Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Fear
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boonie |
quote northallen: "I pack enough Immodium AD to take one an hour for 2 days straight. Nothing slows your exit more than have to clench before each paddle stroke." I fear being around when you run out and it wears off ;). |
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Basspro69 |
missmolly: "LOLOLOLOLOLOLquote Basspro69: "I'm really only afraid of 3 things. Bull moose in the rut, and grizzly bears . The thing I'm most afraid of is the Packers winning a Superbowl in the Vikings stadium, that fear is getting less each week." |
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missmolly |
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boonie |
quote mjmkjun: "MissMolly, have you read "Going Inside-A couples Journey of Renewal into the North" by Alan S. Kesselheim? Awesome adventurous read. Hits nail on the head regarding the subject matter of this thread. In an eye-opening way. If you haven't read it, I'll send it to you, if you wish. I'm done with it and it's just sitting around the house till I make my next carload visit to Goodwill. Pass it on to someone after reading. If missmolly has read it (or isn't interested), I think I'd enjoy reading it as I enjoyed his "Water and Sky". |
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ozarkpaddler |
quote KarlBAndersen1: "I fear the day coming when I can't do it any more." Yup, me too! I don't "Fear" them, but I have a healthy respect for wind and cold water. I've had a lot of close calls over the years. I also have a respect for bears. Some folks don't think of them being any more dangerous than they do red squirrels. But, like people, there's that one in a thousand that IS dangerous. E-mail Cliff, he'd say the same. He's had a run in with one of those rare, predatory black bears himself. But what scares me MOST? Driving to and from the BWCAW. Many people out there drive like an idiot to shave off a couple minutes. Then there are those that drive with a cell phone or DVD player in front of them. If they'd seen what I have seen in ER's and morgues, they would reconsider their driving habits! |
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BuckFlicks |
I have had more anxiety over water availability on three backpacking trips in Arizona more than anything else. Weather, falling trees, wildlife, injuries, illness ... if you let that in your head, it will expand to fill all available space. If I'm that scared of all of that, I'd probably just prefer to stay at home. I'm not really a risk taker. I try to conceive of and plan for any emergency that has a reasonable chance of happening on a trip. I try to avoid routes and areas that present higher danger. What's my contingency for if this happens? What do I do if that happens? Knowing I am equipped and able to deal with most situations makes trips much more enjoyable for me. The big stuff... I feel that if something like that is going to happen, it's going to happen and there's not much I can do to stop it, so there's not much use in stressing out over it. |
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Wick |
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QueticoMike |
quote BSW: "I fear getting appendicitis. I fear my spouse getting hurt or sick. I fear lightening. I had spinal fusion in 2001 and I fear hurting my back. I fear the wind. I don't have to worry about that, had mine taken out when I under 4 years old. Then they figured out that that wasn't the problem, I actually had tonsillitis and by the time they figured that out it had cleared up, so I still have my tonsils. I don't know how you mix one of those things up with the other. I would think if something like that happens these days someone is getting sued. |
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Whatsit |
The only fear I have when my brother in law and I go together is if he gets hurt I don’t think I could carry him out. Great thread Miss Molly |
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carmike |
On my solo trips now, I will paddle well out of my way to stay near shore -- even if it isn't that windy. And I now bring plenty of stuff to do so I don't get bored on shore and push my luck -- that often means looooots of hot chocolate and multiple books. |
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Canoearoo |
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jwartman59 |
i have lived in alaska, my younger brother and i were back packing in denali, like the BWCA this park books up. we got a permit but the ranger let us know that there had been many bear problems in the area. a bit of fear, we didn't sleep much. never have had much fear in the BWCA. most fear would have been from the crap way wenonahs handle in windy conditions. however on a solo trip, late october, portaging north of gull lake i was surrounded by a pack of wolves, by surrounded i should say the wolves were in the woods and following me. they were also howling. not fear but i think my arm hairs were standing upright. it was actually spooky. easily the most fear i have felt on any trip was a recent trip on the south fork flambeau river. we got to the put in and the river was in high flood, way out of the banks. it was also very cold and windy. we should have cancelled but my group, older brother, best friend and son were all very experienced. it should be okay i figured. i have paddled this river probably a dozen times over the years. usually