I’m wondering how many people who go into the wilderness with friends, can go times when you don’t need to say a word and just listen to the heartbeat of the wilderness. When I’m sitting around a campfire especially, I can go awhile without having to say a word and just contemplate, and the friend or friends that I’m with just understand that .

The sound of a crackling fire is good for me.

Maybe intrupted by a little Etta James very quietly.

yogi59weedr: "The sound of a crackling fire is good for me."

Exactly.
Unfortunately my wife fails to understand this...(I love her dearly)

When guiding, I used to get a thousand questions, all day long. It was flattering, but usually became tiring. I loved quietly crawling from my tent, getting a fire going, and making that first pot of coffee. I just wanted one cup, down by the lake... alone... to think about nothing, or the day's plans.

Sure enough, 90% of the the time, somebody showed up behind me saying something like, "What's up today, or breakfast, or something". Not that I disliked these people at all. I just wanted my quiet 10 minute cup of coffee and rarely got it.

jhb8426: "

yogi59weedr: "The sound of a crackling fire is good for me."

Exactly.
Unfortunately my wife fails to understand this...(I love her dearly)"

Women love to talk.

Just a fact of life.

Stumpy: "When guiding.... I used to get a thousand questions, all day long. It was flattering but usually became tiering.
I loved quietly crawling from my tent, getting a fire going, and making that first pot of coffee.
I just wanted one cup, down by the lake alone, to think about nothing, or the day's plans.
Sure enough, 90% of the the time, somebody showed up behind me saying something like "what's up today, or breakfast, or something".
Not that I disliked these people, at all.
I just wanted my quiet 10 minute cup of coffee, and rarely got it. "

I have been group leader a lot.

One one trip with some folks that knew nothing.

Where I did all the work.

I decide no way would I would do it for money.

Because I couldn't tell the clients to shut up.

R1verrunner: "

jhb8426: "

yogi59weedr: "The sound of a crackling fire is good for me."

Exactly.
Unfortunately my wife fails to understand this...(I love her dearly)"

Women love to talk.


Just a fact of life."

I would like to have ignored this comment, but can't seem to do so.

Sexist generalizations like this irritate me greatly.

As a woman who loves to talk, I can honestly tell you that when we were canoe-tripping (something we did together for more than 40 years) I was not talkative, either in the canoe, in camp, by the fire, etc. I loved the silence. We would often go for miles in the canoe with neither of us saying a word, or perhaps just a comment like "there's the portage". In camp I would search out a small place away from the main camp area that I called my "grotto". I would go there and watch the dragonflies and other insects, take photographs, sometimes read a book, but mainly just look at the water. People who knew me in my daily life were often surprised to learn that our canoe trips together were very quiet, non-conversational experiences. Renewing experiences.

When I think of the times that loud talking or yelling has interrupted our enjoyment of the silence in the canoe country. . .I cannot think of a single one that didn't involve the voices of men, often young men.

By nature, I am not a quiet person. I was a teacher, a choral director, a Mom, a friend. Lots of talk. I am comfortable with public speaking, I usually have a lot to say. (Anyone who reads my posts or my trip reports would agree that I am not a person of few words.) But the canoe country is different. Being in a canoe is different. Even now, when I have retired from canoe-tripping, I am still very quiet in the canoe, whether I am in the Grumman on our little lake, or on the Gunflint somewhere. And I don't think I am as atypical as you might think.

Some of you are plainly suffering from this disorder in silence. :-)

Solo Personality Disorder

One of my best friend's young son is a performer. He wants you to watch him sing, dance, do backflips off a stump all day long. And when he's not performing he's talking and talking and talking. And when we're traveling he's doing it from the canoe. It's starts the moment he wakes up until his head hits the pillow. He's really a sweet kid, kind hearted, charming, and truly talented at these things. His other young son is an introvert ...go figure! But the thought of tripping with the performer is stress inducing. Totally defeats the purpose of why I go. Our first father/son trip was our last unfortunately.

That's why I like to solo. Or go with hubby. Never a group. He is deaf so it can always be silent. I don't talk much.

