Thomas recently became an empty nester and decided a grand adventure was what he needed. He got together with Churchill Clark, the great-great-great-great grandson of Captain William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to build a dugout canoe named Bella from a 20 foot Douglas Fir.   He traced his path along the Missouri River all the way to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, a 5-month expedition along the same route Lewis and Clark took when returning to the East Coast.  This epic tale includes everything from puppies, bow fishing, and flooded rivers, to quaint towns, and peaceful moments of solitude.  A book about the experience will be released in March of 2020. You can preorder it here: http://www.hopspress.com/Books/Missouri_River.htm  Here’s a short documentary about the experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-JgWTDUta0 Video about building the canoe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CipwviRWeCU His YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomasjelpel www.elpel.info www.greenuniversity.com Try CS Instant Coffee for 50% off your first order for the months of September and October only! Go to csinstant.coffee and use the code "ADVENTURE" at checkout. Ombraz fix what frustrates you about sunglasses. Completely armless, Ombraz attach directly to a built-in cord that keeps the sunnies securely and comfortably in place.  For every pair sold, they plant 20 trees. Find out more at ombraz.com/products/classics Support the Adventure Sports Podcast by giving as low as $1/month to our efforts to produce this show at patreon.com/AdventureSportsPodcast   Call and leave us a voicemail at 812-MAIL-POD or 812-624-5763 or send an email to info@adventuresportspodcast.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/adventure-sports-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy