The Wabun Times

Ending January - -

2012-01-28T09:15:00.003-05:00

Just received photos from Mel and Jason Ball - Bear Island friends who look after Wabun during the winter months. They report sloppy traveling on the lake - sloppy, but picturesque nonetheless -

the ice deflectors on the north side
of the Wabun dock

Porch of the Wabun Map Room

Travel seems to be ok by snowmobile, but at last report there was a lot of slush and no cars on the ice.

Marg and I are heading for Temagami in early March - will host the last of this year's reunions there on Saturday, March 24th - open invitation!

Enjoyed two great gatherings last weekend - one in DC/Bethesda with the Longsworths - treated to a Wabun-red cake fashioned by M.T. Snyder

left - Sarah Grace, M.T., and Jessie present a reunion cake in style

After last Saturday's get-together in Maryland, it was off to the Hartzells' in the Philadelphia area - there, another great crowd gathered to reminisce and feast on a trip meal of corn chowder and blueberry bannock - lovingly prepared by Andy Hartzell. Both the Longsworths in DC and the Hartzells in Philly are three-generation Wabun families - stories covered Wabun tripping from the 1940s to last summer.

Wabun women of 2011 high fiving the corn chowder and bannock.

left - Alums, all, in Philly - representing 1940s to 2011. At far left is Jon Berger, author of The Canoe Atlas of the Little North. Jon has a new collection of sketches - fto take a look, you may contact Jon at jbphd@bm.net or click here.

NORWAY HOUSE TO SHAMATTAWA NORTHEASTERN MANITOBA A CANOE ROUTE SKETCH BOOK

Good Bye January - one month closer to Wabun 2012!

Cheers.

2 weeks into 2012

2012-01-16T16:22:00.000-05:00

The New Year is off to a great start:

On Saturday of weekend one, we enjoyed a rollicking Wabun Reunion at the home of Paul and Rhonda Sipp in Columbus, Ohio. Alumni/ae representation went back to the 1950s, and the years rolled away in a flurry of recollections and tripping anecdotes.

A wonderful throng of Wabun loyals at the Sipps'

Truth be told, the frivolity began the preceding Friday night at Alex's Bistro when a group of Wabun stalwarts gathered for several rounds of reminiscences and celebratory libations.

Stalwarts at Alex's

While the general reunions have been going on, there have been pocket get-togethers happening around the country:

-The Boston crowd did a kind of progressive New Year's Celebration at the combination of Jesse/Aaron Coleman residences.
-Katherine Finnegan, and Laura and Heidi Nocka trekked north for a reunification with Jess Lewis in New Hampshire

left to right - Laura, Jess, KFinn and Heidi

Heidi Nocka then inspired yet another, this time a tri-state gathering, attracting Sarah Langfitt and Annie Reagan - all members of 2011's Cayuga A section.

left to right - Sarah (NY), Heidi (MA), and Annie (OH)

Marg and I are hunkered down in NH, but I did manage to get back to my Alma Mater this past weekend for a combination of touching base for coffee with Katherine Finnegan, a junior at UMass, and attending an Amherst/Williams hockey game in which three of my former students at Breck were competing, two on the Amherst team and one for Middlebury - best of all worlds - they each won in 3 - 2 games. What a treat to walk the paths I trod so purposefully 43 years ago!

Here's a little blast form the past - Marg and I enjoyed a visit with Doug Dyer (1940's Wabun doctor) in North Bay, where he now lives with his wife, Dilys. They are neighbors with Dinty Johnston Elliott and Shirley Elliott. Dinty was the postmaster in Temagami for decades and was responsible for getting mail bags onto the Aubry Cosens for much-anticipated daily deliveries up the lake.

North Bay visit with Doug and Dinty, third and fourth on right

Also in the Marg and Dick travels folder was a trip to Las Vegas - a trip we were told had to be on our Bucket List. One of the highlights was attending a Jimmy Buffet concert - so many of his songs, sung from bows and sterns for so many years - we waved our arms with the best of them.

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to visit www.wabun.com and view our Newsletter - there, you will find reflections on the 2011 season, as well as articles by several illustrious Wabun alums who have been able to return to Temagami and staff our current sections as well as take a series of post-season trips. I also suggest that you visit our Facebook - link provided on the website.

I am looking forward to upcoming gatherings/reunions and look forward to continued assemblies of the Wabun choir. I report with some excitement that a number of alums have already expressed an interest in joining Marg and me in Temagami for the March 24th get-together - March is a glorious month in the Northland - should be a lot of fun. Please know how welcomed you would be at any meeting you might be able to attend. Come and enjoy the camaraderie!

**Saturday, January 21, 2012 Jeff, Kim, Stewart &

3:00 PM Sarah Grace Longsworth 5609 Ogden Road Bethesda,

301-320-3684 klongsworth3@verizon.net Maryland

**Sunday, January 22, 2012 Andy, Theresa, Tara &

1:00 PM Colin Hartzell 736 Harper Avenue Drexel Hill,

610-623-5327 ahartzell@state.pa.us Pennsylvania

**Thursday, January 26, 2012 Sarah Flotten 4825 Bryant Avenue, South Minneapolis,

5:30 PM 612-823-1960 sarah.flotten@breckschool.org Minnesota

**Sunday, January 29, 2012 Bill Green & Diane Whitney 3441 Cascadia Avenue, South Seattle,

1:00 PM 206-725-6615 wgreen@perkinscoie.com Washington

**Saturday, February 4, 2012 Hope Kuniholm, Peter &

5:00 PM Sofia Verheyen 8 Pebble Hill Road DeWitt,

315-446-4336 kuniholm@dreamscape.com New York

**Saturday, February 11, 2012 Dick & Marg Lewis 460 Jewett Road Hopkinton,

1:00 PM 603-369-3677 rpl@wabun.com New Hampshire

**Sunday, February 12, 2012 Sean Dundon, Victoria Dalzell &

4:00 PM Eamonn Dundon 80 Best Street Portland,

207-771-9999 sdundon@blackstoneconsulting.com Maine

**Saturday, March 10, 2012 Peg & Stephanie Clement &

3:00 PM Jessica Scriver 161 Austin Drive, #130 Burlington,

802-399-2444 clementpeg@gmail.com Vermont

**Saturday, March 24, 2012 Dick & Marg Lewis At WABUN Temagami,

2:00 PM 705-237-8910 rpl@wabun.com Ontario

closing out 2011 - memories dear - future dearer!

