Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: For those over 70
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nctry |
Pinetree: I couldn't describe it better than Lorence. It was an amazing trip as was most all my WCPP adventures. But to paddle with such a class act was priceless. Same with my Quetico trip with Denton Doc. That spring trip with Zulu and meeting Tony out there. Meeting TuscaroraBorealis and Vicki on my 40 day... That WCPP trip with Suncatcher and Boppa... Solo trips are great. But don't ever miss an opportunity to paddle with good friends. So when you meet "that guy" out there. Don't be afraid to chat a bit. You may make yourself a priceless friend. |
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Pinetree |
MagicPaddler: "It saddens me to think we will not be doing more of the trips like we were on when you took that picture. That was a good trip and the rout favored my little boat. I remember the creek that I was planting a paddle on the inner bank of hairpin turns and pivoting around then while you were portaging over them. I remember laying in my hammock and hearing a moose walking in the water 30 ft from my hammock. And the next morning hearing baby moose splashing in the water but not being able to see them for the fog. " Had that experience from camp of Moose in the fog you could hear them but not see them,than the fog lifts a little and you see the calf and cow. That forme was like my first canoe trip in the BWCA. I was hooked. Sounds like Ben and you had a great trip. |
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RetiredDave |
Honestly, it saddens me to think about an end to the joy. Like others have mentioned, I try to stay in shape during the year. I have run for years and I still run (damn slow!) and I shovel my own walk in the winter, push the mower in the summer. Not long ago during a run I was just getting up from the ground on the bike trail when a young guy passed me. My knees, hands, and pants were covered in crushed limestone. He stopped (God bless him!) and asked if I was ok. I was just getting up, slowly, from doing my push-ups. And people say "Sir" now when they hold a door open for me. Damn! Oh well, you gotta laugh. Keep on truckin' folks! Dave (ps. I triple portage because I bring boxed wine.) |
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bhouse46 |
And to MagicPaddler, nice story and all too true. |
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nctry |
Bwca.com's biggest accomplishment is bringing us all together. Young and old alike. We all have differences that would many times keep us apart. But we're a family. I look forward to days ahead. Meeting as many of you as I can. Love you all... Keep on paddling MP... Maybe when your ninety I'll be back at it and would have a chance to keep up. Haha. Keep on paddling magic! |
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Zulu |
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MagicPaddler |
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TomT |
I've found that I love to listen to podcasts or audio books while I go on hikes or work out. Many people I talk to don't know about all the fantastic podcasts available either for entertainment or learning. I use Itunes then download on an ipod. I don't want to drain my phones battery so have a dedicated ipod for music and podcasts. There's not much we can do to stop the clock on our bodies but we certainly have control of what we think about. It's a great time of year to set some goals and stick to it. I find that having a canoe trip planned in the future is great motivation for me to strap on a small daypack with weights in it and take a good hike with my dog. Magic, Here's a podcast for ya that you can also watch on you tube. Do you like stories of medal of honor recipients from vietnam? This is simply awesome. Jocko Podcast with Mike Thornton Sorry for the long diversion but the coffee is strong this morning. :) |
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GraniteCliffs |
It warms my heart to think of that guy. And then my heart freezes up when I realize I AM NOW THAT GUY! |
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timatkn |
T |
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mjmkjun |
What you talking about Pinetree? A walk around the block and a nice rocker on the front porch seems plenty enough leisure time activity. That and jawing about the good ole days. Honestly, I can't imagine picking up a canoe over my head at 80. I truly admire anyone who would do so without injury. I guess this is where grandkids might come in handy? I wonder how many young folks escort an octogenarian grandparent on a wilderness outing. hmm. |
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TomT |
mjmkjun: "Pinetree wrote: "I really think the new old for outdoor activities is getting closer to 80 all the time." I will bet anyone $100 that MagicPaddler is still tripping and portaging at 80. When it's in your blood you find ways to make it happen. |
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dentondoc |
