Friday, May 19, 2023

Travel Day

I choose to attend my daughter’s softball game the night before I depart home, and find myself packing the car and running through my packing checklist until 1 AM. With tomorrow’s departure slated for 5 AM, this isn’t ideal, and I will have to rely on the “spirit of the woods” as well as eager phone calls to many friends to provide me the energy I need to get through the 14 hour drive to the Sawbill Campground. In spite of my late bedtime, I wake before my alarm at 3:15 AM to finish my final preparations and head out the door. After hugging my wife one last time, I am on the road at last! As I accelerate down the on ramp to the highway, I roll down the window and shriek a raucous “YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAW!” Into an ink-black prairie sky. I’m on my way!

These pre-dawn hours are the most challenging to get through. After an extended morning prayer, I begin listening to an audio book called “The Untethered Soul” which emphasizes the beauty and practice of living in each moment fully, as well as how being loved provides us with an energy source that is nearly bottomless. This is a different kind of book than I usually read, but hearing these ideas energizes me and gives me much to ponder over the course of my trip.

Before leaving home, I contacted many friends and relatives that I hadn’t talked to in some time, letting them know that I wanted to catch up with them as I made this long trek to the north country. I spend most of my time on the drive through Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota re-connecting with these people whom I love dearly. Indeed, receiving this love and support fills me with the energy I need to stay alert despite my sleep deprivation. Most of my friends are middle-aged men with demanding careers and busy family lives just like myself, and it has become more and more difficult to take the time to catch up with and encourage one another. These phone calls add a profound sense of purpose to what is otherwise a tedious day of driving.
After one last call to my wife, I turn north onto the Sawbill Trail and spend this closing portion of the drive in silence, soaking up the beauty that surrounds me. After 14 hours total travel time, I arrive at the Sawbill Campground just after 7 PM. Most of the campsites with views of the lake are taken or reserved, but I do manage to find a smaller site with a wooded view of the lake that suits me just fine. After setting my hammock and processing firewood, I enjoy a hot bowl of spicy shrimp chowder by the fire, then sleepily update my journal as the loons crank up their nightly chorus, accentuated by a barred owl.
Tomorrow I plan to pick up my canoe from Sawbill as soon as they open to allow plenty of time for a test paddle and daytrip in the area. I’ve rented a We-no-nah Prism, but may switch to a Wilderness if the Prism proves too challenging for me. My concerns prior to starting my trip are:
**How well can I handle a solo canoe?** -Have I packed too much for the route I’ve chosen? -How well will I manage the rugged portages of the Louse River? -Will I be able to avoid getting lost in these wild, secluded areas? -I feel psychologically prepared for going solo, but am I mentally cut out for this?
After months of planning and a frantic past few weeks, I am finally back in this place that soothes me. A wilderness that allows me to leave my commitments behind, and yet demands more attentiveness and engagement than any other. My sleep is deep and satisfying.
Drive: 14 hours, 881 miles|Friends and family talked to: 9