I led canoe trips for a couple of summers in my late teens (I know! Who would send their middle schoolers into the BWCA with a 17 year old these days?!?). Two different trips we had kids get mildly ill, one with a stomach bug, one got bit by something and his hands swelled up. Watching the other kids incorporate their reduced abilities into the trip without making a big deal about it is one of my favorite memories of those summers. As a group, the kids were responsible for getting all but 2 canoes, the packs, paddles, boat cushions etc across every portage, and we left it to them to figure out how they wanted to do it. The kid with the swollen hands was pretty strong, and couldn't paddle, but the others would flip the canoe for him, and steer from each end, and he could carry the portage.
Those summers were so formative to who I am, and how I think of community both human and more-than-human. I'm so glad you got to experience the Missouri, and the gigantic character of our world out here. Such a lovely piece -- thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing this -- yes, this is exactly how it was! Everything going smoothly is one kind of beauty but people coming together and helping each other out is another kind of beauty altogether. It sounds like you were a great camp leader, even at that age.
Honestly, I don't know how y'all stand it, the gorgeousness of the landscape out there. I'm planning on going out to the Potomac this evening, just to have a chance of saying a quick hello to a sister river before dark tonight.
I wound up following a fellow counselor from that camp to North Carolina in my 20s and raft guiding for a year or two (much to my mother's horror). Probably not a coincidence that I wound up on the banks of the Yellowstone for all these years ...
You might see if you can find a copy of Barry Lopez's River Notes: The Dance of Herons. It's been decades, but I remember it being a balm when I was missing being on water ...
What a beautiful WanderFinder. I feel your spirit and the river's, as do your many readers. Thanks for letting us experience the "kindness of strangers": people, land, and river, ancestors too.
Hannah, this trip would not have been the same without you. Thank you for borrowing all that gear and challenging yourself to make the journey. I want to say that you didn't "rely" on anyone, you "allowed" assistance. They are two different things, and your way was gracious. You more than held your own and I admire your courage and your ability to remain ebullient in the midst of what must have been far more difficult for you than you let on. 🙏🏽
Thanks so much Chris. It’s a little internal battle -- external too of course but really a lot internal. Thanks to you & everyone, each time I go through it & it works out, it gets easier & I have more confidence -- not that nothing will go wrong, but that it’ll be OK if things do go wrong. That’s a huge relief and it’s what enables me to take risks like going on this trip.
BTW, I don’t know if FreeFlow ever has other people who are wondering if their medical issues would prevent them from coming along, but I’d be glad to chat with them about my experience if it would be helpful.
Loved the comment about hanging out laundry. Decades ago, when I rafted the lower Grand Canyon, I remember being so excited if that night's camping spot included some big flat rocks, because you could dry laundry on them. And how wonderful it is, just for a bit, to have modern concerns go away & celebrate having a big flat laundry rock. Or not.
You know, I was looking at you in that tiki bar and thinking, “is it possible? Can it be true? Did he really make this whole trip in one set of clothes?”
What can I say, Chris, some of us just don’t have your devastating charm & movie star good looks, and in those cases, we have to do laundry. 🤷♀️
I did kind of love all that stuff -- drying laundry, the conch shell for time -- BUT also was so glad someone was cooking for me! I don’t know how it all would’ve worked if I had been trying to paddle, do upkeep, and cook every meal, though I know some people do it. Did you have a guide in the Grand Canyon?
oh yes, we were part of a rafting group--boating the Grand Canyon is highly regulated. I think you have to enter a lottery a year+ in advance to win a self-guided space.
The woman who started Freeflow, Chandra Brown, guides on the Grand Canyon in the fall. We have guide overlaps from the GC with a couple other folks too.
Ugh. How can that group have been there and missed the entire fucking point? That landscape is so awe inspiring, it’s so easy there to feel small & also part of the fabric of the whole ... what do the mountains have to do, tap dance to get the point across? That is so tiring.
Thanks for sharing the peace! If you had never done anything like this before, it must have taken some bravery and some grit for you to jump right in, especially if medical or mobility issues could recur. I admire your willingness. And thanks for the lovely photos and descriptions of the trip. I’ve never seen that area, so it’s a treat to get to know it a bit. Rivers are something else, aren’t they.
