Bob Kenyon has maintained his remarkably active life into his ninth decade on the water planet by adopting the mantra of legendary adventurer Audrey Sutherland, who paddled in Alaska and Hawaii for many decades and lived to be 94: “Go simple, go solo, go now!”
Bob Kenyon has maintained his remarkably active life into his ninth decade on the water planet by adopting the mantra of legendary adventurer Audrey Sutherland, who paddled in Alaska and Hawaii for many decades and lived to be 94: “Go simple, go solo, go now!”
I had not yet met Bob Kenyon when I first heard about his 180-mile solo kayak trip down the lower Columbia as a hale and hardy 60-year-old marking the Lewis and Clark Bi-centennial. Bob would reprise his river adventure at 70.
As I got to know Bob in 2018, he was 79 and nearly due to make another such trip. I invited him to join me, my brothers, Allen and Paul, and Peter Gay on a similar seven-day paddle trip from Bonneville to Astoria. I was a little anxious about a (nearly) octogenarian paddling 20 miles a day for a week. Would he require our assistance lifting his 6-foot, 3-inch frame in and out of the small cockpit of his sea kayak? My concern was misplaced. The trip was a revelation; Bob’s 40 years of paddling whitewater rivers, lakes and oceans put us at ease and forever changed my relationship with kayaking and with the river.
When paddling with Bob, it didn’t take long before his magnanimous spirit began to inoculate us against the fuss and fight of everyday existence. The world’s woes were less daunting, its wonders more marvelous. And, of course, music was an essential element. While the rest of us unloaded our sea kayaks to set up our elaborate camp, Bob was already up to his neck cooling off in the river and playing Stephen Foster tunes on his ever-handy harmonica. With only the simplest of essential gear, Bob was free to engage fully with the river and the people he was with.
Left to right are Allen Ballinger, Mike Ballinger, Bob Kenyon, Paul Ballinger and Peter Gay, taken in Skamokawa, Wash., with one more day to paddle.
Contributed photo
Bob’s work history after college included IRS agent, banking, and a partnership in a distribution and trucking company that allowed him to retire at 40 and begin a new life as a horse packer in the High Sierra and a whitewater river guide. He never looked back.
In 2021, with the pandemic raging, I missed seeing Bob walking and biking around The Dalles. He shared that he was no longer able to enjoy his thrice-weekly day paddles and swimming in the Columbia, as his usual stamina was flagging. A diagnosis of leukemia soon required weekly trips to the Veterans Hospital in Portland for transfusions to keep his hemoglobin above a critical level while doctors discerned the best course of chemotherapy. With his eyesight slowly failing due to macular degeneration, Bob couldn’t drive there himself — but soon had new friends and fans of his harmonica on the Link Bus and at the clinic. His lighthearted repertoire entertained staff and other patients in treatment.
After nine months, Bob found a regimen of chemotherapy that was working. But amidst his cancer treatments, he also needed surgical repair of a torn Achilles tendon. Caring friends and mobility equipment from the ready inventory at The Dalles Senior Center helped keep him in his home to recover. Having lived a life of self-reliance, Bob says he has now learned to graciously accept the help of family, friends, and professionals.
Bob has maintained his remarkably active life into his ninth decade on the water planet by adopting the mantra of legendary adventurer Audrey Sutherland, who paddled in Alaska and Hawaii for many decades and lived to be 94: “Go simple, go solo, go now!”
Bob Kenyon plays the accordion.
Contributed photo
When it comes to adventure and living a fulfilled life, Bob declares, “The real danger is not to go at all!”
Soon to be 84, Bob is back to swimming and paddling his beloved Columbia River seven months of the year. He also assists at Community Meals, plays and sings his favorite music, and listens to a steady diet of history and other books from Oregon Talking Books (www.oregon.gov/library/print-disabilities/pages/using-talking-books.aspx). And for several years and through the pandemic, he has hosted an outdoor drumming circle around a simple fire pit at his house, where he also cherishes a view of the river.
The rhythm of life can change at any time, but if we are listening we can pick up the beat again and make the best of it. Keep an eye out for “Beto” walking or biking around The Dalles, fully embracing each precious day.
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