fun class two rapids. with the spring melt and temps in the 30s those class twos were 3+. i get to be the boss, i am very cautious. we portaged rapids that have probably never been portaged before. my son took over lead. he is probably the best whitewater bowman i have ever paddled with, he's been doing it since he was a kid. first thing my son did was split up our teams. my son (finished in the top fifty in the bierkie) paddled with my older brother, one of the worlds most uncoordinated persons, however he has countless subarctic, arctic trips for experience. we came to a rapid, i remember it from other trips, now however it was unrecognizable. when i approach a rapid and cannot see any thing past the lip of the first drop, i stop and look. my brother (stern) just paddled on in. he knows no fear and wasn't happy with portaging. they disappeared and i panicked. that was my son. had they swamped the risks were enormous, a sweeper would be death, the water temps would be hypothermia in minutes. my buddy and i did the worlds quickest portage through the bush. we've been paddling together for 44 years now. i'm sure it took us less than a couple minutes to get past the few large waves. we put in and found my son and brother smiling, they didn't take on a drop of water. the idea of having a son drown was really sobering. |
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missmolly |
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northallen |
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muddyfeet |
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WHendrix |
Bill |
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SaganagaJoe |
That being said, Tto things make me nervous more than anything else in the woods: cougars and lightning. |
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Minnesotian |
Once, I was staying at a campground up in Northern Minnesota and a gentle wind was blowing the whole night when BAM! I heard the sound of a cracking tree close to my tent and the smell of a sweetly hewn tree filled the air. I bolted out of the tent as fast as possible and found a perfectly healthy aspen tree had cracked and fell over a good 20 feet above the ground and not 50 feet from my tent. It was that moment that I began to respect wind, at any velocity, and the damage it can cause. When I am solo I am always alert for every step I take, every time I use a knife, every time I flick a fishing rod, every pull of the canoe paddle. But yet I am more relaxed then when I am at my job or doing the daily grind. Its a contradiction that keeps pulling me back to the outdoors. |
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dicecupmaker |
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SourisMan |
As others have said, I'm also mindful of a turned ankle. I walk carefully, particularly when alone. Nothing wrong with a slower, more careful pace. |
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QueticoMike |
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gkimball |
An unpleasant, often strong, emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. Anxious concern. Reason for alarm. Based upon this definition I would say I spend almost zero time in a state of fear - either at home or outdoors. I have always thought it is important and valuable to control one's state of mind. Easier said than done, but with practice it can be done. This doesn't mean living in a state of denial - it means understanding that some things can cause harm, the actual probability of occurrence, how they might happen and how to mitigate or avoid them using my own judgement and skills. Things like toothaches happen and are bad when they happen, but to allow these type of things to occupy my consciousness would defeat the purpose for going outdoors - to be happy in the moment. |
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andym |
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boonie |
More worried about bears than I needed to be, maybe not worried enough about rutting bull moose. More worried about getting lost than I should have been, but not worried enough about hypothermia/cold water immersion, fire, lightning, wind, widow makers, injury/illness. You can take precautions against most, although you can't totally eliminate them. The severity of consequences and difficulty of dealing with them varies. Fire, injury, hypothermia are my main "fears/worries/concerns", along with complacency and inattention. |
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missmolly |
I once interviewed a guy who was crossing the top of North America, from the end of the Aleutians to Greenland, by kayak and skis, and he said that it's hard to stay properly afraid in the barren lands, that the monotony can start you daydreaming and then you die. For those who paddle the barren lands and those who don't, do you paddle and camp with fear? If so, what scares you? For me, it's the little things. I told a story of my hand being enveloped in white gas blue fire this past summer. LT3 had the same thing happen to him. It happened so quickly and I escaped injury, but if I'd been burned in the wilderness, there'd be a lot of pain between me and a white, clean hospital room. Likewise with turning an ankle. Lightning scares me too, partly because it hit my tent once. I'm also afraid that someone will die while I'm away, but again largely because it once happened to me. Crossing a big lake with a full load scares me too. I just don't think I could recover all my gear if I tipped and that would commence the suffering too. |
