Ungumntu onengqondo, uDave wam. Ukuba & ampos; d ndimxelele, 'Senza impazamo yokulinganisa ebusuku. Masikhe sifike kwi-motel ekufutshane, 'Ndiqinisekile ukuba uyaphulaphula. Kungenxa yoko le nto ndingakhange ndithethe nto xa sasilungiselela ukugxumeka intente yethu, kwimvula enethayo nangaphambi kokuba kube mnyama, enkampini eAdirondacks.

Ngapha koko, I & apos; bendibambe ulwimi lwam iiveki, ukusukela oko wathi, 'Ndiyathanda kakhulu ukuba sobane siyokumisa isikhephe ngephenyane elide kule mpelaveki inde ....' Okukhona ndeva-malunga nesiqingatha sekhilomitha izibuko (uguqulo: amabala apho kuya kufuneka ubambelele ngephenyane lakho phezu komhlaba), kunye nesiza esitsha yonke imihla-olona hambo luvakala ngakumbi. Ngokuqinisekileyo, mna noDave sasonwabile sisenkampini kwiminyaka eyadlulayo. Kodwa xa sasisele sikulungele ukuthatha oonyana bethu — uEvan, 11, noOliver, oneminyaka eli-9 ubudala — izixhobo zethu zazisele ziphelelwe lixesha.

Kancinci, uhambo lwaluvela. UDave wayeqale wafuna ingcebiso kumhlobo wakhe obhexa iphenyane ongena kukhuphiswano lwe Ironman — impazamo echuliweyo eyabonwa nangumyeni wam. Emva koko wafumana iingcebiso ezisengqiqweni ezivela kubathengisi kwaye watshintshela kwindlela elula, engafakwanga ndawo kwinethiwekhi yamachibi kunye nemilambo evinjelwe kwizikhephe ezikufutshane neLake yeSaranac. Wemba izixhobo kwigunjana, watshintsha indawo yokudinwa. Kwaye ngokuthe ngcembe ndafumana umoya kaLewis-no-Clark, ndiziphosa kulungiselelo nasekwenzeni uluhlu ('Goggles. Duct tape. Constellation chart').

Isicwangciso yayikukuqasha amaphenyane ekufikeni kwabo kwaye bakrazule ilizwe labo. Kodwa emva kwemini epheleleyo & apos; ukuqhuba ukusuka kwisiXeko saseNew York kwimvula enkulu, iiCorps zethu zokuFumanisa ezimbalwa kuye kwanyanzeleka ukuba zenze i-bivouac ubusuku bonke enkampini esecaleni kwendlela. & Apos; d sithatha amaphenyane kusasa-ukuba imvula iyekile. Ngaba besingamantongomane? Ngaba kufuneka sibheyile? Emva kwako konke ukuzilungiselela akukho namnye kuthi onako ukunyamezela.

Amakhwenkwe ancedisa ngentambo ye-tarp phakathi kwemithi emibini ye-birch. Phantsi kwendawo yethu yokufihla intloko, sasilayita isitovu senkampu saza satya inyama ngeetapile zethu ezipholileyo. Uxinzelelo lwenkwenkwe-yesiXeko lubekwe ngokuhlwa. Kwakumnyama phandle kakhulu, kumanzi kakhulu; Umnxeba we-loon kunye ne-apos; Ngeyure yokuqala sakhwela kwintente yethu ethandekayo yeLL Bean, sonwabile nangona sasifumile, kwaye simamele ngelixa amathontsi ewela eluphahleni lwethu kwaye uDave wambetha ibackpacker yakhe kunye nesiginkci.

Ngokumangalisayo, yaphela loo mvula. Ngosuku olulandelayo kwafika kushushu kwaye kucacile, kwaye abantu abanyanzelekileyo (ukuba batyakatyisiwe) eSt Regis Canoe Outfitters bakhawuleza basibeka. Ukuhambisa iqela kunye nezixhobo zethu, sasifuna amaphenyane amabini, kwaye ndandingaqinisekanga ukuba ndingakwazi ukuphatha enye — kuhambo oludlulileyo I & apos; bendihlala ndililungu labasebenzi kwisaphetha. Kodwa ndaye ndanobuchule bokuqhuba ngokungxamisekileyo, kunye no-Oliver onomdla owayekhwela ngaphambili. U-Evan ngokucacileyo wayezisebenzisa kakuhle izihlunu zakhe ngephenyane lika-Dave kunye ne-apos, kunye nokubangisana kwabantakwabo kwathumela iinqanawa zethu zibaleka ziwela i-Floodwood Pond.

