MANY MIleS, EVEN MORE ADVENTURE
By Geneva Webster
Pulling the paddle through the water, stroke by stroke, you are propelled forward by the momentum of the canoe. While paddling can be challenging, the true challenge is taking in the beauty of the ever-changing landscape, trying to memorize every detail so that you don’t forget what you have encountered as the years go by. Whether it be the way the sun rises above the blackened silhouettes of the trees on a mist-filled lake, or the way the bow of the canoe seemingly disappears as it plunges through the waves in a thrilling rapid, these are moments that change the way you see the world and its beauty.
Traveling by canoe allows you to gain access to some of the most remote and breathtaking landscapes. In addition to teaching our campers about overcoming adversity, canoe trips help our campers grow to appreciate and respect the incredible world that we have the privilege of living in. Learning to step outside their comfort zone and work together, they learn that they are able to accomplish even the hardest parts of the trip.
Over this past summer, the women of Ogichi collectively paddled and portaged over 24,000 miles. From Chickadee to CIT, our campers are constantly striving to learn and grow in their wilderness tripping skills. While our youngest campers start out with trips that are a bit shorter in length, they are learning essential skills that will eventually help them complete trips such as our 19-day trip to James Bay that was sent out this summer.
Another first for our program is combining two historic routes—the Flint and the Allanwater-Kopka—to create a route that encompasses both the thrilling whitewater of the Allanwater and the incredible cliff views of the Flint and the Kopka. After a summer of introducing a big trip like Missinaibi to James Bay and combining iconic routes like the Flint and the Allanwater, we are inspired and excited as we work on planning trips for the summer of 2023!
This article was originally published in the Fall 2022 issue of Songs of the Paddle.