ECOEE 2015: September 2015

Friday, September 25, 2015

8/22/2015 Trent Grossman

8/22/15

Trent Grossman

This week has been more of a struggle than I have ever faced in my entire life. The field of adventure recreation has proved to have far more complexities than I could have ever imagined. This has clouded my mind throughout this week with stress and doubt. When we arrived at Lake Superior I had all my stresses melted away. The stunning shoreline endlessly called for my attention. I could not be brought down by any remark of reminder of my workload. Later that night as I was cradled to sleep on a rocky shoreline with the lullaby of crashing waves easing me to sleep I had my first night under the stars on Ecoee. I was reminded of something, nature brings my soul to piece. The vast never ending canvas of stars in the night sky brought back the same wonder I had as a child. I was the luckiest man on earth with tickets to a show that most people pay to avoid. What ever happens in my life I know I will be trying to impart the same passion for nature onto others.

8/22/15 Trent Grossman

8/22/15

Trent Grossman

9/21/2015 Trent Grossman

ECOEE Gate's house
9/21/15

I am grateful! I am grateful for so much it is overwhelming. Today was the first time I was able to talk with all of my brothers in the last four weeks. Being able to hear their voices and tell them of my exciting experiences brought joy to my heart. I could tell how happy my family was to hear I was doing well. I told them how grateful I was for all the star filled nights. The call of the loons ringing out over the water i the morning, The sunsets viewed from rocky shorelines. The opportunity to learn about things that I am truly passionate about while being able to make my ways through this opportunity of a life time with truly amazing people. While on this expedition it is easy for me to think about the simple things to be grateful for but I need to be sure to think of the more complicated things o be thankful for. All the tribe members that are willing to hold be accountable. Instructors that will be critical in order to help me grow. Long days and short night. It is important to look towards the things to be grateful for.
-Trent Grossman

9/20/2015 MO

9/20/2015

What a strange feeling it is. Getting off the canoes into civilization was a magical feeling. Leaving the green moss, the shady trees, and the hidden gems of the Missinaibi River left me with feelings of wonder. I had no connection to anything and could hear my own thoughts loud and clear which made me very calm in the woods. A fear that I would once again lose touch of my surroundings and myself. So how do I keep it going? Can I feel and act the same way I did being covered and lost in the woods? I am sitting in a van now and not a canoe. How much of a difference is it actually? I have a lot of reflection to do at this time of my life. The pros and the cons of are back country and front country are swarming my mind. I enjoyed our meal together in a restaurant but I cannot help but think I would enjoy some noodles out in the woods more. I have decisions to make and things that need answers. To answer these questions I have exploring that I need to accomplish. I want to keep my senses aware and stretch myself from my comfort zone. I still have a lot to learn and I am happy to say I do not think the learning will ever stop. Where am I going with what I am learning and what am I becoming? I can only find what I am looking for by realizing everything I am is right in front of me and that is where I begin exploring. What a strange feeling it is to leave the woods to become a part of civilization once again but what a magical feeling it is. The woods is dark and deep but it brings light to what is important. Nature speaks to those who listen and if you listen carefully. You will find out things that no one else may never know.

-Mo

9/19/2015 Bobby Liston

Bobby Liston

9/19/15

What a bitter-sweet ending it is. Waking up for twenty-eight straight mornings in the beautiful wilderness of Canada is something that is unexplainably wonderful. I was a part of the river like blood in veins. I will never forget the Missinaibi for as long as I live. The pines, the rapids, the fish, the waterfalls, and most importantly the experiences I had with my comrades. Our ups and downs can be compared to headwinds on a wavy lake. Our good times can be explained as hitting a V perfectly in a rapid without hitting a rock. I knew this trip was going to be great, but with previous ECOEE’s having twenty-eight straight days of rain, my hopes for sun couldn’t have been fulfilled more. The sun was so plentiful that most of us felt lucky, or that god had answered our prayers. Getting off the river was difficult. The longing for the end was evident in most of us, but the river and the elements had been so great to us. Hitting civilization was a very strange feeling. Hearing music, looking in a mirror, eating food that is made by somebody else, I have all taken for granted. The little luxuries in life are great, but being stripped of them makes us appreciate life a whole lot more. Being away from family with little communication is a little hard, but it makes us love and appreciate them more. Thank you Missinaibi, I hope this is not the last time I see your beautiful waters.

