Journal, 9/19 Canoe on Wild Waves experience

 

On 9/19 Tuesday, I had a wild adventure canoeing with my Treks and Texts peers.  We met at the REC center, which is what I did for my Moonlit Paddle excursion I did last spring.  Last spring was an evening experience with the Rec center, and the waters were still and dark.  However, today’s trip was in the late afternoon.  I heard that the forecast predicted a storm, but it didn’t look that bad as we lined up in front of the Rec center transport and brought canoeing materials.  We drove a half hour out to the waters, and it started to seem a bit stormy.  The waves were crashing against the shore and I could feel the wind in my hair. 

I partnered with my professor to canoe and we set off on the water as soon as everyone else had paired up and set sail.  Rather quickly, I realized that it was not going to be an easy trip.  My past experiences at a campsite or two mainly consisted of kayaks, which are less wobbly than the canoe, which already had me feeling a bit anxious.  The water became quickly tumultuous and waves began to shove into the front of the canoe, where I was stationed.  The website Wikihow tells me “[w]ho should be in the front and back of a canoe… the bowman at the front of the canoe should set the pace, and the stern man should adjust their paddling to match them”, and I agree with this conclusion.  I was not too aware of this information, but the professor gave some pointers earlier when we were on land, and with his guidance we were able to keep the canoe in a mostly consistent path forward. 

Nearing the middle of the body of water, we came to realize that the waves were becoming stronger, and it would be the best course of action to head back to shore.  Signaling down the other vessels, we began our course towards the opposing side of land as it was nearer.  The land was sticky and muddy, and splashes of water leapt at me as I disembarked my canoe, making me grateful to have donned crocs rather than my only good pair of shoes for this adventure.  Other students were not as lucky, as they brought their white sneakers.  I have for a while been interested in purchasing my own pair of white shoes because it appears to be the most popular choice of footwear on campus, but as I often step into grassy areas like the commons (with the outdoorsy and confident spirit I possess), I fear that I might soon soil the expensive shoes. 

As the class had to take a moment to collect themselves and prepare for the voyage back to the Rec center van, which would entail crossing the moody waters, I was left for some minutes to myself.  I took this time to observe the rocks and shells on the muddy shore.  All of a sudden, a pair of daring sailors from our class who had begun to embark found the powerful waves near land to push their canoe over!  It was filled with water and the students were soaked, trudging back with wet shoes and cell phones.  Despite the unfortunate and shocking circumstance, they soon laughed it off, and it would be a memory of an adventure they would not soon forget.  I felt two things at this moment.  The first, gratitude that I was not in their shoes, literally and figuratively, for it would be cold and wet with no towel to dry off.  The second, admiration, because I don’t think I would have been able to return to bright spirits after such an event, and I appreciate how they could bring a positive outlook at that moment.

            In the end, everyone got back to shore safely, even though it took awhile to brave the waves that kept knocking all canoes off course.  I put double the effort into rowing that I had on the way there.  Some of us found our canoes a bit further down the shore due to the push of waves, but with some teamwork, we all brought the canoes back to the Rec center transport and prepared for our journey home.  In a later email, our professor would express how this was not the most optimal canoeing experience for many first-timers, and I agree that it was definitely a wild ride.  However, the thrill from the waves, the positive vibes students gave off, and the group effort and mindset all came together to make this a good experience in the end, or at least, a memorable time.