2011-12-30T17:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

First off, I am thrilled to tell you that Wabun's 2011-12 Newsletter is online as of this afternoon - you may access it through - http://wabun.com/newsletter.html There's a better way, but I will need some help in getting that information to you - later, I am hoping.

Marg and I have enjoyed a fabulous Holiday Season with our kids - Jess flew in from Austin on Dec. 17th (her husband, Lukin, was obliged to stay in Austin and administer testing to his students). She and I then enjoyed a Sunday, pre-Christmas get-together with Marg's siblings and their spouses here in New Hampshire at mid-day on Sunday. At festivities' end, Jess and I hotfooted it down to Boston to attend a gala Christmas songfest get-together with Hardin and Gail Coleman in their exquisite apartment in Kenmore Square - what a fabulous treat! Hardin serves as the Dean of the School of Education at Boston University and has grown comfortably into an impressive professorial presence - truth be told, many years in the formulation. There, Jess and I met up with Andrew Stachiw and Ally Sterling, Andrew's mom, Nancy Mabry, Alden Mahoney, and the younger Coleman men, Aaron and Jesse, (yielding much recollection of our 2011 summer together staffing). What FUN!

Rollicking good time for the Wabun contingent - Joy To The World!

The food was magnificent and bountiful, the libations loosed the vocal cords, and much musical merriment defined the evening - Gail leading from the ivories! This was the Lewises second attendance, and hopefully only the most recent installment.

Quite a serious crew - feigning the less-prevalent austerity

The young bucks, Aaron, Alden and Jesse

Two Lewises sympaticoed in song!

Jess and I returned to New Hampshire Sunday night and were joined by Jason on Monday - the nuclear Lewises then enjoyed a pre-Christmas, Christmas week together. Jess left at week's end to join Lukin in Silax, Missouri for Christmas with his family, and Ali joined Jason, Marg and me in Hopkinton for a New Hampshire Christmas.

2011 has been a grand year for us all - Jason and Ali back in New England fresh from their California experience, Ali now as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and Jason as a Middle School Head, both in Connecticut, Jess and Lukin married on June 11th, all of us enjoying a great Wabun 79th season, and now looking forward to our first grandchild via Jess and Lukin in May - passages, transitions, and additions - wonderful stuff.

Happy New Year Friends - wishing you every happiness and success in 2012 - -

November 16, 2011

2011-11-16T19:16:00.001-05:00

Just enjoyed a great couple of weeks with Wabun reunions hosted in The Big Apple by Phoebe Knowles and her family at the Roger Smith Hotel, and in Harvard, Massachusetts, hosted by Tim and Linda Foster and three generations of their family.

A combination of 50 + alums, friends, and folks interested in learning about Wabun convened at the Roger Smith.

Three generations of the Taylor family alums (John, Nik, Monica, and Jane, with children) joined us. Originally from Texas, they are all now living in NYC. Joe Kilbridge and his wife Barbara Clauss came down from Buffalo - Casey and Signe Forbes linked up with their NYC resident son, Alex (who also plays in a band in the city) and Casey's sister, Leslie, with alum son Tristram Worth, for a little family reunion - Edna and Harry Wright flew out from Columbus - Jim and Diane Rees slipped in from CT to join son, Kevin - Sarah Flotten flew out from Minnesota - Jess Hatheway Scriver came down from Vermont and her sister Katie trained up from DC - nearby alums: two of the three generations of Lindseths (Peter, Paul, and Nick), Isa Zinser, Will Nuckols, Hugo Mallinson and his fiance Kat O'Neill, Holden Rasche, Pierce Hovey and his mom, Amy, and David Kast all came together for a great get-together - thanks, Phoebe! A quick tally suggested 161 years of Wabun experience gathered in the room!

Gilding the reunion lily, Jason and Jess came in from Connecticut and Texas, with spouses, Ali Thurber and Lukin Murphy, to join Marg and me in attending a Roger Smith evening performance by my sister's singing group Queen of Hearts. The Queens wowed a sell-out crowd and extended an invitation to me to join in the offering of The Wabun Song.

Such a joy!

After the New York City Reunion, Marg and I returned to New Hampshire for a week of working on the launching of this year's Wabun Newsletter - should be on-line in time for the Christmas Holidays. Then, last Sunday we headed down to Tim and Linda Foster's home in Harvard, MA for the annual reunion there. A special treat awaited us as Putty McDowell (1937) joined the gathering to assure the representation of all eight decades of Wabun alumni/ae - 1930s - 2010s - shared experiences and anecdotes/comparisons of style/equipment/menus abounded.

Putty McDowell (1930s) and Bo Foster (1940s) review some memorabilia with me

It is a particular treat to note that Tim and Linda Foster, and sons, Sean, Marc, and Evan, represent the third of four generations of their family associated with the camp. Tim's grandfather, Mac McLellan, was one of Wabun's founders - his son-in-law, Bo Foster is shown to the right.

Reconnections in Harvard included: in addition to Tim, Linda, Bo and Putty, numerous McLellan family members - Mac's daughter Mary Alice and daughter Julie (1970s) and husband Karl Nocka and their daughter, Heidi (Cayuga A - 2011), Scott Anderson from the 1970s - recent alums: Stewart Longsworth and Isabel Cochran (traveled down from Amherst and Smith Colleges), Marcy Shappy, Nate Levin and mom Carole, Hardin and Gail Coleman, Amanda Sundheimer and parents Jerry and Liz, Steve (1970s) and Mary Finnegan, Scott Blackwell, and others interested in learning about the opportunities we offer.

Marg and I recently joined Debbie and Bill Monroe (1940s), parents of John and Bill, in our local NH honoring of veterans at a Veterans' Day celebration in Hopkinton - Bill and Debbie have gone over the top to welcome Marg and me to New Hampshire, and it was a treat to get together with them to honor Bill as a veteran. Thanks, Bill.

Best to all - and Happy Thanksgiving!

November 1, 2011

2011-11-01T16:05:00.000-04:00

The artistry of wilderness canoe-tripping reaches into Halloween, courtesy of Sarah Grace Longsworth, Cayuga A 2011 - -

John (Tonka) Edmonds rolled through Hopkinton last week, just before the snow began to fall on the weekend. We spent a couple of days together catching up on his travels and experiences - looks like he may be heading back up to Quebec for another parish assignment - what fun to catch up and, of course, dip into our respective memory banks to tell tall tales of days of yore. Contributing to that were the stories of Bill Monroe (Wabun in 40's) who came over for dinner with wife, Debbie. With all of the story telling we have all done, it's remarkable to find and share those yet untold.

