Or… “Why Langskib is like Mongolia”, by alumni Dave Roberts.

It has been over thirty years since I lead my last trip from the dock at Langskib canoe camp for boys.  I was a camper on the first Temagami Trip the year Dave Knudsen bought Camp Windshift which became Langskib. I was one of the first leaders, I co-lead the first Dumoines River Trip. I lead CG on his very first canoe trip; he later became the best assistant I had the pleasure of working with.

A lot has happened since I left Langskib;  some good, some not as good. I moved to the West, I worked as a cowboy on several cattle ranches in Colorado, I lead elk and deer hunters on horse pack trips into the Rocky Mountains for 11 years, did many other jobs, lived in several places. I married, raised kids, divorced and ended up with a desk job shuffling paper. I soon plan on changing that desk job to something more exciting.

Last year, life was getting a little too slow and too domesticated, I was missing the adventures I had leading canoe trips, the traveling into the unknown, not knowing where camp will be until evening comes. I missed the nomadic life I lived as a cowboy. So I packed some belongings and traveled to Mongolia for three weeks. The people there still live the same as they did 800 years ago when Genghis Khaan ruled. They live in tents called Gers, they move their livestock with the season, packing all their worldly belongings onto ox drawn carts and live off the land. Mongolia is great, just what I was looking for, people with a nomadic spirit. The entire time I was in Mongolia I never felt alone, everywhere I went people treated me as a friend. I spent days galloping a horseback across the Mongolian Steepe with nomadic horseman, I stayed in their Gers, I learned their culture and shared experiences with them. I am learning their language and plan to return to Mongolia next year to visit with Mongol friends and other friends I have yet to meet.

Interesting enough, where I traveled in Mongolia is exactly the other side of the world from Langskib; same latitude as Langskib and exactly 180 degrees difference in longitude. I could not help to think back on the experiences at Langskib and the skill I learned. The canoe trips I lead were stepping stones for the adventures that followed. I was hired as a hunting guide and cowboy because of my skills I learned at Langskib, the ability to live in the wilderness. As Koonze, a cowboy friend, said “We are men that do not need to go home at night.” At the end of the day, home was where we camped, just as it was leading canoe trips. What was hardship to many was just another day on the trail for me.

Several years back I had the thrill of watching my daughter go out on her first Northern Lights Trip and several other trips in the following years. Stepping onto the dock at Langskib for the first time in thirty years brought back memories, seeing Northwaters for the first time show me how much the camp has grown since I worked there. And watching my own daughter return from canoe trips was an emotional experience beyond words for me, having my own daughter learn and experience the same things I did when I was her age.

Soon I will be up at Langskib and Northwaters for the Alumni Weekend. I hope to see old friends and share experiences with others who lead trips over the years.

Life itself is the journey, what an adventure!!

DR/

Summer Camp in the Winter!

New to the mill (and NWL) this winter is Jen Zahorchak.  Jen comes to us with many years of experience working with children and their families in camp settings throughout the US.  She and her husband Gregg moved back East from Oregon to work for Adirondack Camp in Lake George.  Recently, they purchased a home just a mile down the road from the mill.  Jen and Gregg come to us with much experience in outdoor adventure.  Each of their girls, Wren and Luna, have been on canoe trips in-utero and out, but Otis (4 months) is waiting for the spring thaw for his first out of belly adventure.  In addition to helping out with general administrative work, Jen is focusing her expertise on managing our website and online presence.  She’s the person to contact if you would like to contribute news, photos or stories to the blog or website – jen@northwaters.com

Once summer camp programs are finished and base camp is closed, (October 2 last year) our focus turns to planning for the coming season. In November, directors and senior staff spent 3 days with Rod Napier and Chris Cavalieri of The Napier Group. Chris and Rod, in addition to being our trusted advisers and experts on organizational development, are also able to represent the views of parents and grandparents of participants. Together we identified key program areas we could improve and ways in which we could make the end of session experience for parents even better. One exciting development is Waypoint, a one week program August 1-7, 2010 for parents.