Ngaphantsi kwesiqingatha seyure thina & apos sazigquma phantse iimayile ezimbini kwaye sangena kumjelo onwabisayo apho amadada ayethambeka kumgxobhozo we-mossy kunye neelogo ezifakwe emanzini zadala ikhosi yesithintelo ecelomngeni kubuchule bethu bokuhamba. UOliver, nangona wayehlala ehlekisa ngezinto zendalo, wakhankanya ukukhanya okukhazimlayo okukhombisa amanzi kumthi womsedare ophantsi.

Eminye imizuzu engama-30 yokubheqa ngesikhephe yasisa eLittle Square Pond, emalunga neekhilomitha ubude kwaye, ngokungaqhelekanga, ayizizo zonke isikwere. Sagudla unxweme kufutshane sikhangela ezi nkampu zimbini, simahla ukuba zikhona, ukuba umntu owayesebenza eSt Regis wayemakile kwimephu yethu. Eyokuqala yayihlala; owesibini ... wawuphi, phofu? Ihlathi lakhula lisondele kwaye lasendle laya kuthi ga emanzini, kwaye saphantse saphantse sathi nkqo. Ngokukhawuleza, sayibona, indawo ebanzi yokuthatha, kwi-bluff 10 yeenyawo ngaphezulu kwechibi. Satsala amaphenyane siwabhekisa kumhlaba oyisanti — kunxweme lwethu lwabucala! Kwakukho indawo yeentente ezintathu phakathi kwemithi yeepayini, umngxuma womlilo ujikelezwe ngamatye amakhulu okuhlala kuwo, kunye neshelfu yomqolo eyakhiwe ngumntu ngokudibanisa amasebe e-birch aphakathi kwemithi emithathu. Sangena ngqo.

Nokuba woyika kangakanani okanye uyakuthintela ekhaya, ukugcinwa kwekhaya kumnandi ekampini. Uziva ngathi unguvulindlela njengoko ususa iinaliti zephayini kunye nomtya wefowuni ukuze womise iitawuli zesitya. Samisa intente yethu encinci ukuze sibambe izixhobo zethu, saxhoma isikhongozeli samanzi kwisebe, saza sakuphakamisa ukutya kwethu kwesinye ukuze sithintele i-varmints. Amakhwenkwe azixakekise ngokuqokelela ipasitsana enobukhulu besithupha, obumangalisa ngokungakhathali obubonakalise ukuba ngamaqabane afanelekileyo, ukulungele ukuphathwa ngobude, ukubekwa entlokweni kukhuphiswano lokutsiba, ukungena emanzini kwimidlalo yokudada. Nje ukuba ukhenketho lwabo lomsebenzi njengezinto zokudlala ezinamanzi amnandi zenziwe, amasele ngokuzonwabisa azenzela ekhaya ngephenyane lethu.

Nangona iimenyu zam zinokubonakala ngathi ziyabuyela eNew York (suku ngalunye ukutya kwe-apos kwisikhwama esinelebheli, kungavulwa, phantsi kwentlungu yokufa, ngaphambi kwexesha elimiselweyo), ucwangciso lwahlawulwa. Emva kosuku lokuqubha, ukubheqa ngokujikeleza, ukufunda, nokucoca isixhobo sokucoca amanzi esitsha, besonwabela ipasta u-Alfredo, iisiki ezisikiweyo kunye neekherothi zomntwana, kunye nesitayile somkhenkce esomileyo somkhenkce (kakhulu kulindeleke, ekugqibeleni kuyadanisa).

Uloyiko lwaphinda lwavela xa kusiba mnyama, kwaye kwakuthandeka ukubona uOliver esamkela ukwangiwa ngumntakwabo owayehlala ethukwa. Umhlobo wayesiboleke isibane esincinci, esiphakamileyo sobuchwephesha esibonakala ngathi yenye igajethi ngaphezulu kunokuba besifuna. Kodwa yajika yaba yinto exabisekileyo: ibotshelelwe ebunzi, ishiya izandla zakho zikhululekile ukuba zenze nantoni na ofuna ukuyenza xa sele kuhlwile — hlamba izitya, ukhwele emthini.

Ukuphuma kwelanga, ndatshitshisa oonyana bam ngokuntywila elwandle, emva koko ndasebenza kwii-pancake ze-Bisquick. Endaweni yemifanekiso yentsasa yangoMgqibelo, amakhwenkwe abukele iiloni ezintlanu zibeka umboniso- zibiza kwaye zitsuza, zibetha emanzini, kwaye emva koko zibhabha phezulu sive amaphiko abo. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku siyibonile ithamsanqa lethu ekufumaneni indawo yokungena kwindawo yokuqala (emini, thina & apos; sive abo batyibilikisi bethetha umona othuleyo njengoko behamba), saye sagqiba kwelokuba sihlale sobathathu ubusuku. Sitsibise hammock kufutshane namanzi kwaye satshintshana ngokujikeleza impepho.

