The flight from SF to Pittsburgh was uneventful. Oddly we flew through Charlotte, NC. We had a long layover there and noticed an unusual number of people smoking in the airport. We checked our 2 giant pannier/backpacks, our giant dry bag (the one called Homer on the Mississippi trip), and 1 or 2 suitcases. As I write this, we're unsure exactly how many are realizing that we might have left one suitcase at the airport. We carried on the plane with us 2 completely full large day packs, my good french horn, my adventure horn (without a case) and our Mississippi lunch boxes. We ended up gate checking the good horn before we left SF.

I was glad to see my dad made some great improvements to his canoe, the one we call Der Zeitung, because we would be using it for 2 solid weeks. He made a yolk to make it possible for one person to carry it on their shoulders (still without ease) and some carrying handles on the bow and stern.

We met most of the rest of the Quetico crew on Friday at my Aunt Helen's and Uncle Clint's house in Indiana PA.

The Quetico expedition would involve 2 groups of 8 people each. The first group would be in for 12 days and would meet up with the second group on the fifth day. We were in the first group with Bob, Katy, Katy's husband Randy, cousin Hugh and his father Uncle Clint and my other sister Janet's common-law husband John. Janet (sometimes called "Ed" when she acts like our dad) had to work.

The grizzled veterans from first group referred to the second group as the Newbies when we met up with them. I found this term to be not quite derogatory enough. Fortunately, I found a satisfactory term before the trip ended.

I felt great that Friday afternoon in Aunt Helen's back yard. Most of the crew was there and some extra cousins like Rand and Robin. We laid all 4 boats out in the yard and made some last minute repairs. Our stuff was spread out all over the place. Katy and Randy wanted to set their tent up because they had just bought it. We all followed suit to compare our tents, even though we would be looking at them everyday for the next 2 weeks.

We packed slowly since we had all day and my brother was off in Pittsburgh (about 90 minutes away) trying to get our friend the Jawbreaker to fix the filling that fell out. On the Mississippi trip Mark said Bob was the best person to have around when you forgot something and the worst to have around when it came time to leave. Bob brought lots of extra camping gear and clothes in case people needed them which was great. The down side is, he takes longer to pack. So with Bob gone to the dentist, we paced ourselves and mostly just talked and had a relaxing afternoon and evening.

This trip would be different from the Mississippi in many ways, but in one at least one way it was the same: We provisioned at Walmart.

Mostly I bought fishing stuff. All I know about fishing I learned on a similar trip 6 years. I can't say I learned much since I didn't catch any fish on that trip. I bought some things called "Rapalas", "Spoons", and a couple "spinners". I couldn't find any "Crazy Ikes." Bob had a great fishing lure called a Husky Jerk, which was about as big as any fish I have ever caught. Dad lent me a rod. I got a tiny little tackle box. I wish I hadn't brought any of it.

Katy and Randy had no fishing gear whatsoever so they were delighted to find a self contained kit called "Everything but the fish" for $19.95. It contained a telescoping fishing rod and reel, and several worm lures and fishing line. The kit lived up to its name.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding the lawn chairs. Lawn chairs were crucial on the Mississippi trip. We only regretted not bringing more. When you're not sitting in them you can put them in the bottom of the canoe and then put packs on top of them. This keeps the packs out of the bildge water (although it slightly raises the center of gravity of the canoe and makes it less stable, it's not noticeable.)

Cousin Rand, however, thought that lawn chairs were a ridiculous extravagance. He argued that, unlike the Mississippi, there would be plenty of rocks to sit on and that they would be a major annoyance on portages. Joan did not back down and managed to convince Katy and Randy to get a chair. Bob was planning on bring chairs as well so we had 7 chairs for the 8 of us.

Rand was right that there were plenty of rocks and logs to sit on and the chairs were extra stuff to portage, but we didn't regret it. They got constant use in camp because they our more comfortable than a rock. Rand says, "Those Lyness's put together one canoe trip, survive by the skin of their teeth and now they think they know everything."

Joan and I went to bed that nite at about 11 or 12. Bob made a trip to Walmart at around 2am I hear. We left the next morning at dawn. Leaving at dawn we become an unfortune habit for the next 2 weeks.

Hugh, Uncle Clint, Katy and Randy rode in Uncle Clint's blue Subaru towing a pop-up trailer camper. Joan, Bob, and I rode in Bob's white Ford van with a green sliding door and a half burned wool sock hanging from the mirror (Adventure Bus 2).

The canoes "Yellow Submarine" (aka "The Rites of Man", aka "The Great Auk") and "Das Boot" rode on top of the pop-up trailer. "Der Zeitung" and Bob's as yet unnamed boat (I think he should name it "No Where To Go" as in "Out of college, money spent, see no future, pay no rent, all the money's gone...").

NEXT: Katy's Close Call

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