As usual, I was listening to CBC Radio’s Fresh Air with Mary Ito this morning – a sort of weekend ritual I guess – and it closed off with the return of an interesting panel called Sunday Salon….with three savvy speakers who were ready to talk extemperaneously about topics related to the new year. They were: psychiatrist David Goldbloom of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto; poet and English professor Priscila Uppal of York U; and Andy Orchard, professor of medieval studies and Provost of Trinity College at the U of Toronto.
One topic they discussed was ‘less is more’ . From http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/226400.html comes this:
Less is more
Meaning
The notion that simplicity and clarity lead to good design.
Origin
This is a 19th century proverbial phrase. It is first found in print in Andrea del Sarto, 1855, a poem by Robert Browning:
Who strive – you don’t know how the others strive
To paint a little thing like that you smeared
Carelessly passing with your robes afloat,-
Yet do much less, so much less, Someone says,
(I know his name, no matter) – so much less!
Well, less is more, Lucrezia.
The phrase is often associated with the architect and furniture designer Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe (1886-1969), one of the founders of modern architecture and a proponent of simplicity of style.
The CBC panel gave an example of T. E. Larwrence (Lawrence of Arabia) keeping a small book shelf that he limited to only 100 books….whenever he added a new book, he got rid of one of his books….thus always restricting himself to 100 books. This sounds a bit eccentric….but maybe a way to keep only those books currently relevant to himself….or to allow Lawrence more opportunity to digest the words and thoughts contained within. Of course it could be that he travelled around a lot and merely didn’t want to keep boxes and boxes of books following him around. Whatever his motivation or reasons for this, it is an example of simplicity in practice.
Less is more is a concept that has even has found its way into the environmental movement….Green Trends Unleashed: Consumption: Why Less Is More, http://www.gtrendsunleashed.com/environment/consumption-why-less-is-more/ states:
It is hard to deny that the world we live in right is a high-consumption society. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep at night, our daily lives are ruled by the things we consume. This is the reason why we as a race collectively consume billions of tons of products that will eventually end up as waste. Our culture of consumption has brought to light many issues, among them which is sustainability as at the rate we are going, we may not be able to have enough resources in a few decades.
Recently, there has been a wave of the minimalist movement sweeping across the public consciousness. The Internet has been a great platform for some of the most popular blogs advocating living with less which includes such minimalist blogs like 365 Less Things, Art of Minimalism, A Walk to Simplicity, Be More With Less, Guy Named Dave and Simple Life Prattle. Now for someone who has been so used to the trappings of modern life, the allure of minimalist living may be perplexing. But people who have been consciously choosing to live with less consumption actually say that they feel more connected to their lives than they did before in their fast-paced and consumerist lifestyles.
There have been people who have willingly uprooted themselves for their cosmopolitan city life and moved to the countryside with only a few of their most essential possessions in tow. Some have even chosen to live outside the local grid connect without electricity and running water, only depending on solar power and water from natural sources for their everyday activities.
Admittedly, our modern lifestyles have us focusing on getting the latest “it” thing, whether it be new clothes, the hottest car, a brand-new house, and whatever something that big companies are paying their marketing geniuses to peddle to consumers as the next must-have. But when you really look at how you live, we don’t really need that much to get by. Focusing on enriching experiences and relationships instead of just material possessions can sometimes actually let us live fuller lives instead of amassing things that we don’t really need.
Our planet is weighed down by our endless needs and wants, and it may not have enough to give for all of us much more the future generations to come. We cannot reverse what we have already done, but we can definitely slow down its effects. You can start in your own home, consider installing a home solar power system for your home to save on energy bills. Try starting to buy only the things that you need. Not only does it help save the planet’s resources, it also helps put savings in your own bank account as well.
Of course I’ve always believed that the K.I.S.S. principle is often the best tact to take….keeping it simple (whether stupid or not) is usually the best route to take….maybe not the easiest….but certainly practical for most of us. Whether in the way we are taught or learn….or the way we choose to live our lives….it just makes sense.
This applies to paddling too….as I’ve written before:
I believe we have an inherent part of us that is in tune with water….the human body is largely water….so we are all part water….and consequently, water is part of us….add in a canoe that is so well suited to being on the water, being part of the water, and you have an interesting equation….and there is a very real “flow” to it. Maybe something as simple as:
YOU + CANOE + WATER = FREEDOM
Of course when it comes to canoes that keep it simple and basic, I think of wood canvas canoes first. And my personal bias is shared by others:
My two old canoes are works of art, embodying the feeling of all canoemen for rivers and lakes and the wild country they were meant to traverse. They were made in the old tradition when there was time and the love of the work itself. I have two canvas-covered canoes, both old and beautifully made. They came from the Penobscot River in Maine long ago, and I treasure them for the tradition of craftsmanship in their construction, a pride not only of form and line but of everything that went into their building. When l look at modern canoes, of metal or fiberglass stamped out like so many identical coins. l cherish mine even more …Sixteen feet in length, it has graceful lines with a tumble home or curve from the gunwales inward …No other canoe I’ve ever used paddles as easily … The gunwales and decks are of mahogany, the ribs and planking of carefully selected spruce and cedar… - Sigurd Olson, Tradition
The canoes rode well, not too high in the bows, but just enough. Peterborough Prospectors were made for the bush and for roaring rapids and waves. They embodies the best features of all canoes in the north. They were wide of beam with sufficient depth to take rough water, and their lines gave them maneuverability and grace. In them was the lore of centuries, of Indian craftsman who had dreamed and perfected the beauty of the birchbark, and of French voyageurs who also loved the feel of the paddle and the smooth glide of the canoe through the water. All this was taken by modern craftsman who – with glues , waterproof fillers and canvas, together with the accuracy of machine tooled ribs and thwarts , planking and gunwales – made a canoe of which Northmen might be well proud. – Sigurd Olson
