Need some quality reading material for the winter months? In no particular order—and recognizing that there are countless other intriguing paddling books—here are ten inspiring paddling tales from around the world.
Best Kayaking Books
1
On Celtic Tides: One Man’s Journey Around Ireland by Sea Kayak By Chris Duff
Expedition kayaker Duff strikes a highly readable balance between the external and internal elements of a long paddling trip. Vivid descriptions of stormy crossings and explorations of ancient abandoned island monasteries are balanced by the beautifully expressed philosophical musings born out of the challenge and purity of a long solo quest.
2 
Arctic Crossing: A Journey Through the Northwest Passage and Inuit Culture By Jonathan Waterman
Some books about the Arctic dwell on the immense challenges and complex social issues of the north, others wax ide- alistically about the spirituality and beauty of the land. Waterman strikes a balanced and thoughtful tone in his observations on the birth of the new territory of Nunavut and the complex reality of contemporary Inuit culture.
3 
Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak: One Woman’s Journey Through the Northwest Passage By Victoria Jason
With only one year of kayaking ex- perience and more than one health challenge, grandmother Victoria Jason tackled an Arctic kayak trip that would bring most experienced paddlers to their knees.
4 
Recreational Kayaking: The Ultimate Guide by Ken Whiting
Whether your interest in kayaking stems from the desire to get outside and exercise, spend time with your friends and family, or explore the endless waterways that surround you, this easy-to-read guide makes paddling fun and safe for both new and experienced paddlers looking to broaden their horizons.
Inside this book, you’ll learn how to choose the right equipment, the essential strokes, maneuvers, and paddling techniques you need to know, information on capsize recoveries, paddling on the ocean, in surf zones, on rivers, on lakes, and in moving current. Plus, learn how to get the most out of your kayak, how to stay safe on the water, paddler’s first aid, and much more!
5 
The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking By Derek C. Hutchinson
First published in 1976, The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking is a comprehensive guide for the beginner and an invaluable reference book for the experienced sea kayaker. Originally penned by the late Derek C. Hutchinson, an international authority on sea kayaking, it describes equipment, basic and advanced techniques, weather and navigation, and is illustrated throughout by the author’s own drawings and color photographs.
This new 40th anniversary edition has been completely updated in line with the latest sea kayaking developments by Wayne Horodowich, a longtime friend of Hutchinson’s and the founder of University of Sea Kayaking.
6 
AMC’s Best Sea Kayaking in New England: 50 Coastal Paddling Adventures from Maine to Connecticut By Michael Daugherty
This concise guide, written by Registered Maine Guide and inveterate paddler Michael Daugherty, features 50 of the best sea kayaking adventures along the New England coast, from Maine’s Bold Coast south to the mouth of the Connecticut River. These are trips that can be done in a day or turned into an overnight, perfect for beginner to intermediate kayakers looking to explore the storied coastlines of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. The book includes day trips near large northeastern cities like New York City and Boston. Each of the trips features a full description and map of the route, plus bullets on distance and time, where to launch, tide and currents, “plan B” routes, and nearby attractions. An at-a-glance trip planner and a selection of nature and history essays round out the offerings in this essential sea kayaker’s guidebook.
7 
The Complete Sea Kayakers Handbook By Shelley Johnson
The first edition of The Complete Sea Kayaker’s Handbook received immediate acclaim with its selection as the Best Outdoor Instructional Book by the National Outdoor Book Award group. Now this book boasts 352 pages with changes throughout to reflect the growth of kayaking as a sport. This book is your first step to adventure on the water, with everything you need to know, from buying a kayak to dressing for the water.
8 The Only Kayak: A Journey Into The Heart Of Alaska By Kim Heacox
In this coming-of-middle-age memoir, Kim Heacox, writing in the tradition of Abbey, McPhee, and Thoreau, discovers an Alaska reborn from beneath a massive glacier, where flowers emerge from boulders, moose swim fjords, and bears cross crevasses with Homeric resolve. In such a place Heacox finds that people are reborn too, and their lives begin anew with incredible journeys, epiphanies, and successes. All in an America free of crass commercialism and overdevelopment.
Braided through the larger story are tales of gold prospectors and the cabin they built sixty years ago; John Muir and his intrepid terrier, Stickeen; and a dynamic geology professor who teaches earth science “as if every day were a geological epoch.”
