Cool sweatshirts Lynda.

And we had someone take this one of the two of us.  Our granddaughter made the sweatshirts for us a few years ago; helps us be identified, especially when we were masked most of the time.  We wore them on Saturday.

I didn't take many photos, but I did snap this one.

Definitely worth the haul from VA!  And the best is the people - especially the QJ crowd!  I spent very little on purchases (couldn't find anything I don't already have 3-4 of...  ) and most of my time just talking with folks. Thanks for the fellowship paddlers!  And thanks to Mike & Mike for setting up the logistics at the CI&S and sharing their adventures!

pd

Amen Marten !

The gathering at The Country Inn and Suites is like a good whiskey, its getting better as it ages. No offence anyone!!

Agree with all that has been said. It was great seeing everyone again, and hearing about those tremendous accomplishments of last summer from Wally13 and mpeebles!!

And like the others,  I also felt as close to "normal" as I have in over two years.

Great weekend!!
ml

We don’t come as far as Old Salt, but the drive is substantial.  And always worth it.  I would come to Canoecopia just for the chance to hear three presentations by Jerry Vandiver and the One Match Band, which we did again this year.  Loved every minute of that!

Jackfish had an excellent presentation on Quetico, and we also greatly enjoyed hearing Old Salt talk about fishing in Alaska.  We attended two sessions by John Bates that were very interesting (Wild Wisconsin Lakes, and At Home in the Northwoods.). As always, loved the humor and fun of Aluminum Chef Competition. 

We attended other presentations and got something out of every one.  You don’t have to still be doing wilderness canoe tripping to find fascinating information at Canoecopia.  And we walked the floor, looked at all of the merchandise, and just enjoyed being there.  I got my “fix” (finally) of the Zanzibar Chocolate ice cream—it’s a good thing we don’t have that in Horton or I’d weigh 300 pounds!

Still, when all is said and done, the best part is seeing the people.  Canoecopia feels almost like a family reunion.  We spent time Friday evening with our QJ “family” and Saturday evening with our BWCA.com “family” and we are thanklful for all of it.

I have some photos I would like to add but we are still in Madison and all I have is the iPad.  Don’t know how to size them small enough to add to this message, so I’ll have to do that when I get home.

Mike (Wally13)—will need your contact info so we can give you a call when we are in the Quad Cities this summer.

I drove two days to get to Copia, and it was worth it. The best part is socializing with friends who share QJ interests. On Friday Wally 13 shared about his adventures paddling the Mighty Mississippi. On Saturday, mpeebles took us from paddling to pedaling as he shared his adventures pedaling from coast to coast. Others shared their adventures and plans for the coming year. Most of you live less than a two day drive and are blessed. If you live in the southeast US, let’s talk. We can probably share the drive next year. I concur with Mossback, most fun I’ve had since the pandemic.

One thing that became evident is that many of us share interests beyond paddling. That’s a good thing. Maybe we could start a category about Other Recreational Pursuits. That sounds like fun.

Best three days I have had in the last two years !