I am sure many have things to comment on so lets get started.

As always, the highlight of 'Copia is getting together with fellow QJers for lunch and for dinner.

The amount of knowledge in that one room is absolutely staggering.  Wherever you are going or however you plan to do it, there is at least one and probably several who have been there and done that.

Really enjoyed meeting Mad_Birdman and Wally13 this year and thanks to both of them (among others) who shared a ton of great knowledge with me for our upcoming trip this year!

Bottom line, it's a group of very likeable and unselfish people who really enjoy helping one another to have the best trip possible.

And the lies stories told around that table are by far the best entertainment of the entire weekend!

This year I stayed with friends in the Clarion and found that to be very convenient and allowed me to attend all three days. It also allowed me to see all the presentations I was interested in and still browse Friday and Sunday when it is a little less crowded. Of course each year the interaction with others from the on-line community becomes a bigger part of my experience. I did not make the noon lunch with QJ but did make it out for a great time at the dinner in Verona.

I was pleased with the addition new speakers and programs. The speakers doing presentations about far north canoeing were the most interesting to me. On the tamer side I was very pleased with the jobs Kevin Callan and Larry Ricker did in presenting programs on WCPP. You know how dear that park is to me so I usually get pretty worried when someone is portraying it.

In the more advanced tripping programs I started with Bear Paulsens account of his Wind and Peel river trip. It was interesting and I knew from the bio that it would include his car troubles as part of the presentation. Dave Sproule gave a very informative program about the Missinaibi River. It was given in such a way that I took away information that will be useful. I am interested in trips out to Hudson Bay and checked out Jay Timmerman's version. Well, I guess I need to buy his book to find out what happened for very little was offered in the program.

Saving the best for last. It was a shame that Pete Marshall only had one time slot and that in the BWCA room at the end of the day. For me it was the gem of the whole weekend. Fantastic topic, content and presentation are my thoughts. An off the charts and fresh approach for a paddling endeavor. Skagway to Hudson Bay in one long trip done by sheer will by four people that would not give up.

I am a little wordy here because I know Darrin will be checking this out as he did last year. Thank you Darrin for listening last year. I had an issue last year with the non-stocking of kayak paddles longer than 240cm. For canoe use many need 260 or even 280 but they are never in stock. I checked in with Bending Branches on Sunday morning and was told they had a bunch of 260's but they all sold out. A small thing in a big show but I am very happy to see some small things that are important to canoeist being taken seriously. :)

Also it's unfortunate that pretty much all of you had left by the time db gave out this year's door prize which I was lucky enough to receive!

---

With all the fish you and OS catch and presumably consume on your trips, I would think "Stool Tightener" would be more appropriate.  ;) ;D

Snow_Dog wrote on Mar 11^th, 2013 at 3:34pm:

Also it's unfortunate that pretty much all of you had left by the time db gave out this year's door prize which I was lucky enough to receive!

That particular door prize gets "re-gifted" quite a lot and not just for QJ celebrations!

I agree with Snow_Dog's earlier comment re: highlights.  Conversing & sharing with QJer's, in-person, IS the big deal for me.  This was the first Copia in years where I didn't buy ANY new toys.  Nevertheless, I attended & thoroughly enjoyed five separate meals involving multiple QJer's (yes, I like to eat).

Also, I salute Old Salt's efforts to get QJer's to pull together a presentation of some sort downstream.  We had a good discussion producing plenty of food for thought.  Nevertheless, I have some serious cogitating to do regarding what hard-hitting topic I would interested in and best able to contribute to.

Re: shows :  I attended the "knots" seminar (mildly amusing but the speaker didn't really talk about knots during the first half-hour).  I'm not sure you can really do much w/knots without either having cord in the hands of everyone in the audience OR doing the whole presentation in conjunction with high-quality pics & video.  This presentation offered neither and therefore, especially for folks in the back of the room, its value was much diminished.  Only the speaker's folk humor saved the presentation.  He's a natural entertainer.

Kevin Callan's presentation on his WCPP trip was good & well-worth it.  However, as THE reigning humorist & entertainer of northern paddling, I guess I had hoped for more from him in his film.  I thought his video did the park justice (good pics) but I guess I wasn't as high on it as were other QJer's who commented to me about it.  Kevin did experience some minor technical issues in getting the video to run right during the Saturday afternoon session that I attended, but nothing fatal.   What he did eventually splice together was entertaining but I felt it was uneven in quality (& coverage of the WCPP route that he took).  His paddling buddy, Andy, is certainly an amusing character... possibly the 2nd coming of Red Skelton.

