Borealis Paddling Expedition - Reunion Tour

Nina, Karen, Emily, Beth, & Megan -- known to many as the Borealis Paddling Expedition -- have been back to planning a reunion trip as a follow-up to their amazing 2005 trip. Here’s an update on their journey:

Among the many threads that draw all of us back to the Northwoods is the energy that sweeps us up as we share accounts of trips past, future and just-returned-from. It is an energy that quickly picks up speed and inevitably leads to talk of other waterways and ranges, of trips yet to be taken. Nothing spurs trip planning more than the high of coming back from an awesome trip.

It is only natural then that even before we returned from our 2005 expedition, plans for a reunion tour were in the works. Potential ideas included sailing, space travel and a cross-country motorcycle adventure. But being a bit more realistic and considering where our strengths and familiarities lay, we settled on canoe travel…and got down to work.

Since this past October, when we committed to making a BPE 2008 trip a reality, the five of us have jumped back into our trip-planning roles (in addition to our alter-ego academic and professional lives) tackling the details of route and re-supplies, budgets and menus, and the overwhelming task of gathering all our gear and collecting it in one place. Since the five of us are currently distributed widely across the country we communicate every couple weeks through the amazing phenomenon of free conference calling and a barrage of emails back and forth to fill in the gaps between calls.

This summer the five of us will head north again via the Emile, Coppermine, Kendall and Rae rivers. While we will encounter many elements similar to our previous expedition, including whitewater and possible ice, our upcoming route presents a new and different package of challenges. This summer our route includes significant upriver travel, a lengthy watershed, and the unknown qualities of the Rae River. We are excited to be paddling rivers further west and completely unknown by the five of us, but are additionally driven to explore territory little traveled by the present-day paddling community.

This opportunity is both thrilling and a bit scary. I try to imagine how we will feel setting off overland from the Dismal Lakes to the Rae, looking for water in which to place our boats. I imagine it will feel unnatural and somewhat painful as our bodies become responsible for the weight of our gear usually carried by river currents and waves. I also anticipate a feeling of complete humbleness as we are enveloped by the expanse of tundra for miles around us. What I know for certain is that we will find support and strength in each other as we work to thoughtfully push the boundaries of canoe travel and exploration in northern Canada, and also that we will consistently be tapping into the reservoir of tripping energy resonating from all the folks out on trail this summer.

With all the trips going out this summer to travel routes new as well as tried and true, the tripping energy surrounding Manito-wish will be a powerful force, and we are proud to be a part of it. We’ll be thinking of all of you out there on the rivers and the lakes, and in the mountains and wishing you safe adventures, calm winds, and happy trails.

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The Borealis Paddling Expedition was created in 2003 with our desire to both support a program they love and challenge their own capabilities for wilderness travel. They spent over two years planning and preparing for a 95-day route, attaining over 25 professional sponsorships, creating the Borealis Campership Endowment and publicizing their mission. The expedition began on May 26, 2005 and ended in late August. By January 2006 they had raised over $50,000 for the Borealis Campership Endowment.

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The BPE website: www.borealispaddlingexpedition.com

The BPE blog: www.borealispaddlingexpedition.com/2008blog.html

In CanoeKayak magazine: canoekayak.com/canoe/borealispaddlingexpedition

The Endowment: www.borealispaddlingexpedition.com/zendowment.html

Outward Bounce

Alex Vitrella spent the last five years studying and working on various community development projects around the world. The majority of her work has focused around education and youth within these communities. In the summer of 2007 all of her adventures and passions found a common path when her nonprofit, Outward Bounce was officially established! Here is her story:

It began in 2006 when I found myself working deep in the Costa Rican rain forest tackling community development issues from a very different angle than I had in the past. I was hired by a wonderful, local family to help in the expansion of their tourism project. It was a fascinating experience to work from the inside out with a very real economic solution which when handled responsibly can provide prolific results. I also began teaching in the village school which served to further connect me to the community. I soon learned that the village leaders had been dreaming of building a basketball court for many years as an effort to provide the youth with healthy activities. I was fortunate enough to join the mayor on a visit to meet with the president’s cabinet to propose this and other projects for the village. It was apparent that the federal government could not help them and so I decided to take the project on. I explained the situation to WNBA player Ann Strother, the sister of my great camp friend Britta Strother, and she was immediately excited about the idea.