Although in later life Bill vehemently defended the virtues of his beloved Chestnut – his personal fleet included three, a 16′ Pal, a 16′ Prospector and a 17′ Cruiser – he could have been paddling any number of canvas-covered canoes built in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In fact, there were on the market, for all intents and purposes, dozens of nearly identical models, made by various manufacturers in the United States and Canada, many of which had the model name “Prospector.” But, even as a class or type of canvas-covered canoe, the Prospector that became his favourite was entirely consistent with Bill and his view of the world. It was mostly made of natural materials – steamed white cedar ribs and planking; brass tacks and screws; cotton-canvas skin; and white ash or oak seats, thwarts and gunwales. It was solid; it was durable; it could be repaired in the field; and it moved quietly and responsively in all types of water. – James Raffan, Fire In The Bones
Wood and canvas canoes are strong, seaworthy, exceptionally responsive to the paddle and soothing to the human spirit – Hugh Stewart, master canoe builder, Headwater Canoes
The concept and the magic of a canvas-covered canoe is that it can have two, three, or even four new outer skins in its lifetime… These canoes are exceptionally recyclable and ultimately, except for screws, tacks and brass, biodegradable. — Hugh Stewart, wood-canvas canoe-builder and owner of Wakefield, Quebec’s Headwater Canoes
Going down a river or crossing a lake in anything but wood-canvas is like floating on a linoleum rug. That’s just how it looks when you glance inside one of those types of canoes and watch the bottom flex and shimmer with the water. Whereas, in any wood-canvas canoe you have all these beautiful rich colors of the cedar planking and ribs, hardwood gunwales and decks, and caned seats. Even the smells are nice and directly relate to the environment you are traveling through. - Jack Hurley, canoebuilder
I suppose there would always be an argument for the different types of materials and canoe designs, but the wood-canvas canoe is one generation away from the birchbark canoe and was made for working and transporting people through the wilderness. It was designed and made out of materials that would stand up to miles and miles of flatwater and whitewater and portaging through very rugged and unexplored terrain. As a trip leader with kids and adults, I have safely traveled across many lakes in a wood-canvas canoe in conditions where other experienced paddlers in the new-design boats were either windbound or took on water during the crossings. - Jim Spencer, canoebuilder.
A Recipe For Success:
STEAMED CEDAR WITH CANVAS
An elegant accompaniment to fish.
Make ahead of time for relaxed visit with friends.
51 board feet of peeled and deveined eastern white cedar
10 board feet of combined ash, black cherry, and maple
2600 brass tacks
18 feet of 10 weight canvas
¾ gallon of oil base filler
3 quarts of varnish
2 quarts of paint
Assortment of beer to taste (chilled if possible)
Using a large shop, prepare all ingredients the night before. Early the next day preheat element to high heat. Bring an adequate quantity of water in a large pot to a tumbling boil. Steam ribs until al dente (flexible) and bend immediately while still tender. Let stand at room temperature to blend flavors until cool. Chop cleaned white parts of planking into long thin slices, (smaller pieces will fall to ground). Add bulk of brass tacks and planks at random until ribs disappear (careful not to tenderize planking with pounding of tacks). When ingredients become solid remove from mold and set aside. Prepare gunwales and decks by chopping fresh hardwoods. Snip to length and desired shape, introducing slowly for best results. Wrap with canvas skin; skewer with tacks along edges, leave middle open. Add both caned seats and center thwart until balanced. Inlay decks for garnish.
Use the same basic recipe for fifteen and seventeen footers. Quantities will vary including concentration of beer.
Well before serving time, press filler firmly onto bottom side of prepared carcass to seal in natural juices and let marinate. Heat entire hull at medium to high sun for about three weeks, covering occasionally, until fully baked. From a separate pot, baste inside with all-purpose varnish to glaze ribs, careful not to drip, and let harden. Repeat occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk and and gently combine, until mixed but not runny, an assortment of fresh paint to color, stirring occasionally as you serve, and dressing the outside lightly from end to end. The condiments blend even better if allowed to stand for several hours until sticky topping hardens. (Careful not to undercook, but do not let baking temperature bubble surface.) Repeat spreading of additional layers on outer crust and again set aside and let stand until hard. Cover and store in a safe spot until needed. Present whole at room temperature, arranged attractively on an adequate bed of water. If desired, garnish with cherry paddles as a starter. Bon voyage. Serves 2 to 3. (Note: Depending on degree of festivities, presentation may be turned into a dip.) – Don Standfield, from Stories From The Bow Seat: The Wisdom & Waggery of Canoe Tripping by Don Standfield and Liz Lundell.
A canoe must fill many unusual requirements: it must be light and portable, yet strong and seaworthy, and it must embody practical qualities for paddle, pole, and sail. It must reject every superfluity of design and construction, yet satisfy the tastes of its owner and safely carry heavy dunnage through unpredictable conditions. These demands will be met by a builder both meticulous and clever – one who, through resourcefulness and dedicated craftsmanship, can build a canoe that will be an everlasting source of joy. It will provide pleasures that continue throughout the four seasons: loving labors that extend from spring refit through a summer and autumn of hard work and play, and on through the winter layup period of redesigning, building, and improving the canoe and its auxiliary gear.
I hope the author’s text….will impart….a proper understanding of of the creation of simple, graceful canoes. It is sad that the practical knowledge and technical skill necessary to build them has remained virtually uncommunicated. One can only hope that revealing a part of this information will result in a clearer understanding of the special bond between the traditionalist canoeist and the wood-canvas canoe. For indeed, a canoe reflects the spirit of its builder and user that develops a character more akin to a living thing than to a mere object of possession…. - Clint Tuttle (canoe builder and instructor of wooden boatbuilding), from the Foreword of Building The Maine Guide Canoe by Jerry Stelmok.