9/18/2015 Steve Nutt

Today was our last full day on the river. A whole month of paddling, rapid riding, and eating limited rations on one of the most beautiful rivers I have ever been on is finally nearing the end. To say it hasn’t been easy is an understatement, but if there was ever something that was worth a struggle, it would be this trip. When you are put in a setting where you are expected to be a competent vigilant leader every second of the day in such a remote and demanding environment has been challenging to say the least. One of the most important things you learn out here is that everything you do has a purpose. Don’t pack your bags correctly and they will sink to the bottom of the river. Don’t shoot for the V’s and you’ll have a flipped canoe in the middle of a roaring rapid. Don’t set up a tarp and you’ll cook in the rain. Don’t pack your rations correctly and you’ll be so hungry that you eat uncooked ramen for a snack. While life is not easy out here, at least it’s fair. I’ve challenged myself more than I thought I ever would and each week I learned something about myself. Living in the wilderness is more than just hanging bear bags, setting up tarps, and building fires, it’s learning to think for yourself and adapt to whatever comes your way. Whether it’s a mean rapid, horrible weather, treacherous terrain, or conflict between your comrades, you have to learn to overcome. You realize what you take for granted, and who you take for granted because sometimes it takes a journey like this to realize it. I know that when I see the Missinaibi on a map years from now, the memories of this trip expedition will never be forgotten.

-Steve Nutt

9/17/2015 MO

9/17/2015
Are we there yet? The sun has not stopped shining, the birds keep singing, and I would not want to be anywhere else then where I am now. What is the point of rushing to the end when we all know it is so near? Before we all know it, Canada will be gone with a blink of an eye. It is exciting to a room with walls and a comfy bed after being in a canoe for 28 days doing 200 miles with the same people. But why waste energy on frustration, worries, and/or impatience when that energy can be made into something new? Like an appreciation for the fresh water that surrounds us on the Missinaibi River, the challenging but most enjoyable rapids that lie ahead of us, and the miles we committed too because guess what? Each of us committed to this expedition. I am going to make these last few days count because of what Canada and all you have given me. I am not going to waste or energy on what is not in the picture because I owe it to you all and myself to enjoy and work for these last moments in Canada. I will stay grateful for what I have been given. I will be grateful to fall asleep at night with peace of having the ability to be patient, learn, and smile. I am stuck in a canoe all flipping day but I love every moment of it even the frustrating time. And yes, I am a believer in dreams and hopes but I will work hard until I succeed. And my energy will not be wasted because I love every minute of what I do. And I chose this for a reason. Didn't you?

-Mo

9/16/2015 Steve Acuff

Day 25. Two more days and a wake up. 3 ½ weeks without a shower or power. Two pairs of socks, two pairs of skivvies, one pair of pants. Everything I have needed carried with me nearly 200 miles. The 60+ pounds of food I have brought is reaching the last scraps of noodles and the final candy bars I have been saving for the final stretch. While most people would be overcome with joy knowing that in less than 72 hours they could shower, eat real food and check their email, I am a little distraught that “reality” will be present shortly. Almost four weeks ago during a rainstorm in a tiny ten with two other large tribesmen, I thought to myself that this would be a really long adventure. Now as I gaze at the immaculate night sky with its endless stars, I cannot imagine a place I would rather be. Living in the wilderness brings its very own set of complexities but it is very much simpler than the urban charades we play back home. Here there is meaning to everything you do; meals are more satisfying, weather is more appreciated, a star lit sky something to revel at as you drift off to sleep with the leaves rustling and the rapids roaring. It’s easy to get caught in the shallow web of money and materials and disregard the simple and essential natural side of us we have almost rid ourselves of. Over the years I have moved all over the country/world struggling to find a place or a calling of my own. While I sit here in the woods night after night, day after day I feel at peace with the world and right at home. We are all from the Earth and will become Earth again. Nature calls to us; we are wired to be a part of and enjoy green spaces just as we are wired to be with others and enjoy their company. So, how lucky am I to be in this program enjoying the wilderness and the company of my peers? How lucky am I that I am learning to lead people into beautiful wilderness and share and develop the same appreciations and love I have with others? Even through the physical pains, the rain soaked days, the freezing nights and the uphill hikes, every day is memorable and the sun filled wonders with the bird chirping help drive that point home. While the end of this adventure may be bittersweet, there are many more to come this semester and this life. With the a renewed vigor and lust for the outdoors I am excited for all the places I will go, things I will see, and people I will enjoy it all with.

