When you don’t plan, some things just never happen. Some events need planning, not only to occur, but to execute. This canoe trip was a result of both, a decisive moment and commitment followed by careful execution. Here’s to getting our daughters out into the wilderness.

This trip had all the weather that a summer day could throw at us: sun, rain and hail. We spent quite a bit of time in the tent with our daughters, while waiting for the rain to stop. The hail didn’t last long but the rain came down hard and fast. We realized our error in tent location while watching the puddle swell in size right at the tent opening.

I never anticipated that we would have spent so much time at a portage. Usually the portage is tackled as efficiently and quickly as possible. Sometimes a lunch break gets incorporated into the end of a portage. This particular portage took us around multiple sets of rapids and waterfalls. After a brief initial exploration we decided to return with swimsuits and play for the afternoon.

The girls participated in everything we did on this trip: fishing, setting up tents, food prep, carrying gear over portages, gathering firewood & making fires, swimming and a lot of paddling. We are now left with only one problem – how long until we can do it again?