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TomT |
I fear and respect lightning. I fear wind the most I guess. Falling trees on either me or my canoe. |
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mastertangler |
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Gadfly |
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nctry |
Big nasty water with rain coming in sheets and somehow your a little further than you like to be from shore, that kinda gets the blood flowing too. When I had a dog, I always worried about her getting into things like porcupines and skunks if there are any up there. Slipping on rocks too I worried some. I took my worst spills up in woodland caribou. I just don't know how concerned you are about something to label your emotion fear. Part of the fun is when you are in these predicaments and figure out how your going to handle them. |
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boonie |
quote BWPaddler: "quote JimmyJustice: "... for me, Fear = Panic, a state of being that in near impossible to control. So with that as my universe, nope, I do not recall having been in fear. I would think from all I read about how great a bear's sense of smell is that the bear would know there was a human there, or maybe bear just thought it was a human-scented sleeping bag . . . ? |
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missmolly |
quote mjmkjun: "MissMolly, have you read "Going Inside-A couples Journey of Renewal into the North" by Alan S. Kesselheim? Awesome adventurous read. Hits nail on the head regarding the subject matter of this thread. In an eye-opening way. If you haven't read it, I'll send it to you, if you wish. I'm done with it and it's just sitting around the house till I make my next carload visit to Goodwill. Pass it on to someone after reading. I'd love to read it! Boonie, I'll send it to you when I'm done. |
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LindenTree3 |
quote missmolly: "quote mjmkjun: "MissMolly, have you read "Going Inside-A couples Journey of Renewal into the North" by Alan S. Kesselheim? Awesome adventurous read. Hits nail on the head regarding the subject matter of this thread. In an eye-opening way. If you haven't read it, I'll send it to you, if you wish. I'm done with it and it's just sitting around the house till I make my next carload visit to Goodwill. Pass it on to someone after reading. Missmolly, You've just met a super nice guy in mjmjkun, he visited me in Alaska last summer and I was humbled by his kindness and genuine soul. |
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nctry |
quote boonie: "quote BWPaddler: "quote JimmyJustice: "... for me, Fear = Panic, a state of being that in near impossible to control. So with that as my universe, nope, I do not recall having been in fear. Just like a dog a bears nose can get them in trouble. Haha. I think about the night on Iron Lake, Bernie woke me up with a low growl. We both went back to sleep and woke up to a big old bear turd a few feet away. |
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Zulu |
I fear Wildfires. That white stuff on my lips is not from a powdered sugar donut. It's dried saliva from fear induce dry mouth. I had to paddle towards the fire to get away from it. I can't imagine the fear firefighters routinely encounter on the job. |
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boonie |
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mjmkjun |
quote LindenTree3: "quote DrBobDerrig: " Linden, I just had a root canal on a molar and didn't feel a bit of discomfort. Not once. What a lame emergency dentist/dental surgeon. Sheesh!....No reason to be holding back with the pre-op nerve numbing meds. |
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JoshP |
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BWPaddler |
quote JimmyJustice: "... for me, Fear = Panic, a state of being that in near impossible to control. So with that as my universe, nope, I do not recall having been in fear. With situations like the bear (your words - near impossible to control), your many-an-hour-ponderings just become time-constrained. You still go through options, unless you maybe act by instinct. Just in a fraction of the time. I would think all your other slower logical thinking about what-ifs would prepare you well for that. I still feel if I acted on instinct (to hop up and flee), the bear would have had a drumstick dinner or at least a snack. But my mind raced through what-if type options - how to let bear know the puddle of sleeping bag contained a human, without scaring it into self-defense mode? Bear education would say I needed to be loud and large... but I was prone on the ground and bear was literally above/on me. Can't apply that education from that position I didn't think. I guess education also said that bear wouldn't attack unless afraid, so that was what kept me still and slow despite crazy pounding heart, so as not to surprise him/her. In the end, a simple whisper "shoo!" was enough to convince bear to turn and head in another direction. There's no real preparing for that, lol. |
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BWPaddler |
quote Atb: "... Yeah, fear changes when there are others you are responsible for - not just yourself. In some ways it's worse. |
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mjmkjun |
Send me an address (business address?) via my email and I'll send it USPS. Makes good reading on a gloomy winter's day. |