On long solo trips because there is so much silence I wound up talking to small creatures like frogs. And singing to myself "Talk to the Animals"

I guided for a while . If you guide you come to realize there is a good reason to get up before sunup. It is your only alone time and it sure doesn't last.

Pretty much a requirement for anyone I trip with. For those that can't comply, two words....solo canoe. I will create solitude.

Argo: "One of my best friend's young son is a performer. He wants you to watch him sing, dance, do backflips off a stump all day long. And when he's not performing he's talking and talking and talking. And when we're traveling he's doing it from the canoe. It's starts the moment he wakes up until his head hits the pillow. He's really a sweet kid, kind hearted, charming, and truly talented at these things. His other young son is an introvert ...go figure! But the thought of tripping with the performer is stress inducing. Totally defeats the purpose of why I go. Our first father/son trip was our last unfortunately."

He'd be the perfect AK companion. Only time I wasn't bothered by my late mother's chattiness in the woods – I didn't have to sing, take care to make noise going through the brush, etc., etc. :-) I did have to caution her on the wisdom of hanging around the moose calf carcass she found stashed ...

On every trip, I try to arrange things so I can paddle solo. Solo day trips are my most memorable times in the BWCA. My solo canoe is my sanctuary.

As far as chatty people, take the opportunity to teach them the virtues of silence. Suggest it to them. Especially with kids, maybe no one has ever told them that everything that comes into their mind does not have to come out their mouth.

As mentioned by others, quiet time can be easily achieved on solo trips. And as a near deaf individual I can gain this in group trips by not wearing my aid and Cochlear hearing device. My regular tripping partners understand when I am not wearing my hearing devices.

Spartan2: "

R1verrunner: "

jhb8426: "

yogi59weedr: "The sound of a crackling fire is good for me."

Exactly.
Unfortunately my wife fails to understand this...(I love her dearly)"

Women love to talk.



Just a fact of life."

I would like to have ignored this comment, but can't seem to do so.

Sexist generalizations like this irritate me greatly.

As a woman who loves to talk, I can honestly tell you that when we were canoe-tripping (something we did together for more than 40 years) I was not talkative, either in the canoe, in camp, by the fire, etc. I loved the silence. We would often go for miles in the canoe with neither of us saying a word, or perhaps just a comment like "there's the portage". In camp I would search out a small place away from the main camp area that I called my "grotto". I would go there and watch the dragonflies and other insects, take photographs, sometimes read a book, but mainly just look at the water. People who knew me in my daily life were often surprised to learn that our canoe trips together were very quiet, non-conversational experiences. Renewing experiences.

When I think of the times that loud talking or yelling has interrupted our enjoyment of the silence in the canoe country. . .I cannot think of a single one that didn't involve the voices of men, often young men.

By nature, I am not a quiet person. I was a teacher, a choral director, a Mom, a friend. Lots of talk. I am comfortable with public speaking, I usually have a lot to say. (Anyone who reads my posts or my trip reports would agree that I am not a person of few words.) But the canoe country is different. Being in a canoe is different. Even now, when I have retired from canoe-tripping, I am still very quiet in the canoe, whether I am in the Grumman on our little lake, or on the Gunflint somewhere. And I don't think I am as atypical as you might think.



"

I was wondering if this comment would get called out and you stepped up, Spartan2. If you had not, then I was going to with "Men love to talk. Just a fact of life" as I'm a guy who proves this fact (though I can indeed abide by quite time when desired and appropriate). Don't let the comment get you too worked up. I suspect there might have been just a bit of "poking the bear" involved, which I will also admit that I get involved with from time to time! :)

We bring our 3 kids. So sometimes I try and sneak away to get that quiet time. With tinnitus it isn't the same as everyone else but it works for me :)

Spartan2: "

R1verrunner: "

jhb8426: "

yogi59weedr: "The sound of a crackling fire is good for me."

Exactly.
Unfortunately my wife fails to understand this...(I love her dearly)"

Women love to talk.



Just a fact of life."

I would like to have ignored this comment, but can't seem to do so.

Sexist generalizations like this irritate me greatly.

