C anoe instruction and wilderness safety briefings took place at Wadin Bay on the first day. We were to keep the plastic bag-encased maps of our route and the safety whistles with us at all times. M ost of us were novices. Those who had canoed before had done so with husbands. Canoeing with men, I was informed, is different from canoeing with women.
Men generally sit in the stern and do the steering.
They carry the canoe during portages. Men usually gather the firewood, pitch the tent, do the heavy work on a trip like this. T he reality of traveling without men was daunting to many of the women, who ranged in age from early 20s to mid-50s. The paddling distance was more than 25 miles, with three portages. There were no telephones.