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shoreviewswede |
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Arkansas Man |
I am currently 61 years of age, I have had both knees replaced, I have also had cardiac ablation done for Atrial Fibrillation. I take medication for High Blood pressure, and a baby aspirin. I hunt in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, alone! I have seen a mountain lion, feral hogs, and bears where I hunt. Nothing like walking over the edge of a bench and finding yourself in the middle of 18 feral hogs! The landscape is not flat and it is difficult to get game out once I kill it, but I do... slowly! In paddling situations such as the BWCA, wind is the biggest threat I look for. The majority of the time, my tripping partner is my wife who now is not a strong paddler due to a shoulder injury from biking. So wind concerns us! We do not run rapids above class one unless we are just joy paddling in our solos. I've had the incident where going in on a solo, stepping out of the canoe at a crowded portage (3 canoes stopped having lunch had everything blocked) and turning my ankle slipping on a rock. Turned out it was not a ankle turn, but a stress fracture which made leaving 5 days later and moving during that time interesting. So the main thing I've learned from it all is go slow, be aware of what is around you no matter where you are!! And know what to do in those situations! Bruce |
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JimmyJustice |
If as BeaV and WW define, I too have feared many of things lots of times. A regular occurrence for sure. My first kiss, my first canoe swamping, all of my trials and appellate arguments. However, for me, Fear = Panic, a state of being that in near impossible to control. So with that as my universe, nope, I do not recall having been in fear. True, I have spent many an hour pondering the what-if's but in so doing, I thought through options and "game plans" which is the mental way I prepare for the what-if's that plague me. Will I be able to implement a particular game plan when the time comes and not be in "fear"? So far, when the what-if's have come up, yes. Manageable. :) Oddly, I would like that to change. I would like to be in fear of more than just the one thing. To be in a spot where your mental strength and preparedness pulls you instantly from a state of panic to "just" being afraid to being able to successfully implement a course of action to conclusion. Such a state of affairs would properly make me a more rounded person. In order for that to happen, I surmise that I will need explore strange, new lands, seek out new waters and new portages, to boldly go where I have not gone before. Do I want to discuss hygiene with a bear like BWP did...hell no! Not interested in that experience at all, but am I fearful of that situation (panic by my definition)? No clue. And if I was, could I control that fear to manageable success like BWP did? Don't know. So, for 2018, bring on the bear, lets find out. |
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missmolly |
quote BeaV: "quote BeaV: "quote missmolly: "I should write him and see. Things he told me and things you told me really stick with me. Do you remember when you said you still felt tenderized from your trials? And Yuri told me that the Arctic can lull you with monotony and then kill you suddenly because you're sleepwalking. Yeah, it's a bleak read. As I read it, I thought again and again, "I would be dead here." |
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Atb |
Since beginning to trip with my 10 y.o, I have transferred many of my personal fears into the fear of failure in my responsibility to teach, prepare and guide her to be safe. Every decision is not only mine now but hers too; where to camp, which water is safe, what to carry, handling fire and tools. It's a great evolution for me as an outdoorsman, leader, and parent. |
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scat |
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BWPaddler |
quote missmolly: "quote Basspro69: "I'm really only afraid of 3 things. Bull moose in the rut, and grizzly bears . The thing I'm most afraid of is the Packers winning a Superbowl in the Vikings stadium, that fear is getting less each week." I can just imagine that! |
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BWPaddler |
- hiking solo in winter on a great lakes beach in Ontario, trying to get to the top of the last snow-covered sand dune, then realizing you are ON Lake Huron and there are floating icebergs at the base of that last 20 foot high "sand dune"... and you have to walk back across the ice/lake knowing it is dark cold water underneath you somewhere - sleeping solo under the stars when a bear decides to explore your lump of a sleeping bag and steps on your midsection with his nose in your belly Those were times when abrupt waves of fear washed over me, and yet forced me to remain calm and logically think my way out of the situation safely. Other times, I remember fear as a more sustained feeling of intense concentration - as in "you better focus on survival right now or it will be messy". When every paddle stroke mattered, when three small children depended on you, when a wrong decision had strong enough consequences to really make you think. These are less sharp in my mind. OK, being honest there are also memories of "fear" that are laughable... Like practicing piano in the basement longer than necessary, because turning around and facing the dark empty basement to get to the stairs was too scary. Like staying in one position long after completing a murder mystery, because surely some of the characters were still lurking nearby. Like staring at dark cool water I wanted to dive into, but couldn't bring myself to take the plunge. These kinds of memories of fear are funny today, but strangely enough, these are times of INACTION that actually caused me to miss out on things - for no real reason. The other kinds of fear occurred while I was LIVING. There's some kind of metaphor there, that will probably come to me as I try to sleep tonight. |
