On campus, I am hyper-involved with the DOC, from Cabin and Trail (hiking) to Ledyard Canoe Club, I love leading trips and being outdoors as much as possible. Swipe through my posts for updates on studying abroad and traveling through college, student bands/a cappella, as well as the day-to-day updates of a 20yo who just recently started liking coffee (exciting, right?).
This whole trip started as a dream. Senate—my best friend—and I, after a long FaceTime call during our study away programs, decided to cold email a Canoe Outfitter in the Boundary Waters. What did we ask them for? A sponsorship in order to record a conservation documentary.
As days passed after the email, we feared our message had been ignored, lost in the many messages from adventurers seeking their own trips through that beautiful region. On a fateful day, three weeks after the original email, we received confirmation of their support, and so our conservation-based canoe trip was ratified.
Our planning period throughout the spring was the perfect time for our expectations to build, our planning measures to be outlined, and our hopes to fly. We received support from theJones Media Center—allowing us to bring the required gear to film and eventually produce our documentary—and from the Outdoor Programming Office—empowering us to run this advanced trip safely and with confidence. Soon enough, it was time to review applications, choose our trippees—our affectionate label for trip participants—and get ready for the trip to come.
Let me be clear. This trip was an ambitious one, and we knew that, going in, we would need the toughest, most determined bunch to complete 85 miles of paddling and 16 total miles of portaging over the course of six days. The trippees we chose could not have been more enthusiastic, connected to our cause, and caring than they were. I am incredibly grateful and proud of the group we were able to take on.
As two sophomore leaders, we decided to take five first-years and one other sophomore (our third unofficial leader), in order to build the perfect team. Our plan was to road trip out to Minnesota over the course of two and a half days, complete our expedition, and road trip back.
This road trip was, frankly, quite an easy one.
Piling into our van—safely and with seatbelts, duh—we began our trip with a stop at Niagara Falls. There, we got to bond as a group and see that massive water feature—honestly, its grandiosity still astounds me. After some quick group pictures, we were off. A highlight of mine was stopping in Indiana, which meant we got to see the sun set over the midwestern countryside. I had never seen flatlands so vast, and, because of the summer storms, we saw them with the backdrop of occasional lightning.
On the road trip, I think I heard enough dad rock to last me till at least the end of college, but the most impactful memories I have from it were the conversations I had in shotgun—my permanent post when I wasn't driving—while everyone in the back slept. Being able to get to know the other drivers made it so that I felt a level of closeness to the trippees even before the trip started, and it made all the planning, late nights, and endless emails so worth it.
But let's cut the sap…we need to focus on canoeing.
Put-in went smoothly, our bags were neatly (ish) packed, and our canoes were super heavy. But with a lovely group picture…we were off on the adventure of a lifetime. Our first day came with some challenges, as one of our trippees had a delay in travel and was forced to meet us during the second day. We were on the court with one less player, but there was still a game to play.
We paddled bravely for hours, crossing waves caused by powerful winds, confronting the rain and admiring swans. It was clear from the very beginning that this environment was unique, and that the trip would not be an easy one. As we arrived at camp late in the afternoon, we set up our damp campsite, and as we geared up to make dinner, we ran into our first problem…the propane.
The propane we had packed was not compatible with our stoves, and because of this, our first night, meant for warm macaroni and cheese, was met with tortillas and peanut butter eaten in a huddle around a non-existent campfire. We kept spirits up with stories, and thankfully, were able to reach our other trippee and ask him to bring the right propane. All of a sudden, our hope returned, and, after a restful night, we began our second—and most difficult—paddle day.
I have to tell you though…this trip had an enemy. It was a lake. Gunflint Lake.
Last September, a friend and I crafted a ten-item bucket list for our final year as undergraduates. It's the end of our senior spring now. These are some of the boxes I've checked.
Welcome back to Open Doors—your inside look at life in the Woods! This week, Greta Richardson '26, an engineering major, showed me around her room in her off-campus apartment, where we discussed Dartmouth residence halls, classes, and campus life.