Enrollment in Northwaters and Langskib regular sessions is more than 20% ahead of all previous records for this date. Don’t worry, we probably still have space for you, but keep in mind that if you are one of the folks that likes to wait until the last possible chance to enroll, you may find yourself out of luck. Enroll online or call 866-458-9974.

Outside of our regular canoe camp season, we have a full slate of school programs. Halton Waldorf School of Burlington, Ontario is sending classes in both June and September. The Sterling Hall School of Toronto and the Rudolph Steiner School of Anne Arbor are each sending classes for wilderness canoe adventures in September. We have formed a partnership with Alive Outdoors to provide a wilderness adventure program for the 10^th grade of the Greenwood school of Toronto in September as well.

The ice was late in arriving to Temagami and a number of our neighbors have been through the ice. Keewaydin Canoe Camp lost a snow machine but fortunately, Jason was uninjured. Unsafe conditions made it impossible for Claire and Eric Miller to reach Northwaters in mid January but they were able to get to Langskib for a very frosty visit.

A January thaw in Westport brought the Boquet River thundering over its banks. Big chunks of ice made it too scary to do much more than just think about paddling, but still, it was a great reminder that paddling season is just around the corner. Temperatures have returned to seasonal levels so it’s back to ski’s and ice skates.

We hope you are all getting out wherever you are and look forward to another great summer.

C.G. & Jodi

Well, it’s finally happened.  Winter is here, and my thoughts now begin to shift from rivers and giant pine trees to cross country skiing and hot chocolate.  I live in Toronto where winter really never completely sets in.  While there are people running around in minus 40 celsius rated down jackets and there is talk of storms of the century, its really not much compared with the rest of the county.  Even though here in Toronto we don’t really “do” winter, the same sentiments arise once the weather turns colder.  People slow down a little bit, nest a little and eat a little more.

One of my winter traditions is to thumb through my pictures of the past summer.  I look at them fondly and think about the long days and warm nights in Temagami.  This picture in particular brings back memories of this past summer. In June 2009 I stepped into a new role as Program Director at our Northwaters Basecamp.  Along with this amazing new challenge I was also planning a wedding, my wedding for the end of August.  Now, in honesty when I told my plans to my friends, family and fiancé I was faced with a healthy amount of disbelief.  How would I mange to plan a wedding from an island in the middle of lake Temagami while my husband to be worked in Toronto? What better place to plan a wedding and be inspired than in the Canadian wilderness… think of all the decorating ideas I’ll get!   And for my fiancé I added that distance makes the heart grow fonder, so our separation would actually be an advantage.  My optimism however, proved to be a little naïve as I began to realize the demands of wedding and program planning.

Luckily for me, a supportive community who readily offered their ideas and help whenever I needed it surrounded me at basecamp.  From asking for colour scheme advice, to the use of the Hobart industrial mixer for my wedding favours, Northwaters was always there to help.  NWL creates a community where each individual is celebrated for their unique gifts, allowing everyone to feel safe and valued.  I felt that about the community on my very first trip on the Makobe River and it is a feeling that is cultivated and nurtured every summer.

The shift from a trip leader to a program director has been an exciting one.  I was thrilled to be able to meet and know many participants instead of just a small group.  I was also blessed to be able to see participants before their adventure, and have a chance to speak with them when they returned.  The change has also been a nice dovetail into my work outside the summer season; I am set to complete my Masters in Teaching from the University of Toronto this coming April.   I have included my passion for experiential and outdoor education into my studies, and I will carry it on as a teacher when I graduate.

Even though this past summer was probably the busiest time of my life, I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it.  I thought about my wedding when I was in Temagami, and I thought of Temagami when I was at my wedding.  The pull that you feel from canoe tripping with Northwaters doesn’t end when you leave the island, but sometimes it ebbs during the cold winter months; so I hope that my attached picture brings a little bit of the summer to you wherever you are.

I can’t wait to see what next summer has in store for me, but it’s going to be hard to top portaging while wearing a wedding dress.