As a woman who loves to talk, I can honestly tell you that when we were canoe-tripping (something we did together for more than 40 years) I was not talkative, either in the canoe, in camp, by the fire, etc. I loved the silence. We would often go for miles in the canoe with neither of us saying a word, or perhaps just a comment like "there's the portage". In camp I would search out a small place away from the main camp area that I called my "grotto". I would go there and watch the dragonflies and other insects, take photographs, sometimes read a book, but mainly just look at the water. People who knew me in my daily life were often surprised to learn that our canoe trips together were very quiet, non-conversational experiences. Renewing experiences.

When I think of the times that loud talking or yelling has interrupted our enjoyment of the silence in the canoe country. . .I cannot think of a single one that didn't involve the voices of men, often young men.

By nature, I am not a quiet person. I was a teacher, a choral director, a Mom, a friend. Lots of talk. I am comfortable with public speaking, I usually have a lot to say. (Anyone who reads my posts or my trip reports would agree that I am not a person of few words.) But the canoe country is different. Being in a canoe is different. Even now, when I have retired from canoe-tripping, I am still very quiet in the canoe, whether I am in the Grumman on our little lake, or on the Gunflint somewhere. And I don't think I am as atypical as you might think.



"

I agree. As a female ISTJ (myers briggs personality type that is an introvert and one of the rarest for women) I am not a talker. I married an extrovert and 2 out of 3 kids are extroverts. The extroverts talk enough in our family lol.

bottomtothetap: "

Spartan2: "

R1verrunner: "

jhb8426: "

yogi59weedr: "The sound of a crackling fire is good for me."

Exactly.
Unfortunately my wife fails to understand this...(I love her dearly)"

Women love to talk.

Just a fact of life."

I would like to have ignored this comment, but can't seem to do so.

Sexist generalizations like this irritate me greatly.

As a woman who loves to talk, I can honestly tell you that when we were canoe-tripping (something we did together for more than 40 years) I was not talkative, either in the canoe, in camp, by the fire, etc. I loved the silence. We would often go for miles in the canoe with neither of us saying a word, or perhaps just a comment like "there's the portage". In camp I would search out a small place away from the main camp area that I called my "grotto". I would go there and watch the dragonflies and other insects, take photographs, sometimes read a book, but mainly just look at the water. People who knew me in my daily life were often surprised to learn that our canoe trips together were very quiet, non-conversational experiences. Renewing experiences.


When I think of the times that loud talking or yelling has interrupted our enjoyment of the silence in the canoe country. . .I cannot think of a single one that didn't involve the voices of men, often young men.

By nature, I am not a quiet person. I was a teacher, a choral director, a Mom, a friend. Lots of talk. I am comfortable with public speaking, I usually have a lot to say. (Anyone who reads my posts or my trip reports would agree that I am not a person of few words.) But the canoe country is different. Being in a canoe is different. Even now, when I have retired from canoe-tripping, I am still very quiet in the canoe, whether I am in the Grumman on our little lake, or on the Gunflint somewhere. And I don't think I am as atypical as you might think.

"

I was wondering if this comment would get called out and you stepped up, Spartan2. If you had not, then I was going to with "Men love to talk. Just a fact of life" as I'm a guy who proves this fact (though I can indeed abide by quite time when desired and appropriate). Don't let the comment get you too worked up. I suspect there might have been just a bit of "poking the bear" involved, which I will also admit that I get involved with from time to time! :)"

I was going to say it was something typical I expect to hear from a male boomer.

Its just a fact of life.

As a male boomer, I resemble that comment... :)

Oh, I’m not worked up at all. I think when you get to my age (I am older than a boomer) you become used to sexist comments, and also “poking the bear” comments. It probably was said partly in humor. . .and I tried to ignore it at first. But I wasn’t amused, even when I considered it later.

Back when I took the Myers/Briggs I remember that I came out INTJ, or something very close to that. It was a surprise to friends, family, and coworkers that I scored very high on “introvert”, as I am not a quiet person when around people. However, one definition of an introvert is a person who recharges by being alone and quiet. That is me. I need my quiet space, my alone time. Helps me be human.

