Dear Friend, My mind is often in a canoe, thinking back on my experiences there that are ceaselessly applicable to my daily life. In my end-of-season logs, I try to bring those visceral memories to life for listeners and readers alike, for remembering those feelings gives me perspective, reminds me of my capability, and comforts me. Take a moment to imagine yourself here, at the head of this rapid…  “...For anyone who has ever run whitewater in a canoe, the feeling I’m about to describe will be familiar. For those not yet so lucky, I’ll do my best: when you’re above a rapid, you spend time: scouting your line, looking for rocks, ledges, pillows, eddies. You search for smooth tongues and Vs, for patterns of hydraulic motion, deciding on your every move. Then, you maneuver yourself into the best position possible for your shoot, moving both the stern and the bow of your canoe in concert with the current from behind, until you are perfectly positioned, ready to drop in. It is here, in this moment exactly, where you cross some line only sensed by a change in speed and control, and you are pulled in, suddenly working and acting and reacting, swinging around sweeping S-turns or drawing HARD to pivot on a dime. That crux, at the very tip of a rapid, was the moment we left Kingfisher Lake and rode a bobsled-run creek down to the Asheweig River on day 17. Previously, trip was active and challenging, preparing us. Now, the days and weeks ahead, especially after a midpoint of trip, begin to slip-slide away as time truly blurs. We have spent our time lining up, and now we are ready to run.” We are halfway to reaching our Annual Appeal goal. As I remember the feeling of a turning-point in a Bay trip, the tug of a rapid, and the momentum growing, I feel a similar momentum in Red Canoe’s mission. Your gift will help us make this experience possible for many others. Join us in Paddling Together as our momentum grows!  
Josephine Moore, Advisory Panel |
