I've been thinking a lot lately about a larger/longer trip. Paddling the length of the Mississippi for example, hiking the Appalachian Trail, a full summer in the Boundary Waters, bike camping across the US.

Has anyone done a trip of this magnitude? Also day dreaming of it?

I know Wally13 did most of the Mississippi last summer. He was pretty psyched about it when I got to chat a bit at 'copeia.

the only big trip for me was 20 days starting at beaverhouse and paddling back to gunflint across the quetico, along the border, sag and up the granite.

I've done the Mississippi twice and the Ohio once. I've also done the Thames source-to-sea and the lower half of the Appalachian Trail (AT). One advantage of the Mississippi is that there's a network of river angels to provide support. I wish they'd been there when I paddled, but I did the enjoy solitude of my trips. It's a much busier river today, paddling-wise. I've also traveled thousands of miles on my bike.

Consider the Missouri and even rivers like the Wisconsin too. Also consider paddling wild rivers up north. There are some long ones. Comparing paddling to hiking, the former is much more comfortable. On the AT, I was always thinking about food and water. You want to carry just enough water to get you to the next spring and sometimes you guessed right and sometimes you didn't. Also, I got lost several times, which is easy to do, so you have to alert for trail blazes instead of just walking and relaxing. On a river, you can carry so much more water and food and you really can't get lost, except in northern MN, where the river kind of dissolves into wild rice marshes.

The Mississippi does present perils, such as choppy water if the river is flowing over wing dams and the wakes of the tows. Plus, the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers is a waterstorm.

Biking can also bite you and I think it's more dangerous than ever, as so many drivers are distracted.

Big trips are life-changing. Being alone for so long has given me a lasting confidence.

Feel free to pose questions.

43 days in northern Canada (SK, MB, NU). Other than my 3 trip mates, didn't see another soul for 40 days. We had a fair bit of whitewater, lots of portages, and big lakes (with big waves). Yes, it changes the way you think, for the good.

As of now planning to do the Yukon River, Whitehorse to Dawson in 2023.

With your love of brookies, I think this route would appeal.

Planning
For those that have taken a large trip like the ones mentioned above, to what level was your planning? How much time did you dedicate to planning? I've watched a few youtube videos and see folks talking about planning the trip for like 2 years. I can't see it taking that long. I can see a longer plan session for something truely remote, but for the mississiippi or AT, I feel like I could pull that together in a few months.

Timing
When in your life were you able to afford the time to accomplish such a large trip? Hindsight is 20/20, but I look back and feel like I missed an opportunity right before, during or right after my college years. After that job, marriage and children came along, making it not impossible I suppose, but certianly more difficult. So now i'm looking towards retirement to embark on some of these adventures in my mind.

Trip Partners
Did you go it alone? How did you find a partner? I've got my usual BW group, but it's a debacle just trying to get that band of misfits to all show up on the same date for much of anyting.

1. Planning for two years reveals a love of planning. That's not necessary for any trip this side of circumnavigating the Americas. Planning is so easy nowadays with YouTube and Google Earth. Its ease should shorten the planning time to weeks and months at most. With the AT, the issue is provisioning. On the Mississippi, there are enough towns to make planning unnecessary. You might think that northern MN is where the Mississippi shines, but it isn't. It's the lower river, where the towns are few and the islands are huge and pristine. The sand is soft too and you'll be utterly, wonderfully alone. It's like Florida was before it became ten-lane highways and endless strip malls.

2. I tripped when I was young, but intend to trip again as I grow even older.

3. Going alone is best. The world opens its doors to the solitary traveler and if you travel with someone familiar, they're a buffer between you and the new.

Did you watch that link I shared? I would think you'd love to paddle a river where even an inexperienced fisherman like Justin easily catches specks and salmon. Caribou too!

Speaking of links, here is a story that illustrates the dangers of a wilderness trip. I wonder who wrote this story. It's tight writing.

I've had a couple chances for a big trip, after college and then again when I was between careers. My later work-gap was filled with quite a lot of travelling and paddling, I just never took a trip longer than 10 days which is a major regret today. If something were to happen to my job in say June I'd plan and depart on a long solo trip within two or three weeks.

I'd paddle the Missouri before the Mississippi or the Wisconsin because of crowds, but Canada is where I would go if I ever do have the time, probably in the Hudson Bay drainage.

Planning
Luckily, one fellow on the trip is big into planning/route selection (it was very complex, with 6 different drainages and 600 miles). He basically did it all. Food planning is challenging at first, but once you figure out a week's worth of food, just multiply the amounts by however many weeks you are out. We had no resupply. Flights and such are on the internet. If you want to go to Canada, the website myccr.com is a tremendous asset, with trip reports, forums (a), etc. Simple trips don't require much planning. This past summer we spent a month on the Noatak--only one river, and just paddle downstream. We had planned an even longer trip in Canada, and this was our backup since we couldn't get in.