-Steve Acuff

9/15/15 Kyle Salz

9/15/15

I woke up this morning at 6am by Josh. Who told me that it was starting to sprinkle? The first thing I thought was to get up and get everything packed. I get up and about a half an hour later or so the sky clears and the sun starts coming up. Now, instead of having a rainy day it is going to be another sunny day. Which it did turn out to be about 70 degrees or so with a light breeze all day. So, instead of paddling right off the bat this morning we did an interpretations and a lesson. Bobby interpretation on different settlements in Canada. Meaghan interpretation on characters of the region which we learned who was the first millionaire in the United States was a fur trader. Jeff had all of us take a judgement test today. It was very confusing but at the same time I know that I learned a lot from. After, getting done with the lessons around noon. We finally pushed off around noon. To start our journey for the day as it was a nice short paddle. We arrived at the Pond Falls portage an half an hour later or so. Walked across and half way is a campsite. I took a short break between moving gear to go see what it looked like. It was a good size campsite but the best part about that the falls where a 100 feet away. They were so cool to look at and listen too before getting back to portaging. Finished loading the canoes and pushed off to our next portage that was less than a quarter mile away. I started unloading the gear and portage our canoe across a short trail. Thinking that we were continuing on form there I got more of my gear across. By this time all the canoes and everyone was beginning to move gear across the portage. Then all of a sudden… a storm moved in quickly and no one wanted to communicate. We were told that we were moving on then camping here. At this point I was really confused and frustrated and it seemed to me that some others members where to. Finally, after the leaders of the week took some time to talk it through. We all came to a conclusion that this would be camp for the night. It not very big but it could be worse. Has a nice place to swim and fish. Bobby and I went out fishing for a couple of hours. Bobby caught a lot of fish while I just caught a lot of snags. We cooked a bass, walleye, and Northern pike for dinner and rice it was all very good. The night is clear and the stars, no tents are up everyone is out in the clear skies. A have the sounds of the falls to go to sleep too.

9/14/15 Raquel Leal

Monday September 14th 2015.

Well as unexpected as this journal entry, I can compare to life itself...confusing, unpromising, mysterious, and unpredictable, but all together life is love. Tomorrow is never a promise and that is a fact of life. Counting on others is fearful but who knows about that. Getting into a mindset to try your hardest is not all that great. We cannot always get what we want and that is clear. What happens if one starts to meditate such as to feel, smell, and hear those other emancipating conditions that are far-fetched? Nope, we have to conquer, obey or listen. These things only get worse my friends as well as complicated as time goes on. I went to bed last night in the mindset of going into a rest and woke up in the one that rushed me into a vast panic stretch. Not only is that a complete disturbance of my equilibrium but OH, how I love it!!! A mindful checklist that I made in my head for all the gear that must be packed up and ready to be loaded in the canoe for the next destination. I want to embrace all of these "hardships" and kick them in the butt! At this point I think I am still inadequate and foolish for being out here, but at the same time I would not change a thing. Everything happens for a reason and I stay true to that. If it helps to stay positive, I hear ya. If you choose to be a "realist" right on. There is always something to hold onto that helps keep you going. We all came out here to gain something new, let us all come together and gain something in common to share with everyone! Coexisting with one another is similar to an art form, we all sculpt a certain way of carrying themselves. When it comes to belittling someone there is no point in losing your breath, we are all the same in the sense that we see the same sunset and sunrise. Take the time to listen to one another, but actually hear them out, it goes a long way when communication takes a toll with everyone. Harmony can actually be a side effect of tendency... I love it out here in the majestic beauty of the long Missanabi Rivers, ever the rocks that we hit along the ways in our canoes are a part of us because we learn heavily from those miles stones and try harder the next time to not run into those sidebars. Ya'll drive me nuts and I love it! It is only the beginning and many things to learn, especially for the slower learners like myself... So be patient and laugh, life is too short not too... Rocky

