After the death of a close friend in 2009, Halifax-based musician Zac Crouse opted to pay tribute in a manner reflective of the life that had been lost.

His upcoming Paddle to the Ocean tour – a cycling/kayaking expedition that will span from Beachburg, Ontario to Halifax over the course of three months – is the result. The trip will honour the late Corey Morris, and the active, adventure-seeking lifestyle he embraced.

Born and raised in Halifax, Crouse has been paddling for most of his life. He has kayaked class IV/V creeks and rivers (which according to the International Scale of River Difficulty consist of violent rapids, steep drops and strong currents) in Canada, the United States, Uganda and Mexico, and he has completed open canoe circumnavigations of Cape Breton and Newfoundland.

In addition to his experience on the water, Crouse is also well-established in the arts. After teaching himself to play bass guitar while working in Oklahoma, he later joined up with four friends from university to form the rock/soul/reggae group, Caledonia. Never one to settle on a single project, Crouse soon began collaborating with local musicians to create his first solo album, You Plan To Do Nothing, which was released in November, 2010. According to Crouse, it was a record “years in the making.”

“I came up with a lot of stuff that didn't necessarily fit with what Caledonia was doing,” he says, “but I couldn't just throw those ideas away. I kept them in my back pocket.”

The majority of the album was written in Newfoundland while Crouse was kayaking—an activity he says has a significant impact on his music.

“[I get my songs] by removing myself from my regular life and doing some sort of physical activity that I really enjoy,” he says.

And Crouse believes this process is evident in his work.

“It makes me much more literal,” he says. “Every song that I've written, people will say, 'Oh, that's a good metaphor!' and I'm like, 'It's not a metaphor; that's what happened.'”

The idea to tour via kayak and bike originally came about while Crouse was on tour with his band in 2008. Sick of relying on fuel-powered vehicles, he began exploring alternate routes and methods of transportation.

“I looked at the map and I could see all the river systems,” he says. “I haven't really done a lot of long-distance stuff on rivers, so I figured I'd try it.”

A year later, Crouse encouraged fellow paddler Morris to accompany him on a trip to Mexico. The two made plans to leave the following summer.

But four hours later, Morris was killed while kayaking on a creek in Nova Scotia.

“It was the worst moment of my life,” says Crouse. “It really had a big impact on me.”

As a part-time recreational therapist, Crouse says he believes the things you do with your life directly affect your mental and physical health. With that in mind, he came up with the idea for the Paddle to the Ocean tour.

“I decided to connect the recreational activities and the creative activities that I already do as a way for healing,” he says, “and also as a way to pay tribute to my buddy.”

Crouse will be traveling by train to Ottawa and, along with Caledonia band-mate Scott Gates, will be playing two shows a day to cover their fare. From there, they will travel to Beachburg—the so-called “mecca” for white-water kayakers in the Ottawa Valley.

“If you haven't gone paddling there, you're doing something wrong with your life,” says Crouse with a laugh.

Once they leave Beachburg, Crouse and his team will rely solely on their kayaks and bikes for transportation.

Crouse says he is well aware of the challenges involved in this type of project—which includes keeping their instruments and equipment dry, finding safe places to camp and facing treacherous conditions, such as the whirlpools and hydraulics of the Reversing Falls in Saint John.

“I'm not super concerned for my safety,” he says, “but the big, intimidating rapids do give me the jitters. You get that feeling in your stomach—the butterflies.”

But Crouse has no reason to fear. He will be accompanied by friend, veteran white-water kayaker and documentary filmmaker, Kelsey Thompson; as well as a competent team of Morris' old friends.

“I'm gonna get everyone back together that I can,” says Crouse.

He will also be partnering with the Ecology Action Centre's Making Tracks program and the Nova Scotia Heart and Stroke Foundation's Walkabout Initiative. Crouse asks those interested in helping out to donate to one of these two causes, but if a financial contribution isn't viable, he has one simple request:

“My favourite thing for them to do would just be to do something,” he says. “Go for a walk—be a bit more active in your daily lives. That would be my friendly challenge.”