"KEEP GOING DAD"
… I could barely make out her words as my 15-year-old daughter screamed the much needed encouragement into the head wind. I desperately tried to steer the bow into the 3-foot waves that seemed to come out of nowhere - waters that were flat just hours before. It seemed like a losing battle and I'll admit, I started to wonder how far away the nearest road was if we were to simply paddle to shore and take our chances of a cross-wilderness portage. However, she was showing no signs of giving up and I couldn't let her down. After an eternity of full powered paddling, we eventually overtook the wind as the far shore gradually edged close enough to break the wind. It was a moment of triumph in the wilderness that one can only feel with experience. That weekend trip into the edge of the pristine Boundary Waters was riddled with storms and wind among moments of calm, sunny relaxation. I wouldn't trade that memory for the world.
Pulling the canoe ashore at last.
It's hard to break away from the busyness and pressures of life as an adult. Teenagers don't have it much easier given their social obligations and activity schedules. Even our 9-yr-old lives by his summer youth baseball team demands. Amongst all of that, sometimes you just have to circle a date on the calendar and get out there. Most of the summer days, the old 17ft Alumacraft canoe serves as a riverfront decoration, but then there are the times it serves as a bridge to the past, a gateway for the next generation of paddlers.
My childhood is adorned with memories of Laketrails wilderness camp, which features multi-day canoe trips. The camaraderie and mental and physical toughness required leaves a lasting impression and shapes you in many ways. Along with the occasional mis-adventures with their parents, my two teenagers are now taking their turn at the very same basecamp on Oak Island, MN and it makes me feel happy to know an appreciation for the sport is growing inside of them as it did for me.
Catch of the day!
Canoeing isn't always the storybook cover experience. In fact, at times it's 'type II' fun where parts of the expedition are grueling and challenging, but afterward you wouldn't change a thing. Like when the first strokes of the paddle seem to be pulling the blade through quick sand and the far distant side of the lake appears to be 100 miles away. However, it doesn't take long to find your groove and rise to the occasion. Progress builds on progress and soon you are in tune with your surroundings and appreciating the stillness of the water and the glimpses of the wildlife on an island shoreline.
Life lessons are learned when you realize nobody is going to make your dinner and when tearing down camp needs to happen rain or shine. The way an open body of water can turn against you at the drop of a hat and quick decisions need to be made for yourself.
A couple of happy paddlers.
Canoe adventures are quality times. They can translate into lifelong interests and help develop critical skills. It's time shared with family members at an early age creating strong and lasting memories. These outings into the wild require planning, risk assessment and teamwork while offering plenty of action and fun. Take a kid paddling this summer and share the love!
Wintergreen has the best gear to paddle in this summer here.
Jackson Harren
President
