How to Avoid Getting Lost, or Getting Poison Ivy on the Ottawa River, by Olivia Norman

It all started on Big Water Beatdown Thursday at Keeners. The group's plan was to swim McCoy's, from the top to middle. I was not very thrilled at this idea, so I talked to the coaches, who agreed to let me watch the line they were swimming from shore. I was running down the path on the island, trying to catch glimpses of the other keeners when I found myself to be totally off the path, and in other words, I was lost. I soon looked around to find myself in a natural haphazard obstacle course of trees, logs, and inevitably, a lot of poison ivy. It was threaded through, on top of, and even between the logs. As entertaining as this is now, I was not nearly so enthused about it at the time. I found my way back to the path, following the sound of McCoys, and my earlier footsteps relatively unharmed other than a luckily very mild case of poison ivy and a few scratches. There are many things one can do to easily avoid situations such as these.


#1.
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS
If you are like me, easily distracted and not particularly interested in paying attention to where you're going, this is a very important step to follow. But if you do find yourself lost, retrace your footsteps, listen to the direction and proximity of yourself to the river, or wait for someone to come and find or help you, as it is entirely appropriate to stay in one place for many situations.


#2.
STAY ON THE PATH
If there is a clear, well marked, and easy path that you happen to be on, stay on it. This ties in to #1, meaning if you pay attention to where you are, and if you are on the path, it is nearly impossible to get lost. Here on one of the most friendly rivers in the world, with some of the best coaches in the world, the consequences of getting lost are very low, but it's still a good idea to stay on route to avoid finding yourself in places that you may not want to be in.


#3.
LEARN HOW TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY AND AVOID POISON IVY
Do you really know what poison ivy is? Well if you are paddling near, or on the Ottawa River, you have certainly seen it before, even if you didn't know what it was. Poison ivy has three serrated leaves, that can be any size, but usually roughly oval shaped. The stems can often have a small reddish tint, and sometimes it's hard to be sure what you are stepping on, but in general, "leaves of three let it be," is a good motto to remember.
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It's simple; pay attention to where you are, stay on the path, and avoid poison ivy. Otherwise the Ottawa River, and the keener program are extremely safe, constructive, and a character building program to look into. While your paddling, you will constantly be reminded of our big waves, warm water, and how glad you are to be learning and being a part of Keeners.