north’ in 1689, or Stevenson walking through the Cevennes with a donkey and a loaf of bread in 1878, or Fermor setting out in 1933 for Constantinople on foot from his home in London with little more than the clothes on his back. An abundance of time is all these men had. What they did not have was a pack full of fancy equipment, a gps, or even a simple map. They understood implicitly not just the well-worn cliché that it’s the journey not the destination that’s important, but on a deeper level they knew that at its core travel is about freedom, about the unexpected; it is spontaneous, flexible and above all open to what ever may come, an unscripted adventure full of not only new places but also of new people, new friendships, new ways of looking at the world.

Technology, inherently or otherwise - and I will try to leave my Luddite bias out of this - has a way of putting up barriers between us, the world we live in and the people and animals that inhabit it. The car is the ultimate example of the de-humanizing effect of modern technology, and also a major factor in the decline in the art of slow travel.

When Monsieur Theophile Gautier (A Romantic in Spain, 1840) wrote ‘What constitute the pleasures of the traveler are obstacles, fatigue or even danger. What charm can there be in a journey when one is always sure to arrive and find his horses ready, a downy bed, an excellent supper and all the comfort one enjoys at home? One of the great misfortunes of modern life is the absence of the unexpected, the lack of adventure. Everything is so well regulated, so well fitted into its place and ticketed, that chance is no longer possible; another century of improvements, and everybody will be able to foresee from the very day of his birth all that will happen to him up to the day of his death’, he anticipated the decline and fall of slow travel, which began with the railways and was completed with the automobile.

Slow travel is about the unknown. There can be no guide book for the slow traveler, nor fixed itinerary nor list of things to ‘see’. Slow travel has this benefit also: traveling at a human pace, humans are more open to you. You are non-threatening, safe and approachable. You have the time, and inclination, to smile. And others will smile back, and doors which are impossible to see when traveling at speed, are open and welcome for you when traveling slowly.

My introduction to slow travel was a backpacking trip I took when I was 20 to Nepal. We set out light: no tent, no stove, no maps, no guide, no porter. A few books, sleeping bags, some warm clothes, a camera and a huge wad of low denomination Nepalese rupees made up the entire load of my partner and I.

We made it 30 days without crossing a single road, seeing a single TV or ever drinking water from a tap. Sometimes we were cold, or hungry, or lost, but more often we were being invited to eat a delicious dhal at someone’s house, or huddled around a yak dung fire sipping tea, or laughing with a farmer struggling to explain the route to us using the universal sign language of directions.

I finished that trip with a profound respect for the Nepalese people, their generosity of spirit and their ever smiling countenance. And I knew that I experienced a Nepal I would never have seen if I had of been cooped up in my tent in the evenings, or led from guest house to guest house by a guide, or was following a strict itinerary dictated by time constraints. Nepal gave me a taste of Slow which has colored all the adventures I have had since, a taste of the possibilities of traveling light, and traveling with time.

I followed my slow traveling passion, and learned how different a continent can look while moving slowly, a few years later while walking with a donkey from Seville in southern Spain to the French Alps. People trusted me; a man with a donkey cannot make a fast get away. People talked to me; a man with a donkey may be interesting. People helped me; a man with a donkey might need a place to sleep, some food for his animal, some advice on the best path to follow through the fields.

Because I had no fixed route - I was merely heading in a general north or north easterly direction - I had no pre-conceptions of what I may find along the way. Thus the littlest things, like a tiny medieval hamlet or a distant snowy peak, were wonderful surprises for me. Put simply, with no expectations I suffered no disappointments. With time available to me, I followed any path which took my fancy, or went precisely nowhere when the urge took me.

To some, the donkey represents a burden, the antithesis of traveling light. To me, however, the donkey, like the bicycle or the canoe, is a liberating means of travel, giving me the freedom to explore and experience a place on its own terms and in its own time. Slow travel and traveling light have this in common, a mental attitude, an open, flexible, responsive approach to the world which is just as important as what is in your backpack or on your donkey or in your canoe.

