Arriving by Canoe - A Mountain Hearth

Sometimes, it’s really nice to go somewhere you can’t get to with a car. Whether you walk, climb, or paddle, there is a certain satisfaction in going somewhere no vehicle has gone before. One of my favorite ways to do this is canoe camping. You can have your pick of campsites, often creating your own on a sandy lake shore. You can pack much more cushy than when you go backpacking. You can find peace and quiet. You can also get way out there and see some wildlife you might not see near campsites frequented by motor vehicles. I have fond childhood memories of boat camping at Upper Priest Lake in Idaho with my family. We would row through a channel from Lower Priest Lake, often seeing beaver, muskrat, osprey and waterfowl along the way, and camp out on pristine sandy beaches under the pines. Sometimes we would go to Lake Ozette, and row out to islands and hidden coves. There’s something magical for children about traveling over the water and discovering places we can’t find from the land.

We spent the long Memorial Day weekend canoe camping on Wickiup Reservoir on the Eastern slopes of the Oregon Cascades with some good friends and fellow outdoorspeople. Last year we found a little island paradise with sandy beaches and pine trees, and vowed to return. This year’s spot was a large, flat, sandy beach on a peninsula with a stand of pines to shelter us from the wind. While these areas were accessible by road at one time, they were blocked off by the Forest Service a few years ago to provide more protected bird habitat. Bald eagles, osprey, and nighthawks soared over our camp. Frogs serenaded us with their chorus at night. The weather held out for us, mostly. We had some showers on the last night, but things dried out in the morning.

We had a whole group of children out there fishing, watching birds, collecting frogs and getting muddy. It gave me a very contented feeling to know that my children were able to spend some time someplace wild and share in it with their friends. It was wonderful to see them get so excited about all the nature discoveries. We found a beaver lodge near our camp with freshly chewed willow twigs all around and some beaver scat. A hidden grouse nest was discovered under a bush. While canoeing through a marshy area with willow shrubs, a few children saw a redwing blackbird nest with baby birds peeking out. I discovered a camouflaged killdeer nest in the sand. Some of the kids happened upon it later as well, and I was pleased by how respectfully they observed it. Of course, there were many frogs and toads, providing hours of delight, and inspiration for many habitat building construction projects by the water.