Whenever the Reverend stops in for a visit, Marg and I pick his brains for hints on technology. He's given us some major hints on how to safeguard our byte holdings

Here's what graced us during Tonka's stay - taken Saturday morning.

Then, 24 hours later - -

We were slammed with 15" - while millions lost power in New England, we lost only our internet and phone connection - made a hasty trip to Winchester to catch a disappointing performance by the Patriots.

Speaking of football, our Wabun friend, Dave Thompson, who was honored as Athletic Director of the Year in the State of Ohio, left me a text message Friday night to tell me that his Hartley Hawks had won their last game of the season and had gone undefeated for the first time in the school's history The team is also seeded # 1 in their conference as they go into the playoffs in hopes of repeating their State Championship of 2010 - Good Luck, Dave. Maybe you can now turn your attentions to softball and urge our Wabun team into such prominence in the Temagami Community.

Last little note: if any of you happen to be in the Big Apple this weekend (also New York Marathon weekend) please know you are invited to the Roger Smith Hotel, 501 Lexington, at 3:30 PM on Saturday for our annual New York City Reunion. It looks like we'll have quite a crowd there this year - attendance is boosted by doubling up with a Queen of Hearts performance that night - the Queens are a vocal group in which my sister, Helen participates - lots of four-part harmony, upbeat country. They will also be performing at the Roger Smith at 8:00 PM on Saturday. The next Wabun Reunion will be in Boxborough, MA on Sunday, November 13th at 2:30 - also typically a large, multi-generational get-together - please get in touch with me for details.

Cheers to all,

Dick

October 22, 2011

2011-10-22T12:35:00.001-04:00

,Marg and I left Wabun almost two weeks ago after 12 days of absolutely gorgeous weather that eased our shutting the camp down for the winter. We were joined by Wabun carpenter, Ian Cameron, who was invaluable in assisting us, or, really, maybe we assisted him. Just before leaving, we enjoyed a fabulous Canadian Thanksgiving dinner on the other side of the island with the Foster men - all Wabun alums: grandfather, Bo, 1940s; sons Mike and Tim, 70s; and grandsons Ryan and Evan, 2000s. They were joined by two friends of Evan. Tim was our master chef and really outdid himself with the cuisine. Incidentally, Tim and Linda Foster will be hosting the annual Boxborough Wabun Reunion on Sunday, November 13th at 2:30 PM (15 Codman Hill Road, Boxborough, MA, 978-263-5837, lindatimfoster@comcast.net) - note, the NE Patriots have a night game that Sunday - wonderful that an NFL titan team would schedule a game so as to accommodate Wabun folks coming together - hope to see you there.

2011 Canadian Thanksgiving at Wabun - Tim in center, Bo on right

After three days back in New Hampshire, Marg and I headed off to Las Vegas for a few days with Marg's sister and her husband - we've been told that Vegas had to be on our bucket list. In Vegas we linked up with former Wabun Chef and Caretaker, Rob Huff. We had a most enjoyable dinner together and caught up with his happenings as a Chef with J. W. Marriott. It felt like old times with Rob, when we all lived on the island and traded off in hosting each other for dinner together once a week. One of those dinners that Rob prepared that really stood out was what I believe was the first-ever for anyone I know - a Surf, Turf, and Air repast - fried pickerel, roasted moose rib, and bacon-wrapped ruffed grouse - yummmmm!

Marg, Rob, Dave and Janet Manning, et moi at Vegas get-together


Surf, Turf and Air

Back in New Hampshire last Tuesday night, and now scanning photos and soliciting articles for this year's Newsletter, scheduling and preparing for this year's reunions, and battening down the NH hatches for winter 2011-12. Speaking of reunions, Elizabeth Worgan just sent me a photo of a mini reunion she enjoyed with Marc Foster, Marcy Shappy, and Heidi Nocka. I'm told these take place across the country each year. If you happen to know of or be a part of such a get-together, please let me know and send a photo if you can.

Left to right - Marc, Marcy, Heidi and Elizabeth.

Please accept a couple of notices:
-Wabun gathering tomorrow, Sunday afternoon, October 23rd at the home of Jeff Harrington (Wabun A, 2011), hosted by mom and dad, Liz and Andrew Harrington (Wabun, 1976 & 1981) - 57 Radcliffe Road, Wellesley, MA - 781-235-5778 - andrew@harrington2.com
-Wabun Reunion at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City on Saturday, November 5th at 3:30 PM - 501 Lexington Ave. - hosted by Phoebe Knowles - 917-345-6784 - phoebe.knowles@gmail.com. Side note - my sister, Helen Lewis Moore, and her group, Queen of Hearts, will be performing at the Roger Smith that evening - see reservation information on Wabun's Facebook.

Marg has introduced a What/Where is it? section in our Newsletter - Here's a bonus question I'd like to contribute in that same vein: a Wabun Tervis mug is poised to be sent to the first of you who can identify the meaning/significance/advertizing intention of the following:

This is a tough one, but I'm sure someone is up to it.

Cheers, folks!

October 8 - readying to leave

2011-10-08T11:46:00.001-04:00

The weather for the past week at Wabun has been beautiful beyond description!

78º on the Map Room porch yesterday afternoon

The view from our cabin this morning

- - and the extended warmth has probably translated into an extended growing season as we are harvesting the tomatoes that our chef, Robin Potts, planted at the beginning of the season and left us when she headed off for North Bay.

Garden Island produce

Ian Cameron returned to Wabun to join Marg and me in putting the camp to bed for the winter - docks flipped up - once in place, incoming ice from the north during break-up is ushered up ramps and over the dock, keeping the floes from pushing directly against the northern edge - ideally - - -

Lifting ice diverters

--- boats are out of the water, all engines winterized, water system shut down, all the hatches battened down and readied for the winter.

Marg and I will leaving the island tomorrow morning after a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner with the Foster family on the other side of the island this evening.

It's been a fabulous stay, but we are both looking forward to being in New Hampshire again,

Cheers,

Dick

September 30, 2011 Garden Island Update

2011-10-01T10:03:00.000-04:00

Marg and I are now at Wabun – arrived Tuesday evening in 75º, sunny, dead-calm conditions. We enjoyed a beautiful boat ride to the island and a great, imported- from-NH, corn-roast dinner. We spent Wednesday morning doing a Wabun walk-about – re-opening and checking buildings, looking for windfalls, bailing and starting boats, and doing a general assessment of what we need to do to put the camp to bed for the winter.

