Re: [Paddlewise] Wilderness: Isolation or Adventure?

At 03:57 AM 4/19/00 -0700, Dave Kruger wrote:
>
>Anyway, this set me to wondering to what extent similar stuff happens to
others
>when they are out alone (or, in small groups) in wild areas.  I think I
change
>when I have been out either solo or with one or two others for a couple
weeks. 
>I slow down.  I contemplate more.  I look at things around me with more
care. 
>I listen better to others.  I become a nicer person, I think (he said,
>immodestly!).

I've been thinking about this as the thread has gone on through the day. On
some trips in the past, I've found myself slowing down and becoming much
more receptive to the peace and environment, and have a difficulty
readjusting to a normal pace and information flow. It doesn't happen every
trip; I can have a full dose of it after a solo daytrip. On the other hand,
a week on Isle Royale last fall mostly left me with a feeling on needing to
get on to the next thing. For me, I think that the size of the group, and
the dynamics of the group have a lot to do with it; the group that I went
to Isle Royale with last fall, while fun, was a little too talkative and
diverse for me to open the psychological door to the backcountry.

>I'm curious, because the value to me of wilderness travel is part the
>adventure, but also the "retreating" aspect, and until I read Deborah and
>Rolf's book, I had always thought it was the wildness and the adventure
>component of wilderness travel which attracted me the most.  But, maybe it is
>"retreating" that is the real attraction.

I'm quite certian that it's the "retreat" aspect that draws my attention.
Being out in the natural world brings me down to a level of basics that I
need every now and then. Adventure, in terms of adreneline pumping is near
the bottom of the scale.

The problem is that I can rarely get out solo long enough to test myself. I
have the dream of doing a major solo trip somewhere, before I get too old.
I don't know where, and the dream keeps changing. Last winter, I was
thinking down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans (the draw of the warm
weather is obvious.) But that might not be the final solution, and I don't
know where I'd find the time in the next fifteen years short of quitting my
job. But I'm not looking for a high adventure sort of thing -- but for the
retreat factor.

I sure envy the people that can make those sort of trips.

-- Wes

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************