I love solo paddling/tripping, it's wonderfully selfish, edging on exorbitant and is, I'm sure, good for the soul. You simply follow your whims, point the boat where you want, eat when you feel like it, paddle as much or as little as you like, sleep when you're tired and wake up with the sun... I think you get the point! Most of my solo trips are afternoon runs down my local river here with an attempt at one bigger trip per year. 2010 only saw me out for an overnighter. In 2009 I did the lower portion of the Missinaibi, a river that runs 700+ kilometers from its headwaters in Northern Ontario to the Arctic Ocean. However I have bigger priorities than these, 3 of whom are in the picture below!
I have kids, all of whom still love to go paddling with me. I know that, regardless of the longevity of their love of paddling with me, someday our schedules will no longer coincide allowing us to trip together with the frequency that we enjoy now. So, I go with them as often as I can. I know that there will be many years to come when I'll wish for their company and won't be able to get it. At that point I'll trip more on my own or with my wife.
Priorities are important but maybe equally so are goals... Goals often help you accomplish more then you would've otherwise by giving you somthing to aim for. My paddling goals for 2010 were: to get the whole family out tripping together, which we accomplished twice; as well as to get out paddling 60 different calandar days... I didn't quite make #2, but I certianly paddled more than I ever have in a calandar year before, getting out 56 different days. Goals are awesome motivators! 2011's goals will be to paddle at least 60 calandar days again, and to get each of the kids out with me one at a time and maybe, if time permits, to get out for a little solo trip. If I don't make #3 though, no great loss. The bigger loss would be to miss the paddling with the kids!
Happy New Year everybody!