9/13/2015 Meaghan Mason

Sunday 9/13/15

I woke up at 6:15 today and realized I was 15 min. behind schedule and yet I still didn’t want to leave the warmth of my sleeping bag. When I finally managed to leave my sleeping bag I scarfed down a bowl of apple oatmeal and quickly disassembled camp. From our starting point at Thunder Falls we had a 10 mi. paddle to our next campsite at Lonesome Rapids. I spent the majority of the four hour paddle thinking about all the recipes I want to make once I’m in the front country again, Lasagna, White Chili, Italian Sausage and Bowties, Mississippi Mud Cake…Once we got into camp, Steve Nutt pointed out that we were a ¼ of the way through with ECOEE. It’s so hard to believe that we’re already a ¼ of the way done. It seems like just yesterday that we started ECOEE. Now that we’ve spent 21 days out here I feel like I’ve learned so much but there is so much that I have left to learn.

Meaghan L. Mason

9/12/15 Josh Samuels

20150912

Saturday is the end of one week and the beginning of another. Being the leader of the week that sticks around for the next week, Saturday is no day off. From meetings to meetings to planning for the next week of the expedition free time is very limited,

The new leader team this week are not afraid of the cold and sleeping outside is what we desire. Throwing the ten to the bottom of the dry bag and sleeping just under the tarp we used to cook under. The fire pit that sits on the beach has been slowly being filled with wood for this evenings bonfire.

The stars tonight lite up the sky, the firs lights up our journals, and the laughter lights up our souls. As the day comes to a close my mind opens up like a book. A book ready to tell a story. This is a story of a cook, who must prepare his meals for many men wandering through the vast land of this world. This is a story of a baker who kneads bread between his hands over and over again for meals for children. Or a story of a builder, construction, deconstruction, and piecing together something of great importance.

Now, once in a while all of these people and many more are combined into one. This is story of a man who has to do all of any skills or crafts that he may be, and expiditionist. An adventure that needed to cook each meal for themselves, and baking bread for his fellow companions. Lastly a builder, when he needs a tent, a home, a bridge, a boat or anything. An expiditionist must have all of the skills, all the tools, and all of the knowledge to do anything on his own.

This is like how we as leaders need to be. You have to be skilled, knowledgeable and have the tools to do everything and anything that could be needed. As a leader we must have anything for anyone we will lead. Today this is not a book. Today is not a story. Today is life. Yesterday, yesterday was a story.

Joshua M. Samuels

9/11/2015 Trent Grossman

9/11/2015

When I was a younger man an I heard the word expedition certain things would come to mind. Thins like beaver skin coats and bringing along your thirsty dog skipper, then having to eat him out of desperation. Oh you know like, Luis and Clark kind of stuff. While ECOEE is a WIU Program it still as days when you are sent barreling down a rapids praying you do not go over. In between those days there is still time for reflection on leadership styles ad decision making. There seems to be no time at all where nothing needs to be done. But last night as my fellow tribe members and I tore the meat of the bone of two Wally-eyes with our hands. I felt like an old school expeditionary surrounded by two worthy hardworking fellow adventures.
-Trent Grossman

9/10/2015 Steve Acuff

It’s been a long week. It’s 2230 and I’ve finally caught up on academic journals and reports I have been pushing off the last few days due to long hours of movement, wetness, coldness, tiredness and hungriness. Maybe a little laziness too =]. This last week’s transition onto the river from seemingly endless lakes has been a bit more of a logistical nightmare than I imagined. As a leader of the week last week I learned quickly how to plan routes and estimated times of arrival pretty quickly and straightforwardly. My fellow leaders and I got us to right outside the mouth of the Missinaibi River where I would take over for the next weeks planning along with two other new victims (leaders of the week). Having knowledge and experience from the week prior, I felt comfortable with the next weeks planning. Well, long story short, I underestimated the logistical nightmare of Mother Nature’s waterways, the rapids. After the first night camping on the river we were baptized in rushing waters as our curriculum literally walked us up a running rapid to study how the water works in conjunction with the rocks and slopes. Onward we moved to finally trying to ride these monsters in our canoes. The uncertainty of running each of these swirling beautiful waterways raises many questions and concerns at each individual rapid. Some may be run without a second thought, others may need to e studied long for a safe passage, while some may not be passable at all. As each day passes we are getting a little better at identifying which is which. Our instructor and our canoes are thankful of this as the amount of rocks hit and scraped decreases. It’s not easy being on this river. The rapids are fun yes, but the days are long, the paddles hard, and the portages many. Maps of the river and pages from the guidebook are burned into my retinas. But, every morning I get up, have a cup of coffee, look over my routes, load my canoe and set off with a smile on my face because of the beauty of the land and water around me and the people I get to share it with.

