It's all good

Last night, we had our pre-expedition meeting for a kayak trip next month. After getting the business out of the way, it was time to kick back with some beers and joking around. “I see you went with an easy one this year,” smiled one of the participants.

I knew what he meant, but his assumption was a little off. Last year, the requirements in skill level and equipment were low and attracted a couple dozen people. This year, the bar was raised by the nature of the trip and enrollment was less than half. Less people means less work and problems for the trip leader.

Also, a more experienced group tends to know what to do and take care of things for themselves. Neophytes have a lot more questions and quandaries.

His assumption omitted one factor that favors the less knowledgeable group, at least from my viewpoint. Some of the things we will do or encounter will be a matter of been there/done that for the veteran paddlers. For others, they’re whole new experiences and fill them with awe and joy. Encountering them through the eyes of the newcomer adds to the enjoyment of the trip leader and balances out the downside.

It reminds me of business management. Sure, it was always great to have your stars who performed exceptionally well with little or no oversight. But, there was satisfaction in helping green talent bring in their first victories.

I do vary the degree of difficulty involved in our spring expeditions. But, it’s for the sake of variety, not to make it easier.

In either case, it’s all good.