Reflections Off the Grid:      Exploration Newsletter – Fourth Quarter, 2024 2024 Year in Review Dear Adventurers, Explorers and Culture Seekers, 2024 was an incredible year for me. I [...]

Today is my 80th trip around the sun. I have outlived my brother, my parents have long passed, my aunts and uncles have passed, and only a few of my cousins are still alive. I graduated college [...]

I have always wondered, what is around the bend? Where will this trail take me? What will I encounter along this river or lake? What is the fascination with the Inside Passage that has led me to [...]

I have never considered myself a scientist or a historian. I do remember fondly taking a class in Anthropology as an elective in college. Back in the 60’s and 70’s, majoring in that subject was [...]

Reflections Off the Grid:      Exploration Newsletter – Third Quarter, 2024 The Northern Canadian Portion of the Inside Passage & The Heart of the Kwakwaka’wakw Culture Dear [...]

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I arrived in Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada with two objectives in mind. First, I want to paddle through the Johnstone Strait and explore this northern section of the Inside Passage. This [...]

In the final leg of his North Vancouver Island expedition, Bob dives deep into the cultural landscape of Cormorant Island. The day begins with a ferry ride from Port McNeil to Alert Bay, setting [...]

Bob’s Inside Passage kayaking journey through British Columbia’s unforgiving terrain continues to unfold, with both expected and surprising encounters. Today’s excursion carried [...]

It’s day five of my trip, and it’s 5 o’clock in the morning. I got about five hours of sleep. My leg seems to be a little better, though it’s still sore and stiff. [...]

Bob’s experience today was the type of weather that could challenge even the most experienced paddlers: Susan Conrad, Dennis Dwyer, and Robert Miller. It was a typical summer day with a gentle, [...]

Following breakfast, Bob participated in the mandatory kayak orientation session with the other paddlers, learning the basic skills — how to use the boats, how to handle the paddles, and how to [...]

  Bob Rein’s adventure through the heart of the Inside Passage begins with a promising start in Port Hardy, a scenic village located on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Positioned [...]

The first leg of my trek to Vancouver Island was a mix of progress and adjustment. The trek began strong, with almost 9,000 steps and a total distance of 4 miles accomplished when we arrived in [...]

As the countdown to my new journey converges to its last few days, my world is brimming with exhilaration and focused intensity. Ringed by my checklists, a meticulous list of necessities, I find [...]

Two Not-so Off the Grid Explorations Big Bend National Park and Grand Canyon National Park June 12,2010 for The Grand Canyon Trek November 5-8, 2015, and October 19-23, 2016, for my forays into [...]

Why would someone, at age 79, apply for membership in a club for notable explorers? True, I had taken excursions into some remote wilderness areas, but not the “dark and unplumbed” remote corners [...]

I never considered myself a podcaster or even creating a YouTube channel. However, when you run with true explorers, those men and women that have done extraordinary feats, there are stories that [...]

When engaging in remote exploration or adventuring, we plan excessively. We worry about logistics. We worry about our gear, our meals, our put-ins and take-outs, and a myriad of other things. [...]

The areas I have chosen to explore and write about cover a vast geography starting with the Inside Passage which runs from Washington State (Straits of Juan de Fuca) up thought the coast of [...]

I think adventurers are dreamers. Add to that an inquisitive nature, wondering what is around the bend or over the next mountain. The type of weather will we have to endure, the wildlife we might [...]

As a long time, adventurer, but not necessarily an explorer, I often wondered do these men and women that push the boundaries of science, cultures, or environmental knowledge ever get together to [...]

The Arctic Cowboys, consisting of West Hansen, Jeff Wueste, Mark Agnew, and Eileen Visser, have made history by becoming the first modern individuals to complete the Northwest Passage in one [...]

As I sit here early on a weekday morning, I am dreaming of my next adventure. I have many options to choose from: Perhaps I should take a 9-day canoe camping trip to the Eastern  Arm of the Great [...]

Pagsanjan River and Falls December 1982 14.2624° N, 121.4570° E I write this almost 41 years after the adventure. Memories so clear they are worth putting on paper. My wife and I along with our [...]

Indigenous Cultures of the North Bob Rein October 2023 I have always had a fascination for Native American peoples. I have researched various nations that caught my attention because of their way [...]

Transitioning From Recreational Kayaking to Sea Kayaking Bob Rein September 2023   When I first became interested in kayaking, I went to the most popular spot in Austin, TX for kayakers. The [...]

Training for Explorations / Adventures Bob Rein, Adventurer September 2023 When people decide to tackle a demanding adventure, the thing that most folks jump right to is to head to the gym and [...]

Exploration of Desolation Sound, The Inside Passage, British Columbia, Canada August 22 – August 29, 2023 Overview: Expedition Name:      Inside Passage Phase 2 – Desolation Sound Expedition [...]

Documenting an Exploration / Expedition By Bob Rein, Adventurer: Reflections off the Grid May 2023 You have just completed the adventure of a lifetime. Or maybe you went on a high adventure trip. [...]

Exploring the First leg of the Inside Passage  The Sunshine Coast of British Columbia Latitude 49°.4742° N, Longitude 123°7546° W June 19 – June 25, 2022 I went to Canada with a recurring and [...]

Exploration of Big Bend Ranch State Park – Closed Canyon October 21, 2016 Latitude: 29.269902, Longitude: -103.757351, Elevation ranges from 2,350 to over 5,000 feet During my second exploration [...]

The People of the Blue Green Waters A Journey to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon and the Home of the Havasupai People September 29 – October 1, 2007 Latitude: 36.2333° N, Longitude: 112.7007° W [...]

Hiking Arivaipa Canyon, Home of the Arivaipa Apache (Nde) People Latitude 32.8970° N, Longitude 110.4876° W May 2007 The Arivaipa people are an Apache band whose home was in the canyon of [...]

Explorations of the Homelands of the Apache (Nde) People 1/25-26, 2006 3/27-29, 2007   Bob Rein, MN’24, The Explorers Club In 2006, I was selling real estate. I had a coach / mentor and he [...]

Special Forces Heritage Exploration September 5, 1973 Bob Rein, MN’24, Member The Explorers Club My earliest exploration goes back to 1973. While vacationing in the Adirondack Mountains, on a [...]