Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Canoes: A Guide to Paddling


By Andrew Clarke
Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager
         
Canoes are the water craft that kept the fur trade alive and the boat that helped Lewis and Clark navigate to the west coast. For many years, we Minnesotans have enjoyed traveling to the water with the canoe strapped to the roof of the family truckster, jumping in the water and paddling to our hearts content.  A few of us may have had a gunnel pumping contest or two.  Though the materials have changed over the years, canoes still hold the shape and heritage from a bygone era.  

Some things to consider when looking at what canoe you want are the shape, material, and capacity to best suit your needs.  There are many shapes and designs that can alter how a canoe performs on various water ways.  A river built canoe like the Wenonah Wilderness for example have a larger amount of rocker and rounder hull shape to make the craft highly maneuverable and reduce tracking to keep you mobile and straight in moving waterways.  Boundary Water canoes such as the famous Wenonah Minnesota II tend to go the opposite design route and are much longer and flare hull to slice through water efficiently to get you from Point A to Point B quickly. The minimal rocker keeps the boat steady on lakes that have a bit of chop from wind and other boats.  Many canoes you will find do a good job with some river and some small to mid-size lake much like Wenonah’s Spirit II or the Northwind by Ted Bell’s newest company, Northstar Canoes

From there the material used in the boat’s construction will play a large role in how you use the boat.  Classic materials like Aluminum are bomb proof and will hold up to anything you can throw at it from running up ob beaches to hitting mid river rocks.  The down side is they tend to be heavier (80 lbs.+) and feel like an oven when the sun is shining.  Kevlar (and other composites) are extremely light (30-50 lbs.) but also are thin skinned and you would want to avoid hitting rocks or running up on shore as much as possible.  The middle grounds for canoes lie in the polymer boats.  Royalex has historically been the best weight to strength ratio polymer canoes (60 lbs. + and bomb proof) but with the material being discontinued this year, you will want to buy a Royalex canoe sooner rather than later because once they’re gone, they’re gone.

The last thing to look at is the capacity that each boat can have.  Depending on the shape and displacement of each canoe, you will be looking at a likely range of 500 lbs. for a solo canoe, to upward of 1200+ lbs. on a BWCA capable boat.  This will also affect the seating capacity as well so if you are planning on taking a canoe trip with 3 people and a weeks’ worth of gear, a tandem canoe with a capacity of 700 lbs. probably isn't going to cut it.

Finally, don’t forget to check our website’s events page and sign up for our Open Water Demo’s at Lake Gervais.  These will kick off on May 10th and are a great way to try before you buy. 


Until Next Time, Get Outdoors!



Monday, April 21, 2014

Kamp K2

By Andrew Clarke
Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

The winter had one more surprise for the year last week and while that was going on, we went to visit K2 Skis and Snowboards in Seattle, WA.  K2 has long been the American ski brand since 1962 and ushered in a new style and flair to the world of skiing and in 1987 did the same with snowboards.  Fresh off the plane, the folks from K2 welcomed us and ten more fellow campers spanning from New York, New Hampshire and all the way to Salt Lake City and K2’s home base of Stevens Pass.  As part of the welcome, The K2 marketing department gave us a grand tour of their facility including their lobby, sales floor, R&D facility, warehouse, and their marketing lab where as they say, the real work gets done.  From there we met K2’s ski boot line spokesman, DJ Mullet and camped down in Downtown Seattle for the night to get an early start for our first stop.

Day 2 started off with gearing up for Crystal Mountain.  Our Kamp Kounselors gave each of us the ski/board of our choice to test out.  We Kampers tried everything from the 2015 Rictor XTi, Shreditor, Potion skis to the Subculture and Turbo Dream snowboards.  The snow conditions were classic Washington spring… rain.  On the mountain we were able to put some good turns in on the mashed potato snow.  For the skiers, it was no problem but for us snowboarders, when the snow turned to water and we hit the brakes, it was a struggle to make it to the next lift.  After we were soaked through from all of the rain, the Kamp moved to their next stop in Leavenworth, WA.  For those t
hat have never been, Leavenworth is a proper German village nestled in the Wenatchee forest with good Bavarian food and drink.  We toured the town and made it back to the hotel to get some shut eye for the next day.

