The Passage

In 1974, my 20-year-old parents and uncle Andy built their own canoes, launched them into the Pacific, and became some the first people in modern history to canoe from Washington to Alaska up the Inside Passage. My brother and I grew up paddling those wooden canoes in the Virginia rivers and the 1974 adventure became legend in our family - shaping who we’ve become, how we view our parents, and how our parents view themselves. In the summer of 2017, we renovated those canoes and with our aging parents completed their 1974 journey. The Passage is a story about growing up, growing old, and the wild places that define us.
A film by DAY’S EDGE PRODUCTIONS (daysedge.com)
Directed, filmed, and edited by
NATE DAPPEN
Written by
NATE DAPPEN & NEIL LOSIN
Production Manager
KORI PRICE
Additional Photography
KYLE McCBURNIE
ELI SPIEGEL
BEN DAPPEN
ALAN DAPPEN
ANDY DAPPEN
JIMMY DAPPEN
STEVEN CUMMINGS
STEER FILMS
Historic Photographs by
ALAN DAPPEN
ANDY DAPPEN
SARA SCHERR
RICK WILSON
JAN DAPPEN
Animations by
ROOT HOUSE
HEATHER DAPPEN
Color by
DC COLOR | COLORIST ROBBIE CARMAN
Sound Design & Mix by
ONA SOUNDS
Original Score by
ONA SOUNDS
Additional Music by
BALMORHEA ("writers" Robert Lowe and Michael Muller)
MICHAEL NAU
CRISTIAN SCHMIDT
Special Thanks to
MARK DEMING
ASHLEY PEEL
JACOB BOLING
JIMMY DAPPEN
AMANDA DAPPEN
JIM AIKMAN
GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
ANN KRCIK and THE NORTH FACE
LARRABEE STATE PARK
Created with generous support from NRS
© 2018 Day’s Edge Productions. All rights reserved.

[@kellydurst7844]

Amazing documentary... I believe I met your father and uncle just south of Wrangell when my partner and I were kayaking. They gave me a drop line to fish with, that night I caught a rockfish for dinner. They really made an impression on us with their handmade canoe, the story of finishing their trip, and the smiles on their faces.

[@alandappenmd]

Wow I remember you guys. I bet your guys' trip was equally impressive and so glad that the jig I gave you was put to good use. So glad you saw the movie and may your adventures continue to be exciting. With the current pandemic Andy and I keep saying, maybe it's time to get back in the canoes and start paddling north.

[@amike75785]

Wonderful story and well presented! I'm 77 years old and ready to go try it myself. Thanks for posting!

[@CamMacMastermusic]

A comment by your dad on a Richard Shindell video at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival brought me here. Great story. Great production. Great people !

[@daysedgeproductions166]

Thanks!

[@alandappenmd]

Andy and I sang every Shindell song we could remember on those long paddling days and towards the end of each day we'd sing about finding a place to rest and sleep at the " next Best Western," Sure wish we could have added some of Shindell's songs into the documentary. Thanks for looking us up and with the nod to the inspirations from Richard Shindell.

[@slackoon1]

What a great story!! The perfect answer to anyone questioning "Can I do it?" Truly inspirational

[@livelife4471]

Well done. Nice to see you all living life as it should be lived. Life is not about how long you live but how much life you live. This documentary illustrates this idea.

[@benkidder839]

So unreal... how does this not have more views. Wya youtube recommendation?

[@blesspanda]

I learned your story in the Advanced magazine. It is really an inspiring story about adventure and family.

[@henryesp9284]

So crazy how I watched the whole thing and it felt like it was only 5 min long

[@jakebrown3647]

Came across this on amazon prime trying to find something meaningful to watch on a peaceful Sunday. Beautiful documentary! Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring and uplifting experience:)

[@Timburgess1812]

Really lovely. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@daysedgeproductions166]

Thanks, Tim!

[@brucegelman5582]

You captured the essence of the inside passage of time.Your parents are beautiful people. Cherish them.They leave too soon.

[@SailingMagicCarpet]

Wow, this is is gorgeous. The story is so effortlessly yet meaningfully told. Cinematography is gorgeous. I especially loved the beginning, it can be difficult to make video around a story that happened in the past when there’s no footage available - yet here it again felt effortless. And I cried at the part about your Dad’s physical strength. Great job, and well deserved accolades from BMFF!

[@wunkus]

This hits home. It's been too long since my brother and I did something epic. I need to call him and make plans.

[@daysedgeproductions166]

Thanks! so glad you liked it!

[@wunkus]

@@daysedgeproductions166 It was an incredible story, thank you for sharing and sharing it so well. Had to hold back the tears a few times.

[@clarabrown9743]

Today I came across an old (well, 2018) news article about your trip. It's a great story and I find such adventure in it. Thank you for the film, I especially liked from 23:33 on, it is nicely put.

[@daysedgeproductions166]

Thank you Clara! I'm so glad the film resonated with you.

[@salty_klaudia]

Man, I cried! Beautiful pictures, beautiful story, so touching and full of reflections! Just wow!

[@DaysEdgeProductions]

Awww, thank you! We're glad you liked it for all the right reasons!