Before long Ann and I had the framework for Outward Bounce. Ann wanted to share the positive lessons basketball has taught her with kids all over the world and I wanted to provide an avenue for a variety of community development projects. Understanding that each community around the world has different needs and social dynamics, we have built a flexible model to address each unique community. Our mission is to foster relationships with youth and their communities in impoverished areas around the world by promoting healthy lifestyles through sports and community involvement. Each project will begin with the construction of a basketball court and the hosting of a basketball clinic for the community’s youth. We will continue facilitating numerous basketball clinics, bringing high school, college, and professional players from the United States to work the clinics. Through these clinics we not only generate and support a healthy activity for youth, but also enable understanding between cultural groups in our even globalizing world. Through these ongoing basketball clinics we as an organization, along with the various individuals and teams taking part in each project will establish a personal relationship with each community to successfully cater future projects in these communities to the individual needs of each community. We have already begun working with a donor interested in building a much needed, small medical clinic at our Costa Rica site where we will begin construction of our first court next month!

If you are interested in finding out more about Outward Bounce, donating, or would like to participate in anyway please visit our website at www.outwardbounce.org.

Paul Version 9.0

Here you can see 2/3rds of the finished product.  

His torso (he does have one) is leaning up behind his legs.

He will look great up on the new walls in Nash 

next to Pauline and Babe.

I walked into Property Manager, Jon Iltis’, office today and was surprised to find it occupied - since Jon is on vacation. There was a gentleman (pictured above) sitting in Jon’s chair and he looked very imposing. He was not much of a talker, but from what I could gather, he had some skill with an ax.

Yep, Paul has been remade for our 90th year. He was delivered to Jon's office and is waiting to be placed in the newly renovated Nash Lodge. Pauline was completed in the fall and now, Paul is done too. Both figures were recreated by local artist Joan Christgau and she has done an excellent job.

Making a Clean Break

Hey, it was how they were sorted. Sam was a keeper,

but Mary just didn't make the cut.

Thanks to the help of our dedicated volunteers, we were able to purge, clean, straighten, reorganize, and air out the Equipment Repair Room in the MLC this past weekend over our Spring Break Work Weekend. As Mark Zanoni so poignantly noted, "This is the first time since this place was built that it has been cleaned." That means it has been at least ten years since the Repair Room has had a major delousing. It is incredible to see what a group of driven individuals can accomplish.

And there was a lot to do and sort through. Bowling balls, a drum set, seventeen pairs of olds shoes, a lifetime supply of paint, four sewing machines, an industrial ice-maker, nine kayaks, an aluminum bat, an urn containing the ashes of Danny Wones' dog, Ralph, and a mound of dirty laundry just to name a few. These were the treasures and presents that awaited us within the bowels of the Repair Room. It was almost like a perverse sort of Christmas. The difference being, after unwrapping these gifts you did not want to put them in your living room – let alone keep them.

I felt like I was on the Titanic for part of the weekend. What I could see was not even a sixth of what lay hidden beneath the surface. As we peeled back the layers, more surprises turned up. Among them was an entire plastic crate filled with rotten logs, which was conveniently labeled 'wood.' However, the crate had no discernible use nor reason for being in the Repair Room. Yet, there it was.

Life in the Repair Room will hopefully be more pleasant and efficient this summer. We removed many unidentifiable and mystifying items that were merely taking up space. There are now open shelves and floor space. So, anyone that has ever tried to repair a broken kayak seat or thwart on a Tripper in the Repair Room, you now have a functional workspace. And for anyone that needs to use it in the future, just remember how clean and free of clutter it is - make sure to keep it that way!

