Thursday, October 19, 2006

Up North

One week ago we came out of the wilderness and were never so glad to see the van which would be our home for the next 16 hours. For most of the last ten years, in late September or early October a group of men (12-18) from this region of the country get together and head north for a week in the wilderness somewhere. The group has gone to Voyageurs National Park, the Sylvania Wilderness area, the Flambeau river, Yellowstone National Park, the Upper Missouri River in Montana, the Au Sable River and the Boundary Waters. This year we spent a week (October 7-12) in the Boundary Waters (my second time) to catch the peak of fall color. What we didn't know was that the color would be white.

The week began fairly seasonal, then slowly got colder and windier. Because of Boundary Waters regulations, our group of 12 had to divide into two groups during our time there, and both groups got a little more windy winter than we desired. The group I was with got stranded for a day longer than we planned on an island just south of the Canadian border on Lac La Croix. One of the guys who'd been in that region before said we were on Bear Island. The wind began blowing from the north on Tuesday evening and didn't stop until early Thursday morning. The lakes were definitely not navigable for canoes during that time. We just had to put on enough layers, spend a lot of time in our sleeping bags and tents, and pray for the wind to stop.

I learned several lessons during that long Wednesday.
  • I've taken my last journey into the north woods for a while.
  • You can actually wear 7 layers of clothing and still paddle a canoe.
  • Canoes can actually break through ice when they have enough speed.
  • Food and clothing are not all that are essential to survival. Shelter cannot be overrated.
  • Our forefathers and Native Americans who faced the wilderness without the high tech gear we have at our disposal were way tougher than I'll ever be.
  • I love being home with my family.
  • God will protect and provide, but always in His timing.

We emerged from the wilderness on Thursday afternoon, about three or four hours later than we intended. The other group made it in before us, but, were also late. Considering the long day we had to put in, we were elated at our progress. We packed up in the blowing snow, made our way back into Ely, Minnesota, and pulled into Pizza Hut for a warm meal. Pizza never tasted so good. Even an ice cold root beer held me in its spell.

This trip was one of the most thought-provoking we've taken. Usually the discussions center on the fish caught (or that got away), an unusual wildlife sighting, a memorable moment (like the year we were dazzled for nearly an hour by the Northern Lights), or the joy of camraderie. All of us were a little more somber this time, truly grateful to be on our way home. It's hard to respond positively when people ask if I "enjoyed" the trip. It wasn't necessarily enjoyable. But I'll never forget it.

One more thing. Each year we go through a particular Bible study during the week. We've studied the life of David, the life of Daniel, facets of prayer, the prayer of Jabez, 1st Peter, a passage in 1st Timothy 6, and stories about fish in the Gospels. This year's study was the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis. The title: Trusting God. Enough said.

1 comment:

Dave said...

For anyone interested in our men's wilderness retreats, contact me at daneiss@fidmail.com and I'll fill you in. We are considering a trip in southern Missouri or northern Arkansas for next year.