Back in early December, paddler Jake Stachovak launched his Portage to Portage Paddling Project that will see him circumnavigate the entire eastern United States by kayak. The 5000 mile journey began in Portage, Wisconsin, and if all goes as planned, will end there too.
Stachovak will paddle down the length of the Mississippi River, then turn east across the Gulf of Mexico. He’ll then travel down the west coast of Florida, before making the turn at the Keys. From there, he’ll go north up the entire east coast of the U.S. to New York City. The 34-year old adventure paddler will then navigate through some canals into Lake Ontario, which will allow him to cross the Great Lakes, returning to Green Bay Wisconsin, where he’ll connect up with the Fox River, and finish his journey back to Portage.
The expedition got underway back on Dec. 6th, but a massive snow storm in the Midwest caused him to abandon the river for a short time. Jake relaunched near St. Louis on the 12th, and has been making progress ever since. You can more about his adventure on the official website and follow along with Jake’s progress on the Trip Blog.
I love that Jake says his inspiration for doing this trip was to show to everyone that adventures still exist, and they can be found right in our own backyard. I never would have thought about a route like this one, but it’s exceptionally cool.
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A good book on a similar trip, only by rowboat, is "On the Water" by Nathaniel Stone.
Whoa, 5000 miles that is surely intense. It would be interesting to know how much gear he is carrying with him? I mean I would assume you would want dry land clothing and gear like a pair of extra shoes, rain gear, and hiking gaiters. Then you have all of your equipment you will need while your in the kayak. What a journey that will be! Excited to keep up with it and see some pictures!