The canoe – a majestic behemoth of a bygone era. Supplanted by kayaks, sups, rafts, packrafts, and the like, the North Country is one of the few places where the canoe stills reign supreme. Goddammit.
I don’t have an inherent issue with the canoe, but paddling is a deeply personal activity to me and the idea of having to work together with Stilly to paddle on an already low social battery was… unappealing. I respect the canoe, its history, the technique needed, and as somebody who has the technique down and knows the history, I feel qualified to say I prefer a kayak.
My preferences would be of no difference, though, as where we were headed only had canoes as an option. Indian Lake, just 15 minutes south of us but in those 15 minutes we managed to get lost on what was theoretically a straight shot. The first place we turned into had the energy of a high-income cult or Christian retreat, and they were all too eager to give us directions to where we were supposed to be. When we got to our actual destination, we were greeted by a disheveled park employee who gave us free reign more or less to grab what we needed after handing over the couple of bucks it took to rent canoes there. No instructions, no advice, just go. My type of guy.
We rented three canoes for the five of us, dividing them between me and Stilly, Elaine and Melanie, and Audrey. Stilly insisted on the two of us sharing a canoe in a way that can only be described as vaguely homoerotic, but in the way hearing cowboys talk about their horses in old movies always comes across as slightly homoerotic. I don’t know that I’m making my point clear.
Paddling is a solitary affair for me. I’ll paddle with a group, sure, but it’s like a holy ritual that requires the utmost care and attention. Climbing is fun. Hiking is rewarding. Paddling is divine. I think that’s where the rift in outlooks on paddling came between me and Stilly, but even with a rift in outlook we were still an efficient team. With the wind and waves pushing us ever forward, we made good time as we neared on a distant island for lunch. Audrey, solo in a two person canoe, was able to keep pace but the rest of the group figured to make things easier we’d tie all three canoes together for the last push. I thought it was, how do I put this politely, fucking sacrilegious.
We reached the shore and prepped our lunches. Audrey found a nice piece of sand to lay out on, as Stilly and Melanie looked for a good swimming hole, with Elaine soon in tow. I walked along the shore and found a rocky outcrop to relax on, out of sight of the others. It’s not that I don’t love them all dearly, but I was in desperate need of some time to just exist by water, listening to the water and my music blend together as I dissociated, meditated, and reflected. Mull of Kintyre came on and I couldn’t help but agree with Paul – my desire is always to be there.
After eating my lunch I spread out on the rocks to get kissed by the sun as I got lulled into a state of half-asleep until the others barged up into my spot. Stilly kept trying to get me to swim, and it’s not that I didn’t want to, but I wanted to on my own terms. As they set up camp around me, I quickly departed to find another spot of solitude. No offense to them, I’d just rather talk to the wind and the waves. I passed by Audrey, whose solitude hadn’t been broken, and kept on to the opposite side of the island to wade and take some shots.
We all reconverged eventually, the hive mind knowing it was time to head back. The only issue is that the wind that had carried us there was still blowing the same direction, and we weren’t any less tired. Not even 100 yards out from the shore, it was clear Audrey was getting nowhere trying to solo paddle. Stilly and I decided that he’d hop in her canoe and I’d solo, figuring I’d have better luck. The wind only got more unrelenting, and while I was able to make continual progress, it challenged the upper limits of my ability. Perhaps the canoe knew I wished I was in a kayak.
Melanie and Elaine offered to tie the boats together or to take shifts. Kind offers, and offers I was vehemently opposed to. Was it challenging? Yes. Was there an easier way? Probably. Was it grueling? A bit, but that’s the fun of it! I could tell Elaine was frustrated that I wouldn’t accept help, my only response being I was capable of doing it alone. To be fair, it also gave me the solitude I had been looking for, a true paddling experience.
The gang made their way to an island for a rest from the unfavorable winds, with me admittedly a bit behind. Part of me wanted to keep going – I didn’t want to hold them up and I’d rest when I got back to the cabin. Logic and self-preservation won out as I admitted defeat and paddled up to shore with the rest of them. The call had already been made that they didn’t want me doing the full thing alone, and that I’d swap out with Elaine and paddle with Audrey. Despite my stubbornness, I knew it was the right decision.
We rested a while more, skipping stones and hoping time would slow the winds. A family of ducks waddled through and as they left, it was our sign to leave as well. Audrey and I took the front with an unspoken understanding of the objective – get back as efficiently as possible. We locked into a rhythm and I was begrudgingly grateful that I hadn’t insisted on doing the full thing alone.
Both of us dissociated with the rhythm of the paddles and couldn’t tell if we’d been paddling for hours or minutes when we got back to shore. After getting everything put back, we headed back to the cabin. The gang wanted to drink, but I was interested in a much more potent beverage – a milshake. Nobody took me up on the offer, so as soon as everyone else settled, I was back out again to drive a half hour to the nearest ice cream stand. It was a bustling joint, and all I could do was empathize with the poor scoopers behind the counter. I’d worked all through high school scooping ice cream for tourists, and I felt second-hand annoyance as I watched some sunburnt dad chastise the poor kids over a small discrepancy. I was in and out getting my coffee milkshake, and tried to avoid scarfing it down immediately as I drove back.