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Author	Message Text
missmolly	01/31/2021 07:39AM   Looking at those photos and knowing what Linda is capable of capturing with modern equipment, I marvel at how far photography has come. The same with Linda's tent. These really are the good ol' days.
Pinetree	01/31/2021 10:14AM   memories are very important in ones life.
smoke11	01/31/2021 09:52AM   Thanks for sharing!
merlyn	01/31/2021 03:26PM   Thank You! Love the tent, had a green one just like it, brings back great memories.
Spartan2	01/31/2021 12:19PM   missmolly: "Looking at those photos and knowing what Linda is capable of capturing with modern equipment, I marvel at how far photography has come. The same with Linda's tent. These really are the good ol' days. " I also marvel at how far photography has come. And I realize that digital photography has let us do so much better, as well as delete the junk right at the time. I took two photos of those four children all lined up in front of the tent, and they were both out of focus! A lovely memory just spoiled by lack of supporting light and 100 speed film. I waited a couple weeks while that film was being "developed" and I suspect when I selected photos to keep, there were a bunch of rejects that just went into the basket. As far as the orange tent--it was like a gift from God for us after our first canoe trip when we rented a musty-smelling, leaky old canvas tent from Canadian Waters. I remember being almost as excited about getting that tent as I was about buying our first canoe! But these WERE the "good ol' days." We were young, healthy, and full of energy. We were so glad to get back to the canoe country, and I cannot speak for my husband, but I can honestly say that, for me, this 1973 trip was one of the most memorable ones we ever took. Some of the memories are so clear I can almost put myself back in those (ugly) photos!
bottomtothetap	01/31/2021 12:50PM   Love it, Spartan 2! Fun to see the old photos. In particular, I found the old-style permit very interesting! I just booked my 2021 trip for entry at Lake One and am bringing mostly newbies. I noted what impressed you on this trip and will keep it in mind to try and make that part of their experience. I am hoping we can snag the site on Rifle Lake for a couple of nights. Everyone I've heard from, you included, describes it as "pretty".
timatkn	02/06/2021 01:18PM   Awesome trip reports! Thanks for taking the time to share. T
mgraber	02/01/2021 10:53AM   Thanks!
Spartan2	02/01/2021 09:03AM   I wonder if we had an option when we got the orange. Or if we thought a green one would be dark (like the memories of the canvas tent.) It occurs to me that, being Spartan, I would have chosen green if it been available. Who knows?
Porkeater	02/01/2021 10:45AM   Thanks for sharing. I thought it was interesting that having trouble finding a campsite was a thing back then, too.
missmolly	02/01/2021 09:20AM   Linda, I also started camping in canvas tents. That "mustiness" never quite leaves our noses, does it? And hear, hear to youth!
Spartan2	02/01/2021 11:42AM   Porkeater: "Thanks for sharing. I thought it was interesting that having trouble finding a campsite was a thing back then, too. " Well, you have to realize that this was the number lakes! :-) We didn't go very far on this trip. I am working now on a trip report from a 1982 trip (also Lake One entry, but 9 days) and we had similar problems close-in, but we also weren't stopping as early as we did in later years.
Spartan2	02/01/2021 09:48AM   missmolly: "Linda, I also started camping in canvas tents. That "mustiness" never quite leaves our noses, does it? And hear, hear to youth!" So very true. Spartan1 told me that if I touched the side of the tent it would make the water drip down. I was so paranoid about touching the side of the tent I could hardly sleep! Since our first trip had some rain. . .there were multiple opportunities to touch the side of that tent and then watch the little drips go down. We didn't have much sunshine on our first trip and it was my first experience in a small tent. I am sure I cannot still smell it. . .but almost. :-) Hard to remember "youth" as well as I would like. But there are some really precious memories.
MikeinMpls	02/01/2021 01:06PM   I loved the report! I've been in that area before.... I hardly recognized it, it's changed so much!! (attempt at humor.) I envision the young couple driving up in a four-door Dodge Dart, or maybe a Ford LTD, from the late 60s. Maybe a Ford LTD wood-wagon? The pics were so cool. They had that "Kodak, 1970s" look to them, much like family vacation trips taken when I was a kid. That was some tent! It's bigger than some apartments I've had. But very typical for the era...and you could have fed a platoon with the cook kit! Again, absolutely loved it. Thanks for sharing Mike
rdgbwca	02/01/2021 04:34PM   Thanks for sharing these memories. I spend a lot of time on this site looking over digital maps. I also have a growing collection of paper maps. I am amazed that people would set out with just a line map. Then again the map that I rely on for navigation has a printed disclaimer on the back that says "This map is not intended for navigational use"
Spartan2	02/01/2021 05:39PM   MikeinMpls: Actually, we had a '71 Plymouth Fury Gran Coupe that we bought new. Here is a photo of it at the time of our first canoe trip in 1971. :-) It was a warm brown color and had a vinyl roof in a subdued paisley print, and matching upholstery. It was a cool car--I wish we had kept it. But it really was a gas-guzzler! Yup. Kodak 70's pretty much describes it. And as for the cook kit, we bought it new at Canadian Waters at the end of our first trip. It was "state of the art" for tripping in 1973. A big pot that you could do the dishes in, four metal plates, flatware, four plastic cups, two saucepans, a cake pan, and a frypan. Oh, and a small pot for boiling water. It all nested and fit in that big pot. We used it for every single canoe trip we ever went on--from 1973 through 2013. Some things changed for us, and some didn't. This '73 trip and quite a few more were with Duluth packs. Later on we got a SeaLine dry bag, and I got new packs a couple times, but my husband (the traditionalist of the family) took his Duluth pack--purchased used from Canadian Waters in Ely in 1971--on every single trip for his main pack. I think if we lived closer to the canoe country and took multiple trips every year we would have upgraded more gear than we did. But some of the things just fit, so we kept them. The orange tent ended up going to our son and grandson for their Boy Scout campout weekends together. But not until we had replaced it, and again, and again. :-) It's all good. No matter how you do it. :-)
Spartan2	02/01/2021 05:58PM   rdgbwca: "Thanks for sharing these memories. I spend a lot of time on this site looking over digital maps. I also have a growing collection of paper maps. I am amazed that people would set out with just a line map. Then again the map that I rely on for navigation has a printed disclaimer on the back that says "This map is not intended for navigational use"" Yes, that always has amused me to see that on the map. We each had our own map on every trip, and my husband had his compass. Giving those people one of our maps felt odd, but necessary. And we were on such a short trip. We were totally shocked to realize that they had no idea where they were, or where they were going.
Spartan2	01/30/2021 01:06PM   New Trip Report posted by Spartan2 Trip Name: 1973: Going Back in Time. Entry Point: 30 Click Here to View Trip Report
TrailZen	01/30/2021 03:56PM   Spartan2, thanks for sharing these great memories and nice photos. Like you and Neil, we've preferred 'just the two of us' trips, and our early trips (late '70s and early '80s) required leaving young kids with Tia's parents or mine--tough to leave them, but nice to get back to them and hear how they did while we were paddling. TZ
straighthairedcurly	01/30/2021 09:23PM   So much fun to read about trips from long ago and see your pictures. Such a great record of your adventures. My first trip to the BWCA was 4 years after you, though I was just 13. Thanks for sharing!