The kayak originated
from the Eskimo people.
The word kayak means
“man boat,” and was
used by the men who
ventured out into the icy
waters to fish. The
kayak was made with
animal skin stretched
over top of it, which en-
closed the deck, except
where the paddler sits
inside of the vessel itself.
This was so that the
freezing waters did not
enter the boat. There-
fore, in essence, a kayak
is a type of canoe.
Canoes have been
around for hundreds of
years, and were used
for everything from
transportation to war-
fare. A canoe is de-
signed with an open
deck, or “hollow,” in
which the paddler sits
on a bench. In modern
sporting events, these
classic differences can
sometimes be hard to
notice, so the main
defining characteristics
have become the pad-
dles themselves.
“Water is the driving
force of a nature.”
- Leonardo da Vinci
A canoe paddle has a
single blade and is used
in a switching motion to
paddle forward. A
kayak’s paddle has two
blades, one on either
end, with which the pad-
dler will rotate through
the water. Kayaks are
also built for moving
through more treacher-
ous waters, such as salt-
water and rapids,
though some skilled
paddlers still prefer the
canoe.
For gorgeous views in
either vessel, head to
the New Jersey Pine
Barrens. The Pine Bar-
rens, also known simply
as the Pinelands, is a
coastal plain with dense
forested areas that
spans over more than
seven counties. The
name comes from the
poor soil on the land. Lo-
cals call it “sugar sand”
and thankfully, even
though the Pine Barrens
were surrounded by
heavy urbanization, the
land remained un -
touched because the
sand was unsuitable for
building and growing
crops.
The Pine Barrens was
officially protected by
congress in 1978, and
they called it the New
Jersey Pinelands Na-
tional Reserve. The Pine
Barrens is known for a
bit of folklore as well. It is
said that the Pine Bar-
rens is the home of the
Jersey Devil.
Legend has it that the
mother of the Leeds
family, Jane, gave birth
to her 13 th child, which
seen as a bad omen for
being an unlucky num-
ber, presented a mon-
strous offspring of a
beast that escaped the
house and made its
way into the Barrens,
never to be seen again
– or was it? There have
been reported “sight-
ings” of the Jersey
Devil, and tales say that
it looks like a kangaroo
with the head of goat.
Complete with leathery
bat wings and a blood-
curdling scream, the
Jersey Devil is an inter-
esting addition to the
history of the reserve,
so if you’re up for a ca-
noeing or kayaking
trip during the darker
hours, keep an eye
out!
Adventure Outdoors | Spring 2018 | 69