Algonquin tripNick and Jordan at sunset on Maple lake 7/24/05
(This is probably the best photo I have ever taken)
While i have some down time, im gunna post some notes from past projects.
In July of 2005 i had the opportunity to co-lead a ten day trip to the Algonquin wilderness in Ontario Canada. It was incredible. Algonquin Provincial Park covers almost 3,ooo square miles of clear lakes and ancient forests. A profound silence pervades this place. At night, when the sun is setting and the stars first start to come out, the feeling is indescribable.
One of the most popular activities on our trip was cliff jumping. My co-guide Gary had a mental map of good jump rocks he had compiled over the course of 30 years as a visitor here. At the end of the first day, Gary, the kids and i canoed over to the jump rock. The kids stood at the top of the cliff and looked scepticaly over the edge. The drop was long and jagged rocks poked out near the waters edge. Everyone looked skeptical.
Jamie turned to us and asked doubtfully "are you SURE this is safe?"
"You are about to jump off a cliff," Replied Gary "Hell no its not safe!".
"oh... ok."
Jamie jumped. Then Joe. Then everyone else. Then we all jumped off at once. Within fifteen minutes, people were diving over the edge head first holding a camera in one hand and soap in the other. By the end of the day, we had also determined the answer to the age old question, "If Nick falls off a cliff at the exact same time as a pine cone, which will hit the water first?"
Somehow, knowing that you could die if you fucked up made it ok to jump. I don't really understand why this is, but i like it very much. Jamies First Jump
7/21/05
On the trip we encountered a lot of wildlife. Over the course of the trip members of our group had encounters with wolves, mink, woodpeckers, and LOTS of moose. The closest moose encounter we had happened when we saw a moose at the end of a long portage. The moose was wading a a field of lillies about 50 yards from the end of the portage. As each person arrived, they quietly set down their equipment and sat on the bank to watch it.
After a few minutes, i left the bank went back to help a few stragglers. When i returned, the moose had moved closer yet to the group, and several people were taking pictures. However, when i came back down the trail, the mooses head snapped up. It looked right at us. Then, for no discernable reason, it started to head right twards us. "sit still" hissed Gary to the kids.
The moose came closer. Soon it was only about fifteen yards from the group. Camera shutters clicked. Then the moose was ten yards away. The shutters went silent. Then the moose was RIGHT IN FRONT of the group. Everyone sat as still as stones. Then the moose walked RIGHT PAST the kids and headed up the trail, RIGHT TWARDS ME.
The moose stopped right in front of me. It shook its huge antlers around and looked irritated. It stared me right in the eye.
Opps! Shit, I made eye contact! Never make eye contact! The moose went crazy. It started to bellow and wave its head. It stamped its feet. It looked Like it wanted to tear something appart.
Then it turned around and tried to walk around me. It pressed into the thicket next to the trail, trying to squeeze past by another route. I didn't move. I knew if i did i would run, and it would chase me. Finaly, bellowing and looking very irritated, it backed out of the thicket and swam back across the river. It peed all up and down the oposite bank, as if to say "You may have won that side of the river, but THIS SIDE IS STILL MINE!" I laughed at that. In hindsight.
We had lots of other amazing adventures in the Algonquin, and we made some new friends too. But the thing that would stick with me the most was the feeling of the place. Everyone agreed that this wilderness was one of the most amazing places they had ever been, but all of them said that though they loved it, they did not really feel at home there. They all talked about the things they missed back home, hot showers and tv and mom and this and that. I never felt that way at all. To me, from the start the Algonquin felt like where i belonged.
In fact, it felt that way so much i was loathe to leave. There was nothing waiting for me back home. I didn't even really have a home to go back to. In fact, i was only missing one thing. Someone to share it with. If i had someone who would have stayed with me, a nice girl perhaps, I might have stayed forever. But i knew i had to leave. Some day, if i am very lucky, I hope to go back.
In July of 2005 i had the opportunity to co-lead a ten day trip to the Algonquin wilderness in Ontario Canada. It was incredible. Algonquin Provincial Park covers almost 3,ooo square miles of clear lakes and ancient forests. A profound silence pervades this place. At night, when the sun is setting and the stars first start to come out, the feeling is indescribable.
One of the most popular activities on our trip was cliff jumping. My co-guide Gary had a mental map of good jump rocks he had compiled over the course of 30 years as a visitor here. At the end of the first day, Gary, the kids and i canoed over to the jump rock. The kids stood at the top of the cliff and looked scepticaly over the edge. The drop was long and jagged rocks poked out near the waters edge. Everyone looked skeptical.
Jamie turned to us and asked doubtfully "are you SURE this is safe?"
"You are about to jump off a cliff," Replied Gary "Hell no its not safe!".
"oh... ok."
Jamie jumped. Then Joe. Then everyone else. Then we all jumped off at once. Within fifteen minutes, people were diving over the edge head first holding a camera in one hand and soap in the other. By the end of the day, we had also determined the answer to the age old question, "If Nick falls off a cliff at the exact same time as a pine cone, which will hit the water first?"
Somehow, knowing that you could die if you fucked up made it ok to jump. I don't really understand why this is, but i like it very much. Jamies First Jump
7/21/05
On the trip we encountered a lot of wildlife. Over the course of the trip members of our group had encounters with wolves, mink, woodpeckers, and LOTS of moose. The closest moose encounter we had happened when we saw a moose at the end of a long portage. The moose was wading a a field of lillies about 50 yards from the end of the portage. As each person arrived, they quietly set down their equipment and sat on the bank to watch it.
After a few minutes, i left the bank went back to help a few stragglers. When i returned, the moose had moved closer yet to the group, and several people were taking pictures. However, when i came back down the trail, the mooses head snapped up. It looked right at us. Then, for no discernable reason, it started to head right twards us. "sit still" hissed Gary to the kids.
The moose came closer. Soon it was only about fifteen yards from the group. Camera shutters clicked. Then the moose was ten yards away. The shutters went silent. Then the moose was RIGHT IN FRONT of the group. Everyone sat as still as stones. Then the moose walked RIGHT PAST the kids and headed up the trail, RIGHT TWARDS ME.
The moose stopped right in front of me. It shook its huge antlers around and looked irritated. It stared me right in the eye.
Opps! Shit, I made eye contact! Never make eye contact! The moose went crazy. It started to bellow and wave its head. It stamped its feet. It looked Like it wanted to tear something appart.
Then it turned around and tried to walk around me. It pressed into the thicket next to the trail, trying to squeeze past by another route. I didn't move. I knew if i did i would run, and it would chase me. Finaly, bellowing and looking very irritated, it backed out of the thicket and swam back across the river. It peed all up and down the oposite bank, as if to say "You may have won that side of the river, but THIS SIDE IS STILL MINE!" I laughed at that. In hindsight.
We had lots of other amazing adventures in the Algonquin, and we made some new friends too. But the thing that would stick with me the most was the feeling of the place. Everyone agreed that this wilderness was one of the most amazing places they had ever been, but all of them said that though they loved it, they did not really feel at home there. They all talked about the things they missed back home, hot showers and tv and mom and this and that. I never felt that way at all. To me, from the start the Algonquin felt like where i belonged.
In fact, it felt that way so much i was loathe to leave. There was nothing waiting for me back home. I didn't even really have a home to go back to. In fact, i was only missing one thing. Someone to share it with. If i had someone who would have stayed with me, a nice girl perhaps, I might have stayed forever. But i knew i had to leave. Some day, if i am very lucky, I hope to go back.
posted by Digger G. @ 10:21 PM
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