“I’ve often thought about the results of making some of these big trips. I haven’t done anything great for humanity; it was mostly that I’ve done something great for myself. But I do hear from other people who say they have been inspired by my travels. Hopefully, I can get them to look a little farther, a little deeper into themselves, into what they can do.“
verlen kruger
Cross Continent Canoe Safari
The Cross Continent Canoe Safari was a tandem canoe journey from Montreal to the Bering Sea and followed the same route French voyageurs and English explorers traveled during the fur trade era. Clint Waddell and Verlen Kruger were told the journey couldn’t be done in one season and yet the men completed it in 1971 in a handmade wood strip canoe, it took them one hundred and seventy-eight days. The Cross Continent Canoe Safari was documented by filmmaker Phil Pemberton.
Cross Continent Canoe Safari map 
Clint Waddell and Verlen Kruger at Kruger home in DeWitt, MI. 1966 
Portage Campion Voyageur’s Highway. 1971 
Verlen and Clint paddling CCCS. Cover photo for documentary “Never Before Never Again. 1971 
Verlen and Clint on the Clearwater River, Saskatchewan. 1971 
Verlen Kruger and Clint Waddell portaging 1971 
Verlen and Clint pause their CCCS trip to race in Flin Flon. 1971 
Ice accumulation on canoe near end of the trip. October 1971 
CCCS Magnitude map. 1971 
HUT magazine award 
Verlen Kruger in front of movie poster “Never Before Never Again” 1975
Ultimate Canoe Challenge
The Ultimate Canoe Challenge was a 28,043 mile North American odyssey exclusively traversed by paddle and portage (1980-1983). Steve Landick and Verlen Kruger completed the canoe trip in three and one-half years earning them both a Guinness World Record for distance. The trip included many major rivers of North America, as well as ascending the entire length of both the Mississippi and Colorado Rivers. Verlen completed the entirety of the trip in his handmade Kruger Crafted Loon, Steve started the trip in his own handmade Loon (yellow) but finished it in a Mad River Monarch (red) designed by Verlen.
Verlen with promotional map of The Ultimate Canoe Challenge. 1984 
Beginning of Ultimate Canoe Challenge in Red Rock, MT. 1980 
Verlen and Steve after completing their 83 day upstream paddle of the Mississippi River. Lake Itasca, MN. May 1981 
Verlen on the Rat River 
Verlen and Steve paddling Miles Canyon near Whitehorse 
Verlen Kruger portaging Chilkoot Pass 
Verlen Kruger paddling up the Colorado River 
Verlen and Steve after the completion of paddling upstream the entire length of the Colorado River. 
Verlen portaging 
Steve and Verlen at the completion of the Ultimate Canoe Challenge Dec 1984
Two Continent Canoe Expedition
The Two Continent Canoe Expedition was a 21,000 mile canoe journey beginning at the top of the world, the Arctic Ocean and ending at Cape Horn, South America (1986-1989). Valerie Fons and Verlen Kruger completed this trip in Verlen’s newly design Kruger Crafted canoes, the Sea Wind. After reaching Cape Horn, Verlen paddled 10 miles solo around the totally unprotected south end of Cape Horn earning him an official Cape Horn Certificate, as witnessed by Chilean naval personnel.
Yukon Canoe Odyssey
More information coming soon.
