Photo by Cecil Frost 



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Canoeists discover the solitude and beauty of Merchant's Millpond 



As with bicycling, canoeists should 

 plan their trips in advance. Avery says 

 county maps, obtainable from the 

 North Carolina Department of 

 Transportation, are the best maps to 

 use for planning a canoe trip. "These 

 maps show where bridges are," he 

 says. "Most canoe trips are oriented 

 around bridges because they are easy 

 access points to the river." 



Frank Held of the Carolina Canoe 

 Club, says canoeists should not be too 

 ambitious when they estimate how far 

 they can canoe. "A beginning canoeist 

 can probably canoe eight miles a day, 

 while a more experienced one can make 

 about 12 miles," he says. 



Canoeing can be a year-round ac- 

 tivity. Frost suggests canoeing the 

 Merchant's Millpond in May to early 

 June, when many of the swamp flowers 

 are blossoming, or in mid-October to 

 early November when the cypress 

 flame rusty orange and the red maples 

 blaze. 



"A river can look different every 

 time you canoe it," says Dave Bennie, 

 outing chairman for the Cape Fear 

 Sierra Club. "When the water's high in 

 the spring, a river runs faster and you 

 can see over the bank, but in the sum- 

 mer when things start to dry up, the 

 same river can be low in its bank and 

 almost stagnant, like a swamp." 



Many canoeists even enjoy winter 



canoeing. "Every time it snows I put 

 my canoe in the water," Anema says. 

 "The snow hanging in the trees and 

 covering the bank gives the river a 

 whole different look. It's elegant." 



If you're interested in canoeing, you 

 should learn some basic canoeing 

 strokes and some water safety 

 measures. The Carolina Wilderness In- 

 stitute (P.O. Box 22102, Greensboro, 

 N.C. 27420) and the Carolina Canoe 

 Club (P.O. Box 9011, Greensboro, 

 N.C. 27408) teach courses and 

 seminars on canoeing techniques. The 

 Sierra Clubs in Greenville and 

 Wilmington offer regular coastal canoe 

 trips along with some basic instruc- 

 tion. Also, the American Red Cross 

 publishes a book about canoeing and 

 canoe safety. 



Held suggests a beginning canoeist 

 always make his or her first trip with 

 other experienced canoeists who know 

 how and where to canoe. If you want 

 to give canoeing a try, you can rent 

 canoes from trail and canoe shops. But 

 if you want to buy a canoe, plan to 

 spend $250 to $1000, depending on 

 quality and preference. 



"Canoeing is increasing in pop- 

 ularity," Frost says. "It's the 

 economical way to go. You can cover 

 five or ten miles in a day, see lots of 

 great sights and never worry about 

 where the next gas pump is." 



A few canoeing do's and don'ts can 

 make your canoeing trip a lot safer and 

 more enjoyable. Experienced canoeists 



say: 



• Do wear a life jacket or other 

 flotation device at all times. 



• Don't overload your canoe. 

 Two adults per canoe is plenty. 



• Do carry a set of extra clothes 

 wrapped in a plastic bag. You may 

 need dry clothes if your canoe turns 

 over. 



• Don't canoe alone unless you're 

 very experienced. 



• Do map out a route for your 

 trip and stick to it once you're on the 

 water. It's easier to make a wrong turn 

 on the river than it is on a highway, if 

 you don't know where you're going. 



• Don't canoe flooded rivers or 

 streams. Hidden debris and strong 

 currents can capsize your canoe. 



• Do make canoeing a family ac- 

 tivity. Canoeing is a good way for 

 children to learn about nature. But 

 plan shorter trips when you have 

 children along. 



• Don't brush against bushes or 

 trees. Bees and hornets frequently 

 make their homes there. 