Also, this weekend we took stock of our wannigans. Many of them were in rough shape and beyond repair. We have tracked down the original plans (drawn up by our own Jon Iltis) and our hope is to work on adding some new 'canoe boxes' to our fleet. As with everything here, we 'try, change and try again,' meaning we are going to make improvements on the current design to enhance their durability and storage.

It was a productive weekend. We are again, grateful for the assistance of our volunteers. They dove in and helped out tremendously.  In this case, many hands made for light work.

Andy, Steve, and Sam eyeballs deep

Katie, Brooke, Andy and Mary sorting through it all

Meet Beth

Get to Know the Year-round Staff Series

Beth - our new "Front Desk Director"

(everyone at Manito-wish gets to be a director, 

so why not Beth as well)

In an effort for you all to get to know the folks that work here in a year round capacity, we are going to try and provide profiles of these hard working Manito-wishers from time to time.

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Perhaps a few you have noticed a new voice on the other end of the line when you phone Camp. That is because Charlyne Perrine retired in January. She was a former school principal that relocated to the Northwoods. In 2001, she started working at Manito-wish as a temporary job. Then 2001 quickly turned into 2008 and Charlyne has decided that she wants to step back and return to her life as a retiree. She will be missed.

With Charlyne’s departure, a search was started to fill her position – hence the new voice on the phones when you call. Beth Rondello was hired to take on Charlyne’s old duties as well as added responsibilities with alumni and board relations. She started in mid-late January and has settled into life at the front desk nicely.

Beth is a local Boulder Junction resident and has been in the Northwoods since 2000. She lives three miles up the road from Camp with her husband and two children. An active member of the Boulder community, Beth has taught dance and has been a substitute at North Lakeland School. She is also member of the Community Church and has spent a number of years helping to run the food pantry there. Her husband, Pete, is similarly involved within the ‘BJ scene’ and is currently the chair of the Boulder Bike Trail Committee which is working on developing/enhancing the bike trail system around town (like the trail running down to Trout Lake).

Prior to coming to Manito-wish, Beth worked at the Marshfield Clinic managing a planning grant geared toward promoting healthy lifestyles for school children. She also worked as an executive assistant in Chicago for a number of years. Though she has been managing offices and grants for some time, she has an extensive background and passion for dance. Beth is long time Wisconsin resident who is originally from Green Bay.

If you see Beth (or speak to her on the phone), introduce yourself and make her feel welcome. She is eager to meet all of you.

Did you know Beth’s…

• Favorite Dance Move: the Charlie Brown (I was pushing the Roger Rabbit, but it was after her time)
• Vacation Destinations: Italy, Cancun, Cedarburg, Monches, Bayfield, Fish Creek
• Hidden Talent: belching
• Packer Fan: she does not bleed green and gold, though she is from G.B. Growing up she had to deal with all the Packer players and does not have fond memories of how they came into town and carried themselves.
• Campers: both of her kids will be campers this coming summer. It will be her son’s first experience and her daughter’s third.

Shorewood - The Pete and Keith Story

Keith

Pete

Winter is cold in the Northwoods. Only the burly and the insane spend all day outdoors, and yet, some choose to take on what winter gives. Paul Bunyan and Bill Miller are two such folks. They have each spent numerous evenings sleeping in snow banks and riding ice flows down the Manitowish River. They are able to punch holes through two feet thick ice and catch fish swimming by in a single blow. Their extensive body hair and thick beards keep them warm in the coldest of blizzards. Frost bite? These two bite back at ol’ Jack Frost. They live outside and beat back the winter.

As Paul and Bill best the worst winter has to offer, so too it is with Pete Cable and Keith Miller. Our resident Jacks of All Trades, Pete and Keith tackle winter and all its furry. These two Manito-wishers are part of the property crew and for the last five winters have built most of the new structures across property. Pete and Keith are responsible for the construction of Waldhus, Tall Pines/Eagle Ridge, Birch Lodge, the NN Washhouse, Trips House, among many other projects. They love the cold wind and long nights of winter. Building and pounding nails while the snow flies for these fellas is like finishing a Lollapalooza – no real challenge.