Nearly two million people come to Alaska every summer, some on large cruise ships, some in single kayaks–all in search of the last great wilderness, the Africa of America. It is exactly the America Heacox finds in this story of paradox, love, and loss.
9 
Fifty Places to Paddle Before You Die: Kayaking and Rafting Experts Share the World s Greatest Destinations By Chris Santella
In Fifty Places to Paddle Before You Die, the newest addition to the Fifty Places series, Chris Santella explores the best destinations for the diverse sport of paddling. The book features the world’s top spots for kayaking, rafting, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding. Destinations include the Grand Canyon, Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, Baja California, Indonesia’s Komodo Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula, as recommended by paddling experts. Compelling travelogues are complemented by beautiful and vibrant photographs of the locations and travel tips to help readers experience the destinations for themselves.
10 
Fearless: One Woman, One Kayak, One Continent By Joe Glickman
Freya Hoffmeister, a forty-six-year-old former sky diver, gymnast, marksman, and Miss Germany contestant, left her twelve-year-old son behind to paddle alone and unsupported around Australia—a year-long adventure that virtually every expert guaranteed would get her killed. She planned not only to survive the 9,420-mile trip through huge, shark-infested seas, but to do it faster than the only other paddler who did it. As journalist and expert kayaker Joe Glickman details the voyage of this Teutonic force of nature, he captures interminable days on the water and nights camped out on deserted islands; hair-raising encounters with crocs and great white sharks; and the daring 300-mile open-ocean crossing that shaved three weeks off her trip. For 332 days Glickman followed Freya’s journey on her blog—along with a far-flung audience of awestruck, even lovesick, groupies—as she took on one terrifying ordeal after the next. In the end, he says, “her vanity and pigheadedness paled next to her nearly superhuman ability to master fear and persevere.”
11 The Pacific Alone: The Untold Story of Kayaking’s Boldest Voyage By Dave Shively
In the summer of 1987 Ed Gillet achieved what no person has accomplished before or since, a solo crossing from California to Hawaii by kayak. Gillet, at the age of 36 an accomplished sailor and paddler, navigated by sextant and always knew his position within a few miles. Still, Gillet underestimated the abuse his body would take from the relentless, pounding, swells of the Pacific, and early into his voyage he was covered with salt water sores and found that he could find no comfortable position for sitting or sleeping. Along the way he endured a broken rudder, among other calamities, but at last reached Maui on his 63rd day at sea, four days after his food had run out. Dave Shively brings Gillet’s remarkable story to life in this gripping narrative, based on exclusive access to Gillet’s logs as well as interviews with the legendary paddler himself.
12 Without a Paddle: Racing Twelve Hundred Miles Around Florida by Sea Kayak By Warren Richey
As far as Warren Richey knew, his life was on course. A reporter with a beautiful wife and talented son, Richey couldn’t imagine how it could be any better….Then his marriage falls apart and he can’t imagine how it could be any worse.
The divorce leaves Richey questioning everything, while struggling to find a way forward. To get his bearings, he enters the first Ultimate Florida Challenge, an all-out twelve-hundred-mile kayak race around Florida.
The UFC is less of a race than it is a dare or a threat. The thirty-day deadline sets a grueling, twenty-four-hour-a-day pace through shark- , alligator- , and even python-infested waters. But those twelve hundred miles are only a fraction of a journey that pulls Richey back to when he was embedded with troops in Iraq, reporting on missing children, and hiking the mountains of Montana with his son, and shows him where he went wrong, where he went right, and how to do it better the second time around.
Warren Richey’s memoir Without a Paddle is a remarkable physical and emotional journey that cuts to the heart of what it means to be a man, a husband, and a father.
13 
Escaping The Madness: A Circumnavigation Of Ireland By Sea Kayak By Paul Alexander
Do you ever long to escape the monotony and modern day madness of long distance commuting to a stressful job? The daily rat race, driven by materialistic possession’s shallow friendships and social networking. In a media driven world where false news, celebrity and sensationalism have become the norm.Is greed and avarice consuming and obscuring all the things that really matter in a life well lived? Escaping The Madness is the story of Paul Alexander’s journey to discover the richness of true human kindness and the beauty of nature while kayaking solo and unsupported 1200 miles around the island of Ireland. The book follows his adventure as he battles mountainous seas, treacherous headlands and swirling currents to discover hidden caves towering sea stacks and isolated beaches. The people he meets and the beauty of the natural world he encounters provide proof that a simpler more sustainable existence is the answer to true happiness.(All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Muscular Dystrophy Society Ireland Ltd Reg Charity 20012038).
