Kipawa Round Two

Kipawa SunsetMy name is Owen Burry and I am fortunate enough to be leading a Kipawa trip in August this summer with one of my former cabin mates, Sam Cherniak. It doesn’t seem like it’s been six years since Sam and I embarked on our Kipawa as campers. Sam and I had known each other through the years of camp but had never been in the same cabin. We got along well enough but it was in the years that followed that we became great friends and here we are today, about to lead a 22-day trip through one of the most scenic canoe routes Canada has to offer. Kipawa laid the foundations for our entire cabin to continue through the long tripping program at Ahmek and I am confident in saying that without my experience on Kipawa, my life could be very different and I would most likely not be sitting here writing this. It was on Kip where we learned how to be an efficient, cohesive, and supportive group. We spent the days paddling gorgeous lakes and spent the nights talking about an endless variety of topics while looking up at the stars and enjoying the brisk August nights.

When I, Sam Cherniak, was told that I was going to lead a Kipawa trip with Owen, I was immediately brought back to 2009. I was a young, impressionable fourteen year old who was excited yet slightly intimidated by such a long trip. Once we got off of the bus, all of those fears went away. I saw Lac Kipawa, a vast expansive body of water, stretching as far as the eye could see and shorelines laced with beautiful beaches. The Kipawa region consists of very large lakes; it is heavily travelled in some regions and scarcely travelled in others. This disparity between regions creates for an ideal canoe trip experience and time for bonding and introspection. I had the opportunity to travel through Kipawa another time, as a 50-Day camper in 2011, and once more it provided a whole new perspective on the region. I could not wait then, and cannot wait now to paddle those waters once again!

We cannot express how grateful we are to be returning to a place that means so much to us and I’m sure our experience as a staff members will be just as rewarding as our experience as campers.