deliberate efforts deliver an epic experience
by katherine heinle
There is a longstanding tradition at Ogichi Daa Kwe that the final morning of the trip includes a silent paddle. I couldn’t help but smile when Kay Glaccum, my co-lead, suggested this for the final six kilometers on the Hayes River as we headed to Hudson Bay's York Factory. This silent paddle gave me a direct opportunity to reflect on the building blocks of Ogichi’s trips program, and appreciate the magnitude of reaching a destination such as Hudson Bay.
Of course, Ogichi's wilderness trips program is known for seizing our moments of gratitude and exhibiting present behavior each and every day. These lessons are a product of many years of deliberate efforts, putting Ogichi at a point where the trips program is stronger than ever. Proudly, we left any campsite better or no different than we found it. Paddling the Hayes is a gift in itself, as there is a limited population that travels the river each year. To preserve this, we followed Leave No Trace in full form, even scattering the rocks from our campfire as we got closer to the Bay. This is a practice that was once exemplified to me by Lindsey Wiebold and Emily Spangler on the Mountain River. To this day, Leave No Trace serves as one of the most important creeds for our wilderness trippers.
As we all paddled in silence, I thought about how well the LDAC program prepared the group for the challenges we faced. We felt confident on the water, thanks to the advanced canoeing training with Randy Carlson in Carlton, Minnesota. Campers spend the night in the ever-cozy outpost and then spend every second of the day learning a plethora of skills such as how to eddy out of strong current, ferry across robust waves, and execute paddle strokes at the right time, all while communicating efficiently with their boat partner. Equally important, the leadership development part of the LDAC program reinforces skills to navigate decision making while in the Northwoods. The strength of the LDAC program lies in compassion, grit, and opportunity. It belts adaptation through adversity, a skill that cannot be read in a textbook or taught in a lecture.
Each day on the Hayes, Kay and I were in awe of wondrous campers who were so full of life. It was important to me to lead by example and constantly make room for my campers to grow. In foresight of their CIT year, Kay and I took a calculated approach to involve them in every daily pursuit. In turn, their growth will feed a staff pipeline for years to come. On a river-based trip, this meant allowing campers to select their lines in the rapids, learn what can mark a portage trail, and how to learn from the environment around you to overcome any challenge.
Preparation for any trip starts with strength and nutrition, a shared value at Ogichi that begins over a campfire and in a wannigan. As we gunnelled up for one final snack on the water, I couldn't help but be grateful for the hard work of Madlen Anderson, which allowed trip heads to pack nutrient-dense meals. On the Hayes, this resulted in four monkey barrels of food, including creative forms of protein and fun additions such as pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, chia seeds, and peanut butter to turn plain old granola into tasty bites of nourishment.
And eventually, we could see it: the Hudson's Bay Trading Company building. One by one, cheers broke out as our silent paddle turned into a moment of realization. A moment that, for many years and various reasons, was meant to happen but did not. A moment that was brought to fruition by the fortitude of Ogichi Daa Kwe.
As I paddled the final strokes of our journey, I thought about so many people that helped create the bold point that Ogichi is at today. I thought of John Holden reminding George Simmons to “not forget about the girls.” I thought of Curtis Simmons and Hank Bangert leading Ogichi’s first canoe trip, and the first time I heard Kathy Dix read the coffee bean story. I thought of all the staff members and friends who shaped me into the person I am today, and I thought of my beloved grandfather, Tim Heinle, for his work in making Ogichi Daa Kwe possible and teaching me that no challenge, even co-leading a three-week canoe trip, is so small to not take seriously or too big to shy away from.