Canoeing Books
1
Introduction to Paddling: Canoeing Basics for Lakes and Rivers By American Canoe Association
Written by the American canoe Association and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Introduction to Paddling is an easy-to-understand guide to flatwater and river paddling. Based on an earlier work by the Ohio DNR, Flat-water Paddler, this amply illustrated book tells beginning paddlers everything they need to know, from appropriate clothing to the parts of the boat, from correct strokes to proper safety concerns. Good for instructors and those who like to teach themselves, this book is an important resource for those who like to paddle or want to start.
2Canoeing with the Cree By Eric Sevareid
In 1930 two novice paddlers—Eric Sevareid and Walter C. Port—launched a secondhand 18-foot canvas canoe into the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling for an ambitious summer-long journey from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. Without benefit of radio, motor, or good maps, the teenagers made their way over 2,250 miles of rivers, lakes, and difficult portages. Nearly four months later, after shooting hundreds of sets of rapids and surviving exceedingly bad conditions and even worse advice, the ragged, hungry adventurers arrived in York Factory on Hudson Bay—with winter freeze-up on their heels. First published in 1935, Canoeing with the Cree is Sevareid’s classic account of this youthful odyssey.
3
Canoes: A Natural History in North America By Mark Neuzil
Ancient records of canoes are found from the Pacific Northwest to the coast of Maine, in Minnesota and Mexico, in the Southeast and across the Caribbean. And if a native of those distant times might encounter a canoe of our day—whether birch bark or dugout or a modern marvel made of carbon fiber—its silhouette would be instantly recognizable. This is the story of that singular American artifact, so little changed over time: of canoes, old and new, the people who made them, and the labors and adventures they shared. With features of technology, industry, art, and survival, the canoe carries us deep into the natural and cultural history of North America.
4
Canoeing in the Wilderness By Henry David Thoreau
At the time Thoreau made this wilderness canoe trip he was forty years old. The record of the journey is the latter half of his The Maine Woods, which is perhaps the finest idyl of the forest ever written. It is particularly charming in its blending of meditative and poetic fancies with the minute description of the voyager’s experiences. The chief attraction that inspired Thoreau to make the trip was the primitiveness of the region. Here was a vast tract of almost virgin woodland, peopled only with a few loggers and pioneer farmers, Indians, and wild animals. No one could have been better fitted than Thoreau to enjoy such a region and to transmit his enjoyment of it to others.
5
Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory By Tod Bolsinger
Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along. Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world. If you’re going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools. Now expanded with a study guide, this book will set you on the right course to lead with confidence and courage.
6Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic By Natalie Warren
Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic By Natalie Warren
Unrelenting winds, carnivorous polar bears, snake nests, sweltering heat, and constant hunger. Paddling from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay, following the 2,000-mile route made famous by Eric Sevareid in his 1935 classic Canoeing with the Cree, Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho faced unexpected trials, some harrowing, some simply odd. But for the two friends—the first women to make this expedition—there was one timeless challenge: the occasional pitfalls that test character and friendship. Warren’s spellbinding account retraces the women’s journey from inspiration to Arctic waters, giving readers an insider view from the practicalities of planning a three-month canoe expedition to the successful accomplishment of the adventure of a lifetime.
7 
A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe By Professor J MacGregor
A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe By Professor J MacGregor
This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing’s Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world’s literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!
8 
Paddling My Own Canoe By Audrey Sutherland
Paddling My Own Canoe By Audrey Sutherland
With minimal gear, an inflatable kayak and a can-do attitude like no other, Sutherland coolly embarked on epic thousand kilometer journeys along the remote north shore of Molokai and the coast of Alaska. Sutherland’s writing inspires, shatters perceived barriers and may make you question our dependence on GPS, Go-Pros and Gore-Tex gear.
