Hello again, fellow adventurers! The semester has finally begun in earnest, meaning that the sending of trips is in full swing! This week, we’ll put an emphasis on the titular “paddle” as we recount an overnight canoeing adventure in the Adirondacks.
On Friday, September 13, a group of nine SLUdents left the OC sidelawn with nothing but a trailer full of canoes. Their mission? Navigate Lower and Middle Saranac Lake in time to cook dinner and sleep out under the stars. After the requisite hour-or-so drive from campus to the Adirondacks, cars were parked, canoes unloaded, life vests put on, and food stowed on board. It was 6pm and time to hit the water.
Canoeing is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to get across a body of water. A person sits at either end of the oblong boat with a paddle each and any extra gear (or people!) lies stashed in the middle, safe from the waves. The rower at the aft (back) of the boat is in charge of steering while the person in the fore (front) provides power. Canoeing is incredibly dependent on teamwork—if the paddlers are out of sync, the boat is more likely to wend and wobble across the water rather than go in a straight line. As such, canoeing makes for a great bonding experience.
As our nine brave heroes figured out their paddling rhythms, they were treated to the beauty of wild New York. The leaves were beginning to change and the water was calm, breathing like a sleeping giant. The sunset spread across the sky and all sat in awe of the sublime shifting colors. The night did not put an end to the adventuring though—no, there was another lake yet before dinner. As guides and participants paddled under moonlight, they arrived at something new: a loch.
For many, passing through the loch was a unique experience. “Water lifts up around you and bubbles and flows,” explains trip leader Kristen Gehl ’20, “you’re lifted two or three feet into the air and released into a separate part of the loch.” The group had been lucky—they had caught the loch tender at the end of his shift. After some brief socialization, the boats passed through the loch and into the river leading to Middle Saranac Lake.
A brief end to the journey under the stars, followed by dinner. The paddlers enjoyed a delicious dinner of tortillas stuffed with rice, beans, and salsa. Their work done, the crew settled in for the night.
The morning was leisurely: some fished, others slept in, and all enjoyed themselves. The crew packed up around noon, paddled again through the rivers and lakes and lochs, and arrived back campus at around 4:20, their thirst for adventure slaked—for now.
“This was my first official trip I led with the OC,” recalls trip leader Logan Hagerty ’21, “it was just as fun to lead it as it was to be a participant.” When asked just what was so special about the trip, Hagerty responded “I met a lot of people I had never met before, so it was great bonding. It’s the people who make the trip.”
And on that note, dear reader, we’ll bring this week’s edition of the ol’ BNP to a close. Check back in next week for a look back at Peak Weekend!
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