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This past week, I made good on a promise to take Max and David down the Sipsey on an overnight campout in the canoe. Early last week, I started by using stripper to remove the duck hunting camoflage I added so many years ago to the outside of the canoe hull. It was down to the silver it originally was. Then I put together my supplies and did the research to figure out where we could put in and take out along the river. That Wednesday we drove up to Cullman and then on to the high point along Sipsey. CR 60 was where we would begin. I drove the van across the river and put the canoe and supplies in the low waters of the river. Max and I then bid David and Grammee farewell and started out. Despite the hardships I think Max did very well. He went through a stormy, rainy night and then a day of pouring rain on our way to CR33, where we would swap boys for the final leg. We were overdue to the exchange point and caused a little worry but we made it. With David onboard and Max safely in Grammee's care, we pressed on. From CR33 down, the campsites are a little less frequent. But we found a beautiful spot with a waterfall where David and I made camp. The final leg of the trip covered flat water with some headwind. It was quite a feat of endurance for me. After the workweek, then the work to prepare, then driving, then pulling the canoe down the lower water shoals of the creek and then straight on to hours of flatwater paddling, I think earned my "S".