NOLI Blog

NOLI Survival Instructor Scott Fisher discusses common causes of survival situations and ways to avoid them.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love kayak camping.

NOLI Wilderness First Responder Instructor Randy Manuel makes the case for why those who spend time outdoors should want this training.

NOLI instructor Michelle Duffourc shares some thoughts on why hiking and backpacking are so special and how they have shaped her life. There's more to it than you might think.

On the one year anniversary of his near-fatal accident, NOLI Kayak Instructor Adam Herzog shares tips for recovery.

NOLI Kayak Instructor Adam Herzog shares a few thoughts on how to handle the word that paddlers hate most: Drought

Veteran racer Adam Herzog shares ways to beat the crowds at one of whitewater's greatest spectacles.

The following report was originally published by the American Alpine Club in January 2023 .

What makes whitewater kayaking such a blast? Read on to find out.

It was a nearly perfect morning on the Washington state Pacific coast. My wife (Michelle) and I had a delicious breakfast, broke down camp, loaded our rented tandem kayak, and paddled down the sheltered bay that bisects Stewart Island. Along with our guide, Annie, we ran with the tide and a light southwesterly breeze to make the three-mile open water crossing to Henry Island. As we crossed in the 2-foot swells, we were just cruising, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and gazing toward the horizon hoping for our first orca sighting of the trip. Once we passed west of the tip of Henry Island, we headed south a bit and our guide signaled that we would take a break in a field of bull kelp. Thickets of bull kelp make an ideal resting place for sea kayakers because the kelp floats, which are round and 3 to 8 inches across, protrude from the water and break up the momentum of the waves. We stopped for a few minutes, bobbing up and down with the swell, occasionally chatting but mostly taking sips from our water bottles. Over the sound of waves and calling birds, Michelle heard a distant noise. It sounded like a cry for help – or was it a gull? We listened for a few seconds when another, more distinct yell rang out. For an instant we all hesitated, trying to determine the direction of the cries. From our vantage point low to the water, all we could see was dark bull kelp floats scattered across the ocean’s surface. It sounded like the panicked calls were coming from somewhere between us and the shoreline, so we sprinted southeast through the kelp patch toward shore. After we broke through the offshore kelp forest, we spotted two small dark objects on the surface alongside something that looked like a partially submerged log. As the distance closed, the larger object resolved into a flooded green aluminum canoe. The smaller ones were two middle school age boys struggling to reenter the water-filled boat. Every time they tried to enter; the boat would flip. As we neared, they quit trying to enter their boat. Instead, they hung onto the hull of the now inverted canoe and stared quietly as we approached. Michelle and I coasted up on the right side, leaving about a 5-foot gap between our tandem and the canoe, just in case the boys panicked and tried to climb on the deck of our boat before we were prepared. Caution is necessary in a situation like this because a panicking victim can easily capsize a would-be rescuer’s boat - leaving more people in the water. Annie coasted up a similar distance on the left side of the flooded craft. Our first evaluation was that the boys had been in the water for at least fifteen minutes. They were shivering, minimally responsive, and their movements were clumsy. After quickly weighing the options and their condition, we agreed that we could get them out of the water and warm them up more quickly by towing them to shore than by attempting to get the boys back into their boat. We then instructed the closest victim to grab the left perimeter line behind the rear cockpit of our tandem. At first, he refused because he did not want to release the cell phone in his right hand. The impasse was broken when Annie slid her boat up on his left side and convinced him to hand the phone to her. The other boy was similarly coaxed to grab the left stern perimeter line of Annie’s boat. We then started toward shore in the direction of the nearest cottage. When we had closed to within 75 yards of the house, a man came out onto the shore, saw us towing the boys, launched a tandem sit on top kayak, and headed out toward us. The boys, who were shaking with cold, were handed life vests and then hauled aboard the sit on top kayak by their father, while we stabilized the boat. As the reunited family headed back toward shore, we recovered the flooded canoe and towed it to shore. After this brief but adrenaline-filled detour, we continued our journey southwards down the Haro Straight, skirting the shore of Henry Island.