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Basspro69 |
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mjmkjun |
quote LindenTree3: "quote jcavenagh: "Going solo and being on big water put the twist of fear in my belly. you listened to your gut and sensibilities. wisdom prevailed. |
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missmolly |
quote Basspro69: "I'm really only afraid of 3 things. Bull moose in the rut, and grizzly bears . The thing I'm most afraid of is the Packers winning a Superbowl in the Vikings stadium, that fear is getting less each week." Last early October, I was in Quetico when I heard a mighty rumbling. Naturally, being Quetico savvy, I assumed it was a runaway herd of longhorn cattle, but I was wrong. It was Basspro69 running from a bull moose being ridden by a grizzly bear that was clutching a pair of Packers' Lombardi trophies. I have never seen such fear on a man's face. |
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Captn Tony |
I fear that in which I can't control. Middle of a large lake and the wind comes up. Tree falls on you in the night. Lightning. Out in the middle of no where and someone gets injured. Most of these things didn't bother me until it happened to me. Was crossing Big Sag and the wind came up. Was on Camper Island and on a calm morning and a huge just falls over about 50 yards from camp. Been in too many storms to count, but lightning still scares the crap out of me. In the bdub and my back went completely out and could barely walk. Which is why I will never go solo. That was partly my fault however. |
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Grandma L |
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BeaV |
quote WhiteWolf: "quote BeaV: "quote missmolly: "I should write him and see. Things he told me and things you told me really stick with me. Do you remember when you said you still felt tenderized from your trials? And Yuri told me that the Arctic can lull you with monotony and then kill you suddenly because you're sleepwalking. Good additional detail that I agree with. Based on my definition, I have feared many things lots of times. |
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missmolly |
I'm glad folks have enjoyed this topic! |
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bwcasolo |
quote dicecupmaker: "Worry is like praying for bad things to happen." i am cautious, careful. being so fearful would take the fun out of it. i take care of everything in my control, and that usually comes down to making good decisions. the natural elements are not in my control, as they say "the only thing to fear, is fear itself". |
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Spartan2 |
On my first trip I think I was too clueless to be afraid, I just trusted Spartan1 to handle everything, and he told me it was all OK. I remember some scary moments, but he reassured me that it was perfectly normal, and that he would handle whatever I wasn't ready for. . .and it all worked out just fine. So I gained confidence. We were young and healthy, and he had experience. He talked me into running Lady Rapids on the Namakan River (without our gear in the canoe, just for the fun of it) and I remember thinking when the canoe hit bottom on a rock in the depths of a trough. . ."Wow, that could be a problem!", that maybe I should have been more fearful than I actually was. And I WAS fearful! But it all turned out just fine, and running Lady Rapids is a fond memory. One of my favorites, actually. :-) As the years, and then the decades went on, my fears became very different. Spartan1 developed Type1 diabetes and we were dealing with insulin reactions in the middle of the night, or at the end of a long portage, and I sometimes had to make a split-second medical decision (even against the will of a belligerent or goofy partner.) That is easier now than it was in the 80's and 90's, and there were scary times. So my fears were more about health on our trips than about dealing with the wilderness. But we kept going. Including a couple of Quetico trips and even a 22-day trip in the BWCA, just before he developed the kidney disease. And more health issues with which to deal. A wilderness trip on the kidney diet is another challenge, but fear doesn't enter in--just frustration. I am afraid of heavy wind and high rollers on a lake. We do not travel light, we are not thin people, and our canoe is loaded. There was one time on Brule Lake when we started off across Jock Mock Bay in a storm (a Nor-easter was blowing up the lake to a fury) and I called back to Spartan1, "We are GOING to get off this lake NOW!! I am NOT going to die out here!!" And he turned back on the shore and found us a campsite. It was a good decision. He agreed later, but I knew immediately. (That was on the 22-day trip in 1992). As