[@sisaktamas]

55.000 views and 755 👍🏻?? That’s simply unfair, this film is beautiful and introspective. It has to be shared.

[@bjtsai2344]

So amazing, and touched.

[@stephanieholbrook168]

Saw this tonight at Ocean Film Festival and LOVED it!! What a heartwarming story, beautifully shot and told. It made me very emotional and inspired. Well done. Truly.

[@daysedgeproductions166]

Thank you Stephanie! That means a lot.

[@arthurmunha-lu1045]

I love the authentic and practical they stories you have shared ,not filtered stories from Instagram.❤️😊☺️

Very cool. Amazing shots. Love the story. From 🇧🇷.

[@thecranstons]

Wow wow wow, that was awesome. That right there is why I love videography. Telling stories like that, in a way that makes people feel emotionally invested. There’s so many stories to be told, they all deserve something as beautiful as this. I can tell your heart and soul went in to creating this, thank you for sharing.

[@saltspringdesign]

extremely well made and deep documentary. Impressed! I have an old chestnut canoe and live in the gulf islands Canada. This morning i had a vision of canoeing the inside passage and then a friend shared this video, love it!

[@luisguimaraes3186]

such a beautiful, touching, film, about so many things but above all that moment you and your brother summarise s well around minute 19: that moment when we go from young men to men and our parents go from people to old people. an amazing, beautifully produced and narrated story. I loved everyone I "met" in the movie. inspirational

[@jonwilliams23]

An awesome story!

[@Mansen1969]

Wonderful !!!!

[@WHATTHEBEEP1]

very glad i found this, thanks for a great documentary.

[@jiayou2361]

empowering and inspiring story 💙💙 greetings from 📍ISABEL LEYTE 🌴🇵🇭🌊

[@15beowulf]

Great production and awesome storyline. The piece I connected with was when Ben and his brother talked about their parents showing signs of physical decline... love this film!!!

[@miketakahashi5550]

Fantastic

[@lennycurtisxo]

Wow what a beautiful story & beautiful pictures & loved the '74 pics. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world. It's a video I will return to again & again

[@toddmallin3868]

Such a great story. So well shot and told. Thanks for the inspiration. I'm heading out right now.

[@amandawong6068]

What an incredible short film! Beautifully made and beautifully told. Love how the legacy will live on through generations.

[@underratedpodcast8661]

Terrific. Well done, looks beautiful and compelling story

[@The_ZeroLine]

You’re very lucky to have had badass explorers for parents and extended family. Check out Mel and Ethel Ross’ adventures. They’re your parents spiritual’s predecessors. Awesome people with amazing, singular videographic of their expeditions to the Headless Valley and traveling the Pan American highway before it existed from the USA to Patagonia in the early ‘50s. It was like traveling back in time. They enter through countless villages where life had changed very little for a thousand years.

[@stutopian]

This is a beautiful story, and beautifully made. Thanks for sharing it.

[@absolu222]

Beautiful movie!

[@derryjuliansyah4729]

This is a beautiful story, truly inspirational !

[@tomhanton928]

Incredible!...it made me smile

[@nitabee56]

Wow this is a fantastic story

[@joshualanglais613]

So beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

[@ciciasplund292]

Wonderful! Thank you -

[@paultaylor3856]

Awesome short film, loved all of it.

[@chezcody7]

Loved it. Thanks to all the adventurers.

[@JeevanRaiDumi]

This is sooo good.

[@daysedgeproductions166]

Thanks Jeevan!

[@DumpsterMarcus]

loved the video!!!

[@thomaspalmer8059]

Well told. Thank you!

[@fionnbharrwilliamson6703]

Very impressive! It felt very cinematic!

[@Butchrknife]

Great story trip! I would love to paddle that stretch of water and still might if i had a good buddy to do the crazy thing with ! Thanks for sharing it! Around Seattle out

[@EvanDerickson]

Saw this last night at the Banff Mountain Film Fest Tour, was my favorite of the whole evening. Brilliant work!

[@daysedgeproductions166]

Thanks Evan! So happy that it is touring with Banff and that you enjoyed it! Please share!

[@ak2flysolo]

Wow! Really makes us take a deeper look into out life and the dreams we all have..... thank you for sharing.

[@waffle9847]

Amazing story and film work! Glad to be your 1000th subscriber.

[@Stefanshinobi]

Wonderful movie, we joyed every second of it. 😊 #annieostefan

[@kengreen3079]

Beautifully done! Should be an entry in one of the indie film festivals, in particular one that features outdoor subjects---Whistler? Missoula? Hope you are planning to do that! Bravo!

[@kailaperez9142]

Inspiring, I plan to go back to WA now. 🤞🏽 Collabo.

[@abritandhisbikeinpoland6802]

Fantastic!!!!! But I'm not too sure about camping in the woods with bears around!!

[@IainAhh]

Great story, filming, images and emotions. Thank you.

[@coreybiggs8626]

16:33 What exactly is this?

[@alandappenmd]

clam beds squirting water

[@user-fi4we7sm3m]

I'm edging to nathan