I guess anytime or anywhere I'm paddling I'm happy.

But the paddling and camping is really special. I'll say paddling cause I'm doing some kayaking now too.

I first went to Q in '99, tried BW in 2000. Soloed Q in 2001. Then tried some river whitewater trips, extra excitement.
Skipped ahead of the usual northern progression and did some arctic river trips.

I dropped out of the group I originally started with because of some unethical things they did. But I really wanted to do river trips and decided I didn't have the connections to make it happen DIY. So I hooked up with guided whitewater trips which happened to also be whitewater instruction courses on the fly. I ended up very happy with that. Since then I've convinced other trip leaders that were having trouble getting their group farther north to try joining guided trips too. They're happy too, and going again.

So Jimbo, If you really want to do it. Don't wait for the perfect group of friends. The years are going by too fast. Just go. The Soper River trip on Baffin Island you could take your wife on too. I may try that one with Martha too.

I did some fly-in fishing near WCPP and the ground cover is cool, woods more open. But not much red/white pines.

No matter where I went I always did a trip to Q each year. I've really enjoyed going in Oct lately.

Tripping doesn't seem to have the same pull it had when I was working. I'm enjoying my canoe racing more.

Solitude??? There's evidence of man in all the places I've gone. I want solitude while I'm tripping, but I enjoy exploring artifacts of man's past in those areas too.