Thanks Bill, the trip you wrote about is really where the "Rubber meets the road". for this hobby. I understand your post and appreciate it! I'm happy for you and your son, you guys keep it up.

NOTHING builds into a man like a boy who has a good father.

Joe

: Much priceless off-topic advice gets passed on this board, but one gem that
: long stuck with me (and forgive me, I forgot who posted it) was, "if
: your teenager says they want to do something with you, better do it."

: A couple of weeks ago my often-sullen 14-year-old son suggested he and I go
: kayak camping sometime. Now, this is something I hadn't done myself, and
: being a novice kayaker I was not confident my limited canoeing experience
: would be helpful. But with the above mantra in my head, I put trepidation
: aside and off we went, to a place neither of us had ever been before, to
: learn new skills together.

: This is not a trip report--just another story following up on sage advice
: found on this board, and it belongs here.

: We decided to embark on a 3-day paddle in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness on
: the east shore of Lake Michigan. We had to pick a weekend that fit his (!)
: schedule, leaving us little time to plan, outfit, pack, etc. I just
: haphazardly bought a few waterproof bags in different sizes. We discovered
: in the garage only the night before leaving that they just held our gear,
: and only the next day at the put-in that they just fit our boats, a tiny
: tuppercraft and my Pygmy. What dumb luck!

: Weather reports were daunting. I asked my son if he was sure he wanted to go
: ahead, and he said yes. He suggested we could pull out a day early if
: needed.

: I promised this would not be a trip report, so let me just say it turned out
: to be exhausting, exhilarating, beautiful, fun, and...dry. We watched
: storm after storm build and lumber across the lake at us, only to veer off
: and miss us north and south. We paddled to the Big Point Sable lighthouse
: (1867) and climbed it; we swam; we cooked; we night-paddled; we played
: backgammon in our tent.

: This board and all of you have helped many people build things of lasting
: value, as my son and I did last weekend. Thanks Nick and everyone.