Darryl Blazino's "20 Favorite Places in Quetico" was worthy even though MY 20 favorite spots - and those of everyone else in the audience - wouldn't look much like his.   Darryl's feeling for the park did shine through his high quality pics & video - several involving his children - making this a worthy presentation that resonated well with families.  One minor beef would be that several of his pics really didn't pertain to the particular spot he was discussing (ie. came from locations other than what he was talking about) but most of the folks in the audience would not likely have picked that up.  I guess he was going more for "flavor" than for rigorous geographical accuracy... which he did to good effect.  The presentation was likely distilled from his new book as a convenient by-product... & a means to promote its publication.

Those were the three presentations I attended and I was happy with them.  I WISH I had taken in the Marshall presentation that Martin speaks so highly of!

The vendors on the floor were pretty much what I expected based upon years of attending this event.  A few new offerings did grab my attention (but not my bucks).  Maybe next year.  Of course, by then, the tide may well have swept aside the monicker "Canoe"Copia in favor of "Kayak-Copia." 

I will be attending the Midwest Mountaineering Show next month.  My expectation is that the vendor offerings will be much more on-target for advanced paddling & camping needs.  However, the MM seminars, while good, are unlikely to offer the variety of the Copia event.

That's how I see it, anyway.  It was a very fine weekend.

Jimbo   8-)

Well. . .it was nice to see a bunch of you at the lunch at the Coliseum.  I don't post much on QJ anymore and we don't go to the Q, so we have become more active on bwca.com (hence attending the dinner with them, which was also a fun time), but we did really enjoy getting the chance to see some of you, and even to meet some of you that we have never met before.

We did buy a few things; a couple that we planned upon buying and a couple that just caught our eye as we walked the floor.  Replaced a SeaLine bag, bought some Cache Lake food (not a lot), and I treated myself to a bug shirt, since this year's trip will be during black fly season and I tend to really swell up with those bites.  And we bought a small Sawyer paddle for our grandson, who is turning seven in May and going to Fenske Lake Cabins with us in June.

I attended one photography session wherein I didn't learn much and one that I found quite interesting (the one entitled something like "How did you get that shot?").  We enjoyed Kevin Callan's Woodland Caribou presentation.  Also, had never attended the cook-off before, but we went this time, and found that entertaining, silly fun.

But mainly we enjoyed the concerts/performances by Jerry Vandiver and the One Match Band.  We were supporters of Jerry's efforts to bring the band to Canoecopia this year, and I pledged extra money for the privilege (?) of playing cowbell on one song along with Kevin Callan and two other volunteers/victims.  It was just great fun!

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I had spoken with Kevin Callan at the Quiet Water Symposium in Lansing, MI, last weekend and told him that we would be playing cowbell together.  He remarked at that time that he thought it would be neat to do his performance in a cow suit.  I was sort hoping that he wouldn't show up in one, but of course, being Kevin Callan, he did!  He's quite the clown!

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Jerry's Saturday performance was standing-room only and was the highlight of Canoecopia for us this year.  His tribute to canoeing dogs was a real hit, in a beautiful song and video:  "Me and Molly".

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Did you stop by the Lafayette County Cheese booth and taste the cranberry goat cheese?  I am going online this afternoon to order some!  It was fabulous!!

We stayed at a hotel about ten miles from the venue, had a quiet night's sleep both nights and a great swim in the pool in the morning before heading to 'Copia.  We sort of like that distance from the excitement.  Guess that makes us the stodgy old folks.  LOL!

All in all, we really enjoyed this year's Canoecopia.

If that door prize ever shows up at a crime scene there is going to be a lot of finger prints found on it.  If only the original owner knew where his little bottle has been.

Hooking up with fellow QJ'ers over a beer and some eats is always the highlight for me at Canecopia. Every year I pick up numerous tips on fishing, paddling and camping. If a QJ'er can't answer your question ... he almost always can point you to someone who can.

Like Marten ... Peter Marshall's presentation about his 2,600 mile trip from Alaska to Hudson Bay was the best I have seen since coming to Copia. The presentation, photography, and message were topnotch, A+, #1 ... I wish more were present to see it. I played his DVD "2,600 above 60" last night and I was reminded again how incredible his journey really was.

You can go to   (You need to Login or Register to learn more about his 2012 Trans-Territorial Canoe Expedition.

I can't wait until he finishes making his movie of his unbelievable journey.

See you on QJ.

