Today marks the beginning of an
end. It is officially the end of our time on the Missinaibi River. Jeff had us
do an end of expedition where he and Ryan left us alone for about 24 hours with
one simple set of instructions. We leave Glassy Falls in intervals and have the
last boat get to Mattice by 1 pm at the latest. As the first boat left at 8 am,
we all joined in on one loud, long whistle blow to satisfy our itch most of us
have had since day one of wearing them. With this as our send off, we all
started our staggered departures. Tyler and I were the fourth boat to take off
and we left a little after 9 am to begin the few miles to our destination. We
talked for a few minutes then decided to do a 30 minute reflection where we
were only allowed to talk if it was essential for navigation purposes. Good
thing we allowed that since we went through some rapids during this reflection
time. After our silent reflection was over we reflected out loud with each
other, asking questions and attempting to find a good answer. With so much to
reflect on and so little of a paddle to do it in, I found myself wishing that I
had more time, not just to reflect, but to be on the river as well. I’m sure that many have said it, but few have meant it. So when I say that this is not a
good bye, but an until next time, it isn’t just words, but a promise to myself
that I will someday return to the Missinaibi River. After getting off of the
river, we went about our usual Saturday routine of feedback and LOW
transitions. This was also accompanied by a list of chores that we had to get
done so that we would be ready to leave tomorrow morning. With our transition
from back country into front country well underway and my transition from LOW
back to group member, I can’t help but to think that it’s all going to be
different from here on out; fun, exciting, educational, and nerve racking, yes,
but different none the less. As I lay here in my tent, listening to the patter
of rainfall, I can’t help but to think back upon what all has happened and how
the waters have been a part of it all for the last month or so. The Missinaibi
River, the rain, all of the different lakes, and even the fog; these are the
waters that have shaped us all over this time. They have helped us grow, helped
us learn, helped us experience what few can say they have, and even helped us
to stay hydrated. This is not and experience I will soon forget, and the best
part, is that there is still so much more to come.
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