Thanks to everyone who helped

Teeth to the wind,

Christine McKenna

Blake Shester married Katie Logan in Nashville, TN (where they also have a home) last August. Fellow NWL alumni staff Geoff Shester was best man, and Blake’s blue grass band, Off the Wagon, played the rehearsal dinner at The Station Inn.

John Booth was wed to Hanna MacNaughton in August as well; their ceremony took place on beautiful Manitoulin Island.

Blake Caplan married Ashley Kurz in December at a spectacular event in downtown Philadelphia. The Black Tie reception provided a rare opportunity for many NWL alumni to swap their Carharts for tuxes and gowns.

Thor Mann is a management consultant-psychologist living in Brooklyn, NY. He and wife Alice welcomed twins Julian and Sebastian last fall

Seth and Melissa Obetz welcomed a baby boy into the world in November. They named their new son Grady.

Jon Ehrenfeld is in the process of getting a Masters degree in International Security Studies, Energy Policy and Climate from the George Washington University.

Deshka Foster is a pre-med student at Mills College in the San Francisco Bay area while Lhotse Foster is attending the university of Montana.

Estair Van Wagner is articling in Toronto and about a millimeter away from being called to the bar

Alexandra Skinner is living in Chicago and attending Dominican University for a Masters in Library and Informational Science.

Tyler Hargreaves was admitted to the bar in both Quebec and Ontario, he is now a practicing Lawyer at a firm in Toronto.

Raurie O’Brien is pursuing a degree in Clinical Psychology at the American School of Professional Psychology.

John Bowie is in the process of getting a PhD in Depth Psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Alexi Asselin is working at the Sierra Youth Coalition as the Evaluation Director for the Sustainable Campuses Project.

Petra Eperjesi is at the University of Toronto getting a teaching degree.

Laura Turley is in Montreal in her final semester at McGill studying International Development and Environmental Studies, and is currently finishing her theses on methane emissions in the livestock and agriculture sectors–any questions regarding the belching and flatulence of ruminants can be sent her way!  Most of the time Laura can be found reading in small Montreal cafes, running meetings for the McGill.

Joe Hirsch is travelling the world, and trying to make every day into an adventure

Philippe Berger is working hard at getting into McGill Physics. Rowing.

Shane Levine completed a 600-mile hike across Israel in the late fall (see blog post about his adventures!).

Laura Berger is off to France this spring for a semester of studying in Paris.

Jacob Torrey is working on a co-op in Rome, NY for the spring semester.

Swift Corwin has co-founded a foresting and arborist company in Peterborough, NH.

Liv Pedersen spent some time this fall working in the Westport office. In February she traveled to India and Nepal with Sam Obetz. She has temporarily settled in Burlington, VT and is interning with a graphic design studio.

Augusta Schaeffer is also in Burlington, VT pursuing a nursing degree and working part time at an assisted living community.

Stephen Kress Ashgrove, QLD: Moved to Australia (Brisbane). Trying to reach anyone who was at Langskib in 1974 or 75

Jason Farber Tenafly, NJ: 3 Children; 15, 4 and 2. Bought a new house in Tenafly, NJ in May of 2007. Just finishing up a MS in Accountancy & an MBA in management. Will be sitting for the CPA exam this summer. Hope all is well with everyone

Paul Park Brooklyn, NY: A poor cog in the wheel

Celine Lamb Oakland, CA: Masters in Mayan Archaeology at Universite Paris, playing volleyball for my school. Spending my summers excavating, wishing I had a bit more time to go back to NW!!

Nick Fournier Fair Oaks, CA: I was training for my first marathon when I broke my hip playing volleyball in 09/07. My hip is mostly healed and I hope to run a half marathon in 2009 and a marathon in 2010. I’ve gone back to school to major in dietetics/nutrition and would like to eventually work in sports nutrition.

