Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Canoe Challenge: 28,000 Miles Through North America

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Verlen Kruger was a single minded modern day adventurer. He started paddling at 41 and before he died (On August 2, 2004, at age 82) he had covered over 100,000 miles by canoe, a world record. His last major expedition was celebrating his 80th birthday while paddling 2000 miles down length of the Yukon River with family and friends.

This book details Verlens' "Ultimate Canoe Challenge". He and his new son in law Steve Landick decide to paddle up and down almost every major watershed in North America including the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. They are the only people to paddle UP the Mississipi and up the Colorado river including the Grand Canyon! Three years and innumerable hardships later the job was done. But not without personal and financial costs.

One of Verlens' favorite quotes was, "Happy are they who dream dreams ...and have the courage to make them come true."

Brand Frentz has done an admirable job of telling the tale, the dream and the courage. It is a facinating read and I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy the "ultimate" in anything.

... full of practical informations, especially, if you are plannning long expedition paddling trips.

The entire story is told from the Verlen's perspective. It's a pity that Brand Frentz didn't try to include any views of other participants of the ultimate canoe challenge. A short interviews with Steve Landick and Valerie Fons would be really interesting.

A great read that allows one to look into the messed up life of Verlen Krueger and what possibly drove him. A good read. A great paddle, and a troubled man.