I must agree that you can find something beautiful at almost every point along the way! Sometimes the beauty is found at your feet- a small insect, plant, rock, etc. Other times it is a little larger in scope- the area around camp; the stretch of trail you're on; the tree trunks ahead; a large boulder covered in lichen and moss. Occasionally the effect of a long view down a lakeshore; across a swampy river valley; the ever changing sky; the fall colors reflected on a smooth lake surface. Sometimes it's a sound- a loon laughing; a moose wading; a fish splashing; the silent moon rising through the trees; the northern lights.
If one thinks that one particular localized part of the BWCA is the "best", and we keep recommending it to everyone we see, soon that spot will become overrun - and probably destroyed because it will be "loved to death". Sure it's nice to hear that a particular portage is rough, or that the bugs were thick, or the fishing lousy, but these things are all relative and change over time! One person may take the same route as another- in fact the others with you -will probably notice a lot of other things than you do. It's all good!! Sure it may be cold, windy, hot, wet, buggy, muddy, weedy, crowded, or a thousand other things, but most of all IT'S ALL THERE FOR US TO ENJOY, AND APPRECIATE, even if it involves a lot of "hardships".
So, keep exploring new areas, and share it with others!!!!

Posted by Guy Smith on October 20, 2000 at 01:19