Rick de Pena McAllen, TX: Registered Nurse, working at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA in the Pediatric Cardiovascular ICU. Traveling the world one trip at a time, hooked on traveling and adventure since my trip to Langskib when I was 11 yrs old (Viking group). I have done many trips since then and always acknowledge that what got me started or gave me the knowledge and attitude to do them was my first long adventure, Camp Langskib. I’ve ridden my Harley motorcycle to the Panama Canal in Central America. I’ve ridden it across the United States and back. I’ve ridden across Europe. I’ve been to Asia, and spent a month there, with a train ride from Singapore to Chiang Mai, Thailand, exploring and running trails throughout Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Any chance I get, I’m out exploring new places and seeking adventure. I love it.

John Wilkinson Rehoboth Beach, DE: Since I left camp, I graduated from high school, went to community college for two years and then finally found my calling as a bartender. I have been a bartender for ten years. I really enjoy what I do, meeting new people, hearing new stories, and sharing my sense of humor (some get it, some don’t, but most laugh along with me anyway). I’m engaged to Michelle and we live at the beach. We are in the process of buying a house. Pretty scare in this day and age. Life is fun and good. I still try and live my life by keeping the red side down. Never would have thought that statement would apply to so much in life but it really does. Unfortunately we lost a very important part of my family in Feb. I did get to see Dave and it felt good to see him.

Paul Park Brooklyn, NY: just another cog in the wheel. If anyone is ever in NYC drop me a line.

Colman Crowther Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Live at the Jersey shore and work in Manhattan. 2 kids Jack (3) and Olivia (6). Very active on the water. Love to fish, surf, and golf. Have a small center console and yes an Old Town Canoes. Remember all the good times. Hope to visit Temagami area in the future. Hope everyone is healthy. Maybe someday my kids can enjoy the wonderful experience of your camp.

Richard Miles Goodview, VA: Playing hockey!

Mark Last Haverford, PA: Living life as an experienced “survivalist” in the big city! I reside in Brooklyn, NY.

Erik Knudsen Wilmington, DE: Husband, father, friend, bungee trampoline tycoon

Devon Carson St. Charles, IL: I graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles in 2006 with a degree in Theatre. I’ve been acting and working various jobs in the entertainment industry, and just moved to Chicago in spring 08. I live with my boyfriend Adam who is a musician in the band Searching for Sunlight. Please contact me on myspace or by email–I would love to hear from you!

Sarah Brown Fort Smith, AR: I am in Drama and it is GREAT!!! I am riding motorcycles now and am getting better and better.

Bruce Blackstone Tucson, AZ: I have been on a path for the last few years of discovering my true gender and true sexuality and have come to identify as two-spirited. I belong to a tribe of people who engage in primitive rites as a means of transformation and self-knowledge. I regularly lead workshops. I speak at Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Pima College. I also play in a transgender rock and roll band as well as a conventional rock and roll band. My experiences at NWL changed my life. I found my first experiences of profound surrender there, and began finding and illuminating my own darkness there.

Harry Wilmer Alexandria, VA: Working in the DC area and missing NWL

Jascha Kehr Mainz, Germany: Residency in Pediatrics at the University of Mainz, Germany

Bitsy Perlman Cos Cob, CT: After graduating from Northfield Mount Hermon School in 2002 and Carleton College in 2006 I moved to Washington DC to work for the Federal Reserve Board. I am currently working there as a research assistant and applying to econ PHD programs. Between work and taking classes I’m trying to connect with my feminist and nonviolent sensibilities. This project is, I think, a bit stalled out.

Guy Coby Quakertown, PA: My wife, two daughters and I live on a horse farm in Quakertown, PA. I have an orthodontic practice in Quakertown and teach part-time at the University of Pennsylvania. I haven’t put a canoe in to the water for a few years but a summer doesn’t go by that I don’t remember and appreciate my Northern experience. I would enjoy getting back in touch with David Knudsen.

Johannes Courtens Kinderhook, NY: I am graduating high school this year and I plan on going on to college next school year. I have also been in a high school based vocational school for becoming a private pilot for which I hope to then carry on to a possible carrier. Besides all that adult and societal stuff I have been quite content with my life recently. I have been thinking a lot about the Canadian North and Temagami which means only one thing, that I have to take a trip up there again, though it may not happen as soon as I would like it to.

Ian Mason Korea: is living in Korea and loves his job teaching kindergarten and elementary school students.

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