9/15/13 Frost

9.15.13                                          Frost                                      Andrew Busker

Yesterday when the cold wind raced through our campsite, I suspected that our nice, warm days were coming to an end.  My suspicions were certainly confirmed when I woke up: winter is coming.  This morning was the coldest morning we experienced thus far.  With the temperature being 35 degrees at 7:30 in the morning, we began our day.  After our morning meeting, we loaded the boats as usual.  While I walked with my bags from my campsite to the canoes, a joyful yet morbid thought crossed my mind: all the mosquitos are dead.  Even though that meant no more uncomfortable meetings with annoying buzzing around our ears or having to slap our arms and legs every minute, an entire generation of living beings vanished from our daily life out here.  Yet, there is something to be said about resiliency.  As we found out during our debrief this evening, not all the mosquitos dies in the frost from last night.  Yes, a living mosquito is now few and far between, but those who survived have not given up just yet.

As we paddled northeast along the lakeshore, I noticed yellow autumn leaves peeking through the green needles of the northwoods.  The trees agreed in that winter is coming and have thus started their preparations to ensure their resiliency.  Unlike the mosquitos who will die and have a new generation to replace them, the trees will stand dormant until the spring air renews their limbs.  The pines and spruces grow ever more resilient as they continue to thrive during the cold winter, refusing to rest like their brethren.

Out here, with the days growing colder and our time on the river shrinking faster, we must be resilient as well.  We must not just stay warm, but we must not forget to enjoy the remaining moments we have out here in the Canadian northwoods.  Like the now dead mosquitos, once our time on this river is over, we will not be coming back.  Even though we are just mosquitos to this river, our experiences on this river make us like the pines and spruces: always absorbing, never resting.  As we end our journey on the Grass River and continue to different lands, I hope that we grow into strong, tall pines and spruces, trees that absorb every experience and never rest long enough to go dormant.

9/14/13-Learn to listen so you can listen to learn.

"Learn to listen so you can listen to learn."-Jerry Logan

                                                                    Tyler Schrapf

This day of our expedition was not filled with any profound moments of intellectual or spiritual insight. It did not provide what most of us assumed would be in regard to atmosphere with a deep woods back country experience.  No school lessons were taught either, but impactful memories were made, and lessons of life definitely learned. What this camp site did offer, and in a very abrupt way, was an opportunity to reassess our commitment to the group, and to the rules that we all signed our names on that represent what ECOEE stands for. This campground has been filled with temptations from the moment we arrived, and has provided our group with an opportunity to forge a meaningful bond by staying steadfast in our commitment to ECOEE and to each other.

I believe it is days like today that give our group a much deeper faith in each other and in the process that has been developed by WIU, WEA, Jeff, and all his predecessors. . . Aside from all this rules and regulations business, the day went off without a hitch, we transitioned lows for the 3^rd time in the backcountry, I am excited for the group as we progress down the last 80 or so miles of the river. The campsite has provided us with much room to move around and spend some much needed time to ourselves. Some caught up on personal journals; others planned their interpretations for the west. But if one thing is for certain, I know we all took a little time to assess our commitment t the group, and to ECOEE, and in that respect, this final day off on our river expedition has provided us with a great thing.

9/13/13-Friday the 13th

 Friday the 13^th

^{Cassandra Roy}

                  Everyday has a new beginning, a new decision, a new outlook, and endless opportunities. This morning we awoke and planned to set all of these things into motion and embrace the day as it was handed to us. We started off on a driftwood filled beach and discussed the day as well as mentally preparing ourselves for the 20+ mile day that we were about to embark on. This was the most miles in a single day that we have paddled thus far and despite the nerves and fatigue we seem determined to make it to our far away campsite. So off we went, down a fun swift and on to the Grass River; which it seemed was never ending. Everything seemed to be on our side today; beautiful weather, a pumped up group, and winds pushing us along. Soon we hit our rapids, everyone made it down, including Emily and myself (making up for the first time when we tipped the canoe). The day progressed in good spirits. Then came the tricky part. Although the wind on our backs helped during the river, it was our enemy when it came to crossing the lakes. After discussing and weighing the options and risks we decided to go for it. We got slammed wave after wave, it almost seemed as if we were heading into battle. Soon the worst was behind us, and after recuperating we once again entered the Grass River. WE made it to our destination, just past an old Cree burial ground. Alas this was not where we were meant to stay, so we stopped and waited for the waves to stop and the white caps to disappear. They only did so after tents were set up, but in 13 minutes the tents were packed, boats were strapped with gear, and we headed across the lake to our new and better destination. Of course as soon as we hit the water the clouds begain to darken and the thunder came, all of which made us paddle harder. We are now here, and as I write this I watch the waves come crashing in and the trees sway with the power of the wind. Today was a new day, it brought goods and bads, ups and downs, sunshine and clouds; but today like everyday it did something else…it helped to bring our group closer together.

                  “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”