Quote:


 Being "unprepared" for the worst is a common thread in both events IMHO.
Maybe with a little "naivety" thrown in for good measure.
One thing for sure, I'd rather be in deep Doo Doo ANYWHERE in America, than the likes of Iran/Afghanistan
I guess their not training CIA "agents" like they use too

I'm jumping in the middle of this so this might be inappropriate, but that's never stopped me before...

Bob Marshall, father of the Forest Service national wilderness system, reportedly said that "wilderness is a place, where, if you break your leg, you die." 

I really like this definition, but I'm sure if I checked the legislative definition of wilderness, I'd find something else...

Think we should ban satellite phones?

prouboy

Further...I wonder if there is anyplace on the face of this planet that has never been stepped on by we humans? I ponder "lecha ghia"-the cave in Mexico. The first summitting of peaks in Antartica....so on and so forth. For me that is wilderness-the romatic idea of it...being the first to see it...the first one to leave that boot print. But the older I get the more I am intreged with the ancients-loved seeing the Southwest because of that...and cant wait to see the far north because of it. I suppose that is why I am thinkin' about it again...my far fetched concept needs an overhaul in these times. Heck I still have hope though... . Anyone putting together that trip to nowhere and is looking 4 another PM me and I will interview , seriously ...but no promises as the top priority is the boy, U know, and he is to young for the far north.

For myself few people better distill the magic and beauty of the wilderness experience than Sigurd Olson.

To quote from Olson:

"Wilderness is more than lakes, rivers, and timber along the shores, more than fishing or just camping.  It is the sense of the primeval, of space, solitude, silence and the eternal mystery."

Sigurd Olson from an Article in Naturalist Magazine

I like the concept from the Wilderness Act of 1964:

“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

(By the way, I used to read "untrammeled" as more or less meaning "untrampled," but it really means "not limited or restricted; unrestrained.")

I also think of "wilderness" in terms of its root "wild" (or "wilder").  It's a comparative concept:  that which is wilder.  There's a whole lot of wilder-ness in the BW/Q, even it it was logged and has maintained portages and campsites.

I think I like what HoHo and Snow Dog have said.  I have been thinking about this question now for a couple of days, and it will stick with me for a few more. . .but I do like those.

This is fun! All good thoughts and notions. Thanks to all, keep it coming! I hope Old Salt is catch some big ones

All great thoughts/comments.  I agree with much of what has been written, and I'm relieved there hasn't been a fundamental debate about this.  I think we are in violent agreement, in general. 

For me, solitude and quiet are so much a part of "W."   You have to work at it, but it can be found in the Q, and I suppose the BWCA. 

At risk of taking this in another direction, Jim_J_Solo's comments about TP flowers reminded me of a wonderful development...the QP is instituting a TP exchange program, replacing campers' TP with biodegradable TP.  What wonderful news! 

prouboy

My last trip I learned to ID the NOLS approved moss that replaces TP. Works great too.

TP, just one more thing I don't need to carry.

That Lunar/Moon to Cherry portage is insane...nipple high there...biggest that I have ever seen in MN. We vacuum bag the TP, works to shrink it down and keep it dry....Off topic.

Nice photo indeed. Remember Ectachrome? Great film, now go by the wayside.

Tim

Great perspective and understanding from an 8 year old. Listen and the young shall tell ye. (I made that quote up.)

Tim

Some very well-written thoughts.  Kudos to all.  For the past couple years, I've been trying to explain to family and friends the allure of canoe country.  Living now in Ohio (but always a Minnesota native) I don't meet many who've experienced the BWCAW and Quetico, let alone ever gone on a canoe trip.  When I try to explain why I do it every summer (and why I fight through the weather and bugs and rigors), the reactions I get range from, "That sounds so cool" to "Huh?" to "That's crazy!  Who do you talk to for a week when you solo?".

I think the allure of this adventure starts with this thing called the wilderness concept.  I too believe it is more a state of mind than anything physical--it's almost a spiritual sense that allows us to understand why wilderness can be an important part of our lives. 

When I begin my trips each year, especially a solo trip, I usually find myself nervous the first day or two.  I worry I may have left something important behind, or may have left something behind on the last portage or campsite, or perhaps I'll get sick, or fall and injure myself and maybe have a real tough time making it out.  Then, as I gain more distance from the crowds, things get quieter and calmer and I begin to settle into nature's rhythm.  My nervousness changes to contentment and profound pleasure.  Then comes that realization that as humans we are very small and almost inconsequential in the wilderness that surrounds us, to the planet we live on, and the stars and galaxies we see in the night sky.  Not that we aren't special in God's eyes, but just that in the physical universe, we aren't much.  Sitting quietly and simply observing nature in the BWCAW or Quetico brings a real humbling feeling.  And I'm truly thankful for that feeling--absolute joy that I have the opportunity to sit on this rock, at this time in my life, and gaze at the water, the trees, the sky, the wildlife and the stars.  And when that happens, and it always does eventually, I realize the rat race back home in the "civilized" world is not as important as some would make it seem. 

And maybe that's why wilderness and its concept is important.  It helps us keep life in perspective, to cherish the relationships we have with our family and friends, and be good stewards on earth while we are still here.