we aged, my fears became more and more health-related. We are both at higher risk for heart issues, stroke issues, and other health emergencies. I became, because of severe arthritis, a mobility risk. We dialed back the length of our trips, and the challenge factor of our portages. In 2012 we traveled with another couple to help with our packs. But I always told those we left behind that we took more risk making the drive to the north country than we did on a canoe trip. I believed that. People would say, "But you cannot call 911 if you have a health emergency. What would you do?" And I struggled with that fact. We would cope, we would do what we could, and one of us might die. We had to accept that. And we did. I feared that, but it didn't keep me home until finally, it did. My lack of mobility, combined with some other factors beyond our control, pulled the plug. But it wasn't fear. Not fear of anything in the wilderness. We handled the wind and the waves by having a healthy respect and not tackling conditions beyond our skill level. Waited it out. We handled wildlife by keeping a clean camp and probably by being lucky. We endured weather the best we could, and probably were lucky in that regard as well. And we never met up with any scary people. It was all good. I remember it all through rose-colored glasses now. :-) |
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Grandma L |
quote bwcasolo: "quote dicecupmaker: "Worry is like praying for bad things to happen." I might call it "Worrying" but it is really problem solving, thoughtful planning and evaluating so I can take the appropriate action when the time comes. When a "fear factor" is involved, I just have to do the planning and evaluating faster and be prepared more quickly! Hopefully that is when seasoned - practiced behaviors and instincts will kick in! |
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Pirate |
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missmolly |
quote bwcasolo: "quote dicecupmaker: "Worry is like praying for bad things to happen." FDR had a point, but my uncle on Iwo Jima feared Japanese bullets and he also had a point, as did my sailor father who feared Japanese torpedoes. |
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WhiteWolf |
quote BeaV: "quote missmolly: "I should write him and see. Things he told me and things you told me really stick with me. Do you remember when you said you still felt tenderized from your trials? And Yuri told me that the Arctic can lull you with monotony and then kill you suddenly because you're sleepwalking. Agree. "Fear" is something that can be prepared for. This is good if you prepare and train. Easily overtaken with the mind. Afraid. The first feelings you get that you might not have prepared enough. Hopefully training takes over. Mildly overtaken with the mind. Panic. Experience in these situations is a must. No one likes this. That is why training is a must in situations that are not favorable. Difficult to do- training for these deals is crucial but not always applicable--- as this is what makes your heart race. Mind must be trained to overtake. The mind can get a person through most until the panic leads to poor choices on top of poor choices which leads to not good things. Then it comes down to how strong your mind is when nothing is with you. When you lose your mind and control- that is what I fear the most. |
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BeaV |
quote missmolly: " Do you know whatever happened to Yuri? The last I heard was from 2015- bad year for him. Started off with badly frost bit toes and ended with the Beaufort Sea taking his kayak and gear. |
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riverrunner |
When I did a bit of rock climbing I was always fearful my anchors would fail so I made double sure they didn't. I always check my ropes. Fear is not bad unless it paralyses you to the point of inaction when action is needed or when it makes you do something that is harmful to yourself or others that isn't required. Extremes on both ends of the scale can lead to bad things happening. |
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missmolly |
quote BeaV: "quote missmolly: " I should write him and see. Things he told me and things you told me really stick with me. Do you remember when you said you still felt tenderized from your trials? And Yuri told me that the Arctic can lull you with monotony and then kill you suddenly because you're sleepwalking. Say, Beav, you should read the story about the Antarctic in this month's Smithsonian. It astonishes me how much pain some men can endure. The three men in the story all survived, but months later, two died a mere eleven miles from the base camp with Scott. Seeing what they had already endured, I can't fathom what could have killed them. They struck me as able to bear anything, but then they met the unbearable and we won't know what that was because none in their crew survived: Frozen men tell no tales. |
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bct |
Actually, neither. I consider myself observant and realistic. I also keep in mind both my strengths and weaknesses - capitalize on strengths, mitigate weakness. |
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nofish |
