So I had talked myself out of going to Canoecopia. The amount of driving from WV, the price of gas and motels, and the fact that I wouldn’t really be boatin’ were all major strikes against. I had never been before and didn’t know what to expect.
Then again the forecast in wv didn’t look good for me and boatin’. The cold rainy stuff really stiffens me up in the neck and shoulders. So I found a cheaper motel online and headed out the door to beat some weather.
Glad I went. Heard some good talks, bought a new pfd and some guidebooks and most of all I just chatted people up about paddling locales in WI, MN, MI . Most of the folks I met do different kinds of paddling in different locales than I do. I saw that as a plus and a chance to learn.
Maybe I’ll make it goal next year to be a presenter- tips to paddle all 50 states would make a good topic.
I know that’s the furthest I’ve driven to talk about paddling and not actually paddle.
Dang - Sorry to have missed you. If you do this again, PM me or some other WI paddler from the board. We customarily get together for dinner on Sat. night. (GuideboatGuy, SisterRena were at dinner as was Betty (Madison paddler who has paddled Patagonia and is currently doing western whitewater and leading a Current River trip this month) and a couple Illinois paddlers who came for the first time this year. MartyPaddles from KS was at the show but missed dinner.
Both Canoecopia and the Sat. night dinner gathering were smaller than usual this year, but I expect its due mostly to this being the first (hopefully) post-Covid Canoecopia. This is the first time Pcom/Pnet wasn’t there, for instance. Still - it was a good time and a fine line-up of speakers. I think this is the first time Hornbeck canoe and a couple paddle makers were there… probably others that aren’t coming to my mind right now as well.
Some sad news for those here who paddle the Current R. in MO - the owner of the outfitter at Aker’s Ferry and his son passed away from Covid. They ran a nice operation and will be missed.
He’s paddling a lot more than I have been lately. We did a Wisconsin river trip together last fall, we were up to Sylvania (on the WI/UP Mich border) in Sept. (DuluthMoose memorial paddle), we were down on the Buffalo together last spring, and we also did a little local creek paddle. I think he’s doing more paddles with our local club - and I let my membership lapse, so our paths haven’t crossed as much as they used to.
I told him he was missed on the board. Hopefully he’ll check in sometime soon.
I signed up for the virtual presentations last year. Great presentations, but I’m sure they are much better in person, along with the people you meet along the way. Maybe I’ll get there sometime…
PJC, next time I’ll plan it out better and connect up. I was pretty good at chatting folks up. I’d just tell ‘em I’m from WV, lookin’ to boat in all 50 states, and ask folks where they like to paddle. I got a lot of info that way. I hit my share of sessions and all the presenters did a great job.
Probably had the hardest time with the vendors. Obviously they are there to sell and I was more in the market for information. So if there was a real slack period with a particular vendor then I usually try to hit them up then to talk.
I think Chip at Pyranha didn’t really like my critiques of the 12r and shiva. Some dealers and manufacturers love feedback while others don’t really want to hear about why the placement of the drain plug on a particular model sucks. Mostly, I think the vendors just want to sell product. Sometimes I forget that everybody there, at Canoecopia, is not a boatin’ buddy. Some folks are “on the clock” and making a living.
