Kayaking and CANOE-ing: Carleton Outdoors Club

The Club

In a packed auditorium one early autumn night, I sat and listened to ten older students give a presentation about the Carleton Association of Nature and Outdoor Enthusiasts, or, CANOE. Two things immediately crossed my mind: one, I suspected that some of the other first-years present thought it was actually a club about canoeing (it isn’t), and two, I wondered how outdoor trips were going to work with 60 or so students attending.

It turns out that this isn’t how it’s structured. Although the student organization is one of the largest on campus, CANOE meetings are made up of smaller weekend trips that anyone can lead if they are certified. The trips can be rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, skiing, and anything else outdoors you can think of. Even canoeing, so I guess I lied earlier. Each has only a certain number of spots available, so you can sign up for whichever ones peak your interest and they’re never crowded.

Being outside

I think there are certain connotations that come with calling yourself an “outdoors-y person”. Maybe that’s why I always hesitated to label myself as one. I don’t make my own granola, I don’t live in a van, I don’t drink kombucha, and I only have one pair of hiking shoes. But being in nature does always make me feel relaxed—as long as I can choose when and where I go. That’s why I thought CANOE would be perfect for me.

I decided to hit the ground running and signed up for a trip the first weekend they were available. Kayaking on the Mississippi river sounded ideal.

The trip

So in the wee hours of a Saturday morning, me and a few others loaded into a van and drove east to the quaint town of Wabasha, Minnesota, near the Wisconsin border. There we set sail in our kayaks, the wind behind us and our spirits high.

As we paddled down the river, we spotted two bald eagles perched on an overhanging tree. Turtles splashed into the waters around us. Frogs croaked from the reeds. By noon, we dragged our boats to the shore of an island and ate a picnic on the beach. It was a tranquil activity, a much appreciated peaceful end to a hectic school week.

But sometimes you don’t want peace. Sometimes you want excitement. Intensity. Danger. (Okay, maybe not that). That’s why CANOE also offers overnight trips, ranging from canoeing in the Boundary Waters over the three-day mid term weekend to backpacking in Utah during Spring break.

And if you want to lead your own, you can become a trip leader by either attending a training weekend or co-leading one with a certified trip leader. Or if you just want to have a nice time outside with your friends, CANOE loans outdoor gear like tents, sleeping bags, and cooking ware for your own trip.

A club for everyone

I appreciate the accessibility of CANOE. It’s not an exclusive club only for “outdoors-y” people, but an option for anyone to unwind or have an adventure at the end of a long week. And who knows, maybe someday I’ll be leading my own trip, kayaking to a remote island or skiing an untamed glade. And making my own granola.

Inigo (he/him/his) is trying very hard to turn interests in subjects like film, english, and psychology into a manageable course load. Originally from Somerville, Massachusetts, he can often be found running in the Cowling Arboretum (and getting passed by everyone on the cross country team) or rock climbing at the bouldering cave in the evening. He loves Carleton’s walkability: it didn’t even matter that he forgot to bring his bike to campus. He considers bad horror movies to be the ultimate form of entertainment.