Summer 2008: Canoe Guide

I thought I should sum up (briefly) my summer since I think this blog will serve as a way of documenting my post-gradutation wanderings :)

The day after graduation, I headed north for my 6th summer at Wilderness Canoe Base (Boundary Waters, Grand Marais side, northern MN). It was my second summer guiding and I was lucky to guide six canoe trips.

Trip 1: Guiding a staff trip was quite an honor and incredibly enjoyable. In four nights we covered good territory and endured torrential downpours and extreme winds: Ottertrack, Kek, Gabi ("it looks like the ocean!"), Jap. The group of staff was phenomenal.

Trip 2: My second trip was an all-girls trip from a Twin Cities org, Treehouse, that reaches out to at-risk youth. Not experienced with camping, we did an easy Red Rock loop in 4 days. It was the loudest group I've ever heard, to say the least.

Trip 3: With a group from Gustavus Adolphus Church (twin cities?), we did work projects on base for 2 days and then went on a short trip for 2 nights. The group was excellent. Highlights included convincing them that boreal monkeys exist and doing the Grandpa portage, which was a big challenge for them.

Trip 4: This was by far the easiest trip to guide. The group was very experienced camping and, to top it off, I had two swampers. We were incredibly efficient on portages and so just flew. The route was mostly new to me as well (Ogish, Little Sag, Tusc, Long Island, pick up on Ham). Definitely a beautiful route! Highlights were the Tusc portage (over a mile) and just enjoying the beauty of a canoe trip where you aren't nagging kids to do things all the time.




Trip 5: An enthusiastic group of 8th and 9th graders from Calvary. In three nights, we went up to Sag, then down the Granite river and got a pick up at Larch Creek. Once again, it was exciting for me to do a less typical route. The kids were inexperienced, but full of joy and wonder. Highlights included our last day of "adventure!" (which really means "obstacle"). We trudged through mud and muck, walked up deep rapids, and crossed many beaver dams.

Trip 6: The reason I love canoe guiding! This group was from PYC (Plymouth Youth Center - an alternative high school from North Mpls). I was a bit nervous going into the trip because it was my third trip in a row without a day off and also because it had been a while since I had worked with urban kids. With absolutely no camping experience, the group had a rough start to the week. By the end, however, we saw quite a turn-around. I have never laughed so much on a canoe trip before. I've also never seen jump-roping while hanging a bear pack or had the soulja boy dance done in a tent! It was fabulous. It affirmed my desire to work with urban kids.

Overall the summer went well. Each of my trips brought new challenges and new joys. I left base a few days early to go home and pack for INDIA!!!!