As some of you know, this summer (and many before that) I spent paddling in northern Ontario (and beyond). This year will be my second year on staff, and I’m one of the few who will be going up early to set this up and prepare for the influx of staff, campers and parents, who will take the islands by force. I’m leaving on my 564 mile journey on Wednesday, which I’m breaking up into a few chunks. I’m going to visit some friends in Westport, and spend the night in Potsdam, visiting Lauren and some of my other friends who are there. The next day, I continue my journey north, hopefully getting picked up in a boat (otherwise it’s a long swim) where I’ll start working.
For the first portion of the summer, I’ll be cleaning up rodent scat and prying open doors to reveal… more rodent scat. After the other staff members arrive, we’ll fix canoes, and prepare the rest of camp for the campers to arrive. Once they hit the docks, I will hopefully be assisting a trip of young men out into the wilderness for 3 weeks, portaging from lake to lake, and longs days under the sun and above the water.
I’ve been going to this camp since I was but a young lad, and although I love every minute of being there, there’s no way to communicate that with people who haven’t experienced it. When I try to share my journeys, I can sense that the deeper meaning of my travels is lost, and all is left is a week-long canoe paddle around a lake.
If possible, I will try to post pictures, or keep people updated, but part of the experience is being on a remote island, so if you don’t hear from me, I hope you’re having a wonderful summer, and I’m excited to see you in the fall.