Why are there no Salmon in the Upper Columbia River? What can we do about that? What are the options?

Sea to Source is the first episode in a series of short films following the journey up the Columbia River in 5 dugout canoes that were hand carved by 1000’s of students.

The journey is about getting people reconnected with the history and culture of the Columbia River as well as the salmon that was once prolific before the creation of the Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph Dams.

Hap tip goes to Conor for the lead.

More info: voyagesofrediscovery.blogspot.ca

Sign #122 that you don’t spend enough time in nature: You don’t know the difference between a bird and a barbeque cover.

Credit: criggo.com

This is not a story you want to have happen on your trip. Students on a class canoe trip paddling down the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon got a shock last Tuesday when they discovered a body in the river.

The chief coroner is working to identify the remains and foul play is not suspected.

The local public school board has offered counselling to any student on the trip who needs it.

More info: nationalpost.com

Flickr Photo Credit:  Some rights reserved by damiengabrielson.com

If your looking for a unique gift to give to a paddling buddy or yourself, check out this sea kayak keychain cleverly named the Keyak.

Manufactured in Europe and made of PVC, they come in 5 colours, blue, green, orange, red and yellow. The great thing is that the MSRP is only $5.99 so it won’t break the bank.

Along with being a pretty nifty key chain, I think they would also make a great compact teaching aid for topics like navigation, surfing, currents or really time you would naturally look for a small stick to illustrate your lesson.

My buddy, Alan Drummond is just in the process of setting up distribution so if you own a paddling shop, you should drop him a note and bring them in.

If you are interested in buying one you can also buy direct from Alan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Keyak Facebook page for more info.

If you thought that the campfire you built last summer was big, check this out.

The photo is from an attempt to build the world's biggest bonfire in 2012. I’m not sure if they beat their old record from 2010 in which they constructed a monster 40 meters high. Apparently nobody was hurt in the photo but everybody seems to be standing a bit close for my liking. Maybe it's the Viking way.

Looks like the people of Ålesund, Norway have been fans of burning stuff on midsummer's eve since at least 1954 as evidenced this by this very cool photo history page.

BTW - Good nerdy quote found on the video youtube page by MrEdJepson: THE BEACONS ARE LIT! Gondor calls for aid.