More recently I set out on a journey from England across Europe on bicycle. There is something inherently pleasing about walking out the door to begin a journey powered completely under your own steam. Whether this journey be simply a two mile walk to work or a four month bike trip across a continent, the satisfaction of being independent and reliant solely on yourself is, for me at least, a reason in and of itself to walk or ride or row. The means, like all worthy means, are an end as well.

The beginning of my trip was for me a perfect affirmation of my slow travel, and general slow living, philosophy. 20 minutes after leaving my house, I found myself waiting in front of a long line of morning traffic at a red light in the middle of Oxford, when a fellow cyclist pulled up beside me.

We struck up a conversation, as two human beings are wont to do when not cut off from each other by a noisy, smelly, metal cage. He was from Germany, studying in Oxford, and was enjoying a last ride into the Oxfordshire countryside before he had to return home. He was in high spirits too, and who wouldn’t be on such a fine spring day with such a pleasing morning’s ride in front of you?

After a conversation touching on student life in Oxford, our favorite watering holes, and the likely hood of a puncture on my first day of the trip, we parted with a friendly ‘good luck’, and already I had experienced the most enjoyable wait in traffic for a green light in my life, and made exactly one more friend then I had ever made in 13 years of sitting in the aforementioned metal cage.

If my slow travel philosophy needs any more justification, the final argument is the obvious: environmental. I tend to agree with Jonathon Porrit, who wrote recently that he’s ‘increasingly persuaded that speed may in itself be as much the enemy of a sustainable future as the reckless consumption that powers our global economy.’ Speed, coupled with reckless consumption, is at the heart of almost all modern travel, and this combination has had a deadly effect not just on the natural world but also on the human: the decline of traditional cultures, the spread of (American) cultural hegemony etc.

Slow travel engages with, and participates in, the life around it. The slow traveler is not apart from their surroundings; they are vulnerable and open to them, they respond to the world, rather than the expecting the world to respond to them. Time is the key to this, and as Carlo Petrini, one of the great slow activists said, ‘we have lost our sense of time……We believe that we can add meaning to life by making things go faster. We have an idea that life is short - and that we must go fast to fit everything in. But life is long. The problem is that we don’t know how to spend our time wisely. And so we burn it…Ultimately, “slow” means to take the time to reflect. It means to take the time to think. With calm, you arrive everywhere.’

Citation

"Slow Travel," by Simon Clissold BackpackingLight.com

Communing Without Nature

2008-02-17T05:44:00.000-08:00

An article online recently caught my eye. Titled “Communing Without Nature”, this article outlines the declining participation in visits to National Parks and the effect this could eventually have on conservation efforts.

The report states that “ Camping, fishing and per capita visits to parks are all declining in a shift away from nature-based recreation”. It goes on to say “By studying visits to national and state parks and the issuance of hunting and fishing licenses the researchers documented declines of between 18 percent and 25 percent in various types of outdoor recreation”. A couple of the specifics the article mentions include “fishing peaked in 1981 and had declined 25 percent by 2005, the researchers found. Visits to national parks peaked in 1987 and dropped 23 percent by 2006, while hiking on the Appalachian Trial peaked in 2000 and was down 18 percent by 2005”.

The culprit? You guessed it: Television and video games. The article states “the decline, found in both the United States and Japan, appears to have begun in the 1980s and 1990s, the period of rapid growth of video games”. This quote really made me sad: “The replacement of vigorous outdoor activities by sedentary, indoor videophilia has far-reaching consequences for physical and mental health, especially in children”. The report also states, “Videophilia has been shown to be a cause of obesity, lack of socialization, attention disorders and poor academic performance”.

The long range implications of this problem are many. I have to ask myself where will our society be in 20 years? Our entertainment crazy culture is becoming like an addict looking for the next fix in another “reality” TV show or the latest video game. We are living vicariously through other peoples contrived adventures, or having “adventures” through digital characters.

The implications for our public lands are scary. The article states, "declining nature participation has crucial implications for current conservation efforts," wrote co-authors Oliver R. W. Pergams and Patricia A. Zaradic. "We think it probable that any major decline in the value placed on natural areas and experiences will greatly reduce the value people place on biodiversity conservation."