There are a couple of pretty dramatic contrasts in comparing this end-of-September Wabun to that which we all know in the vibrancy of the season:

The water levels drop consistently from spring to fall - -

June 2011

September 2011

The buildings go from being dedicated to housing and serving people to storing and protecting gear:

June's Room de Cuisine

September's Canoe Haven

We empty the walk-in of summer’s chilled foods, let it reach ambient temperature, and then fill what becomes the winter walk-in with perishables that are to be heated and kept above-frost during the freezing months.

This is really a grand time of the year – changing colors, cool nights, warm days and an abundance of Northern Lights - Alums, Bill Porter and Dave Thompson arrived today and are spending the weekend down on the South Arm (dinner with them tonight) in hopes of enjoying the fall’s climatic feast -windy, chilly boat travel!

Smoky Bay Trips 2011

2011-09-24T08:49:00.001-04:00

Our two Bay Trips this summer were scheduled to travel the Attawapiskat River which they began on June 20th - - alas, with 200+ fires burning in northwestern Ontario, some serious measures were needed to pull both the boys and girls' trips two weeks into their intended routes and move them to an alternate itinerary. This log captures both the challenges encountered and the resiliency of the Cayuga A section as it did a masterful job of turning lemons into lemonade.

Cayuga A

2011

Attawapiskat / Groundhog

Ah, where to begin? The dusty Root River Bridge? The end of the Wabun dock with a cheer and the blast of a cannon? After that, flying over the Dobie? In Pickle Lake? At Badesdawa? Or perhaps on the Groundhog River- deep and green. Through many new beginnings the Phoenix Women of Cayuga A have risen from ashes and reinvented ourselves on rocky rivers stretching from the Northwestern borders of Ontario to the sandy tidal pull of James Bay in the East. We have traveled far and wide, paddled up and down waterways from here to there, and found kindred souls in the river villages of the North. And in our section we found strength, comfort, confidence, and joy. This summer, more than any other, we learned that it truly is the journey and not the destination (or destinations!) that matters. Though we paddled many strokes, portaged many loads, and traveled many miles this summer, our trip was not about getting from here to there- it was about, as my friend Pete says, the journey from head to heart.

I would say that our journey really began with Norm. Like it always does. A bus and a van, two canoe trailers, four drivers, four staff, and twenty-six campers piled into roughly as many seats tucked in amongst packs and wannies, babies and canoes, for what we came to know fondly as “bus camp.” Thirty-six hours, a stay at the lovely Thunder bay KOA, hundreds of sandwiches and thousands of kilometers later we arrived. We waved goodbye to Norm and the Wabun van at the Root River Bridge, cheered goodbye to the boys and we were off.

The Root River, our gateway to the North, is a steeply up-hill and little traveled waterway. Beautiful rocky drops and a stiff current helped us fine-tune our Wabun muscles and appreciate the subtlety of the ferry angle. Eddy by eddy we climbed the river, and the exertion left little breath for talking. The resulting quiet allowed us glimpses of the wild things that shared the woods with us. Moose lifted dripping snouts from lily roots to watch us pass. A big black bear sow lumbered along shore sniffing the air. Curious otters tried to make heads or tails of our dipping paddle strokes.

The hot sun, dry wind, and strong current on the Root heightened our appreciation of the wide flat water and deep swimming holes of Lake St. Joseph on the Cat River. With the decrease in volume as our section sang and swam our way North, our days of wildlife viewing had come to an end, but for the hundreds of bald eagles that circled and soared above our sound. They were companions throughout the summer.

The Cat River pools into a series of big and beautiful lakes. The rocky islands create a glittering labyrinth that stretches south from Blackstone Lake to North Bamaji Lake. We paddled its course up the river ducking back into the bush each evening to make camp. Some evenings we came across old Wabun-bushed sites complete with stacks of firewood and fly poles leaning in the trees. Other evenings we picked out a rocky outcropping or the rare cedar grove and played house, carving out a kitchen area and choosing just the right spot for a fireplace. As we dined on calzones or licked the icing off of warm and gooey bannock, it never ceased to amaze us how we were able to work with the wilderness to create a cozy and welcoming home for ourselves in the wild. Even in some pretty unlikely spots. On North Bamaji Lake, we stopped by the native community of Slate Falls. We chatted with some of the folks who call this stunning part of the country home. Elsie at the band office shared some fishing tips with us as she opened her office for us to check in with Wabun. Our call south was to discuss what would come to be a fixture of our summer: the smell of smoke on the wind. Wabun confirmed our suspicions that a fire was burning to the north and west on us. Wabun and the MNR assured us our route to the east remained clear and so we continued on our way with scheduled check-ins to Wabun and thanks to Elsie.

As we moved north and east out of Kezik Lake and off of the Cat River onto the Dobie, the smell of smoke intensified. The fires remained many, many miles from us and our section was never in any danger - the fire did, however, make for travel conditions unlike any we had experienced before.

Columns of smoke rose like tree trunks into the sky and branched out in streams that flowed from Ontario and drifted into the skies as far east as Nova Scotia. Our days were seen through a softening filter of haze, blurring the tree line and painting the sun a brilliant red ball as its traveled its course across the northern sky.

Moss crunched under our feet and crackled into flame at the strike of a match before supper. She was a dry one! We dug our fire pits deep down into the clay of the banks, doing our part to prevent a burn. MNR helicopters and Pickle Lake attack base water bombers buzzed above us doing their part to protect the woods.

The North was burning, its residents were mobilizing, and we were witnessing history. The routes that Wabun travels weave a web of waterways cast across the wilderness of Northern Ontario. This summer many of those routes and rivers were deeply changed. In summers to come…green shoots of new growth will spring up on old portage paths and brilliant fuscia fire-flowers will blossom in the burns. These forests are resilient. Ancient trees with roots that reach deep into old soil will survive. Jackpine pods will awaken in the flames and their craggy trunks will spiral up from the ash. In the future we’ll cut trails in the new growth and stake out our tents in clearings where bare trunks of black spruce stand silver. But, not this summer.

This summer, Nature said,“No”. She asked us all to step aside while she reset the woods in a cycle as old as the forests themselves. And so we said goodbye to the woods of the North West. A series of flights and van shuttles later, we began again. At bus camp, with Norm. Like we always do.

Back through the KOA, south along the Superior shore, and we found ourselves at a new beginning. The Groundhog River, welcomed us. Deep, green, and moving. The rocky drops and swift current, moving down stream this time, offered us our first rapids of the summer. Our seven canoes wound down swifts, swirled into eddies, and skirted around the stacks of the dramatic six-mile rapids and the continuous stand-and-shoots snaking through ten-mile rapids.