9Paddlenorth: Adventure, Resilience, and Renewal in the Arctic Wild By Jennifer Kingsley
Paddlenorth: Adventure, Resilience, and Renewal in the Arctic Wild By Jennifer Kingsley
While including the requisite overview on the history, culture, and ecology of the remote Back River, much of Kingsley’s reflections on her 54-day river trip focus on her personal journey, group dynamics and the insights gained from facing the challenges of a wilderness expedition.
10 Paddle to the Amazon By Don Starkell
Paddle to the Amazon By Don Starkell
A mind-blowing tale of an epic 12,000-mile paddle trip from Winnipeg to the Amazon in a three-seater canoe. Worth reading for the journey itself, the book also gives stark examples of the impact of ego, group dynamics, preparation and cultural awareness on the success and challenges of an expedition.
11 
Paddle to the Sea By Holling C. Holling
Paddle to the Sea By Holling C. Holling
This classic 1941 children’s book (later turned into a film by Bill Mason) follows the story of a canoe carved by a First Nations boy, which ends up journeying through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic. Part whimsical tale, part geography lesson, this book may have the young ones in your life curiously eyeing local waterways.
12
Canoeing By American Canoe Association
Canoeing By American Canoe Association
Canoeing is one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities—more that 9 million people enjoy the experience each year. It allows you to socialize with friends and family while exploring new places as you relax and enjoy the outdoors. Canoeing not only provides you with the basic skills and knowledge you need to safely head out for adventures on a variety of water trails but also presents a strong foundational understanding of this recreational activity.
13
A Year in the Wilderness: Bearing Witness in the Boundary Waters By Amy Freeman
Since its establishment as a federally protected wilderness in 1964, the Boundary Waters has become one of our nation’s most valuable―and most frequently visited―natural treasures. When Amy and Dave Freeman learned of toxic mining proposed within this area’s watershed, they decided to take action―by spending a year in the wilderness, and sharing their experience through video, photos, and blogs with an audience of hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens. This book tells the deeper story of their adventure in northern Minnesota: of loons whistling under a moonrise, of ice booming as it forms and cracks, of a moose and her calf swimming across a misty lake.
14Sea Kayak Handling: A Practical Manual, Essential Knowledge for Beginner and Intermediate Paddlers By Doug Cooper
This is a practical guide that will help the reader to master the skills needed to manoeuvre a sea kayak efficiently. For beginner and intermediate paddlers. Doug draws on his personal and coaching experience to help the reader master sea kayak handling skills and techniques. Accurate sequential photos and simple concise language make the descriptions easy to follow and understand. The foundation skills of posture, connectivity (how your body is connected to the kayak), power transfer and learning to ‘feel’ how the boat responds, are explored initially. The author then goes on to tackle forward paddling, keeping the kayak on course, reverse paddling, edging, turning on the spot, forward turns on the move, reverse turns on the move, stern rudders, moving sideways, support strokes, and the use of skegs and rudders. “Sea Kayak Handling” is recommended as support material for the British Canoe Union 3 and 4 Star (Sea) awards. (The 1 star is a novice ‘encouragement’ award, the 2 star covers basic generic kayak skills, the 3 star basic/intermediate sea specific skills and experience, and the 4 star covers intermediate sea specific skills and leadership in moderate conditions).
Kayaking and Canoeing Books
1
The Practical Handbook of Kayaking & Canoeing By Bill Mattos
The ultimate how-to guide to the exciting water sports for both novices and more experienced intermediate-level paddlers, with techniques for mastering flat water, white water, open water and the sea.
2
Waterman 2.0: Optimized Movement For Lifelong, Pain-Free Paddling And Surfing By Kelly Starrett
The goal of any waterman or woman is to surf, paddle or row as often as they can, as well as they can, for the rest of their life. The trouble is that few understand how to get the most from their body and when they can’t, what to do about it outside of the usual layoffs, surgeries and cortisone injections. As one veteran paddler recently put it: “Ibuprofen is my second religion.”
3 Canoeing and Kayaking Ohio’s Streams: An Access Guide for Paddlers and Anglers By Richard Combs
Canoeing and Kayaking Ohio’s Streams: An Access Guide for Paddlers and Anglers By Richard Combs
Whether you are looking for a quiet float along a rural stretch of flat water or an exciting paddle through Class IV rapids, this book will guide your way.
As well as being a comprehensive guide to the many rivers and streams in the state, Canoeing & Kayaking Ohio’s Streams includes chapters on water safety, paddling instructions, how to read and rate white water, and even tips for paddling with children.
