081413 #copperhead Without really thinking about it or being asked, I slide my paddle under the thwart behind me, and hop out onto the stones. I took my shoes off a long time ago; my feet get a tough massage. I grab the handhold and slide the canoe the rest of the way up out of the swim. It's almost effortless until the very end, when his weight meets dry land. I hunch my back into it for these last couple of feet, and that, too, feels good.