On bedrock campsites and fairyland cedar grove bush sites, we outdid ourselves felling gigantor woodcrew and cooking up delicious pots of chicken risotto, cheesy breadsticks, and caramel popcorn. The Groundhog’s swift currents allowed us to travel for miles as we floated for lunch, pulling bass and pickerel out of eddies and fronds of strainers. Warm sunny days made for frequent swim breaks and vats and vats of Gumperts. We made human chains as we floated down the washout at the bottom of the Bridge Portage. We floated hand-in-hand through the confluence of the Groundhog and Matagami, the merge of rivers marking a turning point as we began our transition toward the end.

As days slipped by, chats over dinner lingered into dusk. Section huddles included some tears among the laughter. And conversations changed tone from the favorite hot-topic of every kind of food everyone likes, to one more reflective, awakening memories of the summer we shared and reliving them as a section that would soon fade from present to past.

It is the strong hearts and bright minds of these young women that made this section and this summer a success. It seems that a Bay Trip is 10% about what happens and 90% about the attitude with which we react. The positivity, courage, and grace with which this family of women rose together to meet every challenge encountered, every curve ball thrown, and every change of best-laid-plans this summer was nothing short of humbling. Girls, I have learned so much from you, and feel honored to have been a part of this family. Elizabeth’s artistry, Heidi’s compassion, Izzy’s wisdom, Jessie’s charm, Jo’s happiness, MT’s positivity, Marcy’s spontaneity, SG’s initiative, Savy’s honesty, Reagan’s wit, Sarah’s adventurousness, and Sherman’s thoughtfulness brought light, laughter, and love to our section. Thank you all.

Our unit of fourteen is tight, motivated, and powerful. Out on trip it can seem that we are a self-sufficient unit with no strings attached. This summer though as we were faced with some tough decisions, we were so grateful for the ties that bind us to the incredible base camp staff. The guidance, comfort, and support that we received from Sarah, Julie, Marg, Dick, Nibby, and Ann, this summer was phenomenal. Phone calls to Bob Thomas—Thank you Bob, Mattawa is in the works! Emails, boat trips, car trips, hours researching routes, marking maps, and mocking up itineraries, meant that our section could move safely from dry, smoky woods of the North to the welcoming watery rivers of the East with minimal intrusion to our summer. We appreciate you, and we thank you for working so hard to keep us safe in the woods.

Reunion Planning Meeting

2011-09-11T11:16:00.005-04:00

Wabun Reunion Planning Weekend in Minneapolis. Lots of exciting updates to the Show and the DVD. Hope everyone can make it to a gathering this year. (How many Wabun decals can you find?)

If you have camper/alumni news or good photos/videos of last summer, please email them to Sarah, Marg, or Jason. Thanks!

Sarah: skflotten@gmail.com
Marg: mrl@wabun.com
Jason: jason@wabun.com

2011 Camp Photo

2011-08-10T22:30:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to all the campers and staff for a great 2011 season!

Chippies Return!

2011-07-29T23:19:00.003-04:00

Please double-click the photo above to see photos of the Chippies paddling in from their second trip today. They enjoyed swimming, hot showers, a cookout, ping-pong and bingo. They look AWESOME!

Wabun End-of-Season Schedule

2011-07-29T17:06:00.005-04:00

Wabun August 6, 7 & 8, 2011

End-of-Season Schedule

Parents, camper family members, and Wabun alumni/ae are always invited to join us for the closing of a camp season. We take advantage of this opportunity to ask you to leave your pets at home. There are a few camp pets and introducing new animals complicates matters. We appreciate your understanding and compliance.

August 6, 2011

11:30 am - transportation to Wabun leaves the Mine Landing (at the end of the Temagami Access Road). Arrangements can be made for transportation from local lodges on an as-needed basis
12:30 pm - lunch
1:30 pm-3:30 pm - parents and families of campers visit campsites (boat transportation provided). Staff and campers will have planned their final dinners. Please don’t take food treats to the campsite.
4:00 pm - parents and families, alums and friends are invited to an informal light supper party at Marg and Dick’s cabin to enjoy conversations with friends and other Wabun families.
6:30 pm - visitors return to the Mine Landing and to the local lodges hosting Wabun visitors

August 7, 2011

7:30 am - transportation to Wabun leaves the Mine Landing. Parents staying in local lodges may make their own transportation from their own lodges if they prefer.
7:30 – 9:00 am - breakfast buffet for visitors served at camp
8:30 - 10:15 am - campers return from canoe trips - youngest sections first, long trips last
10:15 am - 12:30 pm – showers, infirmary visit, packing, cabin cleaning, etc.
12:30 pm - season ending luncheon - campers, parents and families, alums and friends
1:30 - 4:00 pm - camp photo, closing campfire, and the presentation of section logs
4:00 pm - retrieve personal items/valuables from the office
4:30 pm - early departures available by water taxi (approx. $90.00 Canadian). Please arrange before noon.
5:00 pm - campers and families traveling together leave on barge for Mine Landing
6:00 pm - dinner served to bus-riding campers and staff
8:00 pm - bus-riding campers and chaperones leave on barge for Mine Landing
9:00 pm - 5:00 am - campers and chaperones travel to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport by bus

Update from Cayuga B and Wabun B-C

2011-07-26T21:58:00.000-04:00

Cayuga B and Wabun B-C are making their way to the top of the Dumoine and Coulonge Rivers. Both were at Trout Lake (Lac a la Truit) a week ago to meet Sarah and Marg who were delivering a recovered Wabun B camper and brought the Wabun van and trailer to help with the 3 kilometer portage. All the kids serenaded Marg with "Happy Birthday" (she's the clean one in the center of the photo) and then loaded up the trailer. Both sections are having an extraordinary summer and are looking forward to their time on the river.

The Birthday Girl and friends!

Happy Staff

Cayuga B

Wabun B - C

July 26, 2011

2011-07-26T17:52:00.003-04:00

https://picasaweb.google.com/104329924573284410996/July262011

Hi All,

It is hard to believe that after the three sections left on trip yesterday morning we will only have one section in (the Chippies) between trips before all sections return on the 7th of August. Here are some shots taken over the past few days while Cayuga K, the Crees, the Wenonahs, and the Chippewas were in camp. Spirits were high - a great time together.