By Scott Fisher In 1971, a 17 year-old girl was flying with her mother on Lansa Flight 508 when it was struck by lightning and...

by Scott Fisher It's hard to believe but we're just a few short weeks away from kicking off our 2023 season here at NOLI. And, if you're...

At the January Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, staff from the TWRA Fisheries Division reviewed the Tennessee trotline...

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By NOLI instructor Deb Briscoe I’ve had many revelations through my journey as a once-upon-a-time tent camper to a current hammock...

by NOLI instructor Minta Ray As temperatures drop and colors change from the lush green of summer to the patchwork quilt of fall, it’s...

Over Memorial Day weekend in 2021 I was leading a kayak instructor class on the lower Nolichucky River, a popular section of river widely...

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by NOLI instructor Debbie Briscoe Are you the kind of person who wants to find a place far away from the crowds and the sound of cars? I...

By Debbie Briscoe, NOLI Instructor Originally published Mar 2019, updated May 2022 In all my years of being an outdoor person I’ve met a...

It’s hard to believe that this is our fifth year bringing outdoor education and activities to the region since our start in 2018. Over...

By Daniel Rogers President of the West Tennessee Canoe & Kayak Club Assistant District Attorney General, 28th Judicial District of...

Chattanooga Times Free Press, November 8, 2021

1. Charlie Walbridge, Johnson City Press, October 29, 2021 2. Kingsport TimesNews, OpEd & CALL FOR LETTERS, October 13, 2021 3. Charlie...

By Andrea White, ACA Tennessee State Director, Director of Marketing for NOLI On October 22, 2021, I made a pilgrimage to West Tennessee...

As published in The Erwin Record, Wednesday, October 13, 2021 It includes the first hand account of David Pope, a professional first...

Why is Scott Fisher Facing Criminal Charges for Removing a Potentially Lethal Hazard on the Nolichucky River? Over Memorial Day weekend,...

by NOLI Instructor Brad Eldridge A kayaking friend told me a terrible story today about a time when he found a body in the river. I won’t...

by Scott Fisher It's hard to believe but we're just a few short weeks away from kicking off our 2021 season here at NOLI. And, if you're...

by NOLI Instructor Kayla Carter It’s exciting to think that more people are connecting with public lands during the COVID-19 pandemic....

By NOLI Founder Scott Fisher October is Conservation Month at NOLI. Actually, we like to think of every month as conservation month at...

By NOLI Backpacking Instructor Joy Cook Social distancing has been a reality for all of us now for quite some time, and looks like that...

by NOLI Founder Scott Fisher I'm certainly not telling you anything that you don't know already when I say this has been an interesting...

By Golder Goldstein Outdoor recreation comes with a certain yet variable amounts of inherent risk. If we wanted to make the safest...

by Wesley Bradley Whitewater is a natural force that captivates the minds of many when witnessing its raw power and beauty. This

by Debbie Briscoe Are you the kind of person who wants to find a place far away from the crowds and the sound of cars? I am. I love...

by Debbie Briscoe You’ve been seeing them everywhere, brightly colored fabric hammocks in every store and also seeing them strung up in...

by NOLI instructor Brad Eldridge While it is possible to stay active throughout the winter, for most people winter activity levels tend...

By Debbie Briscoe, NOLI Instructor Originally published Mar 2019, updated Oct 2020 In all my years of being an outdoor person I’ve met a...

by Bill Schooley Face it: when winter rolls around, most of us cut back on boating. What with holiday parties, shopping and ice on the...

by Wesley Bradley, NOLI Instructor Did you know that only 0.35% of the rivers in the USA are protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers...

by Brad Eldridge, NOLI instructor During a person’s paddling career, there are many things to consider: how to stay safe, have fun,...

It was a cool autumn day in 2017. My wife, Becca, and I were headed out for a hike into the Twisting Falls Gorge of the Elk River. We often take short day hikes alone.

The other day, I was on my way to do some whitewater boat riding and stopped to get some gas. I noticed someone staring at the big plastic blue boat in the back of my truck.

Kayaking is like riding a bike. One of the essential skills is balance, and staying upright. Once this skill is mastered additional techniques and tricks can continually be added to increase skill, difficulty of rivers paddled, and FUN!