For someone who only started kayaking last summer, 550 kilometres is pretty far to paddle over the course of three weeks.
But for Darcy Kindred, at the helm of the Paddle Forward mental-health awareness fundraiser, it's the perfect excuse to be back in Revelstoke, and an excellent way to bring more attention to the beauty and history of the Columbia River.
Chatting with Black Press Media while passing through town, after a visit north to Mica Creek to drop off a supply sack, Kindred recounted how his wife Caralee had turned him toward paddling a year back after seeing used kayaks for sale and figuring it could be a pick-me-up amid his mental-health struggles.
Kindred, who identifies himself at a crossroad of ADHD, anxiety and depression and left a 30-year career in finance, "just got into it, the peace and the quiet and just touring around, paying attention to the little details on the shore," he said. Last December or January, he contemplated how to celebrate his landmark 55th birthday in May.
Keeping the numeric theme, "I started looking for a 550-kilometre kayak trip." When the Columbia fell on his radar, it struck him as a culturally significant river to ride, and offered the distance Kindred was looking for if he paddled it solely within Canada.
"I remember driving over the river a lot of times when I'd come over to Revelstoke," said Kindred, who lives in Chilliwack but spent five years in Kamloops and visited the town various times for skiing.
Now, he'll be casting off from Canal Flats, at the southern end of Columbia Lake, around 6 a.m. Thursday, July 10, with the goal of paddling 30 or 40 kilometres per day until he reaches Trail, three weeks later. While technically he's a couple of months late for his 55th, Kindred said river conditions are much more ideal now than closer to May, and he'll ultimately paddle more than 725 kilometres to the U.S. border.
Along with crediting his wife for supporting him behind the scenes and taking on social media duty while he's on the water for the next three weeks, Kindred acknowledged John Kuntz, owner and founder of the Olympic Outdoor Center that rents out kayaks in Seattle, for helping him prepare by sharing wisdom from the sport and his paddle journeys.
"I would say he's almost like the ultimate kayaker," Kindred remarked, adding "there's not tons of information out there for paddling the Canadian portion" of the Columbia.
He hopes to help change that with this new adventure.
"It's kind of a river that hasn't gotten the attention it probably deserves," he said, describing it as being lesser-known by British Columbians closer to Vancouver. "I want to put some good footage of it up online."
Surprised to see it raining considerably in Revelstoke Wednesday morning, the day before his departure, Kindred said his biggest concern for the journey is weather — he dislikes lightning and "petty wind."
"Inevitably, I'll lose a day or two in there to weather," he reasoned. "If it's a windy day, I'll just stay at camp and read."
Kindred, carrying out the full journey solo and intending to camp riverside every night, will "to the greatest extent possible use existing (camp)sites," he emphasized. "I always felt like you should leave nature for others to enjoy."
For when he hits the hydroelectric dams at Mica and Revelstoke, Kindred said BC Hydro staff and locals have agreed to help him traverse these artificial barriers. Later on at the Hugh Keenleyside Dam near Castlegar, however, he noted the locks will allow him to simply cruise right through without exiting the water.
Along with dropping a bag at Mica, Kindred has placed supply drops for himself in Revelstoke and at Kim Basket Lake.
Compared with canoeing, "you start running out of room in a kayak pretty quick — even with freeze-dried fruits," he quipped.
In particular, from Mica to Nakusp, he anticipates a voyage of three or four days after his trajectory bends south.
"I might be wrong, but that may be the toughest part of the journey," Kindred said, noting stronger wind currents along Upper Arrow Lake.
All funds raised in support of Kindred's impressive paddle go toward Canadian charities Unsinkable and the Centre for Suicide Prevention.
"I'm hoping it's a relaxing, learning-type journey," he said. "Raising funds would be nice, but (also) raising the topic (of mental health) and raising the awareness that people need help."
Read Black Press Media's recent reporting on Kindred's mental-health challenges and advocacy
Above all, Kindred is excited to explore the Columbia River area around Revelstoke and beyond with a finer lens and hopes this paddle can help more people learn to access the outdoors for their own mental well-being.
Learn more about the fundraiser and Kindred's story at . A satellite tracker will be mapping his journey live at .
