We spoke with company Vice President Grant Sega about this made in America canoe accessory, “The biggest issue [with a standard canoe bar-and-pad yoke] always was you get that yoke bar jabbing you in the back of your neck. So believe it or not Spring Creek was founded on this product, it was called the Tandem Seat Yoke and what it is is it takes a free-floating yoke that doesn’t actually have a yoke bar that would jab into your neck, it’s more of a round shape with arms on it that extend out that fit to the gunnels of the canoe that don’t have a general bar; so the pads are free floating over your shoulders.” This product helps, but in talking to Grant about canoeing in general, he finds the portage sections add to the adventure, “I think that’s part of the experience. A lot of times you’ll hear people stray away from those long, long portages that are quite treacherous when you get to the multiples of the different terrains and things that you go on, but I kinda enjoy it. I think it’s a good break up from the paddling – I do love paddling – but I think sometimes when you get to the portage it’s almost nice to be able to get out and stretch the legs and get to something else. And by the time you’re done with the portage it’s like, ‘Alright, well I’m ready to get back in the canoe now.’” What does he mean by ‘long portages’? “I would say over a mile, mile and a half long can be a pretty long portage where you’re getting a little bit tired towards the end. I don’t mind those, but for every one of those it’s nice to have one that you can see the water on the other side.”