In 1978, while in college, I did a 5 week solo backpacking trip, but I was bouncing around (Alaska, Washington, Alberta, Wyoming). I remember it being mostly a seat-of-the-pants type trip--"that looks neat, I think I'll go there."

Timing
I'm retired now, however I was planning a multi-month trip 30+ years ago with an "underemployed" friend when I was working seasonally. I was going to not come back the next year so as to do the trip. The trip got cancelled when my friend got a real job.

Trip Partners
There were 4 of us. My partner was a friend I'd worked with 20+ years ago. I found out about the trip serendipitously. He had done trips with the organizer, who paddled with an old friend. For this year's trip, we're having difficulty finding people that can or are willing to take a 6+ week trip, and have the requisite skills. Myccr.com has a "Paddler Wanted" forum. It doesn't get much traffic, though.

Also, if you're on Facebook, there are a couple of sites that may be of help, one on the Missouri River (Paddlers), and one on Expedition Canoe and Kayaking. But it is Facebook, so there's that......

I'm interested in paddling the Wisconsin River and I've read a couple of very good trip reports here, but where else can I look for info?

missmolly: "
3. Going alone is best. The world opens its doors to the solitary traveler and if you travel with someone familiar, they're a buffer between you and the new.

This struck a chord with me, not because of a wilderness trip but a ski/travel trip. In ~1974 I left for Europe alone with $800 and the hope to find a job at a ski area. Two years later, I returned with $800, all new ski equipment and having spent two winters in Zermatt and the rest of the time traveling and working in western Europe and a wee bit of Africa. During that time, I met so many wonderful people that treated me so well and that opened my eyes to so many things. The world does indeed open its doors to solitary travelers. Some worry about all the bad people (and there are some), but when one travels alone you start to realized how many good people are out there.

As for traveling in the wilderness, I think there are many styles. I am often amazed at the variety of styles of canoe trippers one sees on this board. There are the people that range from those always talking about my group or my gang, to those who are always talking about their solo trips. As for me, I am somewhere in the middle, normally preferring a group of two. However, there are different strokes for different folks (and tandem and solo paddlers).

johno: "I'm interested in paddling the Wisconsin River and I've read a couple of very good trip reports here, but where else can I look for info?"

This will help. It's like the Appalachian Trail guidebooks, but free!

I love the Wisconsin River. I lived on it for a couple years and was on it nearly every day.

LarryS48: "

missmolly: "
3. Going alone is best. The world opens its doors to the solitary traveler and if you travel with someone familiar, they're a buffer between you and the new.

This struck a chord with me, not because of a wilderness trip but a ski/travel trip. In ~1974 I left for Europe alone with $800 and the hope to find a job at a ski area. Two years later, I returned with $800, all new ski equipment and having spent two winters in Zermatt and the rest of the time traveling and working in western Europe and a wee bit of Africa. During that time, I met so many wonderful people that treated me so well and that opened my eyes to so many things. The world does indeed open its doors to solitary travelers. Some worry about all the bad people (and there are some), but when one travels alone you start to realized how many good people are out there.


As for traveling in the wilderness, I think there are many styles. I am often amazed at the variety of styles of canoe trippers one sees on this board. There are the people that range from those always talking about my group or my gang, to those who are always talking about their solo trips. As for me, I am somewhere in the middle, normally preferring a group of two. However, there are different strokes for different folks (and tandem and solo paddlers).



"

Heck, yeah, Larry! Traveling alone, I too discovered the goodness of people.

No trips longer than a month but Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin is on our bucket list.

missmolly: " With your love of brookies, I think this route would appeal. "

I love Justin's videos! That was my introduction to him a couple years ago. A couple of serious mishaps on this one almost derailed the trip. Crazy footage.

TomT: "

missmolly: " With your love of brookies, I think this route would appeal. "

I love Justin's videos! That was my introduction to him a couple years ago. A couple of serious mishaps on this one almost derailed the trip. Crazy footage."

TomT, I used to do fishing articles, but quit them because I was always thinking about the next photograph and framing the story in my head instead of focusing on the fishing and enjoying it. Nowadays, I watch these outdoor videos and while I GREATLY enjoy them, I pity the paddlers who make them. Think of portaging the tripod, the cameraS, and the batterieS. The next time you watch them paddling away from the shoreline, imagine how they had to consider the framing before they left shore and how they have to return to the shore to retrieve the tripod and camera. I've seen solo canoeists paddling down rapids and they've set up a camera on a tripod on shore to capture the action. That's a crazy amount of work, to first set up the camera and then to retrieve it...for seconds of footage. Most of them lug drones too. Yikes!

I could do it, but I won't do it. Again, I'm glad they're willing to do it. It's best left to the energy of youth.

