Book excerpt: What happens on a canoe trip stays on a canoe trip—or does it? From the mouths of eight different storytellers—family members and friends of various ages, who’ve spent twenty years canoe tripping together—Paddle Tales offers true accounts of adventure, drama, and lessons learned on the rivers and lakes of Northern Saskatchewan. You can’t make this stuff up! From tips, tricks, packing lists, menu ideas, and trip notes to stories of white-water mishaps, inclement weather, up-close views of wildlife, and family bonding, this book has a little something for everyone: budding or seasoned canoeists, wilderness enthusiasts, and those who simply appreciate the back country stories from a safe distance. Here in these pages, readers will find themselves humbled by the intensity of the Canadian Shield, the strength of body and mind required to thrive in the wilderness, and the increasing evidence of peace the further one gets from the bustle of urban life. Discover what connecting to nature means for each unique canoeist, and what keeps them going back year after year.