Hi. Guys.  I haven't been on this site that long, but find it very informative, sometimes serious and very amusing a lot of the time.

DB, I have to say I laughed out loud when I saw you first line...very good!

I've been reading the threads from many of you who have made canoe tripping an art in the Quetico and beyond and my hat is off to you.  I've been canoing for 30 odd years, taken my boys when they were barely out of diapers, surfed 3 footers solo down Basswood, been windbound on Snow Bay for 3 days with 4 teenage boys (that was a frickin treat!), stuck in muck trying to get from the numbered lakes to Clearwater, watched the Ham Lake fires while on Saganaga and fought monster pike on Poobah and trout in Shan Walsh.   But I think I'd probably die trying to keep up with you many of you.

I like soloing mainly cause I can do what I want when I want and don't have to worry about anyone else (a little selfish...oh well, at my age I think I've earned it a little).  Next year I'll take my boys on the Falls Chain and Kawnipi and then I hope to drop them back in Duluth and then solo up through Shan Walsh and up to Sark and Keefer.  Then I'll decide whether to push on to Camel and bushwack into Hoare or head over to Joyce and visit Suzanette and McIntryre on the way back to North Bay.  I'm not one to paddle for days on end; I usually paddle for a couple days, then layover a couple days.  Then move again.  Just love being in the northwoods and fishing when the weather cooperates...

Again, thx to all of you for this site and for letting me be part of it.