Post your tales of "unique" paddling partners here......wether for good or ill.

I posted this a few years back but I still get a kick out of it........

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I'll add another one.  The first time I took my son he was 17.  At the time he wasn't a fisherman or didn't do any outdoor things beside running.  He would run 5-6 days a week and the weather didn't matter.  He is tough mentally.

So, we plan for basing on Malberg for a week with day trips.  I want to ease him into it with a relatively easy trip. The one thing I didn't count on was his dependence on all things entertainment and electronic.

He never complained but his body language gave himself away.  He didn't speak much and slept a lot. He did not enjoy fishing unless there was action.  Paddling over large lakes was clearly getting on his nerves.  On the way out his spirits picked up and thoughts of restaurant meals and phone service put him in a great mood.

I don't fault him at all and actually am grateful that he never really complained but just endured a week in the BW.  I thought that was the end of his tripping but a few months later he shocked me by saying he wanted to go again the following summer.  And we did!   He also expressed an interest to move more and "not stay in one place".  This was great news for me and we had a great time. He now knew what to expect and clearly enjoyed it a lot more.

BTW, this skinny kid joined the army, did 3 years on a casket team at Arlington Cemetary, just finished Airborne School, comes home Sunday and then starts the "Q Course", a 2 year school to become a Green Beret in January. Oh, and he can't wait to try Quetico someday.  A happy proud poppa I am. 

TomT wrote on Dec 13^th, 2013 at 2:51pm:


Many thanks to your son for his service.

Pat

My paddling partner wet her pants as she ran down the portage after me. 

The rest of the story is more than a little embarrassing: It was my 6 year old daughter's first portage of her first canoe trip.  I can't remember my logic, but told her to stay at the beginning of the portage (about a 1/2 mile long), while her brother and I carried gear and canoe and then we'd come back to get her and more gear.  I told her "it's okay, Max (our big golden retriever) will stay with you."  Max stayed with her as long as he could see me (about 2 minutes), then he took off running down the trail. 

As we unloaded gear at the end of the portage and prepared to head back, I hear the sound of wimpering, and soon see my little girl running down the portage crying, wet pants, with the bail open on the fishing rod/reel she was carrying, with line out the entire portage. 

My bone-headed stunt should have forever soured my daughter on wilderness  canoeing.  I deserved no less.  But Liz has paddled with me every year since then, and now at 26 is a married woman who brings her husband along with us. 

I'm a lucky man.

prouboy

Magicpaddler wrote on Dec 13^th, 2013 at 11:45pm:


Bad trip partner? Hardly
I remember being jealous, wished I was there.