Spring is Coming! - Canoecopia

62
“Rooted in the outdoors since 1976”
De Colores de Agua
VALERIE HEIN
I
started working at Rutabaga about two years ago and one
of the main things that appealed to me was the family
atmosphere. Rutabaga is family owned and the core staff
working here is a close-knit group of individuals brought
together by common bonds. Every year the Rutabaga family has a
gathering to reinforce these bonds: Watercolors. A couple of days
spent away from the shop, paddling quiet stretches of Wisconsin
water and using the Fall foliage as a backdrop for some good old
fashioned team building.
This year Watercolors was held October 19-21 at Wyalusing
State Park in Southwestern Wisconsin. Bright blue skies, crisp
fresh air and bright yellow leaves surrounded the group camp
we reserved for our gathering. We had two cabins for lodging, a
dining hall with a kitchen large enough to feed an army and one of
the biggest grills I’ve ever seen. Also close by was a large field to
accommodate our Frisbee needs and an amphitheater style fire pit
that kept us warm each evening. The nineteenth served as a night
for us early birds to arrive. Several of us took advantage of our free
time and took a hike on the Sugar Maple Trail. We encountered
the remnants of a waterfall along the trail and snuck a couple of
glimpses of the Mississippi River, where we would be paddling
the next day. After our hike we had quite the appetite built up so
we ventured into Prairie du Chien for dinner – saving the cooking
for when the rest of the group arrived. On our way back to camp
we stopped at Eunice’s to purchase firewood, and I was even lucky
enough to buy several pumpkins and squash from their farm stand.
By the time we returned to camp the sun had set and the stars were
starting to appear. Since most of us ‘Bagas live in the city, seeing
the stars in the country is pretty special. You don’t realize how
much light pollution there is in the city until you get out to a place
like Wyalusing and look at the sky from the top of a picnic table.
Once the fire was built, stories were shared about our summer’s
adventures and our plans for the upcoming winter, all while being
warmed by the fire’s intense heat. One by one, people started
towards the cabins for the evening. We all wanted to be well rested
for our day of paddling to come.
Tuesday greeted us with cloudy skies but we were optimistic
that the weather would stay on our side. Breakfast, and more
importantly coffee, was made and by the time we were all fueled
up the rest of the group started to arrive. Around mid-morning we
loaded up the vehicles with our canoes, paddling supplies, lunches
and a bunch of eager paddlers and headed down to the boat launch.
The canoe trail that we paddled led us through the calm sloughs
of the Mississippi River, provided us with the sighting of a bald
eagle and a chance for fishing for a couple of the guys. After about
an hour we took a break to re-group for lunch and then headed
out onto the main channel of the Mississippi. The banks of the
river were covered with trees just past their peak colors but were
highlighted by rays of sun peaking out from the clouds. For such
a big body of water, the river was quite calm, and aside from
a passing fishing boat, our canoes were the only boats in sight.
By the time we re-entered the backwaters, the sky momentarily
cleared and gave me the chance to take a couple of pretty photos of
the group and their canoes. We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip out
on the canoe trail but we’re ready for our next adventures of the
day. For some that meant a hike back by camp, a quick snooze and
a snack. For others, that meant a chance to take long boarding to
another level on a local hill. Don’t worry, no one got hurt.
Once we all reconvened at camp, feeling fully recuperated, we
decided to fire up the grill and the stove and get dinner started.
If you haven’t noticed by now, eating is pretty important to us
and this meal was no exception. What a feast! Marit made us
homemade soup, Joe grilled chicken and veggie burgers on the
monster grill and we had enough sides to satisfy everyone’s tastes.