...before you can totally disconnect from everyday thoughts, and just accept and absorb the woods and waters? it takes me about 2 days.

1-2 days is probably close.

For me, the drive up North helps much. As soon as I get North of the cities, the stress starts leaving.

I don't know yet, as far as a canoe trip goes. I used to take walks in the woods/parks as a child and could 'disconnect' within probably 5-10 minutes. But as a child, one can do things muuch easier than as an adult.

Two days sounds about right for me when on a solo. It can take an additional day or two when traveling with others for some reason.

Second day is good

quote muddy: "1-2 days is probably close.


For me, the drive up North helps much. As soon as I get North of the cities, the stress starts leaving.



"

I consider myself "there" when from the hills south of Superior on Highyway 53 I can see Duluth.

I'm usually pretty mellow after the first night.

I think it may depend on the trip. Kodaska posted a report on the CCBB where his partner pronounced the "four day rule" - you don't chill out on longer trips until the fourth day. But the key is that it only applies to longer trips. I used to think that short trips would never give you that relaxed feeling of disconnecting, because it often does not happen right away on longer trips. But for whatever reason, it seems to happen sooner on short ones. On my solo, I was pretty disconnected the first day.

Of course, on a short trip, you never achieve the kind of long-term immersion that you get when you are out longer. But I think you can have a nice dose of disconnectedness even on a shorter trip.

It starts the moment I walk out the door at my job, and gradually disappears as I head north. It comes to a head when I set up camp, and sit by the fire, and hear the loon chorus the first night.

This is very interesting to me because I have never done a long trip. But I heard Kevin Callan said in one of his seminar that never do a solo trip shorter than a week. Because it will take about a week to get used to being alone and actually start enjoying what is around you.

A couple days at least. The monologue is non-stop for at least two days.

Two bends on the river.

About 3 days for that incessant ringing in my head to disappear.


dave

quote missmolly: "A couple days at least. The monologue is non-stop for at least two days."

Monologue? What monologue!? I never talk to myself. Well, not out loud anyway. At least not until the 5th day ;).

Things do start to smooth out on the 2-day drive there, but how much longer varies a little depending on what's happening in my life at the time. It comes and goes, too - it's easier to disconnect from that stuff during the day when I'm traveling and I'm busy reading the map and the landscape, but sometimes returns at night when I'm sitting alone in the dark.

About 2 seconds after I shove off on the lake.

When I am going with others, ya, it takes about a day or two.

But when I am going solo, it starts when I come down that big hill into Duluth and really starts settling after I leave Two Harbors and Highway 61 narrows down to two lanes. Usually I throw on some Dylan, roll down the windows, and breath in that Narnia-like air.

quote SevenofNine: "About 2 seconds after I shove off on the lake."

Plus one for me on this on tandem trips. And about 2 seconds upon landing at the base camp on Moose at end of trip all of the day to day stresses return in about two seconds - but I feel a lot more fortified to face them.

Usually about the second day. I seem to need a good day of travel and at least one night before I become immersed in my surroundings.

Two or three days... Never if paddling with poor paddle mates.

Once I'm out of sight of the car, whether paddling or portaging.

Morning of third day, it clicks. I wake up in the zone.

Two or three strokes of the paddle.

I think by the third morning also. It helps to not look at a watch too.

quote TomT: It helps to not look at a watch too.


"

Very true. I bring the following quote with me on every trip, canoeing or backpacking:

"When one finally arrives at the point where schedules are forgotten,
and becomes immersed in ancient rhythems,
one begins to live."
-Sigurd F. Olson


Not looking at a clock, and just expirencing the passage of time, speeds up Sigurd's truth for me.

kanoes,

It used to take me about 3-4 days...Because I was such a work-a-holic
all I did was work, work, work...something changed in me.
Now I can turn that off some when I leave to go on a trip, and by the time I get there, I forget about the rest of the world...
However, the second I am back, I turn on that cell phone and get to fixing what needs fixed again. Great Question!

SunCatcher

2 days sounds about right.
On my solo last fall I was out 3 days and 2 nights, and I pretty much disconnected right away. However, I was in very unique position at work where I was completely between projects and didn't have any to-dos or worries. On the home front things were in a good place too.

I think it happens faster the more trips you've had. For me, once the canoe is in the water, everything is better.