I've encountered people that were preoccupied with bears and wanted to go to great lengths to protect themselves and yet they thought nothing of canoeing without a life jacket. I traveled with one guy who was really concerned with water purity and not getting sick and yet he'd paddle to the middle of the lake and reached over the side of the canoe with a hand pump filter nearly capsizing himself all without a life jacket. Personally I can't say I fear anything but I try to mitigate risk and give proper respect to the things that pose the greatest risk. |
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BeaV |
quote missmolly: "I should write him and see. Things he told me and things you told me really stick with me. Do you remember when you said you still felt tenderized from your trials? And Yuri told me that the Arctic can lull you with monotony and then kill you suddenly because you're sleepwalking. I will try and get a look at that story, thanks. If you hear from Yuri, could you update me? Regarding the original post, good thought-provoking one. I have read all replies and pondered more about fear. I've always had a good handle on this but am always trying to improve how I will use it to my advantage. Fear controlled is what I want. Evident in the replies, the definition of FEAR is variable. Even the definition in the dictionary is that way. Here's how I define it: "Fear"- an expectation of danger that creates feelings of alarm. This is GOOD "Afraid" - filled with fear. This is BAD "Panic" - overwhelmed by fear. This is UGLY |
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Grandma L |
My son loves night paddling. He knows I am watching so sometimes he pretends to stop for the night, turns off the SPOT and in the morning I find him miles farther on the route. Finally got him to stop doing that. It defeats the SPOT purpose. |
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Jeriatric |
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KarlBAndersen1 |
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mastertangler |
My Bible says that I haver not been given the spirit of fear but rather a sound mind. Fear can live and dwell within a person (such as my friend) and it can rob and quite frankly wreck your life. Fear is debilitating and can hamper rational thought. It can also destroy your health as well.........what is worry? Nothing more than fear. I separate fear and wisdom (prudence). Its the old saying........whats the worst that can happen? How much risk am I willing to tolerate? And to what end? There is a difference between taking chances on the battlefield as a solider fighting against evil and paddling across a big lake because you don't want to paddle around that big bay. Both may experience fear but the reasons they have put their lives on the line are vastly different. |
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ParkerMag |
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pamonster |
Had a frighting experience when I was a lot younger. Thankfully noting came of it, but it's left me with an apprehensiveness when encountering strangers off the grid. I've never had an as direct of danger or problem sense, but it's probably my biggest worry when headed out. This last year I solo hiked a BWCA trail. Later in the afternoon 2 men came into my camp looking for a place to set up. They were nice and after a short talk moved on. But that's what got my mind going. |
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hobbydog |
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walllee |
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RetiredDave |
I'm 67 and I know I have to be careful. When I solo I try to be like the carpenter who measures twice and cuts once. I try to think twice before I act once, only sometimes I act before I think and I'm back on my butt again. Dave |
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BSW |
None of this seems to stop me from backpacking, canoeing or hiking..but I think of them every time I go. :-) ~Good thread |
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DrBobDerrig |
quote BasecampMom: "Me or my daughter getting an ear infection out in the woods. Oh a toothache can get your undivided attention as well..... Amoxicillin and Tylenol(etc) usually come along just in case.... This sounds really stupid but driving from Wi to Alaska and back this past summer is an old 26' box known as an RV. There was lots of nothing between lots of nothing in BC and Yukon territory... and of course no cell phone coverage. That kept me nervous.. dr bob |
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LindenTree3 |
quote DrBobDerrig: " Yes, the toothache hit me on a Alaska Solo paddle last June, luckily it was only a 2 nighter. On the second nite my problem child tooth, with a root canal became infected, I had Tylenol and was able to sleep ok since it just started hurting. The next nite in my cabin I wanted to pull the tooth out myself because it hurt so bad. An emergency dentist visit the next day had them splitting my gum open in a couple places and draining the infection. (God that hurt). Pain meds and anti-biotics got it under control I since had another root canal on that tooth and had it crowned, thank god for my wifes good dental insurance. Total bills were in the $3,500 range, and insurance covered 80% of it. |
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yellowcanoe |
Fear? Stuff you can't control like being in a tornado on the water. Or having the option of only being in the woods and not in the open when a microburst tops big trees thirty feet up with you underneath, I think the older you get the less there is to be afraid about. Everyone dies. And when you are old it is bound to be sooner. Better to be outside than in bed. |
