Maddy Marquardt

None at The Black Sheep

Writer at Hello Stranger by Maddy

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Articles

Two Kayakers Rescued From Dock Street Dam In Harrisburg (Video)

2 days ago | paddlingmag.com | Maddy Marquardt

Two kayakers are considered “lucky to be alive” after they went over the Dock Street Dam in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Sunday, April 20, 2025. A WGAL8 news report shared that the pair were thrown from their kayaks and struggling in turbulent water when good samaritan fishermen helped the kayakers until a water rescue craft arrived. Low-head dams: a drowning machineBoth kayakers sustained minor injuries.
Solo Road Trip HORROR Story

4 days ago | hellostranger.substack.com | Maddy Marquardt

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I swore. A clump of wet, sandy mud fell out of my sleeping bag and onto the ground through my open car door. I sat huddled on a makeshift bed in my Subaru while it poured rain outside with the car door cracked trying to clean off the mud I had just tracked in. In vain, of course. All I was doing was further exposing my bedding to the elements. Night two of what was supposed to be a two week solo road trip, and already my sleeping bag has mud in it.
South of Sleeping Bear

1 week ago | hellostranger.substack.com | Maddy Marquardt

The sun sets over ripples on a sandy beach; I boil water for hot cocoa. To the north, a tall lighthouse catches the orange glow. To the south, sloped sand bluffs curve out of sight. My sisters— I am the oldest of four— and I sit on a picnic blanket and talk. It looks like summer, but it isn’t. It’s late winter or early spring on the West Coast of Michigan (depending of course if you’re a glass half full or half empty kind of person).
Sea Otter Takes Nap On Kayak Anglers Boat (Video)

1 week ago | kayakanglermag.com | Maddy Marquardt

Home Videos Sea Otter Takes Nap On Kayak Anglers Boat (Video) FacebookTwitterPinterestEmailMix While wrapping up a long day kayak fishing near Vancouver Island, kayak angler Kyle Borkes had one last catch in store for him– a new friend. In an adorable moment caught on camera, a sea otter decided to take a nap on Kyle’s fishing kayak.
Adorable Sea Otter Hitches Ride With Kayaker (Video)

2 weeks ago | paddlingmag.com | Maddy Marquardt

While out on a mission to catch fish, kayaker Kyle Borkes picked up a marine mammal hitchhiker. On a cloudy British Columbia day, a sea otter crawled on to Borkes’ kayak and took a nap; an incredible and adorable encounter caught on film.
Watch Zach Mutton Plunge Down A Nearly 100-Foot Waterfall (Video)

2 weeks ago | paddlingmag.com | Maddy Marquardt

In this incredible video Zack Mutton, a world champion in extreme freestyle kayaking, makes the 92-foot drop down Abiqua Falls in Oregon to the cheers of paddlers below. The New Zealander is one of few to run the iconic falls, a feat previously accomplished by Dane Jackson several times as well as the first successful descent by Jesse Coombs who sustained a collapsed lung in the descent.
Watch Zach Mutton Plunge Down A Nearly 100-Foot Waterfall (Video)

2 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Maddy Marquardt

NowSanta Monica and LA28 fail to reach agreement on Olympic beach volleyball venueOne of the cornerstones in LA28’s Olympic venue plan has fallen through. Santa Monica officials announced Tuesday that formal talks with the organizing committee for the 2028 Games about hosting Olympic beach volleyball have ended.
STEAL These Midwest Road Trip Ideas

2 weeks ago | hellostranger.substack.com | Maddy Marquardt

This time last year I was prepping for a three week solo road trip around the Midwest! This year I’m prepping for a little backpacking trip in the near future, and some fun rough water paddling weekends, but I’m feeling nostalgic for car camping in the rain. I’ve had a super busy winter, and I’m looking forward to a medium-busy spring.
Gabor Rakonczay Canoes Across Atlantic

3 weeks ago | paddlingmag.com | Maddy Marquardt

After 75 days and 10 hours at sea, Gabor Rakonczay completed a crossing of the Atlantic Ocean from La Palma, The Canary Islands to Antigua, covering approximately 3183 miles (5123 km) on March 8, 2025. The one key difference in canoeing across an ocean versus kayakingIn 2012 Rakonczay was the first person to cross the Atlantic ocean by canoe, an adventure that he has now repeated in 2025, but Rakonczay’s canoe looks wildly different from what comes to mind when most paddlers think of a canoe.
my ultralight backpacking crisis

3 weeks ago | hellostranger.substack.com | Maddy Marquardt

Can you feel it in the air? Longer days, sweet yellow light, the sound of rain on your window? I’m dusting off my backpacking gear. I’m dreaming of camping on a beach and waking up to fog in the morning, of living out of a backpack. A small backpack. Who needs a tent anyways? Maybe a tarp will do. oh hey there! This newsletter contains affiliate links. That means if you choose to make a purchase I make a small kickback at no additional cost to you.