“Spirit of Adventure” – A Canoe Voyage from Montana to Dallas
Published: September 15, 2015
Presentation by expedition paddler Keith Lynch (www.canoevoyage.com)
Original Presentation, September 15, 2015 at Les Bourgeois Vineyards Bistro in Rocheport, MO
Keith Lynch finished his epic canoe trip on Nov. 29, 2014, but there was one more step to his journey he had not expected. On August 3, 2015, Keith hopped on a plane to Salt Lake City, Utah to receive the “Spirit of Adventure” award from Canoe & Kayak Magazine – a reader poll award that honors “ordinary” people doing extraordinary things.
Extraordinary is an understatement. In the spring of 2014, Keith quit his cubicle job in Dallas, TX, and traveled up to Montana where he met up with Norm Miller and Kris Walker, a couple of legendary “river angels” who helped get him started on his trip. He was going to canoe the entire Missouri River, then down the Mississippi River, then up the Red River, do a short portage then paddle up the Trinity River back to his home in Dallas.
The catch? Keith had never paddled a canoe before.
We were lucky to share the evening with this very funny, very inspiring every man who dropped 50 pounds, gained a Grizzly Adams beard and made hundreds of friends and fans along our nation’s greatest rivers.
Warning: Use of undefined constant php - assumed 'php' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/customer/www/bigmuddyspeakers.org/public_html/wp-content/themes/big-muddy-speakers/content-single.php on line 28
Resources and Links
Dig deeper into Keith’s story.
- His website – www.canoevoyage.com
- Each time Keith paddled out of a state, he recorded a short, funny video thanking everyone he met. Check out his YouTube channel here.
- Video from his Canoe & Kayak Magazine “Spirit of Adventure” Award Acceptance.
Some articles on his trip
- Canoe & Kayak Magazine – “Keith Lynch’s New (4,000 mile) American Dream” – Nov. 7, 2014
- The Town Talk – “Dallas man nearing end of 4,000 mile canoe trip” – Oct. 10, 2014
- Dallas Morning News – “Dallas man’s epic 4,000 journey ends in gratitude” – Dec. 3, 2014
The Big Muddy Speaker Series in Rocheport
is hosted by these wonderful partners.
Click here for a list of upcoming presentations»
Special thanks to Les Bourgeois Vineyards for giving us the opportunity to use their beautiful space overlooking the Missouri River. All speakers are presenting for free! Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with us!
The Big Muddy Speaker Series also takes place monthly in Kansas City and St. Charles.
The Big Muddy Speaker Series is partially funded by the Columbia Ecological Services Field Office (USFWS) and the Mo. Dept. of Conservation.