Basspro69: "I’m wondering how many people who go into the wilderness with friends, can go times when you don’t need to say a word and just listen to the heartbeat of the wilderness. When I’m sitting around a campfire especially, I can go awhile without having to say a word and just contemplate, and the friend or friends that I’m with just understand that ."

I have only gone in with one person, or solo, so don't really have the group experience. I can say that some of the best times have been quiet ones sitting around a fire in the evening not saying much at all, and just enjoying the sounds around us in companionable silence.

Nice to see you back on the boards BP. Been a while since I have seen you here regularly.

bfurlow: "

Basspro69: "I’m wondering how many people who go into the wilderness with friends, can go times when you don’t need to say a word and just listen to the heartbeat of the wilderness. When I’m sitting around a campfire especially, I can go awhile without having to say a word and just contemplate, and the friend or friends that I’m with just understand that ."

I have only gone in with one person, or solo, so don't really have the group experience. I can say that some of the best times have been quiet ones sitting around a fire in the evening not saying much at all, and just enjoying the sounds around us in companionable silence.


Nice to see you back on the boards BP. Been a while since I have seen you here regularly."

Thank you it’s good to be back !

Basspro69: "I’m wondering how many people who go into the wilderness with friends, can go times when you don’t need to say a word and just listen to the heartbeat of the wilderness. When I’m sitting around a campfire especially, I can go awhile without having to say a word and just contemplate, and the friend or friends that I’m with just understand that ."

Absolutley agree with your sentiment, BP69. As well as Spartan2 and her response.

A quiet campfire, particularly if it's one of split red pine is.....heavenly......

I solo a lot and I find that I accidentally take a vow of silence for days.

Spartan2: "

R1verrunner: "

jhb8426: "

yogi59weedr: "The sound of a crackling fire is good for me."

Exactly.
Unfortunately my wife fails to understand this...(I love her dearly)"

Women love to talk.

Just a fact of life."

I would like to have ignored this comment, but can't seem to do so.

Sexist generalizations like this irritate me greatly."

In my own case, no generalizations were intended. My comment referred solely to my wife, and were in part “poking the bear”. Sorry if anyone took offense.

I should have quoted differently, I guess. My reponse wasn't to your comment, jhb.

I understand where you were coming from. It was the generalization that followed that inspired my reply.

HighnDry: "I solo a lot and I find that I accidentally take a vow of silence for days."

I camp, paddle, backpack, bike and fish solo the vast majority of the time and I’m rarely silent for more than half a day. I talk to wildlife I see, I verbally thank fish for their participation before I release them and, when all else fails, I talk to myself. Not long winded convos but frequent enough to break the monotony.

Speaking of poking the bear, did anyone else notice that the longest post in this thread is from someone who bristled when it was implied she talked too much? ;)

BTW the old axiom that women talk more than men might not be true—-https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/marriage-equals/201910/do-women-really-talk-more-men

(Tried three times to use the "Add a link" function but couldn't get it to work.

:-) :-)

I think you missed my point, WIMike. Never said I didn't talk a lot, just was saying that I don't do that when canoeing. And, I believe, that was the subject of the OP in this thread: "listening to the heartbeat of the wilderness."

Spartan2: ":-) :-)


I think you missed my point, WIMike. Never said I didn't talk a lot, just was saying that I don't do that when canoeing. And, I believe, that was the subject of the OP in this thread: "listening to the heartbeat of the wilderness.""

No, I got your point.

Stumpy: "When guiding.... I used to get a thousand questions, all day long. It was flattering but usually became tiering.
I loved quietly crawling from my tent, getting a fire going, and making that first pot of coffee.
I just wanted one cup, down by the lake alone, to think about nothing, or the day's plans.
Sure enough, 90% of the the time, somebody showed up behind me saying something like "what's up today, or breakfast, or something".
Not that I disliked these people, at all.
I just wanted my quiet 10 minute cup of coffee, and rarely got it. "

I am much the same. When selecting a camp site I look first for a decent tent area and then a "Coffee Rock". Everyone who trips with me knows to give me my space when I am at the rock with my coffee.