Because it takes two to canoe.

Steve Acuff

9/9/15 Raquel Leal

September 9th 2015

The start of these mornings are starting to be an organized regime of events. Wake up, realize your sleeping bag has lots of sand in it still from the night before, realize all you want to do is curl up into a ball in that sandy sleeping bag, make breakfast, realize you dry bag was half way open, notice that it is still pitch black outside, complain about the buzzing mosquitoes... but finally does anyone ever get the chance to be grateful for one another? That is truly something important that each of us should have in mind when we need that extra comfort when everything else seems to be falling apart. Moments like those the tribe members must come together and realize that chatting with one another is what we need, do not hide from those lingering emotions, and embrace them! I am not one to be the first one to speak up when something needs to be said, but I will say this I am all ears and will try my best to give some advice for those lonely moments. I have noticed how different each tribe member is, and we all carry something so essential and that creates this group's energies of "let us keep on keepin' on!" I believe this adventure is going to teach all of us not only the skills to preform but as well what we all have to offer to this world. We are all like significant ripples in the water just growing more and more each day. We must all also be brave enough to know our own potential because without that confidence then what is left? What are we looking for? Do you really want to go that extra mile to see what you are capable of? Those questions I ask myself on a regular basis...mostly because I do not feel adequate for this expedition. I have had dreams of being on my own since I was a little girl, getting the chance to experience for myself what is really out there instead of the initial scare of going outside because my mother was an over protector. I have a mindset and it is set in stone, being out in this beautiful Canadian Missinabi River going wherever the wind blows us, but in the direction of the itinerary. I am CONFIDENT, ARE YOU?

Rockyyy

9/08/2015 Josh Samuels

20150908

This morning started of wonderful until discovering that other members of the tribe witnessed the Northern Lights last night. At fist I was extremely upset that not any pictures were taken. I was also angered that at the thought that not a single one of them thought to wake up the group. Then I remembered that fir sine reason I was not meant to see the Northern Lights, just yet. Some adventures are yet to be discovered. I took this into deep pondering and examination throughout the rest of my morning. I thought deep and hard on why I was here, and what I really needed to get out of ECOEE. There are many reasons, many explanations, but only one true answer. To live.

Not to see, I can watch a video in 415 Currens Hall. Not to touch, I can grab books off the library shelves. Not to hear, I can listen to the professor’s talk mindlessly about things they know nothing more about than I. Definitely not to taste, as the café in any residence hall is an experience enough. Not to smell because peoples cigarette smoke fills the air in any doorway to the buildings on campus. I am here to live. This is why no picture of the Northern Lights should be taken. Seeing the pictures might satisfy some small part, but not enough to really accomplish the goal. The goal of life is to really live. This is why I am here on ECOEE, to learn to live again. To get into the simple stages of life and not just through a picture, but in my soul.

The Native Americans once believes that a photograph was taking a part of your soul in every picture someone took of you. I see this as ever picture that you did not experience for yourself. No pictures of the sun or of the rain today would truly capture the feeling of it on your skin. No video recording of the buzzing of the mosquitos will create the annoyance of being swarmed. As individuals in modern life we try to experience as much as we can as fast as we can. Though ask yourself, think deep and long, what are you really experiencing? What are you really doing? What are you really living?

Joshua M. Samuels

P.S. I saw the Northern Lights the very next morning.

