BotW Blog

Yesterday Cliff and I had a 2 hour lesson on Lake Ontario at Burlington Beach to learn how to Standup Paddle Board.  What is SUP Boarding? Take a surf board and grab a paddle and set out to explore the oceans, lakes and rivers.  It’s a new sport that is very popular in Hawaii and California which recently has taken off in Canada.

If you ever want to try it out, contact Jess Rando at NuMe Fitness.   Jess was a great instructor and we had a blast out on the lake.  Plus SUP Boarding is a great workout and a great way to explore the water.  If you want to try something different she offers a bunch of different options and can take you out onto the water from Toronto to Burlington. It’s worth a try.

Day 72 to 76. The effects of enduring so much cold and rain has the team soul searching. But three weeks of non-stop rain has its own payoff. The river has risen 30 feet in less than a week. With no more locks and dams, the Mississippi is finally free to flow as a mighty river. New challenges abound. The swollen current is fast. Finding a place to camp is nearly impossible as all low lying land is flooded. Bouyes for navigation quickly become submerged boobie traps. Cliff opens up about being a river rat. After months of painfully slow progress, the team finally begins to average 50 miles of river travel per day. Hopes are high that the expedition can get back on track.

Day 50 to Day 71. The hot days of late fall are gone. Now they are traveling during a record breaking season of rain and cold. The effects of endless rain brings the teams morale to an all time low. Everyone is getting sick. Brett appears to have reached his own personal tipping point. They push on. The frustration grows further thanks to the endless locks and dams that have all but crushed the free flowing current. Progress continues, barely. An Asian carp jumps into the boat during a night row. They enter the last lock and dam as they push for St. Louis. Premieres Tuesday, May 8th

Day 37 to Day 49. Reaching Prairie Island, the team meets Chief Red Cloud of the Lakota Sioux who blesses their expedition with a traditional tobacco ceremony. Every 3 days the team must find clean drinking water. This ongoing challenge is introduced. At Lake Pepin, strong winds and heavy rains keeps the team off the river for the day. Brett goes fishing with a commercial fisherman. Back on the river, the team accomplishes their greatest feat yet: they row 60 miles in 20 hours to reach Dubuque, Iowa. Here the team meets a legendary river rat and is later given an incredible gift by Riverkeeper, Art Norris. Premieres Tuesday, May 1st

Day 22 to Day 36. Fortune smiles on the resilient river rat. The expedition disembarks on the shores of a famous boat builder shop. Larson Boats gives Annie the repairs she needs. Completing the expedition may be still possible. The team faces an 8 mile portage for which they’ll need a police escort. They row past the first nuclear power plant on the river before entering a series of 31 locks and dams to reach the Twin Cities. From here south, the river is transformed into a major navigation route. The team faces the challenges of rowing and sailing through a major wind storm before finally reaching the State of Wisconsin. Premieres Tuesday, April 24th.

This scene takes place in Fort Yukon, Alaska and is from my documentary 100 Days, an expedition I did on the Yukon River in 2006.  Our experience in this small Native town just inside the arctic circle was by far the most powerful cultural experience of my life. This scene carries a deep environmental message that is appropriate for Earth Day.  Please feel free to share with friends.

Learn more at www.lmrk.org

Hey River Rats.

Here is an interview I just did with grindtv.com.  It’s full of pictures and lots of cool insight from the expedition.  You can read the interview here.

As you all know, Old Man River is now being released online.  Here is how you can follow the action and help spread the word about the expedition (please help out if you can!)

1. Subscribe to my facebook page

2. Subscribe to my youtube page

3. Subscribe to my vimeo page

4. Subscribe to my twitter page

Please help spread the word. Send out a mass email to friends and tell them to watch the series (if you like it of course).  Fresh water is worth talking about!

I am off to Baton Rouge next week to do the American premiere of Old Man River at the Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper.  I am stoked to get back down south and see old friends, and of course say hi to the river too.

See ya on the water,

Brett

Old Man River Project is here.  Starting today, for 10 weeks, every Tuesday, a new chapter will be released online.  You can watch the web-series here on my blog, by going to www.brettonthewater.com or by going to my vimeo page at https://vimeo.com/channels/omrp. 

Old Man River Project. Chapter 1/10. Setting Out

Day 1 to Day 14.  The story begins in Kingston, Ontario. Brett and Cliff build a York Boat named Annie. Brett lays out his plan: with Cliff as First Mate, he will lead a crew 2400 miles down the Mississippi River to reach the Gulf of Mexico and donate their boat Annie to Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper.

It’s August. Brett drives Annie to the Mississippi headwaters. It’s here in Bemidji, Minnesota the 110 day expedition will begin. Brett and Cliff are joined by their recruits, Kyle, Magnus and Sarah. The team pushes off with no idea of the challenges ahead.