The Joy of (Self-Imposed) Canoe Trip Suffering

[Glenn MacGrady]

"There’s a story circulating about a guy who accidentally zapped his manly bits with bear spray. . . . [which] does nicely [to] open the topic of self-imposed suffering and canoe trips."

Hurts So Good: Why The Trials And Tribulations Of Hard Trips Are So Good For The Soul

Wise men and women of every tradition claim suffering can bestow clarity.

paddlingmag.com

This is your opportunity to confess suffering, trials and tribulations you've endured on canoe trips, which only later, perhaps, you interpreted as a form of joy, mental clarity or spiritual connection.

 

[Patrick Corry]

A writer whose adventurous antics I have followed for years once articulated “the fun scale”. Having spent a significant part of my life as a climber and alpinist in some of the worlds great mountain ranges, I can attest to the spirit of the scale.

The Fun Scale

I first heard about the Fun Scale from my friend Peter Haeussler back in 2001, as we bushwhacked through thick Alaskan Devil’s Club en route to cold beers on his sailboat. I’d just come out of the …

kellycordes.com

My trip report https://www.canoetripping.net/threads/the-whitney-c-adks-william-c-whitney-wilderness.127931/ relates a little of the sort of suffering that correlates to the fun scale on a canoe trip.

 

[eckilson]

A writer whose adventurous antics I have followed for years once articulated “the fun scale”. Having spent a significant part of my life as a climber and alpinist in some of the worlds great mountain ranges, I can attest to the spirit of the scale.

The Fun Scale

I first heard about the Fun Scale from my friend Peter Haeussler back in 2001, as we bushwhacked through thick Alaskan Devil’s Club en route to cold beers on his sailboat. I’d just come out of the …

kellycordes.com

Yup - the “Three Types of Fun” definitely applies to paddling/tripping. My wife often asks me why I do these trips, and I’ve never really had a good answer other than its “fun”.

 

[JohnSand]

Like going to sea on sailboats, to see and experience things that can only be found in that way.

 

[ppine]

If there was any suffering involved, I wouldn't do it.

 

[MyKneesHurt]

I call a good tough trip "recreational deprivation." That does not, nor should not, encompass macing your own man parts.
I did do five days through the St. Regis in June wearing a kilt and no bug spray one time, so I can't say I haven't done dumb s$%t.
I would paddle out into the middle of ponds to get away from the mosquitoes.
I also got kicked out of a very fancy restaurant in Saranac Lake for smelling too bad on that trip. Laurels all around!

 

[Seeker]

Every time I complete the steepest part of the Turtle to Clamshell portage, and am resting by that big boulder at the top of the trail, I swear I will never do it again, that I'll go the other way (Long Pond to Nellie)... and by the time I'm down the hill at Clamshell, I've forgotten all about it.

It happens with every discomfort on trips... the bugs, thirst, forgotten spoon, broken portage yoke, broken reel, lost fish, burned finger, wet feet, broken pack strap, punching a hole in a new carbon fiber canoe from banging it against a guardrail I-beam, forgetting to seam seal the ridgeline on your new hammock tarp before a frog-drowning-rainy trip, ripping a hole in a neoprene boot, or your 12 year old daughter beating you 20+ games of UNO in a row while you sat under a tarp with no fire during an all-day rain... as soon as the sun comes out, the wind picks up and blows the bugs away, repairs are made, or the view clears on the mountaintop, you remember only the joy.

Daughter still razzes me about the UNO. Wife doesn't know about the hole.

The rest of it doesn't matter.

 

[Simuliumvenustum]

Every time I complete the steepest part of the Turtle to Clamshell portage, and am resting by that big boulder at the top of the trail, I swear I will never do it again, that I'll go the other way (Long Pond to Nellie)... and by the time I'm down the hill at Clamshell, I've forgotten all about it.

It happens with every discomfort on trips... the bugs, thirst, forgotten spoon, broken portage yoke, broken reel, lost fish, burned finger, wet feet, broken pack strap, punching a hole in a new carbon fiber canoe from banging it against a guardrail I-beam, forgetting to seam seal the ridgeline on your new hammock tarp before a frog-drowning-rainy trip, ripping a hole in a neoprene boot, or your 12 year old daughter beating you 20+ games of UNO in a row while you sat under a tarp with no fire during an all-day rain... as soon as the sun comes out, the wind picks up and blows the bugs away, repairs are made, or the view clears on the mountaintop, you remember only the joy.

Daughter still razzes me about the UNO. Wife doesn't know about the hole.

The rest of it doesn't matter.

So well said, Seeker!

 

[Rippy]

As I read these posts I started to wonder if "suffering" is a state of mind. i.e. one person's suffering might be another's discomfort, and yet another's inconvenience. Not trying to minimise someone's suffering. Just saying it may be relative to past experiences. Also, the length of the "trial" might determine the line between inconvenience and suffering. I myself would like to avoid what I consider suffering. That said, I occasionally challenge my self in an activity for the joy of overcoming and succeeding. Someone participating with me might feel like they are suffering. Come to think of it, might be why most of my "challenges" are solo. All this is to say, substitute challenge for suffering and I can relate to the joy that comes afterward. Dave

 

[Patrick Corry]

" I occasionally challenge myself in an activity for the joy of overcoming and succeeding."

Absolutely.. your comment characterizes much of my past outdoor pursuits. For me it's more 'fun' to set a challenge whose outcome is not certain just to see if I can do it.