Time spent in a wooden canoe of fine lines and able handling qualities is intoxicating. Restoring vintage canoes or building such craft from scratch can be consuming. It will ruin a man or a woman for any other work. This is not to dismiss all canoe builders as rapscallions, curmudgeons, or reprobates. But in the majority of cases there are the symptoms of an addiction, or at least a suspension of common sense where canoes are concerned. We are kin to the hard-bitten trout fisherman who stands out in the wind and rain breaking ice from the guides of his fly rod for a chance at an early season rainbow, or the railbird unable to resist the summons of the bugle, knowing it will be followed by the starting gun which will launch the thoroughbreds from the gates. We all know better, yet we simply can’t help ourselves. Why else would we devote our most productive years attempting to revive an industry that has not known real prosperity since before the Great Depression? Today, at long last, wooden canoes and their construction are enjoying a quiet renaissance, and this only encourages us, adding fuel to our dreams. - From the Introduction to The Wood and Canvas Canoe: A Complete Guide To Its History, Construction, Restoration, And Maintenance by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow.
Beautiful things made by hand carry within them the seeds of their survival. They generate a spark of affection. For some it’s sentimental, for some it’s the art of the craftsmanship, for some the beauty of the finished boat. People love these things and try hard to ensure they endure.
The survival of the wood-canvas canoe (to paraphrase John McPhee) is certainly a matter of the heart; a romantic affair. The economics are unfavorable. In fact, the wood-canvas canoe’s most conspicuous asset and advantage is that it’s a beautiful piece of art. It’s the Shaker rocking chair of outdoor sport – handcrafted, simple, clean, and functional. There’s nothing in it that doesn’t have to be there, but all of the pieces add up to more than the parts. It works well and looks wonderful doing it. - From Honeymoon With A Prospector by Lawrence Meyer
Nothing feels like a cedar-strip canvas canoe - Omer Stringer, a confirmed traditionalist
I think wood canvas canoes certainly are examples of simplicity in design….and in my opinion still a good form of construction even in this day and age….as I wrote here in Sunday Saunters: Wood Canvas Canoes….As Green As They Come, http://reflectionsoutdoors.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/sunday-saunters-wood-canvas-canoes-as-green-as-they-come/:
….I think that in this day and age the wood canvas canoe, new or old (and restored) is more than just a viable alternative….on the website for Timberline Canoes, the home page has the following:
Wood Canvas Canoes: Eco-friendly watercraft constructed of renewable, natural resources
Benefits of Ownership
- Gentle on the environment
- No fossil fuels required
- No water pollution
- Quiet – no noise pollution
- Easy to maneuver
- Easy to transport
- Renewable construction
- Good for your body
- Great for your soul
Now I have expounded on this blog at great length on wood canvas canoes….on why wood canvas canoes should be used….why folks trip with them….why wood canvas canoes are not just “museum pieces”….even about youth canoe building programs involving wood canvas canoes….obviously I love wood canvas canoes….but not just their history or tradition….I even think there’s a future for wood canvas canoes….and maybe even a real need….
….Wood canvas canoes, to reiterate the Timberline Canoe home page, are eco-friendly watercraft constructed of renewable, natural resources….despite the fact that certain chemicals might be used in their construction….such as in the filler, paint, or even varnish….but personally I believe that the “carbon footprint” involved in the construction of wood canvas canoes is much less than that involved in building fiberglas or Kevlar canoes. So I think it’s safe to say that are more “eco-friendly” than other types of canoes on the market….not only are they constructed from renewable and natural resources….but they instill a closeness to the natural environment….especially in a spiritual sense….just check out the quotes from various folks at the outset of this post, especially from the canoe builders.
On her website for Bourquin Boats (Bourquin Boats), Jeanne Bourquin answers Why Wood? :
Almost everyone interested in a wood canoe at some point asks me “Why wood?” “Why paddle something so beautiful?” “It should be on a wall somewhere.” “They’re so heavy… they require so much upkeep and work…”
The camp where I learned to travel by canoe uses wood canoes because they believe that by learning to respect and care for one’s equipment, we learn to take care of the environment, and we learn to take care of and respect each other. The material, the care required, the natural beauty of a wood canoe all fit into the experience of wilderness travel. A wood canoe is more of a friend (or a pet) than a piece of recreational equipment (most people name their canoes), and the purchase of a wood canoe should be approached the same way. “Am I willing to take the extra care loading and unloading?” “Will I want to get my feet wet?” “Where am I going to store my canoe?” “Will I enjoy the cleaning and sanding and touchups required each fall?”
Asked why we use wood/canvas canoes, those of us who have paddled them for years can mostly only shrug and smile. Maybe its love… cupid’s arrow… pure foolishness. Maybe its all appearance… maybe its how quiet they are on the water… maybe its how you can forget the mosquitoes as you admire for the 10,000 time the graceful curve of rib and plank disappear into the bow. Or, maybe its the history and memories we see reflected in each dent and scratch – while imagining our children and grandchildren off on some adventure of their own in the same canoe. For most people the love for wooden canoes starts the first time they actually get in one and paddle. They are beautiful to look at – but they are much more beautiful on the water – clear skies and Fall leaves, or grey skies and pouring rain, another friend to share it all with.
As John Hupfield states on his Lost In The Woods Boatworks website:
Why wood? Besides being beautiful, wood is a renewable resource that we think is more in keeping with our enjoyment of the environment, and is a non-toxic alternative to the increasing use of toxic chemicals in recreational watercraft. It’s warmer and stiffer than synthetics, smells nice, is pleasant to work with, and is quieter on the water too. And by using modern building methods, hulls are extremely light, durable and easy to care for. It’s a myth that wooden boats are high maintenance!
Or as Paul Roddick states on his website for Roddick Canoes:
Canadian adventure canoes and rowboats, built the traditional way with wood and canvas, and a whole lot of Canadian know how. Our great country of lakes, rivers and ancient waterways is the birthplace of the canoe. Long before the white man ever set foot on this land the great native people built the canoe to travel and explore the wilderness. Today we build these great canoes in the same way,ready to take you on a wilderness adventure, or an eary morning paddle on your favourite lake, with the mist rising off the water as your quiet wooden canoe glides effortlessly with hardly a ripple, as they have done for thousands of years and will continue to, as long as individual craftsmen, dedicated to preseving this great Canadian tradition, culture and life style, persevere.
I am not defending the wood canvas canoe, because they need no defense, they speak for themselves, they whisper “Canada, wilderness,water, adventure, lakes , streams, rivers, sun on the rocks, wind on the water, trout in the clear crystal pools, an early morning moose feeding at the the waters edge, or you and your companion, pushing off your loaded canoe, into another day of being one with with nature.