We heard from Wabun B-S today - they called from Mattice along their Missinaibi route - reported the boys in "great shape", the water high, the weather fabulous, and all going well.

We're all gearing up to gear down - can you believe it?

Double-click on the link next to the photo to be taken to the Picassa web album.

Cheers!

Wabun Website Information

2011-07-24T12:21:00.000-04:00

Please visit Wabun's website at the link below to get updated itineraries and end-of-season details.
http://wabun.com/summer.html

July 24 Update

2011-07-24T11:43:00.001-04:00

The Chippewas arrived at Wabun the evening of July 18 and were greeted by the Wabun D section - affording a great opportunity for our older campers to provide some one-on-one instruction in rolling and tumping. The sections bonded immediately and enjoyed a great day together - the Chippies got a first-hand look at a section getting ready to head out and were on the beach when Wabun D left the Wabun Beach on their last trip of the season.

Please double click on the picture below to open the web album.

Cheers!

Bay Trip Update

2011-07-24T07:55:00.001-04:00

2011 Bay Trips at the start of the Groundhog River

Hi All,

On Monday, July 18, we trucked both of Wabun's Bay Trip sections from Pickle Lake, Ontario to the start of their newly-devised trip down the Groundhog River to James Bay. After days of monitoring the forest fires in Northwestern Ontario, we decided it was time to take a precautionary measure and move our groups out of the area they were in to do the Attawapiskat River and get them into the safer region of Northeastern Ontario.

The same bus that had delivered them to the Root River on June 29th returned to Pickle Lake, two weeks into their trip, picked them up, headed for Thunder Bay where they spent another glorious overnight at the Thunder Bay KOA, and then drove them east to the intersection of Route 101 and the Groundhog River. As you can see form the photo above, the sections were delighted to get out of smoke and get out of the bus. They regained their stride and headed down the Groundhog on Tuesday, July 19.

These sections are the embodiment of enthusiasm blended with resiliency - hope you enjoy a glimpse of their happenings - -

Fully loaded trailer!

Happy staff to be back on the water.

Great Teamwork!

Jul 17, 2011

2011-07-17T15:36:00.003-04:00

Hi, All,

Here is an assortment of photos taken on and between trips in the last few days - mostly of the Crees and Wenonahs (double click on image to go to Picassa web album). As we gather memory cards from campers and staff, we will keep a stream of photo-chronicling in front of you.

The weather in the Temagami area has been absolutely fabulous, though some might say a bit too toasty - still, we've had a few showers, just enough to avoid a fire ban, and the winds have been mostly moderate and friendly.

Marg and Tom Stiverson are on their way to Toronto as I write - they will be picking up our second three-week Chippy section at the airport and returning Tomorrow evening.

Wabun and Cayuga A, and the three B sections are all out on trip now and won't be back on Temagami until August 5. I will update you on our other four sections as we spend time with them.

Cheers,

Dick

July 12 Photos

2011-07-12T21:57:00.003-04:00

Click here for a link to an album of photos taken on trip and around camp these past few days.

Wenonahs and Crees return from first trips.

2011-07-04T20:18:00.000-04:00

The Crees and Wenonahs paddled in this morning to beautifully sunny skies which helped with laundry, reoutfitting, cleaning gear and was most appreciated for swimming and kickball. We are all looking forward to this evening's fireworks. Here are some photos of our day.

Crees unloading on beach.

Wenonahs paddling in.

Two Wenonahs with their canoe.

"We had a great first trip!"

Crees doing laundry.

Clean Crees after showering and doing laundry.

Wenonahs after a hot shower.

Happy Staff!

2011 Wenonahs

2011 Crees

Crees reoutfit for second trip.

Canoe carrying.

Crees cleaning out the K!

Polishing the reflector oven!

Not Just a Game!

2011-07-03T21:36:00.002-04:00

After several days of rigorous, spirited practice led by Andrew Stachiw, the Wabun softball team faced the always tough Bear Island Braves for the 79th annual match-up on Wabun Field on June 27th. Based on previous history and an embarrassingly lopsided win-LOSS record, Wabun staff took the field with great anticipation and a modicum of trepidation. After the first inning, with a key hit from Nate Levin, Wabun was up 3-0. The fans on both sides went crazy as the runs continued to pile up. As all tales are spun in the North, no one knows the exact score (either 8 - 1 or 7 - 1 ) but we know we won! The teams shook hands and Wabun gave a cheer for Bear Island, knowing full well next year Bear Island will come with new recruits and renewed passion. It was, as Dick Lewis says, AWESOME!

"A" Trips Dropped!

2011-07-03T07:51:00.000-04:00

All packed and ready to go!

Wabun A and Cayuga A sections left Garden Island June 29th and piled into a school bus and the Wabun van. We drove to the KOA in Thunder Bay that night, pitching tents in record time and heading to bed. The next morning we awoke to warm temps and sunny skies and continued our journey west to Sioux Lookout where we turned north and traveled 76 kilometers up the Vermillion River Road to drop on the historic Root River and paddle up to the western side of Lake St. Joseph.

Drivers: Sarah, Dick, Norm, DT

Campers Arrive!!

2011-07-02T21:15:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy and exciting few days on Garden Island. Campers arrived on the 26th and the next two days were spent learning to paddle, tump, and roll. Sections outfitted food for their first trips, took a swim, learned to set up tents, laid out their gear to pack, and went for a paddle around the island. We look forward to greeting the Crees and Wenonahs when they return from their first trip on July 4th.

Getting paddles and lifejackets from Nibby and Julie.

"Paddle tricks!"

A section taking the first swim of the season.

Section A tumping canoes.

Checking gear.

Rolling up gear.

Yeah, it fits!

Demonstration of paddle strokes.


Setting up tents.

All ready!!

2011-06-25T22:26:00.000-04:00

The canoes have a fresh coat of paint, the cabins are swept, and staff are eagerly awaiting the arrival of campers tomorrow as Wabun opens our 79th season.

Freshly Painted Canoes

We can't wait until we meet again on Garden Island .

Wabun, Wabun, Wabun, Yeah Wabun!!

Welcome April!

2011-04-03T11:12:00.000-04:00

Marg left the island this morning - up at zero-dark thirty, but we didn't leave the island until we could enjoy the views of sunrise adorning our trip to the landing - - well worth the wait

7:00 AM today on the way to Boat Line Bay

Once at the landing, clear evidence of the beginning of the ruttiness we are about to experience with the melt - -

on-off becoming a challenge

"Ruttiness" - Speaking of which, the same is true of on-island paths, and this presents a challenge - how do you move a sensitive AND ESSENTIAL piece of electronics from its safe haven (stored in our walk-in cooler which is heated in the winter to prevent perishable food items and other temperature-sensitive gear from freezing) from the camp side to our cabin. ALAS, yet another use of, for Wabun alums, the ubiquitous TUMP LINE!