Without participation, where will support for conservation of lands come from? If our population of the future cannot truly relate to standing on a peak alone in a vast wilderness, where will the push to save these lands for future generations come from? Without true experiences in the outdoors, who will be here to stand up for our public lands in the future?

I would like to propose that we all become part of the solution to this problem. We as outdoor enthusiasts, should put aside some of the time that we take for ourselves in pursuing our activities - and bring someone with you. Find a kid you can take on your next paddle trip. Find a friend that’s never been on a true wilderness trip, and bring them on your next hike. Volunteer to be a scout leader - then focus on getting the kids into the wilderness. Find a scout troop that you could act as a “wilderness assistant” to take the group to areas you have paddled or hiked. The possibilities are endless. In short, pay your dues to the future of our wildlands by investing some of your outdoor time into others. Not only will this enrich their lives, but yours as well.

___________________________
Response on 2/28
I got an email from our friend Babs Evers with Leave No Trace (LNT) yesterday. Read on to see how our little blog is getting around the web:

John,

I posted your commentary on an LNT e-list that I belong to, and it started a firestorm--basically debating whether TV and videogames were the main or only culprit. Of course, this type of off-subject debate frequently happens on that list (and others) as people have their own axes to grind and lose sight of the overall points. Anyway, finally, Ben Lawhon (education director of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and all around great guy!) stepped in with this post that I thought might interest you--particularly the link.

Babs

****************************************************

Ben's comments:

I too am concerned that we’re not raising a generation that sees the value in nature, wilderness, parks, forest and open spaces. Yes, there are those in Scouting, 4H, GSUSA, ACA and other communities that are (thankfully) being exposed to the natural world. However, there are many, many more who aren’t. I attended the American Camping Assoc. conference last week in Nashville and went to a presentation on how to better understand today’s tweens/teens. I heard some shocking statistics:

Children in the U.S. spend, on average, 6 hours in front of a screen PER DAY (computer, iPod, TV, etc.) That’s over 40 hours per week – it’s like a full time job for many kids.

97% of kids in the U.S. Spend less than 30 minutes per day outside doing unstructured activities, i.e. not engaging in sports, school activities, etc. The amount of time kids spend playing in creeks, digging in the sand, running through the woods and just being kids outside is no doubt on the decline.

For more information, check out http://www.cnaturenet.org/research/volumes/C42/42

By now, I’m sure you’ve all read or at least heard of Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. If not, check it out. It’s very, very interesting.

If we’re not raising a generation who sees and appreciates the value in our natural areas who will step up when it comes time to save them from the myriad issues facing these beloved places?

2008 Trips and Events are Taking Off!

2008-01-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a second and intro some special new trips and events coming up soon. First up, we're hosting the Focus the Nation Live Webcast on Climate Change on the 30th of January. This special event will be a wonderful educational experience for all of Lafayette as well as a chance all of us to come together as a group in supporting this important issue.

Since the first time I did my Ultra-Light Backpacking clinic, I've gotten a lot of request for a repeat. This is your chance to see me turn a 43 pound pack into a feathery 25 pound load. And if you're into going light, check out Mark Menou's session on Alcohol stove building on the 19th of February.

On the 16th of Febuary, Mark and Jennifer Menou will lead our first ever backpacking retreat that will make your foray into the wilderness feel like a weekend at the spa. The Menou's are long-time members of the P&P family and we are excited to have them as facilitators on this unique outing.

An exciting new addition to our lineup is our Valentines Romance paddle. Becky and I are planning on pulling out the stops in hosting 8 couples for a Valentines evening that won't soon be forgotten.

Another addition we're really excited about is that we will be hosting an Outdoor Photography class with our good friend Jason Cohen. Believe me - Jason is an amazing photographer. I'm planning on being a student at this class. We'll have classroom sessions and a field session. This should be a great class for climbers, hikers, paddlers, or anyone that spends time in the outdoors.

A new option for a trip will be our new Level 1 waterfall hike. This is designed to allow folks who want to see the waterfalls at Clark Creek, but not have to hike the entire primitive trail a chance to participate.