This year is no different. As is their custom, Pete and Keith are undertaking another construction project out in the wilds of the North End. The call came in that a new cabin needed to be built, and these two stood ready with hammers in hand and steel toed boots on foot. (Can that be a phrase – on foot? Not to travel on foot, but to possess/have something on one’s feet?) This year’s challenge is Shorewood cabin.

We all acknowledge that the current Shorewood has some of (if not the) best views of any cabin on property. However, it has two too few beds and is in need of major repairs. And due to it's proximity to the lake, we are restricted by where we can build. Therefore, a brand new Shorewood is being erected by the capable hands of Pete and Keith.

Aside from pouring the concrete footing, these two have built the entire cabin single/double handed. They cleared the sight, placed the ceiling joist, stained and hung the paneling, wired the electrical, constructed the walls, hung the windows, and placed the sheeting. And they are not finished yet; there is still the siding, fireplace, flooring and trim work to be done. Wrapped in Carharts and flannel, they have worked throughout these last cold, dark and snowy months to get the new Shorewood ready and built for this summer.

Next time you see Pete and Keith, tip your hat, shake their hands, or just merely give your thanks to the tireless work they do for the benefit of Manito-wish and our participants. They are truly fine craftsman and individuals.

It is going to look great when they are finished.

These two pictures give you some perspective of where the new Shorewood is located. The cabin is situated just below the Last Resort Cabins on other side of the trail from the Lake.

Above: In the foreground on the right is LR I and in the distance one can make out old Shorewood and North Cabins nestled on the Lake.

Below: A view up the hill toward the new Shorewood placement,

with North Cabin in the foreground on the right.

WFR and Passports

Topic #1: WFR

Do you need or wish to take Wilderness First Responder (WFR)?  Well, you are in luck, because we are offering WFR trainings this spring - not all that different from past years, really. There are three offerings this year: two in May and one in March.  Jay says: "All trail staff should be interested in taking WFR because it makes you a better leader. You learn so much about risks and avoiding situations." 

March 8-15
May 11-19
May 21-29

Though it is short notice, you still have the chance to come to Camp this weekend and start your certification. The March course begins on Saturday and there are still a few spaces available. Think about it.

Also, if are planning on attending one of the May courses, get your registration materials in now. Those spaces are always at a premium and you will want to make sure you reserve a spot before they disappear.  Jay says: "They fill every year, so get on it!"

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Topic #2: Passports

Just like WFR, if you don't have a passport yet, think about it because they are useful. Also, similar to the WFR, it is critical/necessary for many your jobs this summer.

If you are going to be an Outpost Logistical Assistant, Outpost Leader in Canada, or 21 with a clean driving record make sure you have a valid passport. It is now required that you have a passport in order to cross the border - birth certificates and drivers licenses will not suffice. The Canadians are great people and have a lovely country. However, they have raised the stakes and it is now more rigorous to enter the land of the maple leaf.

Apply today if you do not already possess one. Seriously, do it today. Because of the new restrictions, there is a backlog of passport applications. Do not wait until April or even May. Get started now so that your passport might actually to reach you before this summer. The State Department is your one stop shop for all things passport if you have any questions. Jay says: "If you are thinking about traveling to Canada or a foreign country at any time in the next five years, get a passport now. Though you might not need it today, there will come a time when you will wish you had one."

Aside from the benefits of border entry, a passport can be used as identification for your employment - no need for a social security card and birth certificate, just one form of ID. A definite bonus. Becky says: "Passports are acceptable IDs for your employment eligibility verification."

Finally, Steve Jobs says: "A passport is just like an iPhone, you will not merely want one, you are going to need one." He said it all, I can't beat his words (even if I just attributed them to Mr Jobs without him truly uttering them - I'm not a real journalist, just a blogger).