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Guest
Guest
A friend of mine has been tripping in the Boundary Waters and Quetico since about 1976. He recently told me this story about going with his daughter.
"I think Jen was 15 when we took that first trip. Before that we had car camped at the Northern Highland or some place like that every year since she was little. We had only one little adjustment incident on that canoe trip. After we crossed through the Quetico Ranger Station we paddled across North Bay on Basswood to the first significant portage of the trip. We loaded up our packs and headed down the trail. About half way she dropped the pack and said, 'I can't do this, I can't carry this pack.' It was a a big waterproof rafter's bag filled with clothing and sleeping bags, so it was awkward but not too heavy. I said, 'OK' and picked up her pack and hefted it on top of the pack I was carrying and started down the trail. She said, 'Dad, you can't do that.' I replied,'There is no choice because we have to get all our gear to the other end.' We went about 100 yd down the trail, she was walking in front. She turned around with a very stern look on her face and said, 'Give me that pack.' I did, she finished the portage, we never had any 'I can't do that' issue again.
"We went to Quetico every year after that through college. She learned a lot on those camping trips - knots, tarps, fire building, paddling tandem and solo. I took it as pretty natural, but in a way I guess it wasn't, which was borne out by the fact that some of her friends, including boys, in high school called her MacGyver (remember the TV show that was popular in the late '80s?). She got that handle after she and some high school friends [went camping], including a number of boys, because of her ability to do things like tie knots and rig a tight tarp, and paddle a canoe and start a fire. On a class canoe trip on the river the boys were especially impressed to watch her deftly tie canoes down on the car. They didn't have a clue on what to do.
"I feel sorry for women who believe they can't do the things men can do, and am particularly sad to see men treat women like they can't do it."
I feel privileged to be able to look into this window on the past.
What parent-child stories do you have for this forum?
"I think Jen was 15 when we took that first trip. Before that we had car camped at the Northern Highland or some place like that every year since she was little. We had only one little adjustment incident on that canoe trip. After we crossed through the Quetico Ranger Station we paddled across North Bay on Basswood to the first significant portage of the trip. We loaded up our packs and headed down the trail. About half way she dropped the pack and said, 'I can't do this, I can't carry this pack.' It was a a big waterproof rafter's bag filled with clothing and sleeping bags, so it was awkward but not too heavy. I said, 'OK' and picked up her pack and hefted it on top of the pack I was carrying and started down the trail. She said, 'Dad, you can't do that.' I replied,'There is no choice because we have to get all our gear to the other end.' We went about 100 yd down the trail, she was walking in front. She turned around with a very stern look on her face and said, 'Give me that pack.' I did, she finished the portage, we never had any 'I can't do that' issue again.
"We went to Quetico every year after that through college. She learned a lot on those camping trips - knots, tarps, fire building, paddling tandem and solo. I took it as pretty natural, but in a way I guess it wasn't, which was borne out by the fact that some of her friends, including boys, in high school called her MacGyver (remember the TV show that was popular in the late '80s?). She got that handle after she and some high school friends [went camping], including a number of boys, because of her ability to do things like tie knots and rig a tight tarp, and paddle a canoe and start a fire. On a class canoe trip on the river the boys were especially impressed to watch her deftly tie canoes down on the car. They didn't have a clue on what to do.
"I feel sorry for women who believe they can't do the things men can do, and am particularly sad to see men treat women like they can't do it."
I feel privileged to be able to look into this window on the past.
What parent-child stories do you have for this forum?