June 19-25, 2023: Bike the Northern Rockies
I decided to spice up my 2023 SWS Conference experience by biking the last 350-ish miles to Spokane, WA. I experienced decent weather and beautiful scenery, but the stress of riding on narrow roads with fast traffic encouraged me to make a permanent away from road biking.
May 14-15, 2023: The Savanna Portage
I chose a time of maximum water levels and minimum mosquitoes for a solo paddle from the Mississippi River watershed to the St. Lawrence River watershed. It was roughly 33 miles of some of the roughest streams I’ve experienced. There were literally hundreds of obstructions, and only one road crossing. It was a fun challenge, but I would not recommend this paddle to anyone.
Red = Day 1: Paddle from Big Sandy Lake to Savanna Lake, bike back to car.
Green = Portage to Wolf Lake.
Blue = Day 2: Wolf Lake to Floodwood, MN, bike back to car.
August 14-17, 2022: The Boundary Waters
For the last week before fall classes began, I paddleboarded through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of NE Minnesota. Mosquitoes were thick and storms were a constant threat, but it was a great experience overall. You can read a hastily-written trip report here. Some of the trip’s best photos can be seen here and here.
Dr. Kyle D. Boutin 