Another hot dawn that woke us very early & fried us in our bags.

Decision time, & it was quickly made. The girls were itchy, sun-burnt, hot - & having a ball. It was exit day, & we decided that with the oppressive heat, we should go while the feel-good lasted. And we did.

The paddle out came in a rising wind out of the west, which we rode to the portage to Moose & we hid from in the lee of the mainland & islands. However, the last stretch to LaTourell’s was unprotected, & I had to ask the girls to dig. They did. And we almost made it! But about 2/3 of the way across the open channel, a gust blasted the canoe & I lost control, the front spinning to face the eastern shore. With young muscles up front unable to help keep the canoe straight, I didn’t fight & we glided into the boat landing, where I disembarked & led the girls by path back to LaTourell’s.

Of course, my wife was in full-on panic mode. She knew we’d been right behind them the whole way, & suddenly we were gone. No faith in her experienced paddler husband! Which was why I’d wanted the girls with me the whole time. Going to retrieve the canoe with Ann, I marveled at how all you need up front in a canoe that big is strength – even with her inexperience, it was zero trouble to keep the canoe straight in that wind now.

Overall, this was a fantastic trip. Not only did we get to spend a couple of days straight with our kids, but they were troopers - & loved canoe camping. Which was the whole point. Summer 2012 will bring another trip, maybe just another two nights, but here’s to hoping that by the time they’re teenagers, I can bring them bushwhacking & looping & all the other kinds of madness that we enjoy so much.