9/7/2015 Bobby Liston

Bobby Liston

9/7/15

Wow, I can’t believe today is my day to have the journal. After a night of catching three northern pike and Caleb finding a school of walleye there is not much more a guy could ask for. I have been feeling a little tired mentally and physically from this expedition. After Jeff read an excerpt from the Singing Wildnerness by Sigurd Olson, a wonderful book I was assigned to read, put everything into perspective. Something needed to be changed and I needed to turn this trip around. I might never know that longing for adventure after ECOEE. I say this because it is the first time doing many of these things. The next day (today) I woke up, packed my gear nice and early and portaged. It was a gloomy day which made my mood not so bright. We were given a lesson on rapids and we walked up a pretty strong rapid grasping our paddles for balance. We were then given the option of running the rapids or carrying our canoes across the portage full of rocks and logs. At first, I was extremely afraid. This was more of a fear of the unknown. I knew this was the kind of fear I wanted from this trip. Something I have been waiting for my entire life. Josh and I looked at each other after a quick scouting session and said “Lets do this, do or die”. After strapping my Kodak action cam to my chest we were ready. WHAT A RUSH! As we raced down the rapids and my adrenaline was spiking in my veins. “DRAW RIGHT! STEER LEFT!”, commands were shouted out and we finally landed in the calm eddie. What a thrill ride, and I couldn’t believe I was scared to do this. I also said the same thing when I went on my first roller coaster ride. This was a giant leap from my confidence and flying through my rapids and I knew the Missinaibi River has finally welcomed us.

9/6/2015 MO

9/6/2015

The adventure never ends and it always begins. To Hawk Junction to Blue Bay to Dog and Lake to Crooked Lake to Elsin Bay and to all those in between, the adventure never ends and always begins. I become stronger, I become more aware, and I become connected as I travel by canoe. Many have written stories from their knowledge they have gained through their travels on different paths down the Missnaibi River. Yet, we all share something similar. We all share the uncertainty, the unknown, and the lost thoughts of trying to find oneself. We search as we travel and we gain as hear, see, smell, and feel. I have lost myself many times before and I have found myself many times before and my journey is only ahead. What's the difference if I was in Macomb, IL with take-out pizza and a comfy couch? I am becoming connected to what was given to us in the first place. I am finding why, not only I matter but why EVERYTHING else matters. I am out in a canoe to lose touch, to get lost from society so I can find myself and gain respect for what’s around me. If I lose it again, so be it. I still have found and appreciated nature where it begins and where you make think it ends. The trees talk, the river flows, and the ground beneath my feet thank all those who have taken the time to breathe, stay silent, and listen. I thank Mother Nature every day for the whispers of the wind, the beauty that overwhelms my eyes, and the playfulness it provides. As I look out, I can only look within. And what I find there, I may never know. But you see...that's the beauty of the unknown. The adventure never ends and always begins.

-Mo

9/5/15 Kyle Salz

9/5/15

Today, I woke up and knew I had a lot of debriefing to do today. So, I took my time getting up before crawling out of the tent to another beautiful day in Ontario. The sun was coming up and the skies where blue. I started packing some of my stuff up as I thought I was going to move tents for the first time. Steve Acuff decided to cook same breakfast about a half hour before our first meeting. Some eggs and cheese it looked and smelled good until the pan fell off the stove. Right into the fire pit, he then tried to save some of it so he ate the top half that was not dirty.

We went to our leader of the week debrief at 8am. Which took longer than I expected but we talked about a lot. I got a lot of feedback for myself and will use it from this day forward. After, we got done we went right to the next meeting with the group. Which that took an hour or so I was really not keeping track of time. I was glad when we got done with it. Since, I turned my keys over to the new leaders of the week (LOW) but I do think I will miss being a LOW this coming week. Had sometime before my first meeting so I washed my clothes for the first time in two weeks and hung them up to dry. Finally, it was time for this third and final meeting of the day. For the tent group evaluations which went very well and learned some things that I need to keep working on. Once, done with that meeting I got some free time to do what I wanted to do.

Bobby and I decided we were going to go out for a swim and relax for a while. We went out to the beach on Missinaibe Lake for about an hour or so just relaxing in the water and talking. Then we decided that some big rocks on one of the points looked like a good place to sit. So, we walked out the point and got out of the water. Began to dry off of course you can just sit one way to the sun the whole time. We laid down on the rock and started to sun tan in Canada. We both thought at that “who thought we would ever be sun tanning in Canada in early September. We came back had a good dinner.

Then we went out fishing Caleb, Bobby, and I to end the day. The sun was setting over the trees to the West as Caleb and Bobby paddle that way. We through our lines out trying to catch Walleye and then Bobby was the first to catch one. It was about a foot long or so but nothing special. As we kept fishing Caleb was the next to catch about a two and a half foot walleye nice size. I did not catch anything but had a fun time going out and to end the day off was nice that way.