My partner and I tripped again last season, and didn't really give any thought about doing the Kett portages between Robinson Lake and Basswood Lake (again Quetico), except we chose to do them on the way out as our packs would be lighter. It did complicate matters a bit when we wound up having to do them in pouring rain. I'd even given consideration to shuttle portaging my gear across the longer of the two, but ultimately that wasn't necessary. Regrettably, this looks to be the last time I'll be tripping with my long-time backwoods companion. Over the past couple of years, he had mentioned that his hands were becoming numb after long paddling stretches. This past year, they had continued to remain numb for over 6 months. So, on the advice of his doctor, he had to make the decision to not risk the numbness becoming permanent and discontinue canoe tripping. The short message here is that you never know what might require you to discontinue making those canoe trips, so you'd better take advantage of the time you have to stay as fit as possible and continue to do those trips! Myself, I'm still planning on tripping! And this year, it appears that I will be re-joining an "old" friend for a trip ... MagicPaddler! Although we've done a rendezvous in Quetico before, this will be the first time we've actually done a complete trip together (but we've traveled together on trips further north in Ontario). |
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DrBobDerrig |
dentondoc: "A couple of seasons ago, as I and my traveling companion were finishing a run UP the Darkwater River between Minn Lake and Darkwater Lake ... Quetico, we encountered a group of dads and sons at the Darkwater Lake end of the last portage. As we dropped our first load (we each had a solo canoe), we engaged in some casual conversation about our collective experiences on our respective trips. When they discovered that we were both over 70, they seemed a bit impressed by what we were still doing the kind of trip we were currently on. I didn't really realize how much impact our respective ages had on the group until we turned to go back for our second load of gear. Not quite out of ear shot, I heard one of the dads say to the other, "I want to be these guys when I get to be their age." My steps seemed a bit lighter as I continued my walk on down the portage. Guess I would see some more opinions on why his hands are becoming numb..... wil be 68 next July....gotta see if I can outlive my dad... dr bob |
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Grandma L |
DrBobDerrig: "dentondoc: "A couple of seasons ago, as I and my traveling companion were finishing a run UP the Darkwater River between Minn Lake and Darkwater Lake ... Quetico, we encountered a group of dads and sons at the Darkwater Lake end of the last portage. As we dropped our first load (we each had a solo canoe), we engaged in some casual conversation about our collective experiences on our respective trips. When they discovered that we were both over 70, they seemed a bit impressed by what we were still doing the kind of trip we were currently on. I didn't really realize how much impact our respective ages had on the group until we turned to go back for our second load of gear. Not quite out of ear shot, I heard one of the dads say to the other, "I want to be these guys when I get to be their age." My steps seemed a bit lighter as I continued my walk on down the portage. Yup, get a second opinion. I had lots of hand trouble and numbness until I found a great "hand guy" (Tria Otho in Mpls-Dr. Husband). He did carpel tunnel release on both hands and I am great! |
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Zulu |
When I'm hiking mountain trails in places like California or Colorado young women stop and talk to me when I'm resting. These places are usually hard to get to and they don't expect to see someone my age there. They always ask me if I'm OK out of concern and commend me on "still doing it" at my age. I chuckle inside because although it's a little difficult and I move slow its not that hard. I just rest and eat a lot. Conversations usually lead to their Fathers and Grandfathers and what adventures, activities and travels these men took in their youth. Many were surfers, mountain climbers and rascals. They talk with excitement and admiration about these guys. Then their tone changes to sadness and they tell me these men no longer do anything new, fun or exciting even though they are physically and mentally able. They plead with these guys to get up and travel and seek adventure before its too late. I always hope they will tell them "If that little old guy with a Fargo accent can do it you can too. JUST DO IT!" When talking to me I believe they want to find out why I'm burning bright and their Fathers and Grandfathers aren't. |
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SaganagaJoe |
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MagicPaddler |
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missmolly |
MagicPaddler: "A long long time ago there were several posts on one of the boards about OLD people. I don’t remember which board. One of the posters commented about seeing an old man setting at a campsite on Kawnipi under a shade tree. The poster said how lucky the old man was to be on Kawnipi at his age. Then went on to say he hoped he could experience what the old man was experiencing some day. Now comes my experience. Year before last I did a trip starting off up Baptism and through to Cache Lake. Day 3 I went down the Cache River and getting into camp late in the day on Kawnipi. The next day I was tired but wanted to explorer a creek that ran into Kawnipi. In the morning I paddled over to the creek but was too tired to go further. I turned around and went back to camp. I got my stool out and went down near the water and sat under a shade tree. I was somewhat discussed with myself for being here and not able to do what I came to do and knowing if I was going to finish my rout I needed to move on tomorrow. I had been setting under the tree for a couple of hours just drinking lots of water when 2 tandem canoes came by. They waved and I waved back. About that time the post about the old man on Kawnipi played back in my head. " I love your story. Thanks for telling it. |