My brain is always either thinking or singing a song. Think, look down, see a frog, sing a frog song, think, see a stick, sing a stick song, etc ad infinitum. I sing a lot out there in the woods. Lucky for me I have a damned nice voice.

goatroti: "My brain is always either thinking or singing a song. Think, look down, see a frog, sing a frog song, think, see a stick, sing a stick song, etc ad infinitum. I sing a lot out there in the woods. Lucky for me I have a damned nice voice."

I’m the same way. Everything makes me think of a song! I usually try to keep it in my head or just hum it unless I’m by myself. Like you I think I have a mighty fine voice! My friend says I have musical Tourette’s!

When the loons start calling, and people around me are talking I will always get up and move away. Same with wolves.

There are times when people need to stfu. :)

The Power of silence

...an excellent read.

For me a trip should have plenty of quiet time. That doesn’t have to be all the time and I’ll even enjoy saying hello to someone when I haven’t seen anyone for a few days. A little interaction with my fellow humans is fine but I need and go to the wilderness to also have some quiet time.

Dog is man’s best friend because it wags its tail and not its tongue.

R1verrunner: "

Stumpy: "When guiding.... I used to get a thousand questions, all day long. It was flattering but usually became tiering.
I loved quietly crawling from my tent, getting a fire going, and making that first pot of coffee.
I just wanted one cup, down by the lake alone, to think about nothing, or the day's plans.
Sure enough, 90% of the the time, somebody showed up behind me saying something like "what's up today, or breakfast, or something".
Not that I disliked these people, at all.
I just wanted my quiet 10 minute cup of coffee, and rarely got it. "

I have been group leader a lot.


One one trip with some folks that knew nothing.


Where I did all the work.


I decide no way would I would do it for money.


Because I couldn't tell the clients to shut up."

LOL.... When heading out the door, my wife would often say "Don't yell at them this time".... It usually happened once per trip.
I once had a gal from Italy in my canoe. I'm not anti singing, but she sang nonstop. Squeaky voice, and when she had nothing to sing she sang anyways with a "la la la la la", that went on and on.
Then she stopped and said "when we get to camp, can I swim?"
I replied in a sneering tone Ï don't care what you do"
She turned and said ÿou are rude".... maybe....but she drove me nuts....LOL

I almost always tell my trip-mates " listen" then just wait for them to realize I am talking about the silence.

“At times on quiet waters one does not speak aloud but only in whispers, for then all noise is sacrilege.” - Sigurd F. Olson

Today people don't experience or even know what silence is. In our homes, even at night, a fan is running, a fridge, freezer. There is always noise. The one place I have experienced complete silence is on certain nights in the BWCAW. You wake up and hear ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. These times when the woods does not make a peep, is something special...


JW

JWilder: "“At times on quiet waters one does not speak aloud but only in whispers, for then all noise is sacrilege.” - Sigurd F. Olson


Today people don't experience or even know what silence is. In our homes, even at night, a fan is running, a fridge, freezer. There is always noise. The one place I have experienced complete silence is on certain nights in the BWCAW. You wake up and hear ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. These times when the woods does not make a peep, is something special...



JW


"

To this day, I remember saying to my campmate on the first trip to the BWCA some four decades ago, "The silence is so loud". I've heard people say variations of that ever since.
And to what you said, JW, I recall reading a news article, also about four decades prior, interviewing a man who was in his 80's (so born around in the late 1800's) and he spoke about how he missed the silence of his youth. "Everything was quiet except the birdsong," was how he phrased it. No planes, highway noise, beats, just birdsong.

I am not a talker. The first time I brought my grandson up, we were sitting around the fire in the evening, and I told him to listen. So we did for about 5 minutes, give or take, and then he goes "to what ?" I said exactly. No noise from man made sources, just natural noises. I think he got it.

7 years old, at a Forest Service campsite on East Twin Lake. Evening. She was sitting very quietly looking out at the lake.

Grandma said, "What are you thinking?" and she replied, "I am listening to the wilderness." "What are you hearing?" "Oh, the birds, the frogs, the silence. . .the birds, the frogs. Just the sounds of the wilderness."