Our models never change from year to year, they are the same today as they were a hundred years ago. It’s hard to improve on perfection, we don’t worry about the newest tecnology, or the competition. Why?, because we don’t have any, all we have is our timeless wooden canoes and boats, each one hand built, one at a time, slowly, carefully, soulfully, each one a bit of Canada, each one cherished for what they are, a thing of timeless beauty, function and grace, the wood canvas canoe. forever.
Maine Canoe Journeys adds:
Wood/Canvas canoes have enjoyed a remarkable revival since the early 1980s for more than nostalgic reasons. A fine wood/canvas canoe offers not just aesthetic beauty, but also superior handling in the water, craftsmanlike construction of largely organic materials, and infinite repairability.
Finally as Pam Wedd says on the Bearwood Canoes website:
The experience of paddling a traditional wood and canvas canoe is like no other in this high-tech world of ours. Being a part of our surroundings in a watercraft built from natural materials returns us to our roots. It is a link to our past and our soul.
I don’t think I can add much more to any of that….certainly nothing I haven’t added before here….so next time you’re thinking of buying a new canoe (or even an “old” new canoe), think of a wood canvas canoe….and if you are worried about the weight then remember it’s really not too heavy….and even if it is more than that featherweight Kevlar, it will let you know you’re still alive….as for maintenance that’s part of the charm too. And nothing like taking a wood canvas canoe on a northern lake, especially in traditional canoe country like Algonquin, Killarney or Temagami.
Paddles up until later then….and may you have a green canoe (if you don’t already have one)….a green wood canvas canoe….truly “green”.
But then any canoe is a thing of simplicity….as well as something of perfection….as I once wrote:
The perfect canoe is the one we’re in at the moment because the time we’re in the canoe is a perfect moment.
But this is not true for canoes. Kayaks or any self propelled craft should be included in this sense of simplicity. The act of paddling (or even rowing….or sailing for that matter) take you to different places than any motorized form of watercraft can. Whether in a canoe or kayak, we get a look at our environment from a different view….a view that is closer to Mother Nature. Just look at paintings such as those of Tom Thomson’s.
While few Thomson paintings actually have canoes in them. When he did depict a canoe, it seemed to be just part of the scenery. One such painting, entitled The Canoe, shows a grey canoe on the shore of a lake. But by looking at most of Tom’s smaller sketches, it is apparent that these were created from a canoeist’s perspective. Thomson often painted while he was in a canoe.
Image of Tom Thomson’s ‘Canoe and Lake, Algonquin Park’ courtesy Joyner Waddington, http://www.joyner.ca/pages/joyner-auctions/viewlot.php?id=1000696. Title: Canoe And Lake, Algonquin Park, oil on canvas, laid down on panel, signed Creator: Tom Thomson 7 ins x 10 ins; 17.5 cms x 25 cms EST. $80,000 / 100,000 PRICE: $377,100.00 Painted circa 1912-13. Provenance: Private Collection, Toronto Literature: Dennis Reid and Charles C. Hill, Tom Thomson, Art Gallery of Ontario and National Gallery of Canada, Toronto and Ottawa, 2002, pages 157-169, colour plates 5-17 for related Algonquin works from the same period and of similar size and medium, in particular, for a painting entitled The Canoe (plate 6). This work was included in Joan Murray’s catalogue raisonne of the artist’s work.
Image from Group of Seven Art.com, a fine arts reproduction company, http://www.groupofsevenart.com/Thomson/Images/Tom_Thomson_The_Canoe_1912_GS.jpg. Note: This image incorrectly identifies this painting as from 1912.
Title: Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park Creator: Tom Thomson Archive or Repository: Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Collection or Fond: University of Guelph Collection Reference Number: MSAC-UG989.097 Notes: Oil on canvas. Gift of Stewart and Letty Bennett, donated by the Ontario Heritage Foundation to the University of Guelph, 1988.
Title: Chill November Creator: Tom Thomson Archive or Repository: Gallery Lambton Collection or Fond: Gallery Lambton Notes: Oil on canvas, 36″ x 42″/91.4 cm x 106.7 cm. Gift of the Sarnia Women’s Conservation Art Association, 1956.
As I reported here in Thursday Thoughts: Finding The Simple Pleasure In A Paddle Stroke….The Small Pleasures To Treasure In A Canoe, http://reflectionsoutdoors.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/thursday-thoughts-finding-the-simple-pleasure-in-a-paddle-stroke-the-small-pleasures-to-treasure-in-a-canoe/:
Now I have often rambled on about paddling….about canoeing….in this blog. I don’t write trip reports….certainly not a day to day review of campsites and portages. I think others do that better than I can. But I have talked about the freedom that one can find….about how one can get closer to Nature….just about the sheer joy of paddling. I won’t bore you by rehashing all of that again….or even attempt to put fancy words down to try to better describe such experiences. Actually the simpler the words or the thoughts around canoes & canoeing….about paddling….maybe the better. After all paddling a canoe really is quite a simple thing to do….very basic….so maybe getting too ‘fancy’ about it gets away from the essentials of just paddling a canoe. True you can get ‘fancy’ in your paddling….or pi-daddling as some might call it….you can make your canoe literally dance, especially with some of the fancy moves that form Canadian Style paddling….but you can also ‘dance’ your canoe in a river, ferrying across the current, slipping into an eddy, or running a set of rapids….or just getting out for a tour of a local lake or wetlands. But the K.I.S.S. principle is never more evident in my opinion than in paddling a canoe. So keeping it simple is far from stupid.