I love this. And love that you made this trip. And your embrace of the uncertainties of such a trip! I’m proud of you! And envious. Congrats!!! Thank you for this post.
Awww, thanks! I still kinda can’t believe I did it. It was a stretch for sure but 1,000% worth it. Looking forward to doing a similar trip with you sometime & finding out what happens. ☺️
Thanks so much for your kind words, and I agree, it was heaven (and very lucky) being with such a generous community for this trip. Hope you get to go on an adventure of your own -- watery or not -- very soon. (Oh, and yes, the leg is getting much better, thanks!)
Hannah, you write so beautifully. What a brave and gorgeous river time you shared with us!
I live on a river, a mountain river, and grew up beisde the Mississippi. "River" is the sexiest, most evocative word I know. And you did the river justice.
Thanks so much Anne. Until I took this trip, I don’t think I would have understood what you meant by a sexy river -- and now I think I’m starting to have a glimmer. Certainly, in the category of sexy rivers, the New River has got to be one of the most alluring, while Mississippi has her eternal charm. Looking forward to seeing you (and the New River) again soon, hopefully.
I led canoe trips for a couple of summers in my late teens (I know! Who would send their middle schoolers into the BWCA with a 17 year old these days?!?). Two different trips we had kids get mildly ill, one with a stomach bug, one got bit by something and his hands swelled up. Watching the other kids incorporate their reduced abilities into the trip without making a big deal about it is one of my favorite memories of those summers. As a group, the kids were responsible for getting all but 2 canoes, the packs, paddles, boat cushions etc across every portage, and we left it to them to figure out how they wanted to do it. The kid with the swollen hands was pretty strong, and couldn't paddle, but the others would flip the canoe for him, and steer from each end, and he could carry the portage.
Those summers were so formative to who I am, and how I think of community both human and more-than-human. I'm so glad you got to experience the Missouri, and the gigantic character of our world out here. Such a lovely piece -- thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing this -- yes, this is exactly how it was! Everything going smoothly is one kind of beauty but people coming together and helping each other out is another kind of beauty altogether. It sounds like you were a great camp leader, even at that age.
Honestly, I don't know how y'all stand it, the gorgeousness of the landscape out there. I'm planning on going out to the Potomac this evening, just to have a chance of saying a quick hello to a sister river before dark tonight.
Rivers will infiltrate your dreams!
I wound up following a fellow counselor from that camp to North Carolina in my 20s and raft guiding for a year or two (much to my mother's horror). Probably not a coincidence that I wound up on the banks of the Yellowstone for all these years ...
You might see if you can find a copy of Barry Lopez's River Notes: The Dance of Herons. It's been decades, but I remember it being a balm when I was missing being on water ...
Oh that sounds perfect for my mental state right now, thanks so much! 🌊
What a beautiful WanderFinder. I feel your spirit and the river's, as do your many readers. Thanks for letting us experience the "kindness of strangers": people, land, and river, ancestors too.
Panthea
Thanks so much Mom, that's really sweet of you. Much love.
Hannah, this trip would not have been the same without you. Thank you for borrowing all that gear and challenging yourself to make the journey. I want to say that you didn't "rely" on anyone, you "allowed" assistance. They are two different things, and your way was gracious. You more than held your own and I admire your courage and your ability to remain ebullient in the midst of what must have been far more difficult for you than you let on. 🙏🏽
Thanks so much Chris. It’s a little internal battle -- external too of course but really a lot internal. Thanks to you & everyone, each time I go through it & it works out, it gets easier & I have more confidence -- not that nothing will go wrong, but that it’ll be OK if things do go wrong. That’s a huge relief and it’s what enables me to take risks like going on this trip.
BTW, I don’t know if FreeFlow ever has other people who are wondering if their medical issues would prevent them from coming along, but I’d be glad to chat with them about my experience if it would be helpful.
I am meeting with Chandra later this week. I will absolutely let her know. You might consider writing up a testimonial they can use on the website?
That’s a good idea, I’ll start drafting something ... thanks.
BTW, I guess by “external” I mean “corporeal.”