Really good thread here! I concur with Tom T...Justin B.'s trips are not for the faint of heart--great viewing.

rtallent: "I know Wally13 did most of the Mississippi last summer. He was pretty psyched about it when I got to chat a bit at 'copeia."

I'd like to chat with Wally13. I profiled a couple source-to-sea Mississippi and Missouri River paddlers for Canoe & Kayak, but the one I remember most was the Englishman who paddled it in the winter in an aluminum kayak. I did a late fall/early winter full river trip and that was tough, but I was prepared with a wet suit. This guy wasn't. He shared one clip of him sobbing in his tent. Sobering sobbing.

Mike Porter, miss molly would like to chat with you.

missmolly: "

johno: "I'm interested in paddling the Wisconsin River and I've read a couple of very good trip reports here, but where else can I look for info?"

This will help. It's like the Appalachian Trail guidebooks, but free!

I love the Wisconsin River. I lived on it for a couple years and was on it nearly every day."

Thanks, missmolly, this is an excellent resource. I've spent the evening travelling down the Wisconsin River, now I just have to do it :-)

You're welcome, Johno. Google Earth will give you another good look at the river and its challenges. I once paddled the 600 miles from Itasca to the Twin Cities with a road map, which has minimal information, but uncertainty has its pleasures.

I have not watched the video yet, but plan to. I also joined the facebook group for Mississippi Paddlers. As always - this group is amazing! Great info and great people!

I plan to tackle a shorter route or two before tackling the big adventure. For example, I hope to either this summer or next, paddle the length of the St. Louis River in Northern MN. Seven Beaver to...I'll probably stop at Thompson Dam. I'm hoping this gives me a feel for gear and planning for a larger trip such as the Mississippi.

I also plan to through hike the Superior Hiking Trail prior to tackling the Appalcian. Same thought - I should be able to winno out the gear and get an idea of appetite for miles. This one...I also need to find out if my knees will hold up to the miles. I've dealt with IT band syndrome in the past and tore my meniscius 12 years ago (Trampoline injury). Had surgery to fix it. It never got back to 100%.

For the paddling - I'm confident in my shoulders, for the hiking, not as confident in my knees.

Leads me to another question - What level of training / physical prep did you do for a trip the magnitude we're talking about?

Shake out trips are smart. Test the gear. Test yourself. I did no training, but I was young. Youth, as you know, is the very best thing to pack.

One thing I strongly suggest is to assume that you'll need a day, here and there, to rest and recover, even if it's mostly mental, for a day off the river or in a trail shelter is a beautiful thing.

johno: "

missmolly: "

johno: "I'm interested in paddling the Wisconsin River and I've read a couple of very good trip reports here, but where else can I look for info?"

This will help. It's like the Appalachian Trail guidebooks, but free!

I love the Wisconsin River. I lived on it for a couple years and was on it nearly every day."

Thanks, missmolly, this is an excellent resource. I've spent the evening travelling down the Wisconsin River, now I just have to do it :-)"

Check out Miles Paddled - excellent resources on much of this area, but especially the Wisconsin River.
Miles paddled

Speckled: "
Planning
For those that have taken a large trip like the ones mentioned above, to what level was your planning? How much time did you dedicate to planning? I've watched a few youtube videos and see folks talking about planning the trip for like 2 years. I can't see it taking that long. I can see a longer plan session for something truely remote, but for the mississiippi or AT, I feel like I could pull that together in a few months.


Timing
When in your life were you able to afford the time to accomplish such a large trip? Hindsight is 20/20, but I look back and feel like I missed an opportunity right before, during or right after my college years. After that job, marriage and children came along, making it not impossible I suppose, but certianly more difficult. So now i'm looking towards retirement to embark on some of these adventures in my mind.


Trip Partners
Did you go it alone? How did you find a partner? I've got my usual BW group, but it's a debacle just trying to get that band of misfits to all show up on the same date for much of anyting.


"

I'm doing the Border Route Challenge with my son this summer, have been planning for a LONG time. During my workouts, I've been watching a youtuber named Darwin on the Trail. I would highly recommend that you check out his videos if thinking about a long trip. Lots of great advice, he documents a lot of his hikes. I've found a lot of his advice translates well to lightweight canoe camping.
Dawin on the Trail YouTube Channel

missmolly: " With your love of brookies, I think this route would appeal. "

Love it !
What a great dog !
But when a lake is ice free, it is thawed, not "unthawed". ;)

I did long trips in my Menogyn camp and staff days, and pre-kids my wife and I managed a longish trip (2+ weeks to a month) every few years. Last trip over two weeks for me was 2003 or so, but I managed to carve some time out this summer (knock on wood), and have my eye on soloing the length of the Albany river, which I imagine will take 3+ weeks. I feel the strong urge for a long immersive wilderness trip.....