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awbrown |
I cannot stoop, I cannot poop. All I have is aches, give me a break. The Golden Years have come at last. The Golden Years can kiss my a**. |
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wetcanoedog |
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MagicPaddler |
TomT: " I was nervous just listening. Great podcast |
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Pinetree |
fadersup: "I admire most those guys and gals that are still out there doing it in their 60s and 70s, even as it hurts, even as it's slowed. It's inspiring to hear about tripping past 70, truly. At age 68+ being very active doing long bike rides,working out at the YMCA on weights and aerobic machines makes a huge difference. Been doing this for 45 years. Never to late to start,but starting early helps maintain joints and muscle breakdown in future years. As you age like after 55 it is more about maintaining than losing. I do specific exercises to keep my legs strong for going on those long rough portages. My biggest problem maybe after a certain amount of hard exercise is maybe the recovery rate and energy a couple days later. Also you have to be somewhat lucky in life a accident or genetics may slow you down. As you age old injuries may come rearing back to haunt you. The main thing is just don't stop your exercise program,otherwise age will catch you before you want it to. I really think the new old for outdoor activities is getting closer to 80 all the time. Also slow down and smell the fresh air and observe life around you-it is amazing. |
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GraniteCliffs |
I spent 45 years running distance. The past 20 years I slowly incorporated other exercises into my routine. The past 10 years I have been religious about doing cardio and weight lifting on alternate days. The past 5 years I have gone to 3 days cardio (mostly stair climbing for an hour or rowing for an hour), 3 days of lifting and 2 days of yoga. Yep, not enough days of the week so have to go back to the gym on Tuesdays. I have found the yoga to be very beneficial. One of the many, many joys of being retired is the ability to exercise a lot but still get a fair amount of sleep and rest. The innate drive to seek joy and have fun no matter what is what drives many of us as we age. This single characteristic is likely the most important factor in aging well in all respects. Canoeing is still magical to me. I still get excited to go on each and every trip every year. What a blessing. |
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missmolly |
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Captn Tony |
MagicPaddler: "A long long time ago there were several posts on one of the boards about OLD people. I don’t remember which board. One of the posters commented about seeing an old man setting at a campsite on Kawnipi under a shade tree. The poster said how lucky the old man was to be on Kawnipi at his age. Then went on to say he hoped he could experience what the old man was experiencing some day. Now comes my experience. Year before last I did a trip starting off up Baptism and through to Cache Lake. Day 3 I went down the Cache River and getting into camp late in the day on Kawnipi. The next day I was tired but wanted to explorer a creek that ran into Kawnipi. In the morning I paddled over to the creek but was too tired to go further. I turned around and went back to camp. I got my stool out and went down near the water and sat under a shade tree. I was somewhat discussed with myself for being here and not able to do what I came to do and knowing if I was going to finish my rout I needed to move on tomorrow. I had been setting under the tree for a couple of hours just drinking lots of water when 2 tandem canoes came by. They waved and I waved back. About that time the post about the old man on Kawnipi played back in my head. " I looked up your birthday and I hope to be still going up when I'm your age, 118 wow! |
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yellowcanoe |
I had had a knee replaced nine months earlier and had torn a hamstring four months earlier in the other leg. So hardly in shape. We have to carry all gear in excess of 60 lbs. I was chagrined to find out for ten days we had 100 lbs!!! I cursed myself for bringing a York Box.. the thing empty weighs ten lbs. So I got to carry 40 lbs.. The two first portages are long and all uphill. I was pleased to find that at a snails pace I could cope with the load pretty well. I think pacing helps. No way would I try to do 9000 m portaging like I used to do in a day. Magic Paddler IIRC has that helium filled RapidFire.. Yes the day of the 80 lb canoe is done... 40 is much nicer. |
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Pinetree |
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MagicPaddler |
GraniteCliffs: " You got my point! |
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fadersup |
There have been some recent threads about looking back on career choices and financial decisions. Any of you more "seasoned" types have thoughts on how your approach to health/fitness or lack thereof earlier in life may have factored in to where you are now physically? TomT, I like your thoughts on the mental and future planning as motivation. |