Two weeks ago, we paddled one of our favorite routes with Joni Doyle and her son. We put in at Maple Island access on a scorching late afternoon. Temps were in the mid 90’s. As we made the turn into the back channel for our return upstream, the flooded forest invited us in. We paddled between willow, cottonwood and maple trees. At various points, we were pulling the canoe with our hands wrapped around the trunks and squeezing between. The rewards of our effort were immediate. The temperature dropped 20 degrees and the magic of wetlands appeared. Later we stopped along the cut bank of the island and climbed out of the canoe for some exploring. The mud squeezed between our bare toes as we walked inland. The colors and light were enchanting. But the highlight of the trip was the swimming. Three times, we walked a hundred yards along the bank. Then jumped in, floating and swimming along with the current back to our canoe. Refreshing!
