Paddle it Forward Reflection 3

In 2007 her immediate response was to tell me that the water was unseasonably high and we should consider taking the Frost River.

I had been on the Frost a few years before with the youth from my church in Racine. Ryan Larson was our guide that year and urged us to take the Frost. Even though the Frost River winds its way through a swamp, the valley itself is incredibly beautiful.

I remember two special things from that trip. First, as we departed Frost Lake and headed north weaving our way through the swampy path, Kristin, who was in the bow of my canoe began to whine as she was forced to step out onto a spongy bog to get through. As a pastor who always promised my kids they would never confuse me with Jesus on a canoe trip, I said, “ Kristin, don’t piss me off today”. The others heard it and that became the phrase for the rest of the trip. When we got back they presented me with a cap which had a canoe on the front and the words Don’t Piss Me Off on the back. I spent three years going on trips with that same marvelous group of kids.

The other thing I remember is that in the middle of the Frost is a portage, about 40 or 50 rods that has an uncommonly steep rise right in the middle of the portage with some tricky footing as one descends. When we got to that point, there stood Ryan at the top saying, “let’s just pass these canoes down, should we?” Many guides would have simply let the group gut it through. It wasn’t overly difficult. But we were also probably 2+ days from a road head. I had always respected Ryan. What makes a  great guides is not machismo, but care for the group and knowing where you are.

As to the September trip, 2007 was the second year five of us had been together. This year it was just the five of us. Usually we loved to have a Wilderness guide with us, mostly to keep us in touch with what was going on in the life of the camp.

The five of us became the constants, the core of the group for the next several years and friends for life.

We put in at the Cross River, made it down to Frost Lake where we had a good bout of rain and then headed up the Frost River on a cloudy day. And yes, the water was high. We had to search for many of the portage entrances, sometimes having to wade through running water to get to them. We even managed to take a 10 rod portage into a wrong lake…whoops.

The day got long. The sun never came out and we never made it to Little Sag as we had planned. We ended up camping on a small lake, (Clove?)toward the end of the river. Still nestled in a beautiful valley, dog tired but feeling that peace had wrapped its arms around us, we sat for the longest time laughing and talking. I think that was a signature moment in our group building which extended far beyond a canoe trip.

We spent a night on Little Sag….waded though more water to get to Tuscarora Lake. Encouraged each other over the 480 rod portage out of Tuscarora. After the celebratory moment of finishing Tuscarora , you sort of forget that the portage from Missing Link into Round is no cupcake either.

We didn’t care….we were having fun.

Paz, Jeff