9/4/2015 Meg Mason

Friday 9/4/15

This morning I was once again witness to the beauty of Ontario. Upon waking up I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise over Missinabi Lake and while the sun lit up the water in gorgeous colors the moon lingered in the sky as well. It was with enthusiasm that our group headed towards our first destination a mile distant, Whitefish Falls. The cascading water provided us with a chance for multiple photo opportunities. As we left the falls we were able to once again see some of the pictographs that dot the granite walls of the lakeshore. Looking at the pictographs is like looking at a snapshot of the past. It makes me think about the history of this place. This same route was used for years by the fur traders and even now artefacts from the fur trade can be found on the bottom of the river, but long before the fur traders the Assiniboine Indians used these same portages and lakes. I am paddling on a route that has been used for thousands of years.

Meaghan L. Mason

9/3/2015 Trent Grossman

Ecoee

At first I did not know what it was or what I was getting myself into. Now I am fully submerged into the Ecoee lifestyle. If I had to list four words to describe Ecoee the list would be challenge, Liberation, Love, and Progression. Challenge to push through shoulder pain day in and day out. Challenge to strep out of your comfort zone and stay out of it. Challenge to wake up early and go to bed late. Liberation from the incessant meaningless text messages. Liberation from a kind of teaching that is not applicable to your setting. Liberation from the meaningless mind clouding tasks that contribute to me losing myself. Love for the reflection off a still lake that will put a calm in my heart. Love for the complex individuals that courageously trek onward next to me. Progression as a leader for others and myself, progression away from acting very quickly. This is my list. Our leaders list is learning , leadership, experience, application I hope by the end of crazy semester embody both lists.

Trent W Grossman

9/2/2015 Steve Nutt

Today I woke up in my tent at 5:00am to a loud creaking coming from an abandoned water tower just outside our campsite. Judging by the scat nearby and the claw marks on the trees; it must’ve been a black bear investigating the food bags our group had hung the night before. It’s the things like hoisting food 12 feet in the air, and having to yell every time you go out to pee that makes me realize how far out here I really am which is both extremely exciting and sometimes overwhelming. Today was a long day of paddling. We made it to Fairy Point on Missinaibi Lake and then and extra 5 miles to our campsite. We were greeted with a beautiful view of the lake and the good news that we would be staying an extra day at this beautiful campsite in order for us to complete our outdoor education introduction lessons. My favorite part of the day was seeing the pictographs at Fairy Point. My wish, which I nagged Steve Acuff about for the whole week, was finally granted. Reading about the pictographs online is interesting enough, but to see them in person was mezmoring. The huge granite cliff faces were dotted with assorted drawings of different figures, symbols, and animals which some were up to 1500 years old. As I paddled by and gazed at the pictographs, I pictured the Shaman’s standing in their canoes and painting these symbols after experiencing a spiritual epiphany, the story of forgotten people. I looked around and reminded myself that they shared the same lake that I paddled on today. As I took in the moment, I also thought of how these pictographs are some of the last remnants of the Essinovoi tribe which were some of the first people to live on these lands. To some the pictographs are simply stick figures on rocks, but to them, it was a canvas of their history, culture, and heritage. As Bobby’s gopro camera glitched for the first time ever trying record the pictographs, I got the feeling the Shaman’s spirits were whispering “We still live here”.

-Steve Nutt

9/1/2015 Raquel

September 1st 2015 Backcountry Canada, Missinabi Lake

"Wake up in the morning and it's hard to live...." One of my favorite Sublime lyrics that come to mind when I woke up this morning. Thinking about my love for reggae music that specifically gets through rough situations, but then I think about how this is not a tough situation, it is an adventure/expedition of my personal choice, as well as for the rest of the tribe. Things could be a lot worse plus we all have food, shelter, water, and the best company. This is not a bad circumstance, the mornings have the tendency to put me into overload of things I must have accomplished by said time. With that being said I am not a morning person and am that person that will roll over when told to wake up. This bad morning attitude usually leads me to a not so great start with a granola bar on the side for breakfast which is not so great to start off the day of paddling. I am realizing that my decisions impact the rest of the tribe and considering that message I have to start making wiser ones...such as listening to tips and comments for paddling. Today instead of those insights going through one ear and going out the other. I was given the chance to act and apply the jay-stroke and sweeping which are paddling techniques for a more efficient canoeing experience. Today I really am missing family and friends and wondering what they are up to, as well as how they are doing. Coping with that is hard when you are out here and all you can really do is write about it and hope for the best. Staying positive is the one thing that we can encourage to keep going day by day. Reflection upon myself is very significant and I find myself emphasizing those aspects on a daily basis. I could not see it any other way to be honest because I am here to see both sides of the spectrum not just one sides instances. I am learning from my mistakes, not only to take chances but to pre-meditate and acknowledge that I am still a human being with flesh and bones trying my very best to move forward on this expedition. I am very excited for whatever is to come, whether it be a difficult task or easy one, exhausting one or not so much... BRING IT ON!