On Thursday we made our way to Stevens Pass for another day of “testing”.  The conditions were more of the same with occasional peeks of sun when we got high enough.  The pass was a mine field of moguls making navigation a bit harder in some spots and more mashed potato snow to keep things really interesting on the snow.  At the pass, we managed to get past the 10 trail miles for the day and ended up calling it quits when the skies properly opened up to a near downpour.  With every one tired, sore, wet and cold we packed the vans up and made our drive back to Seattle.  When we arrived, the Kounselors provided us a sushi feast.  Now as a Minnesotan, I have never tried sushi in part because there are not as many places here for it and mostly because we live about as far away from the coast (East and West, North AND South) and I don’t trust eating walleye raw.  We toured around Seattle afterwards taking in the night life and then went to the hotel to rest up for our last day. 

On our final day, a few of us woke up and made the hike from downtown Seattle to the Space Needle.  We took photos from the base and the glass sculpture garden and made our way from there to the famous Pike Place Fish Market.  The morning was still new and they were still setting up but the market had a few cool things along the way including throwing a sold fish to be wrapped.  The final send off we had wasn't from K2 but from the drivers at Stevens Pass Shuttle.  We linked up with them in the morning and headed to Alki Kayak Tours on Puget Sound and rented kayaks for a paddle before our departure.  On the water we saw a few river inlets, a lot of ferry and barge traffic and a fair amount of wildlife from harbor seals, to eagles.  After buying the guide’s lunch as a final thank you, we made our way to the airport and took off back to Minneapolis ending our time at Kamp K2.

After returning home and unpacking, I couldn't help but think how great the ski industry is and am staggered on some of the prices you can pay considering everything needed to make a ski, snowboard and especially the boots that get you from point A to point B in comfort and support. 

The next time you get a trip planned out west, east, local or wherever, use your time out there and make great memories.  After being thrown into a group of shop folk and not knowing a soul, we all parted ways friends and comrades in an industry we are all passionate about. 


Until next time, GET OUTDOORS!

Monday, April 14, 2014

Backpacking the North Shore

By Andrew Clarke
Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

We here at the Joe’s love stories relating to our outdoor pursuits.  No matter what you do or where you go, the best stories you have are the memories you take away when only footprints remain.  A buddy of mine and I have been backpacking since we were Boy Scouts and every year we have made it a point to get to the Superior Hiking Trail.  Last year I thought I’d try something different and take my dog with on what would have otherwise been a standard North Shore backpacking trip.  Joe’s had just taken in a shipment from Granite Gear and Mountainsmith with new products and in the pile I saw something new even for us, dog backpacks.  I have a Yellow Lab (Molly) that has been my faithful pheasant hunting companion for years and never considered taking her on the trails with me so I figured “why not, how hard could it be.”  My buddy and I made plans for a weekend trip in June to George Crosby State Park, an out of the way trail managed by Tettegouche State Park, which are full or rugged somewhat maintained trails with my friend, our collective gear and Molly with her new rig.
 

I was shocked at how well she did on the trails with her food, treats, bowls and other necessities a lab has to have strapped to her back.  Last year was a rough one in terms of downed trees and other blockages on the trail.  Even so, Molly jumped over some downed logs, ducked under others and managed to breakthrough the brush without too much trouble.  It didn't take her long to start smelling out the trail and leading the pack.  We would break as we hiked to take advantage of the scenery and Molly, being a retriever, would always find something to have me throw.  The weekend excursion took us from one end of the park to the other with clear skies, rugged terrain, a few goodly hikers on their most recent leg of the Superior Hiking Trail and one happy, eventually worn out Yellow Lab.  The best part was after eight miles of trails and who knows how many times Molly found something for me to throw, including our frisbee cutting board, by the time the stars were out and my friend and I were taking night time photos, she was staring at the tent flap whining to go inside and to bed.


