Puckster wrote on Jan 6^th, 2010 at 12:12am:


Prouboy,

Make a slight change in the header of your new recommended thread to, "The Most Stupid Things You've SEEN in Canoe Country" and I promise you some rich material.

It seems to be my lot in Life to appear at the right place at the right time for all sorts of weird happenings & goings-on.. which is suggestive of yet another possible thread re: "The Weirdest Things You've Ever Seen in Canoe Country".

Jimbo   

jimmar wrote on Jan 7^th, 2010 at 12:48am:

Hey, wait a minute (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) That's my wife BTW but whenever I have a passenger and we're just fishing or out for an evening paddle, anytime one person's paddle power is sufficient ... it's so much easier to carry on a conversation, and fish, ... pass things, add facial expressions to whispers....


I split this off not because I was asked but because it reminded me of a story I have tucked away and I may need to refer to it someday so I'll keep it fresh by sharing. One very windy day a big group was camped in the narrows of Pickerel (Q). Three of the girls decided to have a race to see who could paddle the Grummans solo, into the wind, through a whitecap choked chute. It was windy!

They battled, seemingly forever, a good half hour at least. The lead switched more times than anyone bothered to count. Every time one of 'em, through sheer will, pulled ahead, she'd hit the pinch, lose control of the bow and weathervane to WAY back of the pack.

After a very long time of getting nowhere with no end in sight, after the rest of us thought - just give it up already - one of the girls tried a novel idea. As she weathervaned for the umpteenth time to the back of the pack, she turned around in the bow seat leaving the rest of the canoe wagging behind her. She proceeded to paddle right past the other two, who in turn, turned around and did the unthinkable as well. All three made it up the chute. It was pretty impressive to watch.


There are one or two times on every trip I'll mutter to myself: "Well that was stupid." I try to avoid people though so few might see whatever lapse in judgment I had. Even the guys in the garbage bag rain gear looked like they were having fun so I'm not real quick to judge. Hey, if it works....

Faking a diabetic attack.

On Cedar Portage into Jesse Lake (2007), a teacher leading a Toronto high school group staged a fake diabetic attack for them to deal with. In my opinion, this would be more appropriate at camp or anywhere other than on the portage.

--Goose

Two parents encouraging teenage sons to portage approximately 2 foot square x 5 inch thick rock slabs out of Q, to use for their "patio" at home. 
Same group fills up the aluminum canoe at the end of the portage and go to push off, Mom is in front, not quite sat down yet.  Guys give the canoe a good push and it immediately comes to a complete halt on a submerged rock (we all know how well an alu canoe slides on rocks).  Mom is launched head first into cold shallow water onto a field of underwater rocks...not a word was uttered, I guess because of the shocked audience of strangers watching.

Camped on island site on North Bay of Basswood one very warm July day. Four of us on a layover day just passing a lazy afternoon. Three of us sitting in the shade when we realized that our fourth hadn't been seen in awhile. Both canoes accounted for; nobody snoozing in a tent. Where could he be? Called out: no answer. Quick check of shoreline; nope. All fishing gear accounted for. Finally found him about 50 yards away on the far side of the island. Wearing only his BVDs, he was lying on his back in shallow water with his head propped on a small flat rock, his hands folded over his chest, hat slightly over his brow...absolutely sound asleep and snoring like a chainsaw.
I remember laughing so hard my stomach hurt.