Judging a person on appearance

I was about to leave a rest stop in Southern Maryland when an elderly couple pulled in next to me. The old woman on the passenger side must have been 80+ and slowly began to get out, and I could tell it was taking a bit to get her old bones moving. As she got out, her eyes wandered from me to the canoe (Northstar B17) on my van, and back again. She took a few shakey steps towards me and stiffly raised her head to speak. I waited for the typical questions: going fishing, did you catch anything? how do you get that boat up there? You know the questions. I was unprepared for what she actually said: "Is that canoe an innegra aramid layup?" Not what I expected. She said it looked like their H2O canoe, made in Canada. Not what I expected. I was chuckling at my preconceptions as we went our separate ways.

Great story, made me smile, thanks for sharing.

You are right, not your typical questions.
Jim

Hey, I almost resemble that questioner, and so will a lot of us in a few more years. Octogenarian power! Adding to the woman's credibility is that H20 makes very light canoes, which are ideal for older folks (and smartly planning younger folks).

(sigh) If only her canoe paddling son would have pulled me over on the way to Ontario last Fall... maybe I'd have avoided the ticket.

I'm always pleasantly surprised when first impressions turn out to be a little off the mark. (keeps us humble)

My friends and I have often remarked that there seems to be a strong correlation between canoes and decent people.

Riding around with a canoe on a car always seems to invite questions, and it's always good when the question is actually about the canoe or canoeing. The most common question I get, whether the canoe is on the car, or in the water with no fishing gear in sight, is how the fishing was. I don't fish. The most irritating question is where have I been "kayaking".

Last year, after a few days in the north Maine woods with my wood canvas square stern canoe on the trailer, I was approached by a gentleman at the grocery store in Greenville. He was very interested in the canoe and we spoke for a good 15 minutes, going over all the pros and cons of such a craft.
The thing about this guy was that he was no ordinary Joe Shmoe, his dress, grooming and mannerisms were all top shelf, but I felt very comfortable “chillin” with him, as the cool kids say, not the least bit intimidated by his obvious wealth and success.

Pseudonym said:

My friends and I have often remarked that there seems to be a strong correlation between canoes and decent people.

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Insert: People who appreciate a well-constructed Canoe and do not use it as a dumpster for beer cans while fishing.

...and do not use it as a dumpster for beer cans while fishing.

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I'd much rather they use their canoe than throw the empties overboard, lots of good folks take beer on trips and I surely appreciated the offer of a cold one as I was finishing the Steel river loop last Fall. (come to think of it, I think the empty is still on the floor of my truck )

Drink, drive & paddle responsibly. (not that I advocate any particular order for those activities)

Long story, short. My daughter was invited to go sailing with someone who is a member of a very, very fancy yacht club. I spent the day paddling and drove over to pick up the kid. I'm sitting in my dirty truck in their parking lot surrounded mostly by high end German cars and SUVs when this tall gray haired gentleman walks over. I rolled down my window expecting a tense conversation about why I was parked in the private club's lot. Instead, we talked for 20 minutes about my canoe. I guess if you're into boats, you're into boats.

It is called Lookism. Americans are famous for it. Ignore how people look. In the rural West, the politics can be too conservative, but even the rich people usually don't act like it. Accept everyone. Give them a chance. If you have some spare time, help someone. Be willing to teach kids and anyone that is interested. There is plenty of talent on this page, so remember to share some of it. Build your legacy.

I grew up in Maryland near DC. We moved to Potomac for high school. I was surrounded by people with attitude. We used to run into the prep school kids, the sons and daughters of Senators and Congressmen. They would not give us the time of day. One of the biggest reasons I left the East Coast over 50 years ago. I got tired of being judged all the time.

This subject hits a nerve. My Dad was stopped by the police test driving my old beater 51 Chevy in our decent suburban neighborhood around 1965. He had not shaved and was wearing overalls on a Saturday morning. He had no ID. The cop would not believe that he lived in the neighborhood until my Dad pulled into our driveway to get his wallet. The cop completely changed his attitude and was very apologetic.

This is ironic because my Dad has a PhD and made a ton of money in commercial real estate. He can still pass for a derelict. He taught us to be chameleons and get along with everyone. He just had his 100th birthday party.

I remember similar reactions from California guys I encountered in the service while stationed on the west coast. While they came across as friendly, hip and cool they were often a bit condescending when they found out I was from Wisconsin. California was obviously the cool place to be from.

Another side of this is how many of us look like the stereotypical wilderness canoe/kayak people?

I don’t think I fit the part. May explain why I don’t I have any friends or acquaintances into canoe camping. All the people I associate with outside of work are from a car club.

ppine said:

He can still pass for a derelict. He taught us to be chameleons and get along with everyone.

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For 30 years I was on the permanent instructor team staff to teach an 8-day high adventure wilderness guide trek leader program certification course at BSA National Camping School in the Adirondacks. It involves leading youth (and adults), on five-day canoe camping and backpacking trips. Our students were typically college age and came in all kinds of abilities and appearances, along with the occasional much older "senior" experienced adult. My real job was as a research engineer with the Air Force, so my normal associates were generally well groomed professionally, or at least casually dressed. When I saw some of my incoming guide students, it could be difficult to not form a negative opinion on some of them, much or it (but not all) proved to be unfounded after they proved themselves with desire to learn and skills they were eager and able to acquire and demonstrate.

A canoe racer who would become one of my best friends in life was a guy I had for several years race paddled against in our separate voyageur canoes during the Adirondack 90 mile canoe race became known to me and my then team as "Straw hat Guy", because that was his trademark hat to always wear. He lived in Amish farm country, but was not himself Amish, although he always wore the iconic local hat, especially when canoe racing. "K" actually went through the BSA NCS guide training course and was asked to return again for a season as a guest instructor.

K always paddled stern in one of a couple of different voyageur woodstrip canoes that he had a hand in during their construction at the nearby GRB canoe and paddle makers shop. He always seemed to finish the 90 mile race very well in his more than 30 years of 90 milers that he has completed. Always very friendly and an excellent and compassionate teacher, he was especially helpful and generous with younger paddlers. He earned his living as a physical therapist and Hospice end of life worker. He could play guitar and sing folk and gospel, and played a few gigs around the northern NY area. He completed his first 440 mile Yukon River Quest in 2007, and invited me to join his team for the same in 2008, which we did, plus for a few later years with me bow paddling in his 90 miler voyageur. And again, for the first ever 1000 mile Yukon race in 2009, and once more the Y1K miler once more in 2011. Then one more time another YRQ in 2013. Deathly afraid of flying, he never flew, but always drove his vehicle from northern NY and back, carrying all team gear and voyageur canoe with him to the Yukon, while the rest of his team flew.

Q: Would you trust this guy to be your stern paddler for 1000 miles? ans: Yes, of course.


"Straw Hat Guy" paddling a younger team on the 90-miler


Y1K Team start at Whitehorse and attending to the canoe during our mandatory Y1K passport stop at Eagle, AK