The "Your Best Trip Ever" Challenge …

[Charlie]

I’m curious to hear people describe their “Best Canoe Trip Ever.”

I’m eager to hear them because I like a good story, but I could also see them being a nice way for us to get to know each other. You only need to have paddled three times to have a best trip, right? (i.e., Good, Better, Best)

I WILL submit mine … once I figure out which trip it is!

And, let me make it extra challenging … please describe the trip in 80 words or less!

[Jackcramer]

I usually feel the best trip is the one I’m on at the moment however here is one of my faves. Started just north of the MI/WI border on Lk Michigan and finished at Gros Cap MI, a few miles west of the Straits of Mackinac. I forget the measured distance, but it’s near 150 miles. There was 3 in our group and we were out 5 days, beach camping along the way. The north shore of Lk Michigan is quite remote and offers plenty of very nice camping locations. To keep the trip to only a week, we cut the 2 big bays on this route; luckily they came up early in the trip when the weather was still perfect. The last two days were a challenge due to big west winds that filled in. Great trip, saw the northern lights.

[OneBadApple]

best canoe trip!?!?!?:D
but im sure i’ve only had 1 that i remember anyway…ok we had just gotten off the huron belly all full of chilly pops feeling like a champ well i sure didn’t see that rock that jumped out in front of me!!!! so while carrying the canoe from the stern end…THUMP sure enough i tripped went down like a ton-a-bricks skinned up-a-knee but still a fine memory and the reason why nine times outta 10 i have a big bubba mug of gatorade for paddlin and leave them chilly pops for lisa!!!!!;)
OBA

[Charlie]

Despite a great 50-day/850 mile first “far north” trip, my best trip ever was a solo 7-dayer I did in the Quetico …

Great weather (mostly), great route (Agnes, Kawnipi, returning via Kahsahpiwi, Robinson, Basswood), a fit paddler after a summer of tripping, few people, and then a bit of adventure finishing up — an all-night thunderstorm bivy on a little island and wild following-wave ride out via Basswood.

Just a very satisfying, efficient little passage through that country.

[OneBadApple]

charlie that solo 7 dayer sounds cool, but 50 day 850 miles holy whaaah i couldn’t even imagine!!!!!
i know i’d go nutz unless i had a bunch of peoples to chat with:D
oba

[Charlie]

OBA,

The 50-dayer was with a buddy; that would be a long time to be alone!

On those long, remote trips — even with a buddy — its interesting to see how you seek out conversation with the handful of other parties you meet … and then you discuss the encounter for the next few days!

On a BWCA/Quetico trip (my nearby stomping grounds) I’m generally looking to avoid “the other guy.”

Here’s a puzzler: Why does it seem like people in canoe parties always want to chat with the solo paddler? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

[pknoerr]

Charlie,

Because here in Michigan they’ve never seen a solo canoe and wonder what kind of cross between canoe-kayak thing you are paddling. You should see their faces when you tell them it’s a canoe. :confused: They go from all excited to some sort of baffled look trying to process how a canoe can move so fast and effortlessly.

It’s usually a short conversation with them wandering off shaking their heads, realizing that their concept of canoe and kayak has been turned on it’s head and suddenly their world is all “wrong.” :confused: I’m amazed how many times it happens…. Though not as often as people saying…. something like, “Hey look, a Kayaker.” Or “Hey where did you buy your kayak” of “I have a kayak too.” :rolleyes: I wanna grab them by the neck and say…. “It’s a friggin canoe you GD loon!!!”:eek:… I just end up wandering away, shaking my head, muttering “Idiots… this whole world is full of frigging idiots!!

PK

[OneBadApple]

pk ain’t that the truth over here there aint nothing but kayaks lookin at us like we got it all wrong!?!?!… greatpost (you know i luved it)someday you’ll have to really tell me how yah feel:D
only place i know in michigan were i’ve seen solo canoeist’s is the sturgeon river at the top of the mitt and half of them is kinfolk….
whoa charlie i bought a magazine “the boundary waters journal” summer 07 and if you stomp close to there im jealous just lookin at the size of them fish i know your eatin good!!!
oba

[OneBadApple]

oh yah bummer i tripped on a rock, now had it been a log why yall know I’d be tryin my heart out to get it published and get me one of them SWEET CANOEING.COM hats,just my luck:rolleyes:
lookin like im gonna have to buy one….

[houlibar]

My best trip ever was a voyage through Topock Gorge on the Colorado River. I have made several, but what qualifys this as “best” is this time both my father and son acompanied me on the trip.

Son and his grandpa shared the same canoe and it was a delight to see them together experiencing canoe tripping for the first time.

It was springtime in the desert. There were lots of flowering trees and the weather was warm and pleasant. We made stops for picinic lunches on sandy shores. We swam and played with a ball in the water. We camped overnight twice and cooked delicious meals over an open fire.

We stopped once to take a short hike to view some Indian petroglyphs. Towards the end of our journey we paddled through some rock formations that resembled tunnels. Oh,and once we got to the end of our journey at Lake Havasu, we got to see London Bridge!

[Author]

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