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How to handle the physical and psychological issues of aging?

I saw your post earlier today Kim and was stunned. Although I never met him Terry helped me over the internet with my first rebuild years ago and was very generous with his knowledge. I remember many of his posts on Pnet back in the day. I believe Wilderness Webb was his Pnet handle. Very sad to hear.
 
Terry had always had health challenges.. Never stopped him from paddling. He had childhood cancer and the chemo damaged lots of organs.. Then as an adult he had heart issues had stents and this last double valve replacement was more than his poor body could handle.. He was 59 or 60.

Terry never had too many boats at any one time but bought sold and traded at an amazing clip.. He always had a new to him boat. But usually had an extra to loan out to a boatless friend so all could enjoy the river. He was one of the two folks who got the Ozark Rendezvous going..

We probably owe it to ourselves not to feel sorry for our own predicaments but figure out a way to deal with them.. I think that is what Terry would say.

Here is a pic of him on one trip.. He had health issues then but always smiling terry webb.jpg
 
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yellow canoe's comments about bucket lists really hit home. My Wife and I had planned to do the Nahanni as a retirement gift to ourselves, that'll never happen now! Due to various injuries and illness our days of long trips are over. You never know what's around the corner, so take the opportunities when you can, you can't build memories on trips you never took!:(
 
My bucket list is pretty much over. I got around to a lot of them and the rest are kind of out of reach.
I have given up on a trip to the Barren Lands at this point. It is too. Too far, too expensive, and too rigorous.
Now I like to build lay over days into river trips. Days to sleep in, make a big breakfast and take a hike and maybe a nap. Days to see wildlife and not be in a hurry to "get moving."
 
My canoe group was 3 this year. A funeral last winter and another with some heart rate issues trimmed it down. The last few years we have been scaling back on the travel but staying out longer. One partner is in his 14th year of Parkinson's and the other is getting hit a lot by the effects of Agent Orange. His wrist bones are collapsing so rods were inserted in one last spring. This year we planned a three week trip into Atikaki Provincial Park in Manitoba to extend our travels of the last few years in the area. We planned on moving around a few times but once there the decision was to spend the whole time on Black Lake.

We are able to continue tripping because we only do what the group can do and still have fun. We sold the Royalex boats and now use Kevlar. We drive about a thousand miles but spend a night in a hotel on the way. We are flown on a float plane and exit the same way. It would take anyone 8-10 days to get to our start by paddling, 23 minutes in the turbo Otter. It does cost but this year 45 miles into Black Lake and picked up and flown out from there cost us a total of $785 US per person. That was with 3 but with a few Pak boats inside the plane and 5-6 along the cost would be half that.

We really had a good time with our first long base camping trip. Next year we plan on moving a little north and doing the same thing. Since we know we will be base camping we will take in a big tent for Ron with parkinson's and use it in bad weather to stay warm. We took Helinox sunset chairs this year and they are great for aging bodies. We did change campsites to the other end of Black Lake for a while to freshen up the trip. Awoke at 6 and were 4 miles down the lake by 9 with new things to explore and fishing holes to find.

I am still getting around well so when I wanted I would head out for day trips over the numerous routes leaving Black Lake. In the future we will be set up so anyone could take a kit and head out for a few days and then return to us without being heavily laden with gear and food.
 
What a ride I had this past week. As a NYS SAR first responder volunteer, I have unbelievable opportunities open to me. A self declared expert at map and compass land navigation, four years ago I was recruited by NYS Homeland Security to teach a course in Land Navigation to law enforcement, EMTs and SAR personnel from all over NY State.
At the same training facility location, the state put up a swiftwater rescue training venue last year, designed by the same guy who designs Olympic whitewater competition and training facilities, the first such rescue training facility in the nation. This 68 yr old spent the past week certifying as a swiftwater/flood rescue technician along with youngsters less than half my age. The initial requirement was a 250 meter swim test in an indoor pool using a variety of mandatory strokes. Fail the swim test and go home, as some did. The rest of the week was swimming and boating in madly rushing whitewater, pumped in a narrow channel at 100,000 gallons/minute.

Here's a sample of what I did all week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdZz80D4BAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlF4P9Zx5uE
No matter the age, by day 3 everyone was a bit sore, but it felt good and was so much fun all for free.
 
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That's some water park, yknpdlr!
It was extremely intense and intensely fun at the same time. The whole thing (including lunches and hotel rooms) was free, courtesy of NY taxpayers. If something like that was offered to the public, it would cost many hundreds of dollars to spend 4 days for the same experience.
 
My issues aren't as much physical as mental, although carrying my 57 pound Jack's Special more than a few hundred meters is no longer possible and rotator cuff and bicep tendonitis on both shoulders/arms doesn't help much.

Since having a panic attack on a trip 3 years ago I have only been out on a weekend canoe trip once. In fact, I have not even been in a canoe this or last year. I found a new way to get out.

We have a friend who owns a fishing camp north of Ear Falls, Ontario and I spend 3 weeks there this year and have 3 weeks booked for next year. I traded a tent for a cabin with indoor plumbing and a canoe for a fishing boat, the one pictured below. I rent the boat. Christy and I go together in June and I go alone in August for 2 weeks. We help our friend Kim with chores around camp, like this August I spent a week brushing out the hill down to the lake. We trade off services for discounts.

I could paddle at Kim's, we gave her a Tremblay we restored a few years ago.

I am enjoying the new past time and not really missing sleeping on the ground, the middle of the night foray out of the tent to pee, moving every day, etc. I do miss opening ports and exploring new spaces but I can get the quality fishing now with more ease.

I'll get out again, but at this point I likely will sell the Swift Mattawa since Christy and I will likely never trip again tandem.

Karin
 

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I guess you could call me a "before the event" tripper. 62 and still healthy. I ain't struttin' though, it sounds like it comes quick and sudden. One thing this thread did for me; I was busy trying to talk myself out of going to exercise class after work, and substituting an ice cold beer instead. After I read through this thread, I went to the class.
 
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