8/31/2015 Josh

20150831

05:00AM Beep. Beep! BEEP! Someone’s watch alarm is ringing in a far away tent. While I was awoken suddenly, I felt strangely calm waiting for the alarm to stop.

06:00 AM Buzz. Buzz! BUZZZZZZZ!!!!! My own watch vibrating me awake to the start of yet another day. Hiking across the camp to where my tent group was staying. Any good day much start with a warm pot of cinnamon oatmeal with some clumping brown sugar. Scarfing it down as plans shift from a 08:00 AM departure time to 07:45 AM. Arrival to the instructor’s island a quarter mile across the bay. Packing camp and loading the gear into the canoes had just become the start of any other day of classes. Traveling from one bay to the next refining the technical skills of paddling a canoe. The sunshine only broke through the dense layers of fog around noon, breaking yesterdays trend of off and on rain. Arriving at our home for the night in Fifty Seven Bay. The outcrop of a stone is a welcome sight as our sore shoulders and cramping buttocks from paddling for four plus hours. We had an hour and a half to set up our new home and eat some lunch. Some members of the tribe concluded that this was much to long for such a simple task and began to fish, swim, or just bask in this sunlight.

Now time for class. Today was one of those days that remind me that I am not only on an adventure. I am not only experiencing things that I have previously only dreamed about, I am not just on an expedition, but I am in a traveling classroom. This sunny afternoon consisted of two lessons taught by students. One of the lessons by myself and the other, by Steve Acuff. I brought around a new way of looking at some of the environment issues here in the country of Canada. Steve informed us of the wide variety of ecosystems that we will be seeing along our wonderful semester.

As previously mentioned, the weather had changed for the hotter, brighter, and much drier. Though some, like myself, may enjoy this change to an extremely large extent, though the mosquitos enjoy it more. They have enjoyed sucking us dry of the red sweetness that they desire. As I sit here next to the water all I hear is buzz… Buzz… BUZZZZZ… just like the beginning of my day, the end finishes with a buzz.

Joshua M. Samuels

8/30/2015 kyle

8/30/15

I woke up this morning at 5:30am got up and had everything ready to go by 7:45am. Everyone else were on time with the canoes loaded at 8am. We left at 8:05am got going it was cloudy with a bit of fog lingering above our heads. We got around the first turn and then noticed Jeff had not caught back up with us. So, we waited until we saw him before continuing on with the paddle. Later, to find out he could not find his kayak pad to sit on. Somehow it magically got legs and crawled back up by the dam in the middle of the Little Stony Portage.

Once, we finally got on our way out into Dog Lake the wind began to pick up. We were already committed to following the left shore. Instead of the right which would have gave us some protection from the wind. As we continued on the waves got bigger and out in the middle of the late there were white caps breaking. As we approached a cove ahead we decided to pull in out of the wind and get a game plan for continuing on. We debated for at least one hour before finally coming to a conclusion that we would go for it. At this point in time I still was not very sure about it. The reasons I did not feel good was the wind speed was sustained at 5.5mph gusty to 12mph. Also the inexperience of myself and other group members. With the wind it was shifting so that it was going to be hitting our broad side. We paddled down along the peninsula which was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Until, we got the point where we had to cross about a half mile or so of open water. The waves were still at a pretty good height but not completely making white caps. We started across to Rabbit Island, my canoe was weighted unevenly and we had trouble steering. I was in the bow and Josh in the stern. At a few points the waves were hitting the gunnels in the bow of the boat. At that point I began to get a little more worried but we both powered through it and we made it. I was very happy to touch land after that long stressful day on the water. Which only was five hours. After we got done with setting up camp, lesson, and debrief. I ate some very good macaroni and a lot of cheese. Which was very delicious. With that I am glad we all made it today safe and sound and we have another big day ahead of us tomorrow.