For each of over 45 rivers in the state, you will find suggested stopover point for natural and human history, information on potential hazards and portages, detailed maps with river miles and car shuttle miles from access points, and listings of game-fish for each waterway.
4 
Five Hundred Miles to the Sea By Andy Lee
Next time you drive across that bridge on your way to work look down at the river below and ask it where did it come from and where is it going. Then ask yourself if you would like to thru-paddle that river from beginning to end and see first it hand for yourself, with all of its mysteries and all of its adventures. If the answer is yes, or even maybe, you will enjoy reading Five Hundred Miles to the Sea.
Whitewater Books
1
Introduction to Paddling: No Barriers (The Young Adult Adaptation): A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon By Erik Weihenmayer
Erik Weihenmayer has a long history of turning obstacles into adventures. Born with a rare condition that blinded him as a teenager, he never let his diagnosis hold him back from a full life. As an athlete, explorer, speaker and activist, he has opened the eyes of people around the world to what’s possible. In 2001, he became the first blind man to climb Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. In 2005, he co-founded his nonprofit organization, No Barriers, to empower others to overcome adversity and achieve their biggest goals.
This special edition of No Barriers introduces kids to the incredible true story of Erik’s most terrifying journey: solo kayaking the thunderous whitewater of the Grand Canyon. Erik and his friends form a courageous crew to do battle with some of the harshest elements nature has to offer. Along the course of Erik’s journey, he meets other trailblazers: adventurers, scientists, artists, and activists who show Erik the way forward and teach him the meaning of No Barriers―“What’s Within You is Stronger Than What’s in Your Way.”
2Kayak: The New Frontier: The Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon By William Nealy
Kayak illustrates important paddling techniques through humorous illustrations and detailed explanations from renowned paddler William Nealy. Completely updated to reflect the latest in paddling technology, Nealy’s classic manual is dead-on hilarious. Over 400 illustrations help Nealy break down even the most complex kayaking skills, making difficult whitewater techniques understandable.
From hardcore hippy hairboaters who used to catch air in their block-long Dancers to insane youngsters clattering tiny plastic boats down steep creeks with more rocks than water, Nealy is back and more useful and entertaining than ever. This book is perfect for beginners or the more experienced kayaker. You may break a rib laughing, but with Nealy holding your hand you’ll be less likely to break a bone while boofing an insane rapid or maybe an entire waterfall.
3
The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping By Molly Absolon
The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping introduces new rafters to the skills, equipment, and knowledge required to mount a multiday whitewater rafting trip. Rafting equipment, skills, and techniques have changed drastically in recent years, and this book provides the latest information on equipment selection, care, repair, and use; whitewater rafting techniques; reading rivers; hazard evaluation and basic rescue; camping techniques; river cooking and living; and expedition planning.
Written in a clear and comprehensive manner by outdoor educator and whitewater veteran Molly Absolon, The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping is a great tool for novices and an excellent resource for experienced rafters.
4The Whitewater Wars: The Rafters and the River Trip that Saved the Ocoee and The Gauley River Battle By David Brown
The Whitewater Wars is an entertaining and at times funny story about the twists and turns in the battle with two federal agencies to save the Ocoee and Gauley Rivers. These were not conventional environmental battles. Living close to the edge at times with relatively little money, rafting and kayaking pioneers in river shorts and sandals were seemingly no match against powerful federal agencies. They were grossly underestimated. Here is what Marc Hunt, one of the first Ocoee River paddlers, has to say about The Whitewater Wars. “Successful advocacy efforts for the environment are always uphill battles, and winning them requires leaders with vision, grit, and integrity. David Brown brought those qualities in spades to the efforts to save the Ocoee and Gauley rivers. Anyone with passion for protecting America’s rivers, and for that matter anyone who just enjoys hearing about political brawls with powerful federal bureaucracies, will love the quick read that The Whitewater Wars delivers through David’s gifted storytelling.” David Arnold, a cofounder of Class VI River Runners, in Lansing, WV said, “This book does much more than describe how an industry started and grew in the mountains of Appalachia. It is the behind-the-scenes account of the power of passion to make change happen. This ‘David and Goliath’ story gives hope to anyone committed to changing the way we do things.”
