A Small But Mighty Group
It seems fitting that the last PaCO outing of the year would be a rainy one. Despite some fleeting thoughts of canceling, we decided to go for it, and it was well worth the effort.
Eric and Mary arrived around 2:30 on Friday afternoon, and as they pulled into Trading Post Outfitters in Mongo, saw that Lance was right behind them. Mary and Eric, who brought their camper, got set up in the damp cold. Lance had to do some bargaining with two women who were parked in his spot, and after being rewarded with some freshly baked cookies for his willingness to change sites, was finally able to set up camp. We hung out a bit, then heard from Wil, who was on his way. Since Wil planned to get dinner on the road, we decided to hop into town to a local bar/restaurant for dinner. It was closed. Permanently. We walked down to a taco stand Lance knew about and it, too, was closed. Permanently. Both were family run operations that ran out of willing family members. Back to camp we went for hot dogs and chili. Lance made one of his single pan creations and shared some awesome homemade salsa with us. Wil arrived around 6 and managed to get set up before dark. The weather didn't allow a fire so we hung out under the RV awning. Lance shared some special liquor he bought at Copperhead Distillery (in Sundridge, ON.), and we called it a night relatively early.
Saturday morning was beautiful - we woke up to mist over the river, broken sunshine and decent temperatures. As we ate breakfast and started planning the day, clouds overtook the sky. Shortly after 9, new members Tom (NotBurger) and Helen joined us with their Old Town tandem canoe. It was their first outing and great to meet them - they are experienced paddlers and lots of fun. They felt like old friends! It started raining...a cold, wet Fall rain and we stayed put, checking radar every so often. We ate the donuts Tom and Helen brought, had snacks, played LRC, ate lunch, checked radar. Lather, rinse, repeat. We finally got our clear window around 2:30 and we hopped in our boats. We put in at the campground and paddled 4 miles to Nasby Dam. It was short but beautiful - the sun was out, the Fall colors spectacular, the paddle gentle. We saw a turtle, eagle, lots of birds and some chicken in the woods. Finally, around 3:00, we got to hear Wil say "it's good to be us," and indeed it was. After the paddle, we took a short walk to investigate edible plants. We shuttled back to camp and had some snacks and adult beverages. Some neighboring campers brought jello shots and Wil brought a yummy dip he made for a family reunion the week before. Tom and Helen left, and the four of us prepared our comfort food pot luck: Wild mushroom soup (yum), pot roast casserole (yum) and butternut squash casserole (yum). Lance topped it off with a surprise dessert - cinnamon rolls with baked apples (from his garden). We were stuffed but happy. We had a great fire and conversation.
It rained a lot overnight, but we woke up Sunday to a spectacular Fall day - cold and windy but beautiful. Everyone thought about paddling. Mary and Eric decided not to paddle so they could get home to pick up their dogs. Lance offered to help Wil, but in the end, we all decided to head home. It was a fun trip, and although we only got in a short paddle, even a little time on the water is better than being just about anywhere else.
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