I spend time online looking over other sites on canoes and canoeing….looking for other thoughts on paddling (often because I think others can describe the joy of paddling better than I ever could). One such site is The Canoe Camper, which has a great section of Stories and Articles. One story I thought I’d share a few passages from is Small Pleasures by Keith Bridgman:
Small Pleasures by Keith Bridgman
While the cool air of morning hovers over the quiet hours, is when I feel most at home, most in tune with where I am, while fatigue continues to invade my eyes. Before the rays of daylight evaporate the darkness, while the last remnants of the pre-dawn cling to life, how important are the moments spent drifting alone on the currents are then realized. It is the last calm before the day and the last silence of the morning that awakens me. More often than they should, the moment’s slip away unnoticed, until I look back and reflect on the experience. It is then my heart is warmed by what my eyes witnessed, and my thoughts drift affectionately to what was there, to the emotion of the moment, suspended on the glide of my canoe toward that rendezvous of time and place. It is good for the soul to do such things, for it is during those times, the gift of the small pleasures of life become real.
The sweet tone of the paddle keeping time with the swirls and eddies as the wooden blade presses against the water and propels the canoe silently over the surface is what I enjoy the most, and least, as muscles not recently used are again called into service. The perfected motion as the paddle is carefully raised at the end of each stroke, and caressed into place for the next, the obedient turn of the bow as a gentle brace is applied are such things from which I seldom tire. That first stroke of the morning, during the stillness, when the only sound is the muffled gurgling of the paddle, and when anticipation is highest, create the most enduring images. As each stroke blends with the next, their collective action becomes a special memory harboring its own significance, its own connection to that gift.
The solitude and calmness of spirit is what I seek while canoeing and few things offer a better blend of events to fulfill those ideals. I’ve grown to appreciate that concept more with age. The slow and simple method of drifting down a backcountry stream or across a secluded cove embraces the essence of those words. Often, the trials of making a living create a delinquency from the pursuit of those desires, but in retrospect, because of the gaps created by that delinquency, the experience generates even more pleasure on the few occasions I do get away….
Paddles up until later then….and may you find the small pleasures in paddling….well at least the simple pleasure that dipping a paddle can bring.
The simplicity of the canoe….of canoeing….of paddling….keeps me centred….that smooths out my life….
Again borrowing from past blog writings, let me revisit One Last Thought For A Sunday: Smoothing Out Our Paddling….And Our Lives, http://reflectionsoutdoors.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/one-last-thought-for-a-sunday-smoothing-out-our-paddling-and-our-lives/:
Michael Caine is quoted as once saying: “Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” Now for many of us that is that is how we lead our lives….getting caught up in the hectic everday craziness that today’s world can so often create. Then again it might even describe my paddling style LOL LOL….well at least when I first was working on my technique (back in my Kandalore days).
I worked hard at first to try to paddle ‘perfectly’, trying to copy the effortless style of more experienced Kandalore staff like Mike Ketemer, George Anderson, Andy Wickens, Terry Thomas, Wendy Grater, and Fred Loosemore (to name but a few….and certainly not to forget Kirk Wipper)….luckily I was taken under the wing of Sandy MacDougall who was the canoe instructor at Kandalore. Sandy taught me the proper strokes….got me to practice each day….for a couple of hours each day. Eventually my technique improved (then again I couldn’t do anything but improve LOL LOL)….I went from a Goon stroke to a proper J-stroke….and continued to add to my paddling skills….Kandalore certainly had a tradition based in canoeing back then….and even someone as initially pathetic as I was couldn’t help but soak up proper paddling, by osmosis if nothing else. I did practice as often as possible….usually getting out on the water several hours a day. So I guess it was largely through practice that I improved….but I think the standard set by other Kandalore staff certainly didn’t hurt any….neither did seeing the likes of Omer Stringer….or watching Bill Mason’s Path of the Paddle film series when it first came out (I even got a chance to see Path of the Paddle before it was finished…..Bill dropped by Kandalore to show to show his film in progress). No question practice makes perfect….or at least gets you closer. But it’s important to have a ‘standard’ to shoot for too.
These days I’m working on my Canadian Style paddling a lot….getting ready for possible canoe demos and maybe even a canoe ballet (as I mentioned in the last blog post, one such demo is planned for the National Canoe Day celebration in Peterbourough). Often now I can make my canoe look pretty smooth out on the water….the canoe dancing whichever way I choose….silently sliding across the water. Freeing me from whatever might be bothering me at that particular moment….maybe something at work….problems in my personal life….all seem to float away as my canoe floats along….gliding along….quietly getting close to the natural world all around….getting close to nature….close to the birds and other animals that are part of Mother Nature….even becoming part of that very natural world. Becoming more natural….taking the time to be natural.
Photos by yours truly.
I watch certain videos, like those on YouTube by Rolf Kraiker…or of Kim Gass or Becky Mason….certainly referring to Becky’s great DVD Classic Solo Canoeing….and her Dad’s Path of the Paddle (still one of the best videos out there). These references are very much a ‘standard’ I can aim to eventually attain….or at least hope to. Kind of like knowing where you can go if you just knew how to get there.
Canoe tripping is another example….getting away on a trip gets you in touch with the natural world in a way that many of us don’t get a chance very often these days. Whether it’s just for a couple of days….or even a few weeks….just getting out for a paddle frees you….allows you to unwind….to truly ‘get away’ from it all. When I was involved in front line social services work in Toronto, mostly dealing with the homeless and/or those with substance abuse or mental health issues, getting away on a canoe trip was a great way to ‘renergize’ myself….to ‘recharge’ my batteries. I learned that if you didn’t take care of yourself….to help yourself….then you couldn’t take care of anyone else…..to help somebody else.
There is a lot of great information on canoe tripping….on various canoe routes….Kevin Callan has an incredible series of guides….as does Hap Wilson….great online resources like Algonquin Adventures, Canadian Canoe Routes, Solo Tripping or Ottertooth….even outfitters like Algonquin Outfitters if you don’t have your own equipment. Trip reports and guidebooks can describe what you’ll see….give you a sense of the routes….even provide background like local history and natural environment (the local flora and fauna). There are courses in canoe tripping too (such as offered by ORCKA). But actually getting out on a canoe trip gives you the real flavour for what’s out there….provides a chance to actually ‘get away’.
You can have a ‘standard’ to shoot for….but to really get something out of any experience, you need to do it. So get out there and ‘practice’ your canoeing and your canoe tripping soon. You’ll thank yourself for taking the time to do so.