Tumps have been used south of the border for moving large cartons, washing machines, driers, furniture, etc. for years. Many of our gear loyals actually keep one in the trunks of their cars.

Here in Temagami they also allow the cross-island transport of fragile electronics when snowmobile (sled) and sleigh movement is too bumpy to endure.

sled, sleigh or sling?

I'm here for another week or two, depending on the ice

March on Temagami

2011-03-28T13:53:00.000-04:00

The ice road from Bear Isl;and to Wabun

the Wabun Dock in winter form

Been on Temagami for one week now - Marg arrived last Friday - weather has been absolutely gorgeous - below zero each night keeps the ice travel-worthy, and daytime temp's in the 20s make for pleasant outings.

Exercising caution, my first trip to the island was by snowmachine - 2 trips got everything to the cabin. When Marg arrived, we moved the jeep over. Then, the parking lot expanded to welcome visitors -

Garden Island private parking

Pleasant winter cross-island route

The best way to get onto the island is on the south side near the staff shower house - then across the ballfield to the lodge and kitchen area.

Once there the views in all directions are magnificent - the snow loads are impressive and the winds are most impressive.

mounds and mounds adorn the roofs

Dover Rest (our cabin) is about a snug as you might hope from a wilderness retreat - fire goes 24/7.

Dover Rest

Enjoyed a nice gathering of the Wabun choir on Saturday - great fun!


Last Wabun gathering of the 2010 - 2011 Reunion Tour

March Madness a la NH

2011-03-12T11:21:00.000-05:00

Happy March! I'm on my way to Peg Clement's house in Burlington where she and Jessica Hatheway Scriver are hosting the last Wabun Reunion this side of the border at 3:00 this afternoon - it's been a long, happy road.

The rains of the last week or so have laid the ground for sensing a little bit of spring on the horizon - so I thought I'd share a little bit what unfolds up/over here in the Granite State in our own, still new-to-us backyard.

First off, though, here's how Marg and I reformulated our competitive streak to be territory friendly

Last snowshoe outing of the winter, I suspect. It's been a very pretty, deeply snowed season, with lots of opportunity to enjoy the landscape.

(photo credit to Sarah Flotten)

As the snow has been hard for the deer to manage, they've taken to walking on our driveway on their daily grazings - four of them trooped through the day before yesterday - some recent blow-downs have attracted them to our back yard, where they nibble quite contentedly as we try to make as little noise as possible so as not to spook them away.

The P ileated are out in force, tearing up the conifers and making a heck of a racket.

And as the ground clears, our resident fox shows up to sunbathe in the warm ground patches between the snowdrifts

Lastly, in our little Hopkinton wild kingdom, we are dazzled by the display of an amorous turkey who does a magnificent job of making himself quite the attraction to his lady friends of the yard.

All of this within a stone's throw of our kitchen table - life is grand - Cheers, friends - happy weekend!

Coast to Coast Reunions

2011-02-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

I just returned from a gathering in Seattle, hosted by Bill Green and Diane Whitney, where I met with alums of the fifties through 2010 - it was a great international event that included Halley Keevil and Stef Superina coming down from Vancouver for the day.

A wonderfully sunny and cheerful day in Seattle

I returned to New Hampshire for a get-together at our home last Saturday - our small group included Bill and Debbie Monroe (Bill - 1940s), Stott and Alice Woods (Stott - 1970s & '80s) with son Isaac, and Jeff Dalzell (1970s) and his sons Ben and Nick - in addition to sharing camp stories, we noted a bit of a Little Three rivalry in the presence of two Amherst and two Williams families.

Hopkinton get-together

The New Hampshire landscape these days is gorgeous and cries out for some in-the-woods activities, so, graced by Sarah Flotten's presence we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of snowshoeing around our property yesterday. We have about five feet of snow, and the conditions were perfect for traipsing around on the hillsides. First thing in the morning we sat in our living room and watched four deer

Sarah and Marg on the snowy paths

grazing on freshly-fallen trees in our yard - on our snowshoe run we came across multiple bedding areas suggesting deer conventions are held regularly.
Sarah's about to head off for a week of visiting independent schools in this and the Boston area. This is part of program at my old school where Sarah teaches, Breck, which encourages faculty go out and see how other independent schools carry on the business of sharpening educational objectives.

I'm off to Wellesley, MA on March 6, and then Burlington, VT on the 13th. These will be the last of the US gatherings, leading me up to a spring trek to Temagami - can't wait to enter the northern icescape - cold nights, warmish days, ice booming in the wee small hours of the morn and fist signs of spring unfolding - I'll post pictures when we get there.

February 2011

2011-02-08T08:12:00.000-05:00

February 5, 2011

Since last entry in January, I have been on Reunion Road, dodging snowstorms throughout the Northeast. As impeding as these snowfalls have been to New Englanders’ travel, they’re nothing compared to what our friends on Bear Island in Temagami had to deal with in rescuing their snowplow truck from the icy waters of the Lake – that darned, proverbial thin ice. Here’s a link:

Link to Temagami truck

With all of the travails, please note the incredible beauty of the camp’s winter landscape – these shots were sent to us by Jason andc Melanie Ball, Wabun's new caretakers - a reminder, Wabun reunion on the island, March 26^th – we have ways of putting you up and keeping you warm!

The Camp's Main Dock

The Staff Map Room - formerly the Guest Dining Room:

The Lewises' cabin - Dover Rest:

While on Reunion Road, wonderful times were enjoyed by all:

at the Bethesda Reunion with the Longsworths

at the Larrabees’, where Alex prepared a fabulous blueberry bannock in a reflector oven in front of the fireplace:

the Philly Reunion with the Hartzells – (having so much fun, I forgot to take a picture), and

at The Roger Smith Hotel with the Knowles family last Saturday

I’m looking forward to upcoming meetings in Minnesota, Seattle, Wellesley, MA, Burlington, VT, our home in New Hampshire, and the finale at Wabun in Temagami. In these times of really unsettling world news – national conflicts, international tensions, rising food and fuel costs – I can’t tell you how warming and heartening the Wabun Reunions have been. At the Hartzells, we gathered camper/staff representing seven of Wabun’s eight decades of existence. Just last Saturday we had a wonderful gathering in NYC. With a fantastic turnout, all enjoyed great conversation and reflections. It was fun to see Jason Lewis reconnected with so many past bay-trip campers, John Pereira (’92 & ’93), Hugo Mallinson (’96), Kevin Rees (’00), and Holden Rasche (’07).