Then there is this favorite quote while in the thick of things by a long-time friend and fellow masochist: "I'm looking forward to looking back on this...".

 

[TrailBlaser]

I've always done mostly solo trips and never thought twice about challenging myself on trips, both in terms of the physical effort required and with the weather. Of course I was younger then, but there was no cell phone service or SOS devices back then - just a rough itinerary and a promise to call (from a pay phone) when I was out. Both my gear and clothing back then are nowhere near as good as I have now. Being older (70), it takes more mental effort to challenge myself with trips. I am easily content with paddling into a location, base camping, doing day trips and don't think twice about spending some time relaxing around camp. As always, the primary factor driving me to do more rigorous trips is that there are places I want to visit/revisit that require more physical effort. Being retired, I do have more time and flexibility for those trips, but I am much more hesitant and cautious (maybe overcautious) about doing them. It's primarily a psychological challenge. I feel physically able, I have the gear, clothing, experience and know-how. It seems that now more mental effort is needed to take that first step outside of my comfort zone...

 

[Blukanu]

I call it embracing the suck.

Why is it that the most memorable trips are the one’s where things went sideways?… thick bugs, getting hit by a big storm, constant rain, etc.

Guess if feels energizing to get out of your comfort zone. See what you can endure. Then how good it feels to get home, take a hot shower and crawl into your soft bed.

 

[ppine]

Nessmuk, George Sears talked about roughing it, which seems to be the theme of this post. He also talked about smoothing it, which has always been my preferred way to spend time in the outdoors.

 

[Robin]

Years ago while on a group trip in Quebec, we where sitting around the fire one evening towards the end off the trip, talking, and the subject of how nice the fishing, paddling, bugs and weather had been.
One of my friends said it was a “last week” trip. When questioned, he replied “how many times have you started a trip and the locals said “you shoulda been here last week”, well this was that “last week”

 

[memaquay]

I used to be in the dedicated masochist club, suffering was my thing, hair shirt stuff was my bread and butter. Pretty sure those days are over now. When we had trips with nice weather and easy days we would call them "uneventful". Not even sure I'm in the uneventful category anymore, hope to try a real trip this summer and see what happens.

 

[snapper]

I was on a trip years ago where someone forgot the creamer for our morning coffee. I learned to drink it black (and have done so ever since) but that's the worst inconvenience I can think of. There have been some nasty black fly days in May along the Raquette River but even that just adds to the adventure. Besides, without days like that what would we ever brag about to our friends who don't trip???

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

snapper

 

[ppine]

As a young forester I was very gung-ho and led people on trips that were too rigorous. I quickly learned that most people do not like those kind of trips. Women especially get tired of macho bullpucky. As an old fart we have lay over and days and a relaxed pace. Now I just camp with old men and dogs on river trips.

 

[riverstrider]

I've had some "discomfort" on some trips that certainly made things memorable, but nothing compares to what my friend Jim experienced some years ago in Maine. We paddled from Errol, NH to Rangely, ME over a long weekend. Maine got hit by Hurricane Kyle while we were out there. Over the course of the trip, the following happened to Jim: He forgot to close his tent door on Night 1 when the rains started. Bottom of sleeping bag got wet, with some other things. While moving the tent under a tarp, he ripped the corner stake loop off. The next day, on the portage between Umbagog and Lower Richardson, one wheel of his portage cart folded like a piece of laundry with 2 miles still to go. He got a ride to the canoe and back on a local's ATV trailer, resulting in some posterial bruising. All the while, the black flies bit his legs to blazes. As we got underway, he announced that he found a crack in his canoe, probably from the folding cart. We all got soaked gear trying to put tents up in a howling downpour on an island campsite in Upper Richardson. After that, things improved for him. The boat was repaired with plumbers putty and the cart wheel was banged back into shape with a rock.

On the way home, his van's engine started making funny noises, and finally died as we turned into a friend's driveway, never to run again.

He stated a couple days later that it had been the best vacation of his life. I'd hate to be on one of his bad ones!

-rs

 

[boy&hisdogs]

The worse the trip the better the stories. I have learned to embrace the challenges and laugh at my own misfortune (once I know I'm safe.)

Like when I got so sick during a backpacking trip that I thought I was going to freeze on a 50f degree night (in a mummy bag, fully dressed in sweats, socks, fleece and a beanie), kept waking up because I somehow kept choking in my sleep, then on the way out couldn't walk more than about 40 yards at a time without having to stop and cough my lungs out because not only was I sick, but they were doing controlled burns nearby and the smoke was constantly blowing over us.

Or the time I was out hunting at a place I have been several times, walking on very mild ground, and simply stepped on a wet rock and slipped and fell. My foot twisted in an unnatural way, and I collapsed directly down on top of it. I broke both my leg and my ankle. This was 6 months ago and I'm back on my feet but still walking with a big limp.

Another time my truck decided to break down 6 hours from home on top of a mountian... and I was supposed to get married in a few days! After having it towed back to camp, we managed to coax one last start out of it and got home. That was the last time it started for a whole year.

 

[TXRiverRunner]

When I was in the middle of the Navasota River last weekend with my 17-year-old daughter, I was asking myself, “why in the world did I take her out here?” With every battle through tree branches, spiders that fell into the canoe, near flip, and muddy campsite I was feeling sorry for her. But she was a great sport and a huge help. She never complained but laughed about all my complaining. However, I am so grateful we did it. I know it won’t be long and she will likely move out and move on with her own pursuits, so this was a great adventure that we shared together. Children are a gift and doing hard things with them builds bonds that last.