Friday, February 28, 2014

Paddler Profile: Julie de Moissac & Bill Rees

1) Where are you from?  Your profession?  We are from Outlook, Saskatchewan, in Canada (straight north of Montana).  Bill is a lawyer, Julie is a veterinarian.

2) When and how did you become interested in paddling?  Like most Canadians, we were both likely conceived in a canoe.  Different parents, of course.

3) Where is your favorite place to paddle?  We love heading up to Northern Saskatchewan to the Churchill River and its tributaries and lakes.  Nothing can compare to an appetite satisfied by freshly caught walleye or a tent pitched on near billion-year-old bedrock, with a loon serenade at dusk.   

4) What's the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip?  Other than ceding our campsite to an insistent black bear, resulting in a moonlight paddle to safety, we were fortunate to have met two other crazy paddlers (other than Marj and Charley, who accompanied us on the recent Keys trip) at a portage in the middle of nowhere.

5) How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where?  We have only done one Paddle Florida trip and that was this year's Keys Challenge. As everything here is frozen solid from December to April, it was a treat to get paddling in January.

6) There were some weather challenges on our last Florida Keys trip.  What's your strategy for managing those conditions safely and in good spirits?  Hey, the water was not frozen.  Wind and rain were only minor inconveniences.  We both agree that most challenging weather issues can be soothed with dark chocolate and the promise of whiskey at the end of the day.

7)  What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip?  Get ready to be warmly welcomed by a well-organized, sincere group of individuals who truly love to paddle.  And bring chocolate, just in case.


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