Source to Sea

New Mississippi River photos

John — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:30:37 +0000

Man, you never know what you’ll find when cleaning out old files. I ran across these photos and scanned them yesterday. Took them on a disposable camera in the first few days. Man, we had NO idea what we were getting into!

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This is Canoeing

John — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:56:09 +0000

I can not wait till this DVD comes out in a couple of weeks. The folks at CackleTV have put together what looks to be an absolutely fantastic video of white water and flatwater canoeing, trekking, all manner of other cool stuff. Really, do yourself a favor and check out the video clip below.

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Breakfast on the Neuse River

John — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:35:03 +0000

What do I eat for breakfast when paddling 200 miles down the Neuse River? Check out the Breakfast of Champions.

Nevermind that my head is cut off for most of the video. You’re probably better off not seeing my ugly mug too much!

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Upcoming Appalachian Trail Slideshows

John — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:34:55 +0000

Southbound on the Appalachian Trail

Come on out to one of the following Great Outdoor Provision Company locations and catch my slideshow and prep talk on Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail. I spent 6 1/2 months hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2000 and it was a life-changing experience to be sure (My journals are here.) I’ll be giving the full slideshow of my southbound thruhike, and a question and answer session afterward with tips and tricks for a successful thru-hike.

Greenville, NC February 25, 2010

Chapel Hill, NC March 3, 2010

Greensboro, NC March 9, 2010

Raleigh, NC March 23, 2010

Wilmington, NC March 25, 2010

Charlotte, NC April 6, 2010

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Last Campsite before Morgan City

John — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:19:12 +0000

Note: I actually got off my butt and dusted off my Mississippi River book manuscript today for some long-ignored editing. Enjoy

-JP

July 25, 2005

Mile 2,140

Atchafalaya River Fisherman

Today was rough. In order to make some big miles before dark, we stumbled out of the tent and were on the river by 4:30 a.m. From what we can tell from the weather radio, Hurricane Emily is blowing out to Mexico but we have no idea what’s behind her. It’d be nice to have better weather information, but we have what we have.

A sharp chill was in the air when we pushed off this morning. Sunrise wasn’t due for another hour, so Jess bundled up and slept in the bow while I paddled in the stern. Usually I just see the back of her head all day while we’re rambling on about one thing or another, but this morning not a word was spoken once we shoved off. There’s very little development down this way, and it’s very relaxing having the river to ourselves.

The afternoons have been scorching, but I guess it’d be too much to ask for an early frost this time of year. Getting off the water at 2 p.m. is frustrating because we want to keep paddling, but it’s so hot you feel like you’re going to burst into flames if you’re not careful. A dull haze covers everything by the middle of the day, and neither man nor and beast comes out until it cools off some.

We covered about fifty-five miles today and should be in good shape to reach Morgan City tomorrow afternoon. We’ll need to firm up arrangements with our ride home, then it’ll be time to head out towards the Gulf. To be honest, I’m having a hard time getting my head around the idea that we’re almost finished. No matter where we end up, the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers will always be a part of us. Watching a little creek grow into this astounding river has been amazing. What an incredible journey, and I’m blessed to have shared this with Jess.

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Online Appalachian Trail Elevation Profiles

John — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:38:46 +0000

I can’t get over how much stuff is available online for Appalachian Trail maps and profiles these days. I’m not to the point where I’d fully trust a GPS or phone for all my maps and data while hiking, but this is a great resource for planning purposes. If nothing else, I’d download the PDF and have it handy if I were to thru-hike again.

Check it out:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5125936/Ap…ation-Profiles

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Kayaking on Jordan Lake

John — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:57:42 +0000

Here’s some video clips from kayaking on Jordan Lake, NC last weekend. I put in at the Farrington Boat Access point, then headed Northeast for a couple of hours. Check out the bald eagle about 1:30 minutes into the video.

Plenty of rain, but it was 55 degrees in January and I wasn’t going to stay indoors. You can’t beat having the lake to yourself!

More info on Jordan Lake recreation opportunities. It’s a fantastic resource for folks in central NC to check out.

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Paddling Down the Neuse River Video

John — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:45:22 +0000

Here’s a rough cut of the Down the Neuse River short film. I shot all footage while paddling 200 miles down the Neuse River in 2009. This film will be screened at a Kinston and Oriental locations of the upcoming Neuse Riverkeeper Film Festival. We’ll be having a full screening at the Sweetwater Brewing Company in Raleigh later this spring as well. Make sure to sign up for updates to keep up with the latest news on all Source to Sea happenings!

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Roanoke River Kayaking Photos

John — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:06:56 +0000

Here’s the photo set from our Roanoke River paddling trip over New Year’s. It was a wee bit brisk! Podcast coming up shortly.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

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Roanoke River Kayaking

John — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:27:33 +0000

Here’s a quick cut of some video I took last weekend in and around the Roanoke River near Jamesville, NC. Jess and a couple of friends planned this surprise trip for my 40th birthday, and what better way to spend New Year’s than on the water?! I’ll post a podcast and photo collection in the next few days.

Enjoy,

-John

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New Years on the Roanoke River

John — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:20:29 +0000

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Sent from my iPhone

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Happy New Year

John — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:58:30 +0000

via AudioBoo

Gear Explosion before Trip

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Happy Holidays from Source to Sea

John — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:06:12 +0000

Just wanted to extend our holiday greetings from here at Source to Sea Central. Jess and I hope everyone is safe and enjoying the festivities, and we look forward to ringing in the New Year (and my 40th birthday :O ) next week.

2009 seemed like it would never end, but 2010 looks to have some neat things in store. We’ve played with putting down roots for good here in Raleigh NC, but are also considering a move to either the mountains or coast if the right situation comes up. For that matter, we’ve semi- seriously considered buying and living on a sailboat, so if you know anyone that’s gone down that path, I’m all ears.

For now though, it’s time for bed. I hope Santa remembers how to find my parent’s house!

Take care,

-John

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Neuse River Expedition Photos

John — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:36:59 +0000

Here’s a sample of some of the 700 photos I took while paddling down the Neuse River. With everything being digital these days, it’s waaaaaaaay too easy to get photo-happy, but it beats running out of film. I remember allocating myself one roll a week when I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2000.

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Neuse River Gear Video

John — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:18:32 +0000

Here’s a quick video I took after spending 10 days on the Neuse River. Be on the lookout for full video gear reviews for the Hurricane Kayaks Santee Expedition, Astral Buoyancy V8 PFD, Playtus Clean Stream water filtration system, Sea to Summit drybags and Kitchen Sink, and a few other pieces of my favorite gear. My thanks again to Great Outdoor Provision Company and all our sponsors for their continued support of our efforts.

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