And this is not all! I have lots of other events and trips that you'll see posted over the next 3-4 weeks. Stay tuned and come out to join us!

Refreshing My Life

2008-01-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

This blog entry was supposed to be about a trip we took recently. In retrospect, I think it's more about things that happened after we got off the trail. But - let's start at the beginning so you can hear the whole story.

On New Years Day, Becky and I along with our son Matt and his wife Rebecca met our friends Mark and Jennifer Menou and their daughter Ruthie to head up to Kisatchie for a 3 day backpacking trip. We had planned to hike the Backbone and the Caroline Dormon trail as a single thru-hike of these interconnected trail. When we arrived at the trailhead, the cold front was blowing through and we all bundled up to head out. Ruthie led us down the trail with their dog, Ginger in tow.

We arrived at a beautiful overlook about an hour before sunset. While the women went down the hill for water, we set up tents, collected firewood and started the fire. We enjoyed a great meal that included dried veggies, bullion cubes and dried veggie patties. Everyone laughed as Ruthie climbed a nearby tree, looking like a little bear cub up in the branches.

The next morning we headed down the trail hoping to complete the 11 miles to our intended campsite along Kisatchie Bayou. Almost immediately we had to cross a creek that was too wide to hop over. Ruthie, Mark and Rebecca shimmied across a log while the rest of us waded the shallow water. It was really funny to watch Mark crossing with his big external frame pack. Soon enough we had crossed the creek, and finished off the rest of the Backbone Trail. We continued down the Caroline Dormon trail and stopped for lunch at the mini waterfall described in the book. The mini waterfall was even more mini than normal because of the low water conditions. As the day wore on, I became more and more amazed at how great a hiker Ruthie was. She just constantly kept hiking all day - completing our route around 5pm. Wow! 11.5 miles is a long hike for a 7 year old!

That night we all shared a burrito meal made from dried TVP and other ingredients. We built the fire up to stay warm as the temperatures dropped until we headed to our sleeping bags. It was wonderful to watch two young wilderness families meshing perfectly with each other on the trail and around camp that night.

Our final day, we wound along the beautiful Kisatchie Bayou, over some hills and then finally to Kisatchie Bayou Camp. We took a group picture, walked the last 50 yards up to the car and shuttled back to the Backbone end of the trail. After hugs and goodbye's we got into the car and turned for home.

This was one of those low key trips - without a huge epic to deal with and nothing really remarkable happening to us on the trail. It was not the same rush as finishing an Appalachian Trail thru - hike or a hike of the Wonderland trail. Yet, I felt like a different person as we headed home. It's amazing how going into the wilderness can completely refresh your life. I can't exactly explain it, but the cloudy funk that surrounded my spirit before the trip was completely gone. My eyes felt clearer, my step felt stronger and my mind felt sharper. Replacing it was a new wind of excitement blowing through my life. Excitement about new friends. Excitement about new opportunities at the shop. And most of all, excitement about a new year of outdoor experiences like this one.

Drinking Coffee is for the Birds!

2007-11-24T13:20:00.000-08:00

I came across something interesting that you may want to think about the next time you pull in for that double shot half caff super grande mocchassippi. I picked up a brochure from an organization called shadecoffee.org. They promote awareness for shade-grown coffee and how it benefits migratory bird species. Here are a couple of highlights:

Shade Grown Coffee:
Grows on forest like foarms that provide viable habitat for an estimated 150 species of migratory birds.
Needs fewer chemical fertilizers.
Grows among several layers of diverse trees, flowers, and plants that provide additional income and a healthy environment for farmers and local communities.
Tastes delicious! Bean mature slowly, creating a robust, full and pleasing flavor.

Sun coffee plantations:
Involve clear cutting the forest.
Cause a dramatic reduction in biodiversity
Expose the landscape to open sun, increasing the intensity of land management through regular chemical fertilization and erosion control.

So - I thought some of you might like looking into the issue of shade grown coffee. Since as Americans, most of us drink lots of coffee, we can have an impact by making choices and letting our stores and coffee shops know that we want shade grown coffee. As consumers, we vote with our choices. Let's take this one small step for migratory birds by requesting shade grown coffee!