As with anything if you set a goal….have a standard to shoot for….take instruction as needed….but more than anything just get out there and practice….put all of those things you’ve learned (or picture as attaining) into practice….make them a natural part of your life….these things can become a habit….just naturally happening….
Eventually you reach a point in your paddling where you don’t even think about what you’re doing….it’s almost instinctive….you just know what to do….you don’t even think about what stroke to use….the paddle blade just seems to know what to do all on its own….call it being ‘in the groove’….’in sync’….it just seems to be the ‘natural’ thing to do….and in many ways that is true….your paddling has become a part of you….’natural paddling’….your paddling just naturally becomes smooth….you smooth out your paddling.
Taking a canoe trip can help smooth out your life. The more you make tripping (or even just paddling) a part of your life, the smoother your life can become. It can take away a lot of the stress….the worries….the pressure….just the everyday grind….that is so much a part of life today….especially in the city….paddling a canoe can truly free you. And the more you do it, the more natural a part of your life it becomes….a more natural way to deal with everyday hectic life.
Whether it’s just paddling….or taking a canoe trip….make these things a natural part of your life….get into the right habit….certainly learning how to do things correctly (whether it is a particular paddle stroke or a way to set up a campsite….no trace camping or doing a Canadian stroke….a proper J-stroke or how to pack for a canoe trip….etc.) is important….putting those things to practice is key too….developing good habits….having things just become the natural way of doing it.
So I’ve noticed that if you don’t think about it, and only concentrate on where you want the canoe to go, the strokes seem to just come…..become almost instinctual. And the canoe just seems to go. But I really like to get to the point where I don’t even think where the canoe is going….certainly not thinking about whatever stroke I might be attempting….I like those moments best where I just ‘go with the flow’….not thinking about what I’m doing or where I’m going….just drifting along….no thinking of what’s being done or where it may end up; yet at the same time, despite ‘no thinking’ being involved, you and the canoe seem to be of the ‘same mind’….together in all….yet totally free at the same time.
Of course that is not so much when I’m trying to get from point A to point B on a canoe trip….although I like to allow time for just ‘taking my time’….I think it’s more that in a canoe you just become a part of that whole much bigger world – the world of Mother Nature – that whatever you’re doing or wherever you’re going really seems almost insignificant to everything else around you….especially if you’re trying to do things in a specific way….or trying to get somewhere in a hurry….those things really don’t seem to matter so much.
I could go on and on….even about the benefits of canoeing and canoe tripping….instead I thought I’d share some thoughts of others….with a couple of mine are thrown in for good measure at the end:
It is certainly not my intention to convince everybody they should grab a canoe and take to the wilderness. We are all different, and our interests vary. That is how it should be. Some people are content to enjoy the land from the edge of the road or campground. Others are only happy when isolated from the synthetic world by many portages and miles of trackless wilderness. I used to think it was a major tragedy if anyone went through life never having owned a canoe. Now I believe it is just a minor tragedy. – Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle
On wilderness: I like being out here. I like looking around. Listening. Seeing how the wilderness fits together. It’s like a puzzle. When we go in and change things, it upsets the balance. And what a great puzzle our world is. It’s beautiful, powerful, and mysterious. – Becky Mason
On her passion for the canoe: Sometimes when I’m hiking I feel like I’m crushing things under foot. But when I’m in a canoe I glide with the currents, feeling the tug of the water underneath. And that’s why it’s special to me. – Becky Mason
On why she paddles: Paddling is sensual. It touches my emotional side. Often I notice that my feelings change when I paddle. If I’m angry, upset or worried, these emotions just seem to slip away and a sense of peace settles over me. – Becky Mason
Becky Mason’s essay Reflections, which I felt was worth repeating:
I have often thought about the connections that paddlers experience when canoeing. Peace, reflection and wonder come to mind. I suppose it’s a desire to seek a form of quiet meditation. I find it natural to turn to paddling as a meditation point. I’m not sure that the canoe is the real catalyst for me though. It’s the natural environment that really elevates my awareness and feeling of heightened spiritually and belonging. For instance, I would not feel at one with my surroundings if I was paddling indoors in a chlorinated pool, where as I might feel totally different if I had hiked into a remote waterfall.
But canoeing is in my blood. I have found that it is not a separate entity in my life but part of my psyche and personal make up. My Dad, by example, showed me that this balance was possible. He was always so busy and active, working and going non-stop for months at a time. Nevertheless, he recognised that he really needed the quiet solitude of a wilderness journey to nourish his soul and rekindle his spirit.
As far back as I can remember, I have been spending a part of my summer canoeing and camping in the wilderness. These have been memorable and rewarding trips but equally important for me is the hour or two of paddling I can squeeze into the middle of a busy week. I like to jump in my canoe and head out with no real destination or purpose, just letting the wind and my whims lead me where they may. Upon returning to my desk and slogging through the pile of stuff that needs attending I enjoy thinking of the adventures I will be able to continue on my next paddle.
It’s fun to fantasize about paddling. To imagine exploring further that tiny trickle of a headwater, that slowly builds and turns into a lively river with rapids I dance in, and chutes and falls I portage around, and mirror-like pools I spin and play upon. However, nothing can substitute for the real thing. So I do get out there. And when I do, that feeling of being at one with the land and water and air slowly surrounds and envelops me, it feels very calming and Zen like. And I know that in my dreams and in my life I will eagerly continue on, going just a little further down that creek to see what is there and what new wonders the wilderness will have to teach me. – Becky Mason
Canoeing gets you back close to nature, using a method of travel that does not even call for roads or paths. You are following nature’s roads; you are choosing the road less travelled, as Robert Frost once wrote in another context, and that makes all the difference. You discover a sort of simplifying of your values, a distinction between those artificially created and those that are necessary to your spiritual and human development. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau
I think a lot of people want to go back to basics sometimes, to get their bearings. For me a good way to do that is to get into nature by canoe – to take myself as far away as possible from everday life, from its complications and from the artificial wants created by civilization. Canoeing forces you to make a distinction between your needs and your wants. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Memoirs
The movement of a canoe is like a reed in the wind. Silence is part of it, and the sounds of lapping water, bird songs, and wind in the trees. It is part of the medium through which it floats, the sky, the water, the shores….There is magic in the feel of a paddle and the movement of a canoe, a magic compounded of distance, adventure, solitude, and peace. The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten. It is an antidote to insecurity, the open door to waterways of ages past, and a way of life with profound and abiding satisfactions. When a man is part of his canoe, he is part of all that canoes have ever known. – Sigurd Olson from The Singing Wilderness
In travelling great rivers and lakes, there are times when islands fade, hills and headlands recede, the water merges with the sky in a distant mirage of shimmery blue. These are the open horizons of the far north.
