Mighty women in canoes

I have been away. Venturing out into the wilderness with six other adventurous women. We did a canoe trip that included 4 lakes; 4 portages; 2 campsites; approximately 7 campfires; a dozen or so scratches and bruises; loads of great conversation; a few refreshing swims (not all of which included bathing suits – hey we were miles from civilization :-)); a whole lot of laughs; no disagreements; a few wild blueberry patches; lots of loons, ducks, and other birds; one thunderstorm in which we huddled cozily under a tarp; lots of good food; and no contact with the outside world.

The most memorable part of the adventure came right near the end, on our way home. It was a nearly impossible portage up the Devil’s Staircase in the mud – from one lake to the next. The only people who’d been there before were almost completely convinced we couldn’t make it through that portage without strong and agile men to carry our canoes up the treacherous path (imagine rock climbing up a nearly vertical cliff with a canoe on your back), but we were running out of time and couldn’t find the alternate portage. So we proved our own strength and determination by conquering it. And we did it together, all of us pitching in and proving that women working together can prevail against almost insurmountable odds. It was a beautiful moment that we celebrated by diving into the water and cleansing our exhausted, muddy bodies.

It was so very, very good to spend time in nature with supportive women, reminding ourselves of our connection to each other, to the earth, and to our Creator.

Here are just a few of the pictures from the trip. I meant to put together a more thorough video that included video clips and other things, but the technology isn’t cooperating tonight, so this is what I have to offer. Enjoy.