Anyone want to buy a canoe?
A week has passed since I took part in a canoe trip with guys from my church. I'm finally feeling like maybe I can talk about it a little. The day started sunny and a little on the cool side which was perfect for strenuous activity. Nine of us took to the mighty Rainy River in four canoes and a kayak. This was to be a half-day trip of about twelve miles to Emo. We got going at about 9:30 a.m. with high spirits. No more than an hour later the wind picked up enough to form small waves and whitecaps. I have a small (12 foot) Sportspal canoe, which at 35 pounds, I can put on the top of our van by myself. It's been great for windless days or sheltered areas. It is practically useless in a stiff wind(which I only just found out last week). At one point the wind caught us on the side and turned us right around. I couldn't get it turned back in spite of my most valiant efforts. I had to head to shore, get out and turn it around by hand!
That was just the beginning of the fun. A while later a gust of wind blew my hat right off my head and out of reach. In an effort to retrieve it we tipped the canoe and landed in the river. That was a bit of a shock, enough that I forgot about the hat and concentrated on making sure we didn't lose anything else. That was a mistake. After paddling with all our might for four hours we estimated that we were about 7/12 of the way to our destination. With the wind increasing and everyone beginning to feel it, we decided to turn around and put the wind at our backs even though the way back was further. So now we were riding the waves which were a good foot-and-a-half to two feet high. I found trying to hold the canoe straight and time the waves was just as exhausting and more than a little scary. After about 45 minutes of this I decided there was no way I was going to make it back to our starting point. The terrain is fairly rugged along the river. There are a few houses and a fair bit of farm land up the bank so when I saw some buildings I called it quits. My partner graciously agreed. We had a cell phone and our plan was to call home and beg for a ride.
Now came the task of climbing a muddy bank which turned into waist high grass which turned into an electric fence! Thankfully there was only one strand of fence about three feet off the ground. We were able to slide the canoe and ourselves under it without harm. At this point we discovered that the phone was not working. What to do now? We finally made it to a farmer's laneway where a barking dog summoned his owner for us. After trying to make a phone call for us and getting no answer, the farmer offered to drive us back to our starting point. I then realized that my wife was waiting for us at our intended destination and I had no way to reach her. The farmer willingly drove us into Emo...me holding the canoe in the back of a rickety old pickup which probably should not have left the farm. When we arrived our ride was no where to be seen. I walked down the main street and back and could not find my wife or the van. After a half hour of wondering what to do the wives of all the guys showed up. They had tired of waiting and gone to get some lunch!
Remember my big mistake of not rescuing my cap? The first thing my wife commented on was how burnt my forehead and scalp were! So far I wasn't feeling any pain or more accurately, my arms and upper body muscles were in much more pain. As we headed back to the house where we were planning to have a barbecue we wondered if the other guys had arrived yet. Turns out we were the first ones back, but before long the next group arrived, their canoe in the back of a pickup. And the group after that was a half hour behind them, arriving in yet another pickup!
We waited a while for the last canoe, but finally decided to eat. We had not eaten anything but a couple Tootsie rolls since breakfast and it was now late afternoon. Finally at about 5:30 p.m., 8 hours after we started, the last two guys arrived, exhausted but safe. They were the only ones to actually make it and they deserve our admiration. Still, I am not sorry I bailed out early. Especially when most of the others ended up doing the same. I knew I was not going to make it. I think that sometimes wisdom is knowing when to quit.
By that evening I was beginning to feel the heat and pain of my head and face. By Sunday morning my forehead had broken out into blisters and by afternoon they were oozing down my face. Not a pretty sight. Next came the itching and peeling. Again not a pretty sight, but finally a week later it is beginning to heal and outside of possible skin cancer down the road I will survive.
As we discussed the possibility of next year's canoe trip(this was the second windy one in a row) one guy suggested we go bowling instead. Not sure what we'll end up doing, but in hindsight I want to thank God for His protection. Things could have turned much worse than they did, but God brought us all home safely.
The evening of our outing.
