Day 8

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Day 8:
Well, we now have one week of the trip behind us. It was a long, rainy week of paddling with plenty of mosquitoes and biting flies. Though we have some experience canoeing, this trip has been unlike anything we have ever done. The navigation, portaging and duration are all new to us but already we have learned quite a lot.
The portage sections have been getting easier but we still dread exiting the water. Water shoes do not transition very well into road walks, especially with a seventy pound boat atop one's shoulders. Fortunately Andy found a pair of little girls' socks, complete with pink ruffles, on the side of the road to lessen the friction on his blisters. Though it is unpleasant, Andy is tough and still happy to be on the paddle.
As navigator, I have made a few errors of my own but I have learned as well. Without a doubt, part of being on a team powered vessel is disagreement. For instance, on Raquette Lake I was a little turned around but didn't realize my error as quickly as Andy did. He was convinced that we were paddling around an island but I was certain we we were rounding a large point. In the end we rounded the island to arrive back where we started and I had to swallow my mistake. Though this was not as dangerous as my decision to put in right below a broken dam. It was a bad call from the start and we were lucky to escape with only a cracked paddle.
Aside from the mistakes and learning experiences, we have had a lot of fun. Paddling into these old river towns has been a great way to experience this historic region of the country. The long sections of whitewater on the Saranac River threw us overboard but were absolutely thrilling. The paddle across Lake Champlain was another challenge altogether different than all the paddling we had encountered up to that point.
Most importantly, we are becoming accustomed to life on the trail once again. Though this is a canoe trail, paddling this route is much like thru hiking in that the task requires the same level of patience and endurance to continue each day. We have completed 183 miles of the trail but we began the must difficult section today; paddling 70 miles up the Missisiquoi River. Hopefully this uphill challenge will not break us as it will be a tough week paddling.

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Comments

[Jesse]

Extra Ordinary
To the Boones...your strength and endurance mixed with a touch of lunacy are truly awe inspiring. I wish you the best in your travels and look forward to many more updates. Good luck fellas!