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Freddy |
Like Cliff Jacobsen, our most often asked question about wilderness backpacking or canoeing is about bears which we quickly dismiss as of little concern. I agree with you that the distance from help in the event of a serious problem is probably what troubles me the most. That being said, we would not attempt any adventure where we would be in fear 90% of the time. Kind of takes the enjoyment out of the experience. |
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Blatz |
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Grandma L |
quote yellowcanoe: "There is difference from fear and stuff to pay attention to. The latter you can control :as in don't run that rapid, portage. Rocky and bad footing portage? Lighten the load ; find balance aid like sticks. Take a PLB in case of broken leg. Dont camp at that dirty campsite. The bear will return. Look up,,, Dont camp under a widowmaker. Well said - thanks! I think I am at more risk on the freeway going to the grocery store than in the BWCA. I fear what other people might do more than my own actions. |
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jcavenagh |
I think fear is one emotion that helps keep us alive. “If you fear nothing, then you are not brave. You are merely too foolish to be afraid.” Laurell K. Hamilton |
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LindenTree3 |
quote jcavenagh: "Going solo and being on big water put the twist of fear in my belly. This is also my biggest fear, I recently bagged my dream solo in Alaska (Wood-Tikchik State Park). It would have required a float plane ride into the sticks north of Dillingham, and put me on a 5 lakes chain alone. All the lakes were big water of 2-5 miles across and 20 - 40 miles long. If I could have found a partner I would have done this trip. Wood- Tikchik State Park |
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JimmyJustice |
In the BWCA, I try to be mindful of my activities and have worked on my situational awareness, thus changing fear to a level of anxiety/anticipation that I find manageable and reasoned. For example, as others have stated they do, I tend to know my skill level and when I go beyond it, I try to control the environment so that I enjoy the "push beyond" and succeed without injury. For me, it then becomes an activity/goal/event that I do not fear but rather anticipate. Just a mind game I play on myself. I suspect there are a great many things that I have not done that would (should) be fearful, but I don't know what I don't know and since I have not done them, well I don't know if I will be in fear when I do. Sure there are things I will not do. However, it's not because I am in fear...it's because I know better. :) |
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BasecampMom |
Nearly nothing (routine) hurts worse, and it always seems to strikes at night. |
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BeaV |
quote BeaV: "quote missmolly: "I should write him and see. Things he told me and things you told me really stick with me. Do you remember when you said you still felt tenderized from your trials? And Yuri told me that the Arctic can lull you with monotony and then kill you suddenly because you're sleepwalking. Just got back from a public library where I read the story in the December issue. Hard to read for me, guess I don't like reading those kind of pain-filled suffer til near death expeditions anymore. The leader of the three men, Wilson, was quoted as saying "They (referring to the other 2 men) must have been frightened but they were never disturbed. As for me, I had no hope at all..." This at a time where death was a sure thing. The condition of hopelessness is something to avoid(fear)!! |
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mjmkjun |
quote missmolly: "Great post, BWPaddler. " I second that comment. Kind of post many can relate to. |
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missmolly |
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sunnybear09 |
You have control over a land environment--watch your step, carry what you can safely, use your tools intelligently, know where you are. These are basic and easy because you can control them. What you can't control is weather and wildlife. In the last 3 years I have taken two trips to Alaska during which we saw a total of 23 grizzlies, most ran as soon as they saw us (hunting allowed) or were distant and uninterested. But moose--came so very close to being charged by a young bull while close to shore on the Noatak River trip, and once on the South Brule below Horseshoe Lake (not recommended to try that unless you are a bit nuts) I had a bull in rut come out of the brush 20 yards from my boat (solo) and eye me up and down before finally exiting with speed. Once in Labrador we had to drive out a black bear from shore lunch that really was reluctant to leave. On that same Alaska trip we gave shelter to a solo guy from Germany that had to fight a grizzly to get his food pack back. That was a guy who was rattled to the core. He camped with us for two nights till we hit the Eskimo village at Noatak. I took a shotgun on the last AK trip because I fish far from camp, and will have one with me this year, although our bush pilot tells us that in his many years of experience taking hundreds of people into the wilderness none have had a bad bear experience. But then again he always carries a gun. |