Inspiration
“There was a moment, a moment in my life when I felt like I needed to connect to all that isn’t human.”
John Doelman
A few years ago I was looking for a place to go canoeing and fishing with my son, Andrew. We had covered much of the state of Florida and really wanted to try something different. If we could find a place to canoe camp that had solitude, beauty, and good fishing, we would try it. I had many fond memories of the northern wilderness. Could we find an accessible place that checked the boxes? My Dad worked for a Canadian paper company while I was growing up, and every summer he took many trips to various exotic places in Canada, all with great fishing. His slide shows and a few family trips inspired us and created a deep longing to spend more time there. After poring over books and websites, Quetico Provincial Park was chosen for our trip.
The first one was amazing. This was different than all previous trips we had taken. The feeling of being in pristine country was invigorating. The fact that we could drink the water and not experience crowds of people was wonderful. Added to that, Andrew caught lots of fish. He was happy! The canoes we used in Florida were either Grummans or plastic. They had some weight and, for a Quetico portage, they would have been heavy. The Souris River “Quetico” we rented was made of Kevlar – 45 pounds on the shoulders was very doable. The most amazing thing about that first trip, and all of the many subsequent trips, was how clean everything was. There was literally no garbage anywhere. It was the best trip we had ever done.
“The portages are littered with color.”
John Doelman
The journey continued
Years later, things were difficult at home when we were planning our now-annual Quetico trip. Andrew and I made the decision to do a new 8-night loop for our trip. I dropped him off at the airport in Thunder Bay, Ontario, instead of driving back to drop him off in Alabama on my way to Florida. We spent the night in a motel, washed my clothes and repacked two packs for a return back in the next day. This would be a two week solo trip with the intention of putting my head in the right place to take on whatever was waiting for me in Florida.
I had never spent more than a one night camping trip by myself. This was going to be 13 nights with the bulk on Buckingham Lake, my favorite place. Since this was late September / early October, I was relatively certain that the number of other people I would encounter was close to zero. My intention was to get as close to spirit as one could, in a place where natural beauty is ubiquitous. Meditation and growth were my goals. I brought two books to read, a small tent, the other necessities for two weeks in the woods, and writing materials. I would keep a journal and write poetry. The idea for a book came later.