Birch Bark Canoe from John McPhee's book

While pursuing another passion of mine, I spent a week at the Ashokan Center in the Catskill Mountains. To my great surprise, suspended above the dining hall was the actual original birch bark canoe described and discussed in John McPhee's book The Survival of the Bark Canoe.

It was too long (or the dining all too short) to get far enough away to get the entire canoe in one photo. But here it is:

Thanks for posting Erica.
Jim

Erica said:

I spent a week at the Ashokan Center in the Catskill Mountains.

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I lived in Woodstock, NY, in the 80s, 12 miles from the Ashokan Center, but don't recall ever hearing of the place. Nice find with a nice find. I read that book when I lived in Woodstock and then gave it to my father, who lived right across the Ashokan Reservoir in Shokan.

My memory is that Henri Vallencourt built Malecite style bark canoes, at least in Mcphees book, that have a different stem profile than the canoe in the photos which I believe is Algonquin. I don’t have a copy of the McPhee book or Adney and Chapelle with me, so I could be completely wrong.

Mark

dogbrain said:

My memory is that Henri Vallencourt built Malecite style bark canoes,

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His web site at http://www.birchbarkcanoe.net/ indicates that he builds a number of different style canoes.

Benson

Thanks for sending that link Benson. I see a similar symbol painted near the end on one of the canoes on his website.

Mark

dogbrain said:

I see a similar symbol painted near the end

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Yes, nearly all of his canoes have that symbol.

Benson

Very cool! I'm not too far from there but have never been to the Ashokan Center. Here's at least one reason to go...

Erica - Thanks for posting the photo of the canoe. I spent a lot of time with students over the years at Ashokan prior to Jay Unger & Molly Mason taking it on. I know many of the guys who originally paddled the canoe on its inaugural trip that's written about in McPhee's book. It's great listening to them after all these years as they spin their tales and relive old memories. The first time I saw it, it was suspended in the rafters of one of the barns on site. Glad it's been moved into the dining hall where more folks can see it and learn its history.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time....be well.

snapper

I was at the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association Assembly last week. There were two birchbark canoes displayed, both built in recent years. I helped one owner turn his over, and also carry it from the water. I also visited the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. They have some amazing canoes there too.