The French River - a favourite paddling
destination of mine
Pure bliss! That's how I felt when I finally got out a few weeks ago. It was not only the first canoe trip, but the first time I actually got into a canoe this year! Its been a frustrating start to the paddling season, but I was finally able to break away and find my calling in a canoe. With extremely warm temperatures in March, it was hard not to day dream of an extra early canoe trip, seeing that ice was going out in lakes in record time. But all I could do was sulk like a spoiled child and hope my suffering would come to an end soon, especially since paddling friends had already headed out. Thank goodness the painful wait culminated at the end of April.
Free Flow Channel - it was flowing alright!
It was four days of euphoria for me. It felt so good to finally get out - to breathe in the fresh air, indulge in the rich earthy scents, listen to the pervading silence, and see life rejuvenating all around me. The time spent on the trip was therapeutic for sure, but it felt more like a home coming. Like I've been away from family and friends for too long. Months stuck inside a house away from a paddle and canoe tend to cloud/numb the mind and spirit. But no sooner than when you portage a canoe to the water's edge, push off and feel the pull of the paddle in the water, it all comes rushing back. Welcoming back!
There is lots to miss when you've been gone so long from
tripping. One of them being a nice warm fire!
I headed out with Anita to one of my favourite haunts, the French River. We decided to explore the northeast section of the river, closer to Lake Nippissing with all its bays, islands and hidden coves. It was going to be a fairly easy trip, to try and break in our dormant tripping muscles, test out a new tripping/whitewater canoe, and of course savour being back on the water. I knew it was a good omen when minutes after we set off, we were greeted by two welcoming parties of deer on either shore. We would have been more than thrilled to see just one, but six, three on either side! It was a start to a great trip!
Negotiations are typical on canoe trips. For
a pile of firewood (and a fire), I was
promised brownies!
We seemed to experience a bit of everything during the four days we spent there. It was as if we were being re-orientated back to life in the wilderness. The wildlife sightings continued in earnest, even after the initial deer sighting - eagles, beavers, woodpeckers, otters, loons and of course the ubiquitous red squirrel. We paddled hard upstream, floated languidly downstream, played in rapids, and of course cruised along flat stretches. We had cold nights (frost) and hot days, wore tuques and got sun burnt. We portaged a bit as well, which was great to give our legs a work out, but we even managed to bushwhack through a section when the channel we headed down was blocked from aquatic growth. Another highlight was getting the privilege to break in a new thunder box one day, but of course to balance things out, we also had the joy of digging our own cat holes at the other sites! Everything we did we did purposefully, deliberately, and appreciatively, savouring every moment. Our trip may have been long in the coming, but in spite of the delay, our inaugural trip was worth every minute of it.
I promised Anita rest and relaxation. I should have pointed out
that it was only after we got to camp!
On the third day of the trip, it was overcast and intermittently sprinkling rain. Cradling a mug of hot chocolate in my hands, I was sitting underneath a tarp surveying the scenery in front of me. Despite the fact the smoke from the fire was stinging my eyes, or that my arm was aching from sawing/splitting a pile of firewood, it never felt so good to be alive. I was overcome by a sense of contentment as I was genuinely happy to be back in the wilderness on a canoe trip. I knew in less than 24 hrs I would have to leave, but oddly enough, being in the wilderness felt more comforting to me than the 'wilds' back at home. Soon enough, I knew I would be pining not to leave, but for now, it was home sweet home.
We found cranberries in a marshy waterway. I can definitively
say, it didn't taste anything like Crasins!
Talk about bitter! Blah!
Many that follow my blog intrinsically understand the thoughts and emotions that come from my experiences on trips such as this, being canoeist themselves. But I'm sure there are some that are not, who may find it harder to comprehend what exactly I am trying to articulate. In reality, you can only express so much in words to convey one's personal experiences on trips, as most of it is uniquely personal. That is why it is often said, that some things are best left to be experienced on their own. A canoe trip is no exception -
you just have to try it yourself.
It's hard not to be lost 'in the moment' on a canoe trip.
Its just hard to come back home!
Happy paddling!
tPP
7 comments:
It's nice to see you got back on water.Busy year ahead!
I perfectly understand your passion.Good thing you get to share it with your future wife.
Adrian
Yes, I'm glad I finally got out too!
Thanks. It really is wonderful to have someone close to share in your passion.
Cheers,
David
David,
Nice to see you bringing the water back to the page. Was the section of the French you canoed on fairly people-free? Also what type of canoe did you buy and how did you like it on the French?
Paul
Hi Paul,
Yes it was, considering the time of the year. We only saw a human once. It was very quiet and the animals for once outnumbered the humans!
It was a used Evergreen Starburst. Like a usual whitewater tripping boat, okay on the flat, but great on moving water. Can't wait to take it on a whitewater trip!
David
Phew, I was nearly getting NDD (Nature Deficit Disorder) from lack of reading material on your blog at coffee breaks! OK, I'm (half) kidding.
I completely understand how you feel getting away on a canoe trip. I can catch glimpse of this feeling on my momentary escapes for an hour or two to a local naturalized park in our city, but it's not the same as that extended time away. And it is more than just a feeling. More on that below.
I used to struggle with "why" I needed that time immersed in the natural world. However, over time I came to accept it was a need in my life, and in the lives of many humans.
I know it is different for each person, but I have some philosophizing about the "why" for myself which I'll post in a subsequent comment (so as not to exceed whatever word limit), for those that may wonder or question why some humans feel such a need to "get away".
For those that may wonder or question why some humans feel such a strong need to be "close to nature", if only on occasion, I offer the following mini-essay I wrote a while back while attempting to process this for myself:
“Why Journey?”
It is a question I have often asked myself. Why the costs of time, energy, $ and (calculated) risk to haul myself through the outdoors, stripping away most modern conveniences our civilization has strived so hard to attain. Why, after battling the bugs, wind, mud, fatigue and weather, do I return time and again?
There is likely no simple straightforward answer and it differs for each person. However, I have recently learned more about the psychological need humans have to connect with a more natural environment that the urban lifestyle typically provides only in glimpses. This seems reasonable considering the thousands of years our ancestors spent in such surroundings. Our senses, instincts, minds and bodies are still quite adapted to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, though I’m sure we are gradually losing some of that adaptation over the generations.
Sometimes I wrestle with the question of whether the hassle of the outdoor adventure is worth the costs. Is it worth working more hours to pay for it? In the long-term, this means more hours at work adn less free time (assuming I live long enough to benefit from the saved earnings).
My conclusion so far is mixed, especially since having kids, which make the risks seem more serious than before. But I think at least occasionally it is something many of us need, if only to satisfy that deep, subconscious hunger to connect with the lifestyle of our ancestors in some way.
These journeys clear the mind and what some may call the soul. It appeases and awakens the latent senses and synapses in our brains (adapted for interaction with nature) that are otherwise growing dusty with cobwebs from lack of use; or calms those senses/synapses over-stimulated by modern life. For example, I was thinking the other day about how moving ads on the internet so effectively catch the eye, a now over-stimulated reflex to detect plants or animals moving in the forest.
What humanity will eventually evolve into is unknown. For now we straddle a time of transition between the wilderness and, for most people, urban living. We perhaps need to keep a foot on both sides of the river, so to speak, while we ford this transition. [AND: Which side the human race will ultimately land on in the long, long term, is unknown to us all for now]
Hi PV,
I'm just heading out for a short weekend trip - despite the fact it's forecast to rain all weekend! Thanks for sharing that mini essay with me and my readers, I will respond when I get back!
Have a nice weekend!
Cheers,
David
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