When Kerri Kolstad was a young girl growing up in northern Minnesota, she’d get up on Saturday mornings, eat breakfast and hop on her bike to spend the day riding, exploring and experiencing the great outdoors with other kids in her neighborhood. “I’m sure my parents knew where we were going, but we would just be out all day,” says Kerri. “We’d come back when we were hungry.”
This mindset of being healthy and active, and doing so with the wind in her hair and the sun on her face, has propelled Kolstad through much of her life. She’s trained for and run in numerous marathons, and with her equally active husband, Dave, has hiked, biked and paddled through untold number of parks and rivers on this continent and beyond, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and gone scuba diving in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. On the couple’s 25th wedding anniversary last year, they summited Machu Picchu in Peru via the Inca trail. “That was really fun,” says Kerri.
So it should come as little surprise to learn that in 2009, when Kerri was burnt out from her 20 years in corporate America, she and Dave started Wahoo! Adventures, a company that combines exercise and fabulous, healthy food in fun-filled outdoor adventures. Dusting off a business plan she created during a class in college, they began building their dream and creating excursions.
Their first foray came in the form of a geo-caching history tour of downtown Stillwater. “I hid punch cards that had little factoids about historic places and people,” says Kerri. Soon after, they added North St. Paul and White Bear Lake to their repertoire. Feeling confident and wanting to up the ante, they bought kayaks and organized an event in 2010.
A women-only Pedal and Paddle event was the next step, and a group of 12 women headed up to the Iron Range for a weekend of biking, kayaking, hiking, food and camaraderie. Besides adding many other adventures, the couple has expanded the concept and now also offer one-day corporate activities and custom adventures for 50th birthday parties, family gatherings and wedding party events, to name a few. One such event Kerri created for a bachelor party get-together had the groom and his groomsmen out on White Bear Lake competing in a kayak challenge. “We set up a whole series of races and events for them,” she says. “They were really sore the next day, but said they loved it.”
The itineraries are well planned and will definitely push the physical limits of the attendees. To get them ready for the 30-mile bike rides or long kayak trips on some of the adventures—mostly in Minnesota, and sometimes Wisconsin—Kerri sets up mini training programs beforehand and encourages everyone via email. On the day the adventure is scheduled to begin, everyone (a typical group size is 10 to 12) meets at a designated location and drives together in a Wahoo van. An advance team has already set up the final site.
Before images of schlepping your camping accoutrements to one of these outdoor treks pop into your head, maybe you should know that the Kolstads provide everything you’ll need. Yep, they provide the tents, air mattresses, sleeping bags, pillows, bikes/kayaks, food and the drinks; they even bring along carpet and tables for the two-person tents. “It’s more like pampered camping or ‘glamping,’ ” she says. “You just show up with your personal belongings.”
The food, by no means your typical campfire fare, includes dishes such as tequila-grilled shrimp, pecan-encrusted tilapia, egg frittata and fresh scones. Dave prepares all the meals camp-side on a Dutch oven, two-burner stove or Weber grill. To keep with the health theme, the food is also good for you. “Healthy food is very important and something that our guests expect when they join us for an adventure,” he says. “One of our goals is to introduce people to something new like quinoa or garlic scapes [the green stalks that grow out of garlic cloves].”
All meals are family-style, which allows for great conversation and bonding. And in case you’re wondering about staying hydrated, the Kolstads provide everything from water to lemonade to coffee, wine, beer and champagne (for special events only); there is a social hour back at camp after each activity.
Dr. Carol Stark, a family practitioner with Entira in White Bear Lake, was on that first Pedal and Paddle five years ago and has been on every one since. “It seems like Kerri is always pushing your comfort zone a little,” says Stark. “We were kayaking and she pushed us to go on the rapids, to take it a step further. This year we’re going to mountain bike and I’ve never done that before.”
Laura Poulsen is another one of the “charter members” from that first Pedal and Paddle. “I was concerned that first year because I wasn’t very athletic, but Kerri was able to cater to all abilities,” says Poulsen. “I’ve really gotten into exercise and fitness in the last five years.” Poulsen also utilizes Wahoo to put together a family adventure or activity every year; last year’s event was a kayak rodeo.
“I think being outdoors and engaged in the world gives people their senses back,” says Kerri. “You hear things you don’t normally hear, you smell things you don’t normally smell. And when you get out and push yourself physically, maybe by kayaking or riding, you come away with such a feeling of accomplishment, of pride. And making new friends and sharing experiences, well, all of that put together just makes you feel good.”
The Menu
A sample of Dave Kolstad’s gourmet meals:
- Happy hour (after biking or paddling): Greek salad with hummus and pita chips
- Amuse-bouche (a small bite before dinner): Dutch oven tart with caramelized onion and roasted garlic
- Main course: grilled pork loin stuffed with sautéed kale, beet greens and spinach, topped with a four-mushroom butter sauce; Peruvian causa (Peruvian potato)
- Dessert: Dutch oven peach cobbler
Upcoming adventures:
Women’s Fifth Annual Pedal and Paddle
Brainerd
June 12–14
$399
All-inclusive bicycle trip
Lake Itasca
June 22–28, July 20–26, August 10–16
$1,795
Women’s rivertown trek
Stillwater
June and August dates
(call for availability)
$379
&
Wahoo! Adventures
651.280.7299
