22
terrain July/August 2020
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Lake Lou Yaeger!
Litchfield
Keeping it simple
decades from now. Will 100- year floods become annual events? Only now getting to know paddling, will it become something I did twice, or something I'm able to do throughout my life? Back on the water, even with my clunky paddling skills, I was able to fall into a pleasant rhythm. Clark and my longtime friend, Joe Holstein, also a BMA guide, explained the various strokes; the J-stroke, for example, in which you move the paddle backwards and then curve at the end, helps correct a canoe's tendency to turn. Or whatever. My stroke improved over three days, but I'm still 5 feet, 7 inches tall and not quite a Winklevoss twin. That first day, Clark made us a round of cocktails to help lubricate the rotator cuffs. I used to be a Jack and Coke guy but switched to clear liquors after deciding they were easier on my brain and gut. Still, I can now say without exaggeration that Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey mixed with cinnamon- flavored Coke (which I never knew existed) is probably the most delicious thing I've ever downed. Buzzing a bit, the bluffs, draped in fall colors, looked that much prettier. Through my two trips with Clark, I've picked up that he has a way of making something that previously seemed out of reach - say, paddling a canoe on a major river - accessible. And his constant narration has a way of making the seemingly ordinary, extraordinary. He made a box of Triscuit crackers and tins of kippers sound amazing, and it turned out the combination was damn good. Sure, food always tastes better when you're camping, but Clark's cooking was especially satisfying. The first night, we ate chili topped with biscuits; the second night, we had pork loin and Brussel sprouts. Clark reignited the campfire each morning for oats and strong coffee. We camped on the New
FROM TOP:
Long miles on the water demand good food and company.
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