Ukujonga umlobothi wezemidlalo umlinganiso omkhulu wenqanawa kwiphenyane lakhe kanye kwindawo yethu kukhuthaze amakhwenkwe ukuba abambe iintlanzi ezizezazo. Umonde wam uyaphela xa kufikwa kumgca wokuloba oxineneyo. Ngethamsanqa, uDave wayezimisele ukuchitha iiyure ezingapheliyo ukugcina amagwegwe emanzini, kwaye omabini amakhwenkwe abuyela ngaphakathi (kwaye akhulula) ngokulandelelana kwe-sunfish kunye ne-shiners.

Emva kosuku lwethu lwesibini sawasusa amasele avela kwizikhephe saza saqala ukuya kuhlola. Imephu yasidlulisa ngamajelo aliqela esiya kwisiqithi esizolileyo, apho uDave wakhupha khona isitovu ukufudumeza amanzi kwiNdebe-A-Soups ngelixa mna nabafana sasilungisa ngobuchule izilayi zesalami kubakhweli beRitz. Emuva kwizikhephe, sadibana nabaphangi abaninzi nangakumbi ngephenyane de ngequbuliso, ngequbuliso, sazifumana siseFish Creek Pond, kufutshane nje neChibi i-Upper Saranac, sinezikhephe ezihamba ngemoto, umsi wegesi, abalobi abanamabhanti amakhulu, kunye nendlela eselunxwemeni . Siyihambisile sayibuyisela kwinkampu yethu, apho amakhwenkwe ethu amabini edolophu ayesele eyibiza ngokuba 'likhaya.'

PADDLE YAKHO ICANOE
Ikhempu yecanoe yeyona ndlela ilula yokungena entlango ngesiqu sakho. Qala ngohambo olulinganiselweyo. Ukufumana uncedo ekukhetheni indlela efanelekileyo, thethana nabathengisi beempahla basekuhlaleni kunye nabanamava ngephenyane elinamava — ngokukhethekileyo umntu ohamba kwindawo oceba ukuyigubungela. Awudingi mangaliso (ii-rapids, iingxangxasi); Kuya kufuneka uyazi ukuba iinkampu ziya kufumaneka. Kwaye khumbula ukuba indlela engenazipaseji ithetha ukuba ungalayisha ngephenyane lakho kwizikhuseli — ukusonga izitulo, imiqamelo, iimethi zokulala, i-Dijon mustard

Inkqubo ye- Umbutho weAmerican Canoe Association (703 / 451-0141; www.acanet.org ) ngowona mthombo wolwazi, njengoko kunjalo 'kwiihambo zoMlambo' kwiWebhusayithi Imilambo yaseMelika ( www / .igchool.org ). Kuthe kwapapashwa inani elimangalisayo leencwadi malunga nokuhamba ngephenyane lommandla; khangela Amazon.com Isikhokelo kwindawo onomdla kuyo.

Isitshixo esinye senkampu ephumelelayo kukwazi ukupakisha yonke into ukuze uphinde uyifumane. Uvuyo lweKampu yoSapho , nguHerb Gordon (Iincwadi zaseBurford), ngakumbi isahluko sayo 'sokutya', yaba yibhayibhile yam. Ke uza kuthini ukuba usapho lwakho lonke lucinga ukuba & Mussolini? Ubuncinci uyazi ukuba iphi ketchup. Kwaye ukuyifumana ebumnyameni, tyala imali kwi Zipka , isibane esinamandla ( www.yicokie.com ; ukusuka $ 35) enobunzima bee-ounces eziyi-2.2.

IINYANISO
Abaphuma ngaphandle eSt. Regis Canoe I-9 iDorsey St., iLake yeSaranac, iNY; 888 / 775-2925 okanye 518 / 891-1838; www.canoeoutfitters.com . Zombini iivenkile ezisezidolophini kunye nesebe elikwindawo yokwazisa ngePondwoodwood lithengisa uluhlu olupheleleyo lwempahla yenkampu. Ukuqeshiswa kwamanqanawa kuqala nge- $ 39 ngosuku, iipali kunye neebhatyi zobomi ezifakiwe.

IGarnet Hill Lodge 13th Lake Rd., North River, NY; 518 / 251-2444; www.garnet-hill.com ; iphindwe kabini ukusuka kwiidola ezingama-85 umntu ngamnye anezidlo ezibini; abantwana abali-10 nangaphantsi kwama- $ 30, 11 nangaphezulu ngama-45 eedola. Indawo elungileyo yokucoca emva kweentsuku ezimbalwa ententeni. I-apos yehabhu yokusebenza yabanqamli belizwe elinqamlezayo ebusika, kodwa isitshixo esiphantsi ngakumbi unyaka wonke. Isilumkiso: Akukho TV & apos kumagumbi eendwendwe.