Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Things to Luc For

I seem unable to link to any wordpress blogs on the side bar over left there, so go here to see Luc's awesome adventure across the St Elias from Yakutat to McCarthy.

The packrafts as sleds are so cool in that big mtn landscape -- and Luc in an avy is a bit sobering. Be sure to check it out.

The only bummer about it is that it seems to have somehow tuckered that young wimpersnapper out to the point he can't go run steep creeks in the Brooks Range with us next week.....shucks!

I think it's the expedition of the year so far, although Caroline and Pat are still at it, only halfway through their trip to Kotz from Bellingham.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Other People's Great Adventures

No doubt most have you have seen this:
 

 Makes Tasmania look like the great packrafting destination that it is. There have been a handful of adventurers reporting on their Tassie trips over the years, from whitewater creeking, to mult-day river trips, to traditional hike and raft, to modern coastal trips, to this wild canyoneering trip.


 And what about Europe? Besides Forest and Moe's fantastic looking exploration of Bosnia

 

there is the couple who seem to be prepping for a grand Eurasion or round the world trip with their packraft, too (this looks like a marvelous destination for traditional style packrafting):
 

 Really looks good, Europe does, for packrafting and there seems to be more and more of it happening.


But the trip I have been keeping tabs on is that by an athletic and skilled Alaskan couple, Pat Farrell and Caroline Van Hemert, who left Bellingham, Hig-and-Erin style but with Skurka speed, in March.

They are headed for Kotzebue by way of the Yukon. A PhD scientist, Caroline is from Anchorage and studied English in college. Pat is a carpenter and studied art. Together they have done some amazing trips, like building a birch bark canoe and paddling out from some wild river in the Yukon Territory, or sailing into and climbing Mt Waddington, and climbing Mt. Fairweather then walking and packrafting the Lost Coast to Gustavus. Anyway their blog is worth following as they unveil their adventure.

Oh yes, and rumor has it Luc and crew made it to the summit of Logan on their self-contained journey from Yakutat to McCarthy by packraft and ski. Looking forward to his return and the fruits of their adventure in story, pic, and vid.
 
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