A few hearty souls stayed on and continued their reminiscences into the later hours of the day at Lily’s, the Roger Smith pub. If you are ever in search of an absolutely awesome hotel in Manhattan, I cannot speak highly enough of the Roger Smith Hotel – it is central (47^th and Lexington), fabulously appointed, small and personal, and owned/operated by one of Wabun’s seriously loyal families – please contact Phoebe Knowles at phoebe.knowles@gmail.com for more information – you can’t go wrong. Side-note: we all know that Wabun is principally about wood, canvas, and leather, so I was struck yesterday by our NYC gathering being held in the most elegant Roger Smith penthouse – no one commented on the incongruity – lots of fun – when in Rome!

after-reunion hours at Lily's

The Lewis family recently said goodbye to Corinne Lewis - she passed away on January 24, 2001, four days after her 95th birthday - a long and happy life - memorial services will be held in Nashville on February 26th and in Dedham, MA on April 16th.

More, later - -

Welcome 2011

2011-01-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, all! And welcome to the season of Wabun alums coming together across the country.

Actually it began just before Christmas with a Wabun DVD presentation at the Lowcountry Preparatory School on Pawley’s Island in South Carolina, hosted by Jon Alden and Megan DuBois, parents of Alden and Cam:

That was followed by a New Year’s trip Marg and I took to Austin to visit our daughter, Jess. Given Marg’s love (not!) of bats, we really enjoyed the bridge roost of the largest bat colony in the US

Last weekend we gathered in Cleveland on Saturday, and Columbus, Ohio on Sunday – great fun – met with alumni/ae going all the way back to the ‘60s - Phil Rockwood stepped up to be reunion photographer in Columbus, first chronicling an evening of dedicated alums enjoyed at Alex’s Bistro:

and then a great gathering at the Purcell/Reagan household:

Bill Porter speaks with an interested prospective Wabun parent

Co-host Annie Reagan talks about her 2010 experiences

Paul and Rhonda Sipp, and Jacob Blankemeyer with Bill Porter

Bill Forbes – MY SECTION MATE of 1959!

Sun and snow welcomed us to The Coast in Freeport!

And, tomorrow afternoon, I will be visiting with two generations of Wabun alumnae and interested parents at the home of Hope Kuniholm, Sofia Verheyen, and Peter Verheyen in Syracuse.

I am looking forward to the upcoming gatherings across the country and refer you to a schedule for your consideration:

WABUN 2010-2011, REUNION & DVD PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

You are cordially invited to attend the Wabun gatherings listed on the website. These are opportunities for families who are interested in learning about Wabun’s program to come together with alumni/ae as well as current campers and staff, to swap and hear stories and share experiences, and to enjoy the camaraderie of being with fellow wilderness-canoeing enthusiasts. We’ll have treats, and I will be on hand to show and discuss: a great video that captures the essence and magnificence of the Temagami area; the 78-year tradition of excellence of Wabun’s style of canoe tripping; as well as to answer questions. Please call ahead and let your hosts know that you are planning to attend.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-25T09:45:00.001-05:00

December, 2010

Welcome to the second Wabun Times Blog posting. I am hoping to regularly post snippets of information that I gain during the upcoming Wabun Reunions, and news from Temagami via Jason and Melanie Ball, the couple from Bear Island who are looking after the camp this winter.

NEWSLETTER

The 2009-2010 Newsletter was recently posted on www.wabun.com. Please take a look at it, and note particularly the listing of the reunions we will be offering this winter. They actually began a couple of weeks ago with one on Pawley’s Island in South Carolina and another in Portland, Maine.

ROB HUFF

We have heard from Rob, who left Wabun for Las Vegas this past September. He is a chef at one of the major resorts in Las Vegas and reports being very, very busy, especially when contrasted with some of those laid-back moments during his four years at Wabun as winter caretaker.

ALUMNI/AE

A wonderful time was enjoyed by all at a November 13 gathering hosted by Mary, Steve, Katherine, and Conor Finnegan.

Also in November, George Chase and John (Tonka) Edmonds reconnected at our home here in New Hampshire for an evening together. George was John’s bowman on a 1970 Wabun B trip, and again on a 1972 Wabun A Bay Trip. George teaches at St. Paul’s School here in NH, and John is back in Northern Quebec, this time in Mistissini where he will serve as a priest in that community. Please see his and Natalie Fortier’s Newsletter articles for information on their recent trip to Moose Factory on James Bay where John served as the community’s priest for six years. We were joined by Bill Monroe (1940s and 1950s staff member) and his wife Debbie who are fellow Hopkinton, NH residents. Their son, John, was also a member of the 1970 B section with John and George, and then the 1973 Eastmain trip.

TEMAGAMI THANKSGIVING FOR THE FOSTERS

Tim Foster (1970s) and his son, Evan (recent camper) enjoyed another fabulous Canadian Thanksgiving at Wabun. Some combination of Foster family and friends has made this trek annually for almost ten years – if you ever get the chance, it is a most beautiful lakescape at that time of year.

If you would like to be notified of future postings, please send me an email and I will keep you informed. Also, if you have information you think friends of Wabun would like to see included, please send that along to me via rpl@wabun.com

New Winter Storage Shed

2010-10-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

Before leaving the island, Ian Cameron (2010 resident carpenter) returned to Garden Island to help us erect a new storage shed behind the outfitting room. It offers protection for the various implements and vehicles that we use to keep the camp beautiful during the summer - we have now returned the favor and offer those same implements comfortable housing during the winter.

Trust me, it's not this empty now!

Initial Wabun Times Blog

2010-10-23T10:18:00.001-04:00

Dear Wabun Friends:

Marg and I have just returned from a week in Minnesota with Sarah Flotten. Ben Simmons, Jason and Jessica Lewis joined us last weekend for two days of revising the Wabun DVD and getting the production of a 2010-2011 Wabun Newsletter underway. We will keep you posted on its launch.

We will be updating this Blog on a regular basis with news from the Island, info on what our alums are up to, and notice of upcoming events - a veritable potpourri of miscellany.

We invite your contributions and comments.

Here's our view of Temagami on our way out on October 7th - colors were splendiferous!

Best to you all,

Dick