Tonight I pickup my 14 yr old son from his 3 week canoeing trip in Canada.

[Nick Gromicko]

First time he's been away from home so long with no phone or email service. He has been in the Northwaters & Langskib Wilderness Program where they canoed hundreds of miles (and probably portaged dozens) way up North in Canada.

He was finally permitted to call me today as he is now in Toronto. He said it was beautiful country.

[mdiplock]

It is beautiful country way up dare in da nort dare. I hope he had great time and wasn't harassed too much by the black flies or the black bears. Much further north and he truly would of been in the great white north.

All the best to him.

[phinsperger]

Actually Nick I saw him. He never made it past Canada's Wonderland.

[David P. Valley]

Appears to be a great experience.

I'd like my 6 y/o son to participate in a similar program when he gets a bit older. Right now he's attending a summer daily camp where he returns home every day.

[Nick Gromicko]

It was hard for me to make him go on it, he didn't want to go. A parent's natural reaction is to want to allow him to stay home if he doesn't want to go. It was pretty tough (on me, I mean). 272 miles of canoeing, bugs, bears, moose, mud, rain. He had to walk 16 miles one day. No communication with parents.

Anyway, he came back a new man (and I don't use that word lightly). No more whining, Game Boy playing, smarty pants. His shoulders are like rocks. A serious right of passage. We stayed up all night talking about his experience. It really squared him up.

His duffle is full of Mapleleaf towels and things that he traded his Canadian friends stuff for. Soaking wet and stinky.

[klott]

Send me next time, I'll stand in for him.

[David A. Andersen]

I was visiting friends when I was at the ITC course in Boston last week. Their kids were at two computers in the same room "gaming" and text messaging on the cell phone at the same time! They got yelled at for not taking their noses out of the monitor screens to say Hi!

My hat's off to you and your son for his accomplishments.
I always wanted to go on the "outward bound" program as a kid, but never got the chance because of a family illness.

[bjones1]

Originally Posted by gromicko

He said it was beautiful country.

Nick..... once you get out of the cities, suburbia and other area's of habitation, get out into the hinterland where nature reigns supreme, then you are in beautiful country; no matter what state, province or territory you are in.
As a Canadian, born and raised here, my opinion is quite biased, but I firmly believe that some of the most beautiful country in the world, is right here at my doorstep.

[cwillick1]

Now that hes interested in the outdoors its a good time to keep him interested, you too. just google you local mnt with hiking. for years i have had this mnt staring at me never considered hiking it. found a trail on it one day, from then on ive hiked a different trial on that mnt almost every time. found an old crashed air plane. found cars where there is absolutely no roads. so many cabins. its really cool to explore an old cabin specially if it fallen down around itself. i know one guy that even found an old black powder rifle in a old cabin. it wasn't much of a rifle but what a interesting thing to find

[Nick Gromicko]

He had a slight advantage over the "city slickers" that were with him. We live at nearly the top of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, very near the continental divide, and about as high in elevation as people live anywhere in the world. He's also a boyscout. It was tough on him, but brutal on the city kids.

[David A. Andersen]

I ski the divide! I know what comming out of 400 ft above sea level can do to you!! Any way, glad all things are working in the right direction.

[klott]

Originally Posted by bjones1

Nick..... once you get out of the cities, suburbia and other area's of habitation, get out into the hinterland where nature reigns supreme, then you are in beautiful country; no matter what state, province or territory you are in.
As a Canadian, born and raised here, my opinion is quite biased, but I firmly believe that some of the most beautiful country in the world, is right here at my doorstep.

Have you ever been to BC, it is truly awesome! I have been to every state,(excepy HI) and province in North America, and there is beauty all over, we are so fortunate to live on such an awesome continent.

[bkelly1]

I snow mobiled up to the top of the divide around easter, it was an awesome experience.

[Peter C. Russell]

Nick, my brother Alan and myself and our other brother spent a week in the Rockies on a wilderness fishing trip.

We went to a place called Adams Ranch, just north of Grand Junction and headed out on horse back for a 3 hour ride into the back country where they dropped us off and left with the horses.

We where at about 11,000 foot elevation, which took some getting use to but the fishing for Cutthroat trout was incredible. The Rockies are awesome.

[Carla Horne]

Congrats Nick,
It sounds like he has entered "manhood"
it only gets more intense from here out!

Carla