PaddlingLight was Philosophical about Paddling in 2012

PaddlingLight was Philosophical about Paddling in 2012! In past years, I’ve tried to stay much more focused on practical issues about building kayaks and canoe, kayak and canoe tripping skills and general how-to articles, but for some reason in 2012, I got philosophical about wilderness and paddling (Perhaps because wilderness is now under extreme threat in the U.S. This is the first congress to NOT protect any additional land in the U.S. in modern times). One of the nice things about blogging is that I set the sites agenda, and I usually set it on a week by week basis that depends on what I’m thinking about at the time, but as I see when looking back over 2012’s entries, I wasn’t as how-to orientated as 2011 or 2010. In 2011 and 2010, I actually planned articles two months ahead of time and wrote them on time and when they were due.

For 2013, I haven’t decided what to do yet, but I do know I want to release an eBook about navigation. The articles are already written. I just need to figure out how to make the eBook — I have limited eBook experience. It’ll probably end up being a PDF, because that’s easiest for me to make. I’d like to charge for it, but I’m not sure if I will or not. It depends on how it turns out.

Here’s a summary of the philosophical side of PaddlingLight from 2012:

• What’s the Difference between a Kayak or Canoe Expedition, Trip and Adventure?: It truly doesn’t matter as long as you’re satisfied with the trip, right? But for some reason, classifying trips seems to get people, including myself, all opinionated. The comments are really fun on the article.
• The Adventure Matrix: Ranking Trips on a Graph: In the comments of the last article, we sussed out a graph to represent expeditions, adventures, jaunts, etc… I dig the graph.
• To Protect Minnesota’s Water and Natural Heritage: More activist than philosophical, but it highlights the mining threat to one of the U.S. top paddling destinations.
• Should You Buy That New Piece of Paddling Kit?: Humor in philosophy is good, right?
• Courage in Wilderness Travel: A discussion of what courage is and how it relates to wilderness adventure.
• When They Want to Take Away Wilderness: I write about why wilderness is important and the movement in the U.S. to take away wilderness protections. President Teddy Roosevelt (R) once said, “There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.” So, why is that his party is now generally against that?
• What’s Our Burden as More Experienced Kayakers?: A look at the responsibility of looking out for the inexperienced when they unknowingly put themselves in danger. This was a result of running into a recreational kayaker while on Lake Superior.
• While the rewards may be great, you might not like the consequences: Musing about risk in the face of death. Written after I learned about the death of a solo kayaker on Lake Superior near where I live.
• Three Waves from Safety: More discussion about risk.
• Dreaming About Belcher Islands Kayaking: A look at expedition paddling while dreaming about paddling in the Belcher Islands. And a look at what sea kayaking is to me and what I think sea kayaking is and should be. That is, about exploration.
• Howl of the Wolf: Minnesota started wolf hunting this year and so far has killed a little under 1/3rd of the pack in one year. These are my thoughts on the hunt and how this hunt subtracts from wilderness instead of adds too it.
• Living in the Last Scrap of the Golden Age of Wilderness Paddling: We’re really living in the last bit of wilderness on the Great Lakes, so get out and paddling now.
• This vs That in Kayaking: I muse about advertisement in sea kayaking and what I think that advertisement should do, i.e. portray the sport as National Geographic instead of as generic whitewater action.