FULL PACKER DATELINE NEWS RELEASE – 7/25/06 – 5:51am:

As evening fell on the first night of the Little Tupper Lake Canoe/Kayaking Expedition so did the rain. Throughout the night, rain tapped on the tents while loons sang their sad territorial songs that echoed down the lake valley. In the darkness of the Adirondack night, First Light sang his own song of deep restful sleep, while Capitanious and Redwood played a game of rummy and then finished off the night with a few chapters of “The Climb” by Anatoli Boukreev.

In the morning, after opening the tent window fly, you could see we were in for a full day rain. The gray mist on the lake was framed by the grayness of the clouds over head. You could feel the temperature drop, leaving First Light’s coffee and Redwood’s campfire with the task of warming early morning bones.

Three loons patrolled the lake harbor and an occasional kayaker or canoeist would paddle by. And as the morning turned into afternoon, a steady stream of canoes loaded with gear made their way past campsite 1 heading east for the dryness of home, while the three Full Packers toughed it out.

The main chore of the day after a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage and pears was to keep the campfire burning and all thoughts of exploring the surrounding campsites, islands and harbors were washed away with the rains.

First Light took the lead along with another Amstel Light and organized a firewood party. Dead standing trees were toppled and dragged back to camp. The fire grew large and hot with each successful fire wood party.

After a lunch of turkey sandwiches on rye bread with hot cherry tomato peppers, Capitanious decided to retire into his tent. He tried his best to convince the other men that to stay warm and dry is the most important thing under these harsh conditions. Unfortunately, the excitement of the day and alcohol stimulation kept First Light well lubricated and Redwood very much entertained.

After a fitful rest, Capitanious emerged from his tent ready to help man the fire and enjoy First Light’s and Redwood’s companionship.

More to come...