The next day we saw clouds start to move in and broke camp early to make the return hike to the car. The hike was made easier by moving uphill right away when we were fresh and took the longer smooth route the rest of the way.  I could not believe that even after the night before when Molly was so tired, she was back at the front sniffing out the trail, only getting side tracked when a grouse was clucking and thumping on a log.  By the time we got back to the parking area, it was still morning and we saw a few people milling around their camp sites near the parking lot. We found an empty table by the small lake, broke out our stove to have a hardy breakfast of Mountain House Eggs and Honey Stinger waffles.  Once we got the car packed up and started making our way back south, the skies opened up with heavy rain.  Before we even made it to Silver Bay, my pup was sawing logs.  Molly slept all the way home and well into the afternoon as I was unpacking and airing out my (and her) gear.  If you ever backpack and have a dog that listens to your commands, consider taking them with.  I have been backpacking for over 10 years now and can say without a doubt that the first weekend I took my dog on the trail with me was one of the top 5 backpacking experiences of my life so far.




Until next time, GET OUTDOORS!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Kayaking Season

By Andrew Clarke
Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

The waterways are opening up and a world of paddling is soon here.  We are receiving our full complement of Kayaks, Canoes and the latest trend Stand-UpPaddleboards (SUPs).  No matter what form of paddling you are looking to start or continue, selecting the right watercraft is the most important step to a summer full of epic stories.

Kayaks are one of the most versatile paddle craft in production.  There are many shapes and sizes that serve different purposes.  While Getting Started looking for your kayak, one of the first things we ask is what seating platform you prefer.  There are two main styles, sit-on-top and sit inside, have very different characteristics.  Sit-on-top kayaks are usually more stable and with an open cockpit, you are able to have full freedom of movement to cast your rod/reel or snap a few photos.  The down side is they tend to weigh 10-20 lbs. more than their sit inside counterparts so transporting to and from the waterway will need to be considered.  Sit inside kayaks offer more mobility and smoother ride when paddling and can get you from Point A to Point B much quicker.  Because sit inside kayaks are lighter, loading and unloading from your vehicle is easier and the sit inside kayak is easier to handle when paddling.

The next option to look closely at is the body/bodies of water you are planning on going to.  Common kayak lengths are between 9’ to 17’ and with each foot, the boat paddles differently.  The general rule (baring hull shape) is the shorter the boat, the easier it is to turn.  Conversely the longer the boat is the better it will track or hold a straight line.  If you are looking for a proper river kayak or a great kid’s boat, the 9’-10’ kayaks like the DaggerZydeco 9.0 are good starting point. The 9’-10’ kayaks are also a good selection due to their lower cost and lighter weight.  Our favorite length range is the 11’-13’ kayaks such as the WildernessSystems Pungo 120.  They are the best all-around boats that work well in rivers and lakes as well as the added dry hatches for storing a mid-paddle lunch or a weekend’s worth of camping gear.  For the larger water ways (Lake Superior) or longer trips, you typically want to start out at 14’ or longer much like the WildernessSystems Tsunami 140 Pro.  These Touring Kayaks have a bulkhead on the bow and stern for maximum storage and track from point A to point B efficiently.


Finally, you will want to look for your ideal weight capacity (you and gear).  All of the kayaks are rated for a recommended maximum weight that will give you an idea for what the kayak can handle.  I for example am 6’4” and 235 lbs.  A 9’ kayak rated for 250 lbs. would be cutting in a little too close for comfort on weight range.  It would also be a little on the short side for leg room, which is why I bought a DaggerAxis 12.0.  It has a weight capacity of 325 lbs. and more than enough leg room for me to paddle comfortably for hours on end and the occasional weekend trip. 

Kayaking is a fantastic sport if you are looking for good exercise and a way to break away from the jogging and bike trails.  If you are one of the try before you buy types, sign up for one of our DemoDays and let us know what you’d like to try.  The demo’s kick off on May 8th and run through June 7th at Lake Gervais.


And until next time, GET OUTDOORS!