Back on point. With the recent holiday season, and inevitable brief period of reflection around the beginning of a new year, I've had the chance to reframe some of my adventures and overall cumulative 'outdoor knowledge'. Derek, one of my very best friends, hosted a New Year's Eve party, with about 15 or so people in attendance. On the mantle of the fireplace in his house, amongst other keepsakes, was a can of Heineken that he and I stumbled upon during a canoe adventure on Georgian Bay about 10 years ago. Miraculously, when we found the can, it was full. Just hours before finding that can of beer floating in the frigid waters along the rocky shoreline near our camp, we'd been bitching to each other about how the only thing we needed to make that afternoon perfect was a beer. So on New Year's Eve, Derek re-told this story to a few of his close friends, and it's been on my mind ever since.Now I have managed to have a few smaller adventures in recent years; I haven't completely stopped getting out and enjoying natural places. Last summer I took a group of buddies on a three-day canoe adventure as a bachelor party for my friend Matt. The experience level within the group varied, so the trip was planned to have challenging aspects for a group of fit young guys, but was designed to not be so taxing as to be miserable. The trip culminated with the delivery of a bear barrel full of beer and associated shenanigans, so the boldness of the adventure should not be overestimated.
What this trip reminded me was that there are a lot of skills that get developed over time, and incorporated into one's subconscious almost. Things like reading the skies and interpreting the direction of a July thunderstorm, or minute details like what knot to use to when using a rock as an anchor for getting a bear hang rope over a branch. When taking on routine navigation or camp tasks I was asked what I was doing, why I was doing it, and it started to dawn on me that I might have more wilderness expertise than I give myself credit for. Also, it dawned on me that I'm a bit older than I want to be reminded of.
What does this mean for now? Well I think recent trips have been welcome escapes from urban life; a chance to recharge batteries with a fun but not-so-challenging foray into nearby and familiar places. My next adventures need to return to the boundary pushing experiences I've had in Gros Morne, Killarney, and the French River. They need to be tests for new skills and ideas; for stepping off the official route, but literally and figuratively; to make wilderness adventures the exhilarating and intimidating experiences that leave me awestruck by the natural world.
And, seriously if anyone can tell me why my drafts don't remotely resemble the published version of posts on here, I'd love to know how to fix it. Time to change platforms?