I'll echo the others' sentiments: getting together in-person with fellow QJers is indeed the highlight of the weekend. I only went to one presentation and didn't really buy anything, but it was a good show, nonetheless.

Thanks to Kingfisher for once again lining up the Saturday night dinner  :thumbup

And congrats to Snow Dog for his fine door prize victory. You are indeed the most worthy of such a fine gift  ;D

Hope everyone has a great tripping season, and I look forward to having you back in my fair city in a short 12 months.
:dankk2

ml

I didn't go - but I'm pretty sure you are supposed to rub that door prize on your canoe seat, for a softer ride.

I regretfully left saturday just before the evening get together  My wife and daughter convinced me that avoiding the forcasted heavy fog on I39 was a wize move. Non the less,I do wish I'd been able to talk more with "ya'll". I could'nt hear due to a sinus/ear condition anyway,but I enjoyed  reading lips (pretty frustrated,actually)with both the Spartens,Phoenix and his wife,NC Ben,and being able to say hello to the rest of you guys. I really do draw inspiration from hearing about your trips. I got to meet Harlen,and Stu,and Bill Ostrum,Darryl Blazino ,and some really cute Canadian girls! I believe I rubbed elboes with Martin for a brief moment in the book stall,but he dashed off before I could talk to him.  ...wished I could have talked a lot more to all of you. ...maybe next year.

Oh, you should have stayed. I got there after everyone ordered. My drive really sucked. Dark, rainy ... drove on faith sometimes.

It was worth it. Fun and enlightening as usual and it's always good to get to know the folks behind keystrokes a little better.

It had stopped raining by the time I left so my drive home was boring enough to paddle some nice areas in my head.

There's always next year.

Did not make it this year but the one time i went, as everyone says, meeting the "faces behind the keystrokes" at the QJ lunch was by far the best part.

It the first time for my wife and myself to attend the QJ lunch on Saturday - and also the first ever trip to Canoecopia.

I enjoyed meeting some of the faces behind the labels (knafelc, Old Salt, Jimbo, the Spartans and others). We had hoped to attend the Saturday dinner but events intervened - maybe next year.

For a newbie, Canoecopia was pretty overwhelming. We were expecting a lot of vendors and big crowds but what we saw blew us away. We took in some of the talks (especially those related to camping and Quetico) and especially liked Daryl Blazino's talk on his Quetico Top 20 (his book is really enjoyable to read also).

We hope to return (maybe next year) although the two-day drive each way at this time of year can be a little daunting. The weather has to be just right.

Thanks to everyone at QJ who originally brought Canoecopia to my attention.

As others have so eloquently stated, this years Copia was a real treat. I really enjoyed it. It was great to meet some new faces, and catch up with old friends. I think Wally 13 and I will be friends for life.

My favorite presentation was the previously mentioned Blazino production. As Jimbo mentioned, we were able to have a productive planning session Friday, over some great Texas BBQ. It is possible that a few QJers will present on a variety of topics next year.

Thanks to MuleLars and Kingfisher for organizing the lunch & dinner. Those ARE the highlights for me. If you've considered attending in the past, put it on your calendar for next year. As Snowdog stated, bring your maps, and you will likely find someone or several who can help you out on your trip. Of course be prepared to share your info with others. All in all, a great weekend.

Having been one of the presenters listed by Marten, It was exciting enough.  I felt challenged in turning my presentation into something that the general public found palatable.  I'm sorry that Marten was disappointed.  I whittled it down, and ran through a few "dry runs" with non-canoeing laypeople, with this presentation as a result.  Upon their recommendations, I removed some of the details in order to conform to the time limits of Canoecopia.  The presenters are limited to 50 minutes, so there were several who asked me questions after the presentation.  Also, there are some details where you'll have to buy the book ;) 

I managed to sell my consignment of books, though, so I'm happy about that. 

Hey all,

I agree with on the highlights of the show, putting names and faces together with everyone at the QJ lunch and dinner.  My thanks also to ML and KF for putting them together.  Much knowledge and many good stories were exchanged!
The show itself I found was a bit underwhelming, as there did not seem to be much new in the way of camping or Canoe gear.  As my previous gear posts suggest, I was hoping to find some variety of portage boots, but all I found were the Chotas.  It may be that like most of us, I really have all the gear I need already.  It was worthwhile to get there when the doors had just opened on Sat. morning to avoid the crunch.

