Paddling News

Andy Knapp, an amazing outdoorsman and veteran buyer for Midwest Mountaineering, has been inducted into the Midwest Mountaineering Minnesota Adventurers and Explorers Hall of Fame. Andy Knapp, an amazing outdoorsman and veteran buyer for Midwest Mountaineering, has been inducted into the Midwest Mountaineering Minnesota Adventurers and Explorers Hall of Fame.

Andy Knapp has been an active outdoor adventurer with over 156,000 human-powered miles accumulated in the last 46 years, including a bicycle trip to Alaska and back in 1967, a 500-mile backpacking journey through the Brooks Range in 1972, and a 30-day circumnavigation of Lake Superior in 1996, the first without re-supply. He has bicycled in 34 states and 12 other countries, has hiked and climbed throughout North America, and has paddled extensively in the wilderness waters of the upper Great Lakes area and beyond. Andy has worked for over 34 years in the outdoor equipment industry as a retail buyer, has served on the boards of several trade associations and advocacy groups, and has written two books and numerous magazine columns.

After being diagnosed with potentially terminal kidney cancer in 2003, and, after the initial panic, Andy realized that he must face the uncertainty and pain with the same stubbornness, perseverance, and sense of humor that he put into the thousands of miles of paddling, bicycling, hiking, skiing, and mountaineering adventures. With the help of family and friends, Andy has survived two major surgeries, a bout with radiation, and a series of potent drugs, and is still bicycling and paddling away.

In June 1967, Andy Knapp, then 19, took off from the Twin Cities on a 10-speed bike loaded with more than 40 pounds of stuff crammed into an old Duluth pack, bound for the new state of Alaska. Returning by bike to Minnesota 99 days later, he had logged 7460 miles and filled his diary with countless stories.

Forty years later, and after several years of battling cancer, Andy decided it was time to motivate with another long self-propelled trip, so why not bicycle to Alaska again! This past July, he left Minneapolis on a 27-speed touring bike, with state-of-the-art lightweight gear, and arrived in Skagway, Alaska, 24 days and 2655 miles later.

About Midwest Mountaineering
Midwest Mountaineering has been the leader in outdoor retail in the Minneapolis area since 1970. Owner and local climber Rod Johnson started the company based out of necessity for outdoor gear to support his endeavors. The store is renowned for its expertise and customer service exhibited by employees who inspire the community by doing what they love. Midwest Mountaineering is a member of the Grassroots Outdoors Alliance.
http://www.midwestmtn.com

About Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
The Grassroots Outdoor Alliance is a group of independent outdoor shops dedicated to the sustainability of the specialty outdoor channel and the quality of the outdoor enthusiast's experience. We stand together to help facilitate a market for performance-oriented, revolutionary products, create a unified marketing presence for high quality, local outdoor specialists, local events and help protect and sustain the quality and access to the environment on a local, national and global level.
http://www.grassrootsoutdoors.com