I have fond memories of paddling with my grandparents.  I still remember my entire family huddled under canoes from a lightning storm on the Shenandoah River when I was 9 years old.  Sadly, while teaching a Wilderness First Responder in Georgia, I received word that my 97 year old grandfather, Dr. Hollen Garber Helbert, had suffered a stroke.  I am thankful to Jody Quisenberry and the paramedic team that responded with care for my family.   I feel fortunate that Grandad is with us a while longer,  and I have enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with my family during these uncertain times.  I abandoned a trip to Colorado to help my family clean up and sort about 13 years of memories/junk in order to prepare a downstairs room for granddad.  I found lots of old photos and memorabilia I hope to find time to upload to the paddlelink archives soon.  

While in Virginia, Megan and I were invited to join a humanitarian mission to Leogane, Haiti to document and help out with the renewal efforts.  We traveled down to meet up with an Asheville, NC organization called Cover Haiti who had gathered support from one of my sponsors, Eagle's Nest Hammocks. 

Eno, Diamond Brand Outdoors, Kelty and numerous Asheville outdoor enthusiasts donated 1000 tents and hammocks to the city of Leogane.  Unfortunately, the container of tents was delayed in Jamaica and is now expected to arrive on July 3rd.  There is no shortage of work to be done in Haiti though.  This years Hurricane  season is expected to be one of the most active in years and the vast majority of Haitian people are living amidst toxic conditions, with no easy solutions in sight.  We helped organize first aid supplies for a small medical clinic in an area that will hopefully also become a training institute that will develop jobs and build an infrastructure.  In the short run, I helped hand clear a lot of rubble and wished I could have used one of the 3 pieces of heavy machinery I spotted in the country. 

We spent a day at the beach and I was able to paddle my first dugout mango tree open canoe.  I think I surprised the boats owner with my stability because after about 20 minutes he traded me for a shorter, sportier, dugout with a lower waterline and less leaks.  It was nice to also give up the rusty bailer with the bigger boat, although the smaller boat still leaked, just not as quickly.  Nevertheless, I am impressed with the effectiveness of the Haitian dugout repair technique.  They nail the sole of a shoe over the crack and then melt the edges all the way around.  They smooth it out nicely and it seems solid.  

I am thankful that I could take part directly in helping Haiti begin to heal. If you feel inspired, contact coverhaiti@hotmail.com for more info on how you can help.  Click here for a complete gallery of our trip from Great Smokies Photography.