5Kayak: The Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique By William Nealy
Kayak: The Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique is an outdoor classic for all of those who want to live on the edge, but safely. Complete with all the details to enhance your whitewater experience, Kayak is a great resource for learning new skills for intermediate and advanced kayakers and learning rescue basics. Plus, all of this is explained in easy-to-read and understand illustrations that are as funny as they are resourceful. This book will teach you basic river courtesy rules, intermediate and advanced technique, and most importantly, how to hold on to your life and limbs and keep your sanity as well.
6
Paddling Pacific Northwest Whitewater By Nick Hinds
Paddling Pacific Northwest Whitewater is the definitive guide to the best rivers and creeks for kayaking and rafting in Washington and Oregon—home to some of the most fun (and challenging) whitewater in the world. Including over 240 detailed run descriptions from local area paddlers who know these rivers and creeks better than anyone else, this is the only book you’ll ever need for a lifetime’s-worth of paddling in the Pacific Northwest.
7Whitewater Kayaking The Ultimate Guide By Ken Whiting
Whitewater Kayaking: The Ultimate Guide has become the established, definitive guide on the sport. Drawing on the combined 30+ years of experience of world-renowned paddlers and Instructors Ken Whiting and Kevin Varette, this comprehensive guide covers everything from the most basic skills and concepts to the most advanced, cutting-edge paddling techniques.
8
Soggy Sneakers By Willamette Kayak & Canoe Club
Soggy Sneakers has been Oregon’s primary source of information for whitewater enthusiasts for 35 years. Members of Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club―who have run all of Oregon’s rivers―share their expertise and detail rapids and landmarks found on each run. There’s something for everyone, from Class 1 (flatwater) excursions to Class 6 (most challenging) rapid-filled adventures.
9
The New School Guide to Northern California Whitewater By Daniel P Menten
The New School Guidebook is a whitewater guidebook to the Six Rivers Region of Northern California. From majestic Redwood floats to tumultuous whitewater streams the New School Guide is designed to help people of all skill levels enjoy the fantastic streams of this beautiful area. This book covers the entire Klamath Mountains Geologic sub-province and includes 135 river descriptions for all skill levels of paddlers. Including runs on the Smith, Trinity, Klamath, Eel, Mad and Van Duzen rivers as well as numerous tributary streams that feed them. Featuring advertising from relevant local businesses, useful weather and river forecasting knowledge, history and whacky stories, this book will enrich any visitor’s experience to the area. Dan Menten has drawn upon his vast knowledge to compile a rare and valuable resource to safely guide river lovers down the pristine waters of Northern California.
10Amazon Woman By Darcy Gaechter
Part memoir, part feminist manifesto, Amazon Woman shows what incredible feats we are capable of and will encourage people, especially women, across all backgrounds and ages to find the courage and strength to live the life they’ve imagined.
This 148-day journey began on Darcy Gaechter’s 35th birthday. She sold her successful outdoor adventure business, upsetting her partner and boyfriend of twelve years and getting them both fired in the process. The emotional waters that would fester and erupt on the ensuing journey was often more challenging to navigate than the mighty river itself. With blistering lips and irradiated fingernails, Darcy would tackle raging Class Five whitewater for twenty-five days straight, barely surviving a dynamite-filled canyon being prepared for a new hydroelectric plan. She and her two companions would encounter illegal loggers, narco-traffickers, murderous Shining Path rebels, and ruthless poachers in the black market trade in endangered species. They would plead for mercy at the hands of the murderous Ashaninka people who were convinced that they had come to steal their children’s organs.
11
The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping By Molly Absolon
The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting and River Camping introduces new rafters to the skills, equipment, and knowledge required to mount a multiday whitewater rafting trip. Rafting equipment, skills, and techniques have changed drastically in recent years, and this book provides the latest information on equipment selection, care, repair, and use; whitewater rafting techniques; reading rivers; hazard evaluation and basic rescue; camping techniques; river cooking and living; and expedition planning.
Probably the most complete list of paddling books here –
http://paulcaffyn.co.nz/paddling-books/
Paul caffyn has also written four books, three of New Zealand circumnavigations (its 3 islands) and the 4th, the circumnavigation of Australia.
I love that you included Paddle-to-the-Sea, which I thought of when I saw this link. I loved it as a child, and still think of it when I’m paddling.