Loved the comment about hanging out laundry. Decades ago, when I rafted the lower Grand Canyon, I remember being so excited if that night's camping spot included some big flat rocks, because you could dry laundry on them. And how wonderful it is, just for a bit, to have modern concerns go away & celebrate having a big flat laundry rock. Or not.
I just want to say that, for the record, I made the entire trip in one set of clothes and never even considered laundry. 😂
You know, I was looking at you in that tiki bar and thinking, “is it possible? Can it be true? Did he really make this whole trip in one set of clothes?”
What can I say, Chris, some of us just don’t have your devastating charm & movie star good looks, and in those cases, we have to do laundry. 🤷♀️
That's sweet of you, Hannah. But I prefer they be referred to as "rugged good looks", thank you very much. 😆
Noted. 😆
I did kind of love all that stuff -- drying laundry, the conch shell for time -- BUT also was so glad someone was cooking for me! I don’t know how it all would’ve worked if I had been trying to paddle, do upkeep, and cook every meal, though I know some people do it. Did you have a guide in the Grand Canyon?
oh yes, we were part of a rafting group--boating the Grand Canyon is highly regulated. I think you have to enter a lottery a year+ in advance to win a self-guided space.
The woman who started Freeflow, Chandra Brown, guides on the Grand Canyon in the fall. We have guide overlaps from the GC with a couple other folks too.
This is wonderful. I wish I could have joined you all! It looks like it was a struggle at times, but you did it. Nature is for everyone.
Thanks so much, Tom. I wish you could've been there too but let's all try to do a trip together sometime. And thank you -- nature is for everyone.
Just not in a canoe! It's too damn hot. Let's meet at that gin bar
Except for maybe those jackasses behind us bragging about killing a snake.
Lord. I somehow missed that. Were those the other people at the Hole in the Wall camp? Their vibe seemed off to me -- lotta arguments.
It was, but it wasn't until the following day when they were arriving at our lunch spot (I think) just as we were about to push out again.
Ugh. How can that group have been there and missed the entire fucking point? That landscape is so awe inspiring, it’s so easy there to feel small & also part of the fabric of the whole ... what do the mountains have to do, tap dance to get the point across? That is so tiring.
White. Dudes.
Thanks for sharing the peace! If you had never done anything like this before, it must have taken some bravery and some grit for you to jump right in, especially if medical or mobility issues could recur. I admire your willingness. And thanks for the lovely photos and descriptions of the trip. I’ve never seen that area, so it’s a treat to get to know it a bit. Rivers are something else, aren’t they.
They are indeed! Thanks for reading. :)
I love this. And love that you made this trip. And your embrace of the uncertainties of such a trip! I’m proud of you! And envious. Congrats!!! Thank you for this post.
Awww, thanks! I still kinda can’t believe I did it. It was a stretch for sure but 1,000% worth it. Looking forward to doing a similar trip with you sometime & finding out what happens. ☺️
Sounds like such a powerful journey.
It was! I think just being around rivers and other bodies of water can be so powerful.
This sounds like Heaven...
The water is not my friend because I cannot swim...but being in that kind of community, it sounds like it barely matters.
We are all connected, for sure.
I hope your leg has eased up on you.
Looking forward to reading more about your trip in the future.
Take care,
Casey
Thanks so much for your kind words, and I agree, it was heaven (and very lucky) being with such a generous community for this trip. Hope you get to go on an adventure of your own -- watery or not -- very soon. (Oh, and yes, the leg is getting much better, thanks!)
Take care to you too,
Hannah
Hannah, you write so beautifully. What a brave and gorgeous river time you shared with us!
I live on a river, a mountain river, and grew up beisde the Mississippi. "River" is the sexiest, most evocative word I know. And you did the river justice.
Thanks,
ann
Thanks so much Anne. Until I took this trip, I don’t think I would have understood what you meant by a sexy river -- and now I think I’m starting to have a glimmer. Certainly, in the category of sexy rivers, the New River has got to be one of the most alluring, while Mississippi has her eternal charm. Looking forward to seeing you (and the New River) again soon, hopefully.
Thanks for this, Hannah!