If it is calm, the canoes drifting through reflections with nothing to break the vast silence but the hypnotic swish of paddles, there are moments when one seems suspended between heaven and earth. If it is stormy and the lakes alive, with whitecaps and blowing spume, each instant is full of battle and excitement. When, after hours and sometimes days, the misty outlines of the lake take form again, islands slowly emerge and float upon the surface, headlands become real, one passes through a door into the beyond itself and the mystery is no more.
Life is a series of open horizons, with one no sooner completed than another looms ahead. Some are traversed swiftly, while others extend so far into the future one cannot predict their end. Penetrations into the unknown, all give meaning to what has gone before, and courage for what is to come. More than physical features, they are horizons of mind and spirit, and when one looks backward, we find they have blended into the whole panorama of our lives. - Sigurd Olson, from Open Horizons, 1969.
The canoe was drifting off the islands, and the time had come for the calling, that moment of magic in the north when all is quiet and the water still iridescent with the fading glow of sunset. Even the shores seemed hushed and waiting for the first lone call, and when it came, a single long-drawn mournful note, the quiet was deeper than before. - Sigurd Olson, The Singing Wilderness
I would paddle out swiftly onto the open lake if the moon was shining down its path. It never failed to come to me when going down that brilliant shining highway into space. Most completely of all would I be taken when lying on my back looking at the stars. The gentle motion of the canoe softly swaying, the sense of space and infinity given by the stars, gave me the sense of being suspended in the ether. My body had no weight, my soul was detached and I careened freely through a delightfullness of infinite distance…. Sometimes the night cry of the loon would enhance the illusion. For long periods I would lie, having lost track of time and location. A slap of a wavelet would jerk me back into the present and I would paddle back to the glowing coals of the deserted camp fire, trying to fathom the depths of the experience I had been through. - Sigurd Olson, in his Journal, Jan. 20, 1930
Mind over matter, canoe over water. - Kevin Quischan
To canoe is to be moved. - Doug E. Bell
We do not go into the green woods and crystal waters to rough it; we go to smooth it. We get it rough enough at home…. – Nessmuk, 1884
I went along to iron out the wrinkles in my soul. - Omond Solandt
Doing what you like is FREEDOM, liking what you do is HAPPINESS. - Unknown
Happiness is paddling a canoe on the river of life. – Unknown
The paddling rhythm allows us to focus on the here-and-now. Senses are tuned and aware, but not focusing on anything in particular. I’m aware of bodies falling easily into the monotony of the motion. The magic of paddling for hours in the efficiency of the action. For every action there is a resting phase – the yin (sic) of exertion, the yang (sic) of rest. For every expenditure of energy, there is renewal of breath and power from the motion of the boat. Resting phase: hands fall forward, shoulders tilt, the blade drops into the water and every part of the body evenly flexes to the task. Exertion: I look down and see my bare toes flex against the sand in the bottom of the boat as the stroke begins. The thigh follows, left more than on the right. The demand of the right side of my torso is smooth and even. The demand on the left side – the side I’m paddling on – is wave-like. I look down as the power of the stroke peaks: chest and upper arm flex together as the paddle swings forward again. Gail’s back shows the other side of the effort. Sheets of muscle in her back are a series of delicately shadowed triangles that focus their force towards her spine. Her shoulders glisten in the light and drop slightly as she tips forward and begins a new stroke. Watching the sequence of motion played out through the smooth muscles in Gail’s back makes me aware of a high-frequency tingling in the nape of my neck. I daren’t tip forward for fear of springing a wire. It seems odd that the paddle is the object being powered and the spine is the place from which the power is being dispatched. Our paddles enter the water on opposite sides of the boat, but I’m conscious right now that the power is centralized. It comes from the core. It’s motion derived of the soul and of the land whose energy flows through in every sense. - James Raffan
We need quiet places, and we need quiet ways to travel in them. We never quite realize how valuable they are until we’ve been paddling, camping, and fishing in them for a few days. Once cleansed of the residue of daily living, it’s possible to find what my son once called ‘a calm spot’ in your heart. It’s a good thing to find. – Jerry Dennis, From a Wooden Canoe
I have always had a desire to explore out-of-way places. Together, the canoe and this country’s many waterways provide the ideal combination. When travelling by canoe you seem to blend in rather than being an intrusion on your surroundings. – John B. Hughes
Ultimately, a paddling trip simplifies life. – Wendy Grater
It’s pretty hard for me to go more than a few days without getting a paddle wet somewhere. For me, that stepping into the canoe and pushing off is a very special spiritual and physical experience. Bill Mason had it right: it’s like walking on water. It transports you to another way of being, another way of feeling – it restores my soul. – David Finch
I like to encourage people to paddle because it gives them a different way to experience the river, the landscape and…life. – David Finch
It is such a great way to take in a wide range of experiences. When we paddle, the experience of place moves from the brain to the heart, making it a life-forming experience. – Kevin Redmond
Nothing like paddling a canoe to restore the spirit and reconnect with this gorgeous planet that sustains us. - Dalton McGuinty, Ontario premier in twitter to Badger Paddles folks.
