We started canoe tripping and camping when some of our kids were in diapers. Now we have a 16.5 year old, a 14 year old and a 11 year old. While the 11 year old still carries a lighter pack as she is a small kid to begin with, it really changed summer 2014 with the older two.

They can do pretty much everything that we can - carry both canoe and pack, just the canoe or just the pack. It's incredible. Granted, we keep portages generally under 100 rods and pick routes that make for good places to basecamp so the hauling is one way in and one way out. This summer when we did a trip from Cross Lake EP to Long Island Lake, I portaged a couple of times with just two paddles. It felt like I was cheating, even though I always insisted that I would be happy to take the heavier stuff. The reply was "no, mom, I've got it". You should have seen my heart bursting pride.

And while the BW still isn't their first idea of a good time, they often talk about the good stuff - like swimming, hanging out in the hammock, eating monkey bread and all the tasty camp grub, seeing all the wildlife, tossing rocks in the lake, spotting shooting stars at night, chasing each other around camp, playing games, begging for a fire at 3pm, and spending time together as a family or with one of their friends that we sometimes bring along.

So, in the end I think they're starting to see what we've always hoped they would see and I believe that when they're older they will fully realize the goodness of the wilderness that fills their being like nothing can.

quote paddlefamily: "We started canoe tripping and camping when some of our kids were in diapers. Now we have a 16.5 year old, a 14 year old and a 11 year old. While the 11 year old still carries a lighter pack as she is a small kid to begin with, it really changed summer 2014 with the older two.

They can do pretty much everything that we can - carry both canoe and pack, just the canoe or just the pack. It's incredible. Granted, we keep portages generally under 100 rods and pick routes that make for good places to basecamp so the hauling is one way in and one way out. This summer when we did a trip from Cross Lake EP to Long Island Lake, I portaged a couple of times with just two paddles. It felt like I was cheating, even though I always insisted that I would be happy to take the heavier stuff. The reply was "no, mom, I've got it". You should have seen my heart bursting pride.

And while the BW still isn't their first idea of a good time, they often talk about the good stuff - like swimming, hanging out in the hammock, eating monkey bread and all the tasty camp grub, seeing all the wildlife, tossing rocks in the lake, spotting shooting stars at night, chasing each other around camp, playing games, begging for a fire at 3pm, and spending time together as a family or with one of their friends that we sometimes bring along.

So, in the end I think they're starting to see what we've always hoped they would see and I believe that when they're older they will fully realize the goodness of the wilderness that fills their being like nothing can. "

Very nice! Mine are 11 and 13 and getting there. Great to see kids evolve into wonderful (young) human beings :)

So Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing! My girls are 10 and 8 and I hope they continue to love bwca tripping as much as they do now.

Awwwww, made me tear up!

Mine are 17, 16, 14 now. Oldest was not quite 1 when she started tripping...

but alas, they seem mostly to want to be different than mom and assert that none of them enjoy canoe-tripping. Last year I modified a BW trip due to a knee injury (mine) and took them to a canoe-in state park campsite. Each had a friend (yes me and 6 teens). It worked well I thought.

Haven't decided if I will try to make them go this year or not - there are so many other travel goals I have for teens before they fly the coop...

Anyway, very glad for you (and others) that have instilled great memories and will likely create another generation of canoe-campers!

mine are 12, 10 and 7 and the 2 older were able to finally help this year so now we are down to triple portaging. In a few years we will have to move from our mn3 to 2 canoes