Canoe Trip 2011!

Welcome back, intrepid canoeists!  This year's students braved rain and rapids, sun and spiders on our annual DVHS Co-op Canoe Trip--and lived to tell the tale.  This enthusiastic account from Emma R shows why the Canoe Trip is such a highlight of the DVHS year.

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 This past Wednesday morning, twenty-one students and four leaders gathered at the Pypkers' house before it was light out. We packed our bags and barrels into trailers and piled canoes on top. At about 8:30, we climbed into the vehicles and started on the three-and-a-half-hour drive up to our starting point. Everyone was excited for the trip, but I don't think we knew how incredible it would be.
    One of the great things about the co-op canoe trip is how much responsibility the leaders allow the students to have. Every day before we started paddling, they would tell us a bit about where we'd be paddling, give us directions, and tell us things to look out for. The leaders let us know our limits, but they let us try things too. On one portage, Kurtis and I decided to try to pull the canoe through the swifts and waterfalls rather than portage, and they told us to go ahead. On Friday, a few of us were sent to scout out campsites where  all the students took part in cooking meals, doing dishes, collecting
firewood,  setting up tents and tarps, filtering water, and everything else necessary.
      We had plenty of time for fun, however. Despite rain, everyone was cheerful. While we were paddling, people were singing, reciting riddles, telling jokes, and laughing a lot. At the campsites we'd sit around the fire and talk, watch the stars, go swimming, play games, and even learn how to tie knots. We had four student-led devotion sections during the trip, each about a chapter in Jonah. One group even did a skit and gave out marshmallows as rewards for correct answers.  This year over half the students were new,  so it was good to have time out of the canoes where we could all talk and get to know each other. It was amazing to see how gracious and kind everyone was. If you were having trouble with carrying your canoe or bags or setting up your tent, somebody would appear and help you. Everyone carried their fair load and helped others when they needed it.
    Another beautiful aspect of the trip was the nature surrounding us. We heard loons call and saw cormorants drying out, and someone even said they saw a beaver. We were amazed by the beautiful rocks, almost black water, and the hundreds of frogs at our first docking place.
        On Saturday afternoon, we drove home. We stopped at Wendy’s for dinner where we were happy to feed our cravings for greasy, salty food after being in the backwoods for four days.  In the fluorescent lights, everyone suddenly looked exhausted and sunburnt. We pulled into the Pypker's driveway at about 8 p.m. and were reunited with our families. Perhaps we were glad to have warm showers and sleep in our own beds again, but personally I wish the trip could have gone on forever.