Did you bring the door prize to the Sat. dinner db?  It looks just like a prize that I last saw heading to Denton, Texas.........

quentin

It also looks like the doorprize I recieved... :-/

I missed the show on Saturday but attended Sunday. I had no real problem fighting the crowds that day, but there was some decent foot traffic.

I heard Kevin Callan, Stu Ostoff/Rob Kesselring, and a photo presentation. All of them were worth it and I was able to take some notes that I'll use (loved the thermo-reflective tape on the underside of the blue barrel lid idea to keep the contents cool).

Great to meet everyone, and got to spend the most time talking to Snow Dog, Kingfisher, and Marten. Everyone was very generous with advice and info, and it's neat to put faces with names. Still don't know how our waitress remembered all of our orders everytime!

Bought a few odds and ends (things like a new widemouth Nalgene jar to keep our ghee in), some Cache Lake food, and some tarp cord from CCS. Booked the trip with Harlan and shot the breeze with Stu a bit, so it was fruitful. Also spent some time with Bruce from Wabakimi and Shannon Walshe. Nice people and got me thinking about trying that park sometime.

More than anything, it really got me thinking about getting back outside and on the water. Wish our June trip was a bit closer...

I don't mean to be picky, Birdman, but I spoke to Rob Kesselring also and I believe the reflective tape was on the outside of the lid of the barrel (not the underside). Hope I'm not wrong on this!!

I agree that Shannon (Walshe) does good PR for Wabakimi.

Ha, well that would make more sense now wouldn't it?!

On a sunny paddling day, you will need to have your sunglasses on!

Mad_Birdman wrote on Mar 13^th, 2013 at 10:00pm:

(loved the thermo-reflective tape on the underside of the blue barrel lid idea to keep the contents cool).

I wasn't there but...

I painted the dark blue cover of my foodpack white a few years ago. Lately I also bring a hunk of that mylar bubble wrap duct insulation along as I had some left over. They keep the Hershey bars from melting and the sheet of bubble wrap has a lot of alternative uses around camp including helping out my thermos overnight.

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Mad_Birdman wrote on Mar 16^th, 2013 at 1:29am:

Ha, well that would make more sense now wouldn't it?! On a sunny paddling day, you will need to have your sunglasses on!

I'm considering wrapping my entire barrel with it.  Does anyone have experience with this stuff?  Does it have strong adhesive?  Is it tough, or will it fall apart after the first portage?  And yes, by the looks of it, I will definitely wear sunglasses!

prouboy

Puckster wrote on Mar 18^th, 2013 at 3:06pm:

Mad_Birdman wrote on Mar 16th, 2013 at 1:29am: Ha, well that would make more sense now wouldn't it?! On a sunny paddling day, you will need to have your sunglasses on! I'm considering wrapping my entire barrel with it.  Does anyone have experience with this stuff?  Does it have strong adhesive?  Is it tough, or will it fall apart after the first portage?  And yes, by the looks of it, I will definitely wear sunglasses! prouboy

I'd consider painting the barrel with aluminized/white paint and then lining the  interior bottom/sides/inside top with a thin insulating material.
Somehow I don't think wrapping barrel would hold up for very long on portages or with those little camp critters chewing on it. :-/

Good advice, and probably a cheaper alternative.  I'll try it.

thanks,
prouboy

Your photo,db,caused me to elicit a wistful sigh...  That's what a good morning looks like! 8-)

Nice boat!  ;) :thumbup

8-)

knafelc wrote on Mar 19^th, 2013 at 1:43pm:

Your photo,db,caused me to elicit a wistful sigh...  That's what a good morning looks like! 8-)

Agreed! That was the last morning of a rather visually boring trip. I almost left the day before but as I packed up and left for an early out, it kept   (You need to Login or Register (67-86). I got to enjoy it on the water as the fog kept building. At one point I was just using the compass as every direction looked the same.

As the lake narrowed and the fog began to lift, I heard a pack of wolves howling for quite a while. I've never heard anything like it. Oh you shuda been there.   (You need to Login or Register doesn't do it justice but the ducks in the beginning were cool and you can almost make out the wolves near the end if you crank up the volume. A half hour later I turned a corner in the Pickerel river and there was a big ol' moose so close neither of us knew quite what to do. (Or was that another trip with that boat?) Anyway, those couple hours made a rather uninteresting weather type trip well worth the effort so thanks for reminding me. Not being much of a gear hound anymore, mornings like that is why I go.

Sorry for the inturruption. Carry on. Ummm, That silver bubble wrap is less visually bright than the white cover on my foodpack. That more than anything is why it's on top in the photo. An early French exit can be killer on the eyes.