happy endings by Maddie Boys

It is now halfway through my last week of keeners, and I can't believe how quickly this session has gone by. Yesterday I arrived in the Ottawa airport, today I'm preparing to leave. And although this makes me sad whenever I think about it, I have so much to be happy about that I can't stay sad long. this evening all the keeners arrived starving and tired at WT after having just run the upper Petawawa River; a day that started out shakily but became increasingly amazing as soon as we got on the water. Actually I lied, it became amazing after a breakfast of pancakes, coffee, and chocolate milkshakes, but none of those things compared to the river. Even though the hike in was an hour of wet boats being carried, dragged, and otherwise hauled to the put in by equally wet people, it was completely worth it. The day's highlights consisted of me getting a (short) bow stall for the first time ever, playing with foam, and jumping off train bridges, along with some of the most fun whitewater I've paddled in a while.

jumping off train bridge

It was great to get experience running rivers apart from the Ottawa, and I think everyone learned something new today. I love the ottawa, but running new and less forgiving rivers is an important skill to have, especially for us unfortunate individuals who don't call the Ottawa River home.

The day had been so great that I thought it couldnt get any better, but little did I know the best was yet to come. Five minutes before lights out we were back in our cabans, and I received an email from an amazing person at River Run informing me he had found the Werner double diamond paddle i had lost the week before while surfing Kahuna. I was so excited I couldnt even talk to tell Anna the news. So even though this session is almost over and we are all saddened by the thought of leaving, we can look forward to all the amazing things that are going to happen in the next couple of days and give this session of keeners a very happy ending.