Week Four: Miles & Mindfulness on the River

Loaded canoe, ready to go on one of our misty mornings. Someone turned on the timestamps on the camera this week??

This week we embarked on our second trip, a canoe expedition on the Connecticut River. The river flows 400 miles through four states. It forms the Vermont- New Hampshire border, which is the section we canoed on. We were given more responsibilities during preparation compared to the first trip. Our food team created a four day menu with meals like tacos and pancakes. We packed the gear ourselves and loaded the canoes onto a trailer behind the bus. Since we weren’t carrying our gear on our back this time, we could afford to bring heavier luxuries like a stove, water jugs, and ramen. 

We were met with surprisingly fast moving water when we arrived at our put-in. We knew we had to navigate the rapids without capsizing or risk losing essential gear on the first day. Luckily, everyone made it through safely, and shallow water on the other side of the rapids kept the canoes from picking up too much speed. We canoed on flat, slow moving water for the rest of the trip. Thursday was the greatest test of strength as we canoed 15 miles. Morale began to go down towards the end of the day but my canoe and a few others grouped up to tell stories and jokes to raise spirits and before I knew it we had arrived at the next campsite. 

Canoe selfie :)

The Connecticut River is home to an abundance of wildlife and we were lucky enough to see herons, beavers, and a bald eagle. At our campsite on the last night, we found what appeared to be bear tracks. The river is also known to have fossilized dinosaur tracks, but we did not come across any. 

Hanging out at the campsites was especially rewarding after a long day of canoeing. My favorite activity was making s’mores. I have spent a long time honing my roasting skills and I pride myself on always having golden-brown marshmallows. We spent the rest of our time talking around the campfire and playing games.

While paddling was physically taxing, it became meditative for me as the trip went on. I found the repetitiveness very relaxing and I used the time on the canoe to appreciate the wilderness around me, work through problems in my head, or just let my mind wander. I noticed other gappers practicing mindfulness, even closing their eyes while paddling. 

We finished the week with a gapper movie night. We watched all ten chapters of Over the Garden Wall, one of my personal favorites and a great Halloween time pick for all ages. Next week we’ll choose an apprenticeship and spend time learning new skills either on the farm, in the woods, or in the kitchen.

-Brendan, Gap 2023

Whew, made it to the campsite!