Tom arrived first at Punderson State Park and already had his tent up when Coleen arrived. They had just set up her tent and Liz pulled in, followed shortly by Ken (a first timer at OHCRA, Welcome). Pat came out to be there for the October trip meeting for Algonquin Park. Just before dark, Chuck and Steve came. Soon after it began to rain in earnest, therefore when Heidi arrived she decided to attend the trip meeting but forgo setting up her tent and left later that evening. The rain didn't daunt Wil who being an old hand at setting up his tent quickly had it up minutes after his arrival around midnight. Sebastian, his 9 year old grandson, came with him, both riding with Lance who chose to sleep in his vehicle.
And it Rained
Ken, Tom and Liz put up her tarp, using available trees and kayak paddles. Chuck brought a pop-up and extended the available dry area. Chili was eaten for supper and the Oct. Canada trip meeting went on til 9:00. The camp fire, while started, was only enjoyed from the safety of the dry spaces. Between midnight and one people drifted off to bed.
And it Rained
Got up Saturday morning; ate breakfast. Replaced the kayak paddles with Lance's poles. Matched people to canoes. Ran a shuttle to Camp Hi and were on the water by 11:00 at Russell Park. Everyone who soloed used a kayak paddle. No Tony, no canoe paddle soloist. In tandem canoes using canoe paddles were Coleen with Liz and Sebastian with Wil. The river had adequate water with a very slow current, and many strainers at the start. The wild life was abundant. We saw Great Blue herons, one Green heron, a wood duck, hawks, phoebe, fish jumping, beaver lodges, paper wasp's nest. No Tony, no Bald Eagle. Lunch break was at the Iron Horse Saloon. Signs indicated we weren't welcome at their shoreline. No picnicking at their picnic tables or bringing food in not from their bar. No Tony, no gift of gab to get us in. We ate standing by our canoes on the river bank.
After putting on our rain gear (Chuck looks great in neon orange) we headed on down river. Saw a fairly intact flat bottom boat upside down in the water free for the taking if one could have managed to tow it. It was thoroughly investigated by all the guys ... but No Tony, no treasure.
And it Rained
Little more than half-way we encountered a downed tree stretching from bank to bank. We had to portage around it. Those choosing the right bank, had a much easier put in. those choosing the left bank experienced some challenges. Lance exiting his canoe caught his foot between branches and went in to his knee in mud. He got his foot out, saved his flip flop and stayed upright. After dragging his canoe through the woods, Tom "gracefully" managed to get in. Liz and Coleen were grateful for the rain gear as they sat on the muddy bank and slid into their canoe, leaving a muddy imprint of their backsides on the seats. No Tony, no smart remarks. Everyone back in the water, we continued on.
And it Rained
The river narrows as we approach the residential area and the current picks up speed. As we continue to paddle, the riverbed becomes rockier and we pass under overhanging trees. Very picturesque. Everyone makes it through the Hiram rapids without incident. But Sebastian gets a good scare, and grandpa yells "put your paddle in the water". A mile later we approach the take out. We all exit at the first take out on the left. The second take out below required going river right around a rock shelf and through the next rapid. No Tony, no risky take-out.
And it Rained
Loading of the canoes was a chorography never achieved by OHCRA members before. The guys loaded both sides simultaneously. Each canoe was strapped before the next canoe was put in place. No Tony, no confusion. Congratulations were being shared all around. And then we were ready to leave. Keys? What keys? Unfortunately Steve couldn't find his. Fortunately he had given Liz his spare van key which now was in the trailer under the canoes. Steve was going to have to move a boat and remove the front hinge to retrieve it. Keys-what keys. Coleen, whose car was at the put in after running the shuttle, hesitantly mentioned she had left her keys in her dry bag, also in the trailer. Steve located her bag and removed items one by one till her keys were found. Everyone searched the grounds and the van and his bag but they remained lost. Steve finally found them when he went to bed and they were in his phone clip. Next time we'll just strip search him.
And it Rained
Dinner was potluck. Wil started a hors d'oeuvres platter with summer sausage, cheese, and crackers. Others added more cheese, pretzels, etc. Dinner got underway. Meanwhile Liz and Sebastian started the campfire. The next course was Steve's tossed salad, Chuck's tomatoes, Ken and Wil's potato salad, and Ken's pasta salad. Chuck served his pork and beans. The main course was Liz's steak, done to perfection with many of us opting to top it with the peppers (3 different kinds) and onions (2 kinds, large & small) that Lance sauteed. The piece de resistance was Wil's steaming peach cobbler cooked in a Dutch oven. No Tony, no lamb meatloaf.
And it Rained
No Tony, no gambling. Sebastian being a kid kept himself busy. He conquered climbing trees, but the berry bushes got the best of him. He tripped and fell and became so entangled he had to yell for help. The adults were entertained by Liz. She had a list of pictures she needed to win a contest. All pictures were required to have the yellow badger paddle portage sign in them so she earns double points. We were all required to pose under her direction. Modeling was hard work. Pictures taken as follows:
- Wil playing his pogo cello AKA jumping jimmy
- Sebastian playing air guitar with his paddle
- Tom starting a camp stove
- Steve's with his morning smile before breakfast (Now you can see how hard some pictures were to get.)
- Group outside the tent - Wil, Coleen, Chuck, and Steve
- Wil making camp coffee
- Coleen penned the trip report
- Favorite recipe - pie iron s'mores (required lights (Ken), camera (Liz), action (Coleen))
- Liz in front of the tent
- Punderson Camp sign with group - Ken, Chuck, Steve, Coleen, Sebastian, Wil, and Lance.
And it Rained
The next morning as we made and ate breakfast we decided to pack up before we went paddling. But as we started breaking camp it started to rain. We decided we had had enough and agreed to just go home. No Tony, no sunshine. We missed you Tony!
And it Rained
View All Pictures From the Upper Cuyahoga