New Trip Report posted by tuscarorasurvivor

Trip Name: Mid-November solo. First ever..

Entry Point: 51

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Sorry to see you had to change plans and cut your trip short. Great photos! Thanks for sharing and better solo trip to you next time.

A nice little break and relaxation, even if it was short!

It sure looked different in July. So how did the GI thing work out with those portages? And now the name tuscarorasurvivor has even new meaning. You are a better man than I for doing this.

quote bhouse46: "It sure looked different in July. So how did the GI thing work out with those portages? And now the name tuscarorasurvivor has even new meaning. You are a better man than I for doing this. "

Not too bad fortunately. Just a brief period of mild queasiness. Main thing was just going slow,to keep from getting into anaerobic zone and minimizing dehydration.

The name was my son's idea. We joined just after we did that trip the first time. He was 12, and it was a big challenge for him then. Now he's 19, solo trips into PMAs, single portages longer distances, runs ultra marathons, etc. The name reminds me of where he started. Nice contrast.

Very cool! Not many people can say they did a canoe trip up there in Mid November. Excellent photos. Sorry about the sickness.

You may be the only person that I know of that has gone in that late in the year. It sure looks beautiful though. I hope you go over the GI thing.

Beautiful pics! Solo in the snow with "Freeze up" coming on? Wish I were as tough!

I wonder how many of us pick up a "Bug" on the way to their trip? Probably more than you would think? I'm EXTREMELY careful at gas stations and rest stops to wash my hands well and use germicidal hand wash. I hope you have no more ill effects from the "Bug" and I hate that it impacted your trip.

BTW, NICE boat! How do you like that Keewaydin?

quote ozarkpaddler: "Beautiful pics! Solo in the snow with "Freeze up" coming on? Wish I were as tough!

I wonder how many of us pick up a "Bug" on the way to their trip? Probably more than you would think? I'm EXTREMELY careful at gas stations and rest stops to wash my hands well and use germicidal hand wash. I hope you have no more ill effects from the "Bug" and I hate that it impacted your trip.

BTW, NICE boat! How do you like that Keewaydin? "

I'm guessing you are right about something I picked up on the way up. Timing seems right. I'm very careful with water and food on the trip. Can't say the same about the rest stop on the way up. That will change.

I love the canoe. I paddled several before I tried this one. I ended up taking a trip to Toronto with my wife to get it. Spent a couple days in the city and drove home with a boat. With the favorable exchange rate and sale price at the store, much of our trip was about paid for when compared to what I'd pay for similar boat stateside. No duty to pay on canoes coming back either.

Yeah, reading your trip report I thought about how I got sick my very first trip and probably 1/4 of my trips at the very beginning. So, I intend to be more vigilant myself.

We intend to visit a friend in London, Ontario next year. Maybe I can talk my wife into allowing ME to come home with a new canoe too (LOL)?

Glad you survived and are ready to give it another shot.

awesome your first solo was mid-november. nice snowy pics.

I had a similar issue. My first night in woodland Caribou I was alone. Everything was going well. I had a nice juicy steak for dinner. It started to rain and as luck would have it I had to go. I thought the rain would let up. It didn't! All of the sudden I realized what I had to go wasn't going to be normal. I stripped down to nothing but shoes to keep my clothes dry and ran. Let's just say it wasn't pretty. The next day I moved on but wasn't feeling the best. I met up with magic paddler the next day after that. What you accomplished was awesome. What an experience!

I, too, got sick on my first solo this summer.
But, I am looking forward to a trip with fellow paddlers next summer!

Nice trip report. I am so sure I wouldn't have went with that snow already on the ground when you arrived at your entry site. Looks almost like your canoe was photo shopped into the picture where the canoe is sitting at the end of the bay. FRED

Wonderful trip report - you're brave to find those portages covered in snow!

Crazy spooky about the pack of wolves. I would have felt like I was being watched the entire time,and might have bailed right then and there... I have an unnatural fear of wolves - but also absolutely and completely LOVE at the same time...

The photos are absolutely GORGEOUS! The open water and snow covered trees is a beautiful contrast.

Getting sick is no fun at all! Maybe a migraine instead of a regular "sickness" ?

Either way - glad you got out of there safe and glad you had fun with what you were able to do.

Thank you for sharing your story.

I am impressed. That area looks a whole lot different with snow on the portages. I really enjoyed the pictures. Which site on Tuscarora did you spend the night on? I wish I had more time to try some of these adventures out. I am usually relegated to summer time trips. Thank you for sharing. Happy paddling!!!

quote callofthewild: "I am impressed. That area looks a whole lot different with snow on the portages. I really enjoyed the pictures. Which site on Tuscarora did you spend the night on? I wish I had more time to try some of these adventures out. I am usually relegated to summer time trips. Thank you for sharing. Happy paddling!!! "

I was on the peninsula site just on the right as you come off the portage. Nice site with southern exposure, and good protection from the wind also.

I love summer tripping too. Warm weather, swimming.

Each season is different. A couple years ago I went in May just a couple days after ice came off the lakes. Literally paddled through a site on Basswood Lake the water was so high.

So I gotta know what you think of the canoe... I'm about to buy my first solo and am looking at the Kevlar fusion Keewaydin 15 solo with the carbon Kevlar trim. I haven't found anyone else that actually has one and has used it since I started looking into it. Great looking trip, too bad about the illness. Beautiful pictures. I haven't been in a place to see wolf tracks in a while. I wonder how my dog would take that... Hahahaha.

quote FLDoug: "So I gotta know what you think of the canoe... I'm about to buy my first solo and am looking at the Kevlar fusion Keewaydin 15 solo with the carbon Kevlar trim. I haven't found anyone else that actually has one and has used it since I started looking into it. Great looking trip, too bad about the illness. Beautiful pictures. I haven't been in a place to see wolf tracks in a while. I wonder how my dog would take that... Hahahaha."

I also tried out the northwind solo and the wenonah prism. Also both very nice boats. There are obviously major differences in how a solo boat handles compared to a small tandom paddled by one person. The differences between different solos I found much less remarkable. More subtle. Maybe that is a reflection on my own inexperience paddling. In the end, I was comfortable paddling the Keewaydin, I liked the way it looks with the carbon trim, it's a pound or so less weight - I am 53 years old, so these things matter, and the current exchange being very favorable sealed it. I will be taking another trip with it in May, and my two boys will likely take it on a trip each year as well. It will get plenty of use. Life is good.

I took my first solo this past September and had a mild GI thing too. My wife insists of putting pepto in the first aid kit. I took a couple and it all worked out. I was very glad I had it, my wife is brilliant! It was cool to see your pictures with the snow. I think I would like such a trip.