Debbie That last adventure (I think you were in high school) had a little extra drama in it. We got "lost" while navigating back to camp on that overnight canoe trip in Canada. You are gracious to communicate that as an adventure & I'm thinking you weren't always feeling safe while I was. charging thru the woods with the canoe on my head! Thankfully, we abandoned our gear & made it to the road & camp before nightfall. If I recall, the bears were extra hungry that year & I had tried to camp on islands during our trip. That last night concerned me because we were on the mainland & not we're I expected we should be due to going into the wrong inlet. I did not want to set up camp in that marshland, this the charging thru the trees with the canoe...

Well, you didn't let on about your concerns and I thank you for that! I believe you had me navigating and I led us into the marsh...oops!

To elaborate a little more...if I recall correctly... . that is the year I went jogging down the gravel highway to the south of the family campground & one point noticed a bear rambling down a hillside about a quarter mile yonder. When I stopped & got behind a rock to observe, the bear got up on his hind legs (surely sniffing the air) & then dropped down on all four but with a quickened pace, moving towards me! I decided that jogging was over & running should commence, remembering a road grader about a half mile or so towards the camp. When I got to the grader it was locked, seeing no bear but not convinced it wasn't still coming, I ran the few miles back to camp. I think I talked to the highway folks or some rangers prior to our canoe trip & they indicated that the food supply was compromised & bears were hungry.

that year. I very specifically planned to camp on islands during our two to three night canoe trip. I had some adrenaline going thru me when the creek got too shallow to navigate & I decided to go upland with. canoe overhead. Poor Debbie was a trooper & hung with me as we got out of those woods at nightfall.

I was hyperventilating and we headed towards the sun which was setting over the hill. We were trudging in knee deep marshland and at one point Jim suggested we make a fire and sleep near a tree but we didn't have matches so we kept going. Listening intently for motor sounds which meant we were nearing the highway.

We had abandoned our canoe (and all of our survival gear) and tried to 🐝 line to the road.

Mom told me she had never seen me so defeated; said I looked like a whipped puppy dog.

Glad I was just a kid and didn't realize all the dangers!

They say ignorance is bliss, but that trip was not blissful. Although, there is nobody I would have rather been with!

Well that was a sweet response. You haven't volunteered for any similar adventures with me since though.! I don't blame you.

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