I paddle a canoe as a past-time. Beyond the simple mechanics of paddling is the actual dance of the canoe. We create the sheer poetry of motion by making a rhythm or even music with the canoe; literally making the canoe dance. Just as there are no wrong notes in making music (at least in the purest sense), even if we don’t know the exact correct paddle strokes, we can move that canoe, creating our own poetry or dance. As we become more proficient in paddling we can create a more intricate dance. But when we come to add emotion to our paddling, we create a vision. Then that canoe dance almost seems to takes on a life of its own. It is more than just mere paddling…almost as if that canoe becomes an extension of ourselves. Freeing ourselves. And the canoe is the vehicle or instrument to such freedom. The freedom found in making beautiful music together with my canoe. – Mike Ormsby
When we come to add emotion to our paddling, we create a vision. Then our canoe can dance and almost seem to take on a life of its own. It is more than just mere paddling…almost as if that canoe becomes an extension of ourselves. Freeing ourselves. – Mike Ormsby
Perhaps it would be better to look at this whole process in terms of a canoe trip….you start out on a route that you’ve planned and mapped out….along the way you might find something of special interest that causes you to linger longer than at another…..perhaps you even decide to take a side trip or to stay out a bit longer, even go off in a new direction ….but if you’re travelling in a group, you are part of a team….hopefully cooperating to make the trip enjoyable for all….everybody has their role….some carrying packs across a portage, others the canoes….setting up camp…..cooking meals….even having a say in where they’re going…..there may be a trip leader, sometimes more than one….But when I think of leadership, I am reminded of watching a V-formation of geese in flight….the lead goose is sticking its neck out to break the air currents for the rest of the flock, thereby making it easier for the others to fly (as they “draft” in behind)…but if you watch that V-formation long enough, you’ll see that the lead goose will eventually fall back and another one will come up to take its place….so a good leader will stick its neck out for whover is following, setting a good example for the others; but also a good leader knows when to let another lead, when to let others have a chance….These geese work together….to a common goal of getting where they need to be….like we do on a canoe trip….working towards a common goal…. – Mike Ormsby
A canoe is a very good way to get close to nature. While it is possible to make a canoe go pretty fast, it is the thrill of slowing down that appeals to most canoeists. Even when canoes do go fast, when they rocket rapidly through whitewater, they are still canoes. Still close to nature and its environs. It is not the canoe that provides the power, it is the water. The canoe rides the water and its occupants humbly steer.
In a canoe you can’t help but feel the body of the country, notice the shape of islands or hills, hear the cries of birds and the sound of the wind, yet still respond fervently to the hundreds of small things that make up the world about you. Take a canoe onto a lake at night and enjoy what it can do, acting as a launching pad to distant worlds, opening up a vista of stars in the sky. The canoe seems to float up to these very stars and far away planets, as the night sky becomes one with the dark silent waters, twinking stars reflected in murky depths until water and sky all seem to blend together in one great expanse.
Canoes can sneak up on loons or beavers or herons, even a mighty moose, silently getting you closer than you can imagine. The canoe becomes part of its surroundings, becoming part of the natural world, and so completely that even once discovered it doesn’t scare such creatures. The canoe is just part of their world, accepted as always being there. It might be that the canoe has been such a familiar sight for so long, for so many years in the north country. In no particular hurry, the loon or the beaver slip quietly under the water if at all bothered by any such intrusion. Usually the moose will just stand there, holding its ground, patiently out waiting the canoe and its paddlers, unless it tires and lumbers off to the safety of the nearby bush. The heron takes flight with its dignity intact, probably thinking: “It’s only a canoe, but I’ll just move away a bit anyway.” – Mike Ormsby
If I get out and paddle my canoe, I feel freedom. That much I’ve stated here before. But freedom from what????? Certainly freedom from stress. Possibly freedom of expression in that I am able to express myself in a way that is definitely free….not only in cost, but in freedom of spirit and emotion. Canoeing is physically freeing too.
Something about gliding on water….going with the flow….having a way to get into spots on the water that no other water craft can so easily….sometimes just drifting along….others moving with purpose and direction (such as when paddling from point A to point B and even in a certain time frame). But no matter how you travel in a canoe, there is part of you that just naturally slows down….finds a natural “groove” at least….a rhythm….and as has been pointed out often (here and otherwise), eventually you become one with your canoe. It might take some practice….learning how to paddle your canoe efficiently and properly….but with time, you do become in “sync” with your canoe….just as it becomes one with the surroundings….blending in so to speak.
So that’s part of this freedom….travelling under your own power in a water craft….that is so well suited to such travel. And you don’t even need music to make your canoe dance. Maybe just the song of your paddle. But the harmony that you and your canoe can form is truly beautiful music. If you’re fortunate enough to become as proficient as a Becky Mason or Karen Knight, your paddling seems almost effortless….too easy in fact. But even for those of us without such skill, we can still paddle our own canoe very freely….still find a way to free ourselves….just being on the water is a way to feel free.
I believe we have an inherent part of us that is in tune with water….the human body is largely water….so we are all part water….and consequently, water is part of us….add in a canoe that is so well suited to being on the water, being part of the water, and you have an interesting equation….and there is a very real “flow” to it. Maybe something as simple as:
YOU + CANOE + WATER = FREEDOM – Mike Ormsby
So maybe if we try, we can turn that quote of Michael Caine’s:
“Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath”
…..to something more like:
“Be like a canoe. Calm on the surface, and always paddling forward in smooth easy strokes. Just add water and a canoe….you will find freedom.”
Paddles up until later then….let your paddling and canoe tripping become things that are just natural to do….maybe we should just to learn to go with the flow’….let me close by repeating the words of two paddlers:
We do not go into the green woods and crystal waters to rough it; we go to smooth it. We get it rough enough at home…. – Nessmuk, 1884
I went along to iron out the wrinkles in my soul. - Omond Solandt
Can I add much more to that….probably not….but I’m sure it’s a subject that I’ll come back to again in these pages. Maybe others view less is more and even simplicity in different ways, as Kelly Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane was quoted: “If less is more, then think just how much more more could be” (cited in Frasier Quotes, http://www.tvloop.com/frasier/show/quotes/dr-frasier-crane-if-less-is-more-then-think-just-257364). But to me, simply dipping a paddle in water is often much more than I ever need. Maybe it isn’t that paddling is any less….but simply more.
Paddles up until later then….
