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In the Midst of Death… The Lively World of Dead Trees

In the Midst of Death…

The Lively World of Dead Trees

When a dead tree topples into a river or leans precariously over a campsite, it can be bad news for careless paddlers. But that’s only part of the story. A few years ago, as Tamia watched fledgling tree swallows take their first flight from a nest hole high in a tottering birch, she was prompted to reflect on the “The Lively World of Dead Trees.” And she’s still at it.
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by Tamia Nelson | June 26, 2007

A Tamia Nelson Article on Backinthesameboat.com

The first time I rounded a bend in a swift river only to find a sweeper dead ahead, I was plenty scared, and with good reason: the current was hustling me right into the lethal embrace of a downed sycamore. Of course, this was one invitation I was determined to reject. And I lost no time in doing so. A quick back ferry to the inside of the bend did the trick. Still, it was a narrow escape. The little mountain stream I was floating was so skinny that my canoe’s stern grated over the gravel in the shallows while the bow rasped against the tips of the sycamore’s quivering branches. I … Read more »

A Tangled Web: Monofilament, Deadly Deceiver

A Tangled Web

Monofilament, Deadly Deceiver

A killer is silently stalking its victims in and around our waterways. It’s infinitely patient, and it strikes without warning. What is this terrifying menace? Monofilament, that’s what. And you’ll find it lurking just about anyplace where a paddler can dip a blade. In this week’s “In the Same Boat,” Tamia confronts the killer and lives to tell the tale.
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by Tamia Nelson | March 27, 2007

Oh, what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive!
— Sir Walter Scott

A Tamia Nelson Article on Backinthesameboat.com

I grew up in the shadow of Vermont’s Green Mountains, within a few miles of one of the country’s premier trout streams. Whenever I got the chance, I’d cycle to a bridge that crossed the ‘Kill just above a favorite pool and stop my bike in mid span. Then I’d lean out over the water, hoping to catch sight of an angler languidly casting tiny artificial flies, a supple line coiling and uncoiling behind him. The rituals of fly-fishing captivated me, and it wasn’t long before I started badgering my grandfather to reveal the fraternity’s secrets. He resisted initially — it was a fraternity, after all — but I wore him down, and … Read more »

Java Jive: The Ch’i of Coffee

Java Jive

The Ch’i of Coffee

Coffee. For some of us, breakfast’s not worth the bother without it, and a campfire without a coffeepot on the boil is incomplete. But while we’ll all agree on coffee’s allure, we can still fall out over the best way to brew it.
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by Tamia Nelson | July 19, 2005

A Tamia Nelson Article on Backinthesameboat.com

What’s the most evocative aroma? The pungent perfume given off by the forest floor after a gentle rain? The spicy mist that swirls around a falls on sultry summer evenings? The sharp tang of a salt flat at low tide? The electric rasp of ozone hanging in the air after a lightning strike? Or is it the fragrance of fresh-brewed coffee, rising from a fireside pot as tendrils of fog drift across the cool waters of a mountain lake at daybreak?

I know which one gets my vote. Of course, many paddlers begin their day with a hot cup of tea. Others favor orange or grapefruit juice — or at least a reasonable facsimile. And a dissipated minority crave something cold and cloying and carbonated. No matter. Each to his own, I say. But I remain adamant. Until I have a mug of coffee in … Read more »

Dispatches from Our Readers: A Few Words From the Texas Hills

Dispatches from Our Readers

A Few Words From the Texas Hills

At last! Summer’s come to North America, and paddlers are making the most of it. But in the midst of all the hubbub and hustle it’s sometimes hard to keep our eyes on the prize. That’s why we need to take a break every so often, to step back and remind ourselves what it’s all about. This week, in “Our Readers Write,” Tamia and Farwell do just that, with a little help — make that a LOT of help — from a Texas paddler.
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by Tamia Nelson and Farwell Forrest | May 31, 2005

At last! Summer’s come to North America, and paddlers are making the most of it. As departure dates loom nearer, routes are scrutinized and tweaked, travel arrangements finalized, and piles of gear crammed hastily into bulging packs and bags. It’s a hectic time, and in the midst of all the hubbub and hustle it’s hard to keep our eyes on the prize. That’s why we need to take a break now and then, to step back and remind ourselves what it’s all about. This week we do just that, with a little help — make that a lot … Read more »