ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Peter Frank has paddled from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in June to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland this month in his 1982 Sawyer Loon deck canoe, but he still has a long way to go.
The 23-year-old is about a quarter of the way through his planned journey of about 6,000 miles (9,656 kilometers) to complete the Great Loop route. These continuous waterways include portions of the Atlantic and Gulf intracoastal waterways, the Great Lakes, portions of the Canadian Heritage Canal and US inland rivers.
For Frank, the trip was a way to say thank you for being alive and having the ability to overcome physical challenges, nearly a decade after a car accident left him with 14 broken bones and almost paralysis. He was hiding in a pile of leaves to surprise his friend when a carful of teenagers drove through the pile without knowing who was there.
“This is my way of showing my appreciation for being alive and being able to walk and doing the things that I’m able to do,” he said during a break in Annapolis, Maryland, earlier this month, a day before going out again.
She also enjoys writing about her experiences on her blog and meeting people on the road.
“I thank you for coming out here and sharing this story,” Frank said. “In some respects, I feel that I have a responsibility to document the things that I have experienced for those who cannot experience them or dream of experiencing them. That is why it is important to me.”
Wearing a hat and clothes made of rabbit fur, he disguised himself as a pirate, he usually rowed between six and 10 hours a day in a 1982 deck boat, the shell of which was burned to store supplies. For many nights, he slept in a tent by the water. However, they often get invitations from blog readers to stay at home.
To stay warm, he grabbed a 1970s vintage heavy coat, an ultra-light Patagonia jacket found at a thrift store, 1950s German military cold-weather gloves, a set of hot thermals, and some wool socks. Recently, when she felt underdressed, she designed and sewed her own pants that were quilted over cotton flannel for extra layering.
They carry 10 portable power banks, plus cables and outlets. He said that his electronics bag, containing only the battery and cables, weighs almost 25 lbs.
“I find that 10 is a good number and will keep my GPS, radio, camera and phone batteries charged for anything,” he said. “I also carry a solar panel as a backup and can charge almost everything I need.”
He didn’t carry much for self-defense: just a small filet knife for fish and a pocket knife for cutting rope. Frank says he is confident in his ability to protect himself, such as being mindful in bear country, tying up food, or simply avoiding crowded areas.
“In the long run, it doesn’t matter, and anything we can’t control can’t be prevented by anything we can do,” he said.
Eagle Scout, who is still visiting with the local scout troop in his hometown, has prepared a hearty portion of food for the long adventure. They dehydrate game and beef in the oven and vacuum seal it for the track.
Frank earns some income by writing about his experiences. His blog also helps him pay his grocery bills through the “Rotisserie Chicken Fund,” where people can click to send money.
“Every once in a while, someone sends $20 online, which helps a lot for food and stuff, but in the meantime I also write for magazines, and magazines will publish my work,” he said.
Frank has made long trips by bicycle, unicycle and canoe before. For example, he has explored Florida by canoe, which will take him about 11 months, to be completed in May 2023. This is an important part of what he is doing now. He knew that he would tie the canoe to the mangroves during his sleep.
“I really enjoyed it,” Frank said of the adventure. as a way, I thank the world for being alive and able to walk.”
The Great Loop is the most challenging ride. While the journey is a bucket list route for avid boaters, it’s rarely accomplished by relying on the muscling of a canoe.
Frank also travels clockwise, which he says is a harder route because he is paddling against the current in the inland river for more than 25% of the trip.
Frank launched the trip on June 27 in Escanaba, Michigan, where he is from. He fled to Canada and crossed Lake Ontario, where he camped on an island. On his way south, he passed through New York City, floating by the Statue of Liberty.
While he was given some long studies for the Great Loop route, not everything has been perfectly mapped out for the canoeist. He said he had to find his own way.
When leaving New York, taking the Delaware and Raritan Canal, using the portages he said he found himself that was not mentioned in the route plan that he had seen before. Frank said he hopes to write an information guide to fill in some of the gaps in route details. He also thought about writing an autobiography.
“I wanted to put together something that was purely educational that would be a guide, and then I wanted to put together something like a story about young people who find themselves in a world that they don’t know yet,” said Frank.
He lived with his parents before he started traveling when he left home to unicycle in the United States for charity at the age of 19.
“Sometimes I’ll go back and visit for a few months between expeditions, but for the last three years I’ve only been traveling full-time,” he says.
Everything they had was in the canoe.
They say it doesn’t take much money to keep it flowing.
“Contrary to what many people think, it’s not that expensive to travel, especially when you take out the airfare, gas, assets and accommodations like hotels and restaurants,” he said.
He never had much money, and he had done previous expeditions for less than $1,000.
“Is this comfortable or practical? Absolutely not, but through the struggle to follow my dreams with little, I have developed the capacity to enjoy less, and as a result, I live well with little,” he said.
He also described the trip as a journey of self-discovery.
“It is very difficult to imagine where I will be three years from now, because I am still young and growing, but I hope that on this journey, this long journey of discovery, maybe I will find it,” he said.
They estimate it will take about 17 months to complete the cycle. They must complete it by next November, he said, because of the natural deadline set by the freezing of the lake that must be passed.
“I would say nature is our biggest competitor, that’s for sure,” Frank said.