Our foursome took a vow of silence for a good ten minutes on a still summer's night on our first Quetico trip in 2000. We joke about it to this day. No-one opened their mouths. But you would be amazed at how amplified the sound of fidgeting gets! Seriously. It was more distracting than conversation because we were all assiduously working to keep our mouths shut. But you couldn't tune out the constant fidgeting.

In fairness, it was our evening quiet time, laying on our mats in our bug jackets and waiting for the mosquitoes to go to bed. Tough to stay still in the midst of that nightly barrage. One tiny point of contact between the mesh and your skin and those little buggers will exploit it. And then it requires another fidget. I think the sound of an Italian woman singing in a squeaky voice sounds less unappealing. Or maybe not.

Maybe noise-canceling headphones are the answer :)

I can't help but think of the parallels between noise pollution and light pollution. BWCA and some areas I've backpacked or float planed into are memorable for the lack of lights other than those in the sky. And those in the sky at night are too numerous, or in the case of aurora too mystifying, to fathom. No digital clocks, no phone charger lights, no glow on the horizon from a nearby city. Just natural light.

WIMike: "I can't help but think of the parallels between noise pollution and light pollution. BWCA and some areas I've backpacked or float planed into are memorable for the lack of lights other than those in the sky. And those in the sky at night are too numerous, or in the case of aurora too mystifying, to fathom. No digital clocks, no phone charger lights, no glow on the horizon from a nearby city. Just natural light. "

So true.

I love the silence of the woods. My wife will sometimes ask "What are you thinking about?" and she doesn't believe me when I say "nothing", but that is in fact what I am thinking about. Not really thinking, more just listening. There's nothing better.

Spartan2: "






7 years old, at a Forest Service campsite on East Twin Lake. Evening. She was sitting very quietly looking out at the lake.


Grandma said, "What are you thinking?" and she replied, "I am listening to the wilderness." "What are you hearing?" "Oh, the birds, the frogs, the silence. . .the birds, the frogs. Just the sounds of the wilderness.""

Cool photo and what a memory that was made for you! I'm sure that made all of the efforts you put into the trip worth it right then and there!

Spartan2: "






7 years old, at a Forest Service campsite on East Twin Lake. Evening. She was sitting very quietly looking out at the lake.


Grandma said, "What are you thinking?" and she replied, "I am listening to the wilderness." "What are you hearing?" "Oh, the birds, the frogs, the silence. . .the birds, the frogs. Just the sounds of the wilderness.""

I love this !!!!

A large part of the reason I want and need to go. It is truly serene morning, day and night!

bottomtothetap: "

Spartan2: "







7 years old, at a Forest Service campsite on East Twin Lake. Evening. She was sitting very quietly looking out at the lake.



Grandma said, "What are you thinking?" and she replied, "I am listening to the wilderness." "What are you hearing?" "Oh, the birds, the frogs, the silence. . .the birds, the frogs. Just the sounds of the wilderness.""

Cool photo and what a memory that was made for you! I'm sure that made all of the efforts you put into the trip worth it right then and there! "

I wrote down what she said in my journal as soon as she said it. She sat there a long time, no fidgeting, no talking. It is a very sweet memory, to be sure.

We have been taking her to the canoe country (but not out on canoe trips) since she was 4 years old. She loves it almost as much as we do. We hope that she will be joining us again this year for our cabin week on the Gunflint. She will turn 18 in a week, and has finished her first year of college. Now that she has been vaccinated for COVID, I think that will increase our chances that she will be going with us.

Sigurd Olson wrote once about how true friends/companions can go long stretches without a word in the wilderness and it's no big deal. They understand that silence can be gold - especially in nature.

R1verrunner: "

jhb8426: "

yogi59weedr: "The sound of a crackling fire is good for me."

Exactly.
Unfortunately my wife fails to understand this...(I love her dearly)"

Women love to talk.


Just a fact of life."

R1verrunner seems oddly similar to a former user Riverrunner.... wonder if there's any connection... getting around a website ban or forgot your login? I recall there was a guy who would to make some comments and his guest username was the "ghostof...." don't recall who that was.

At this point, nearing 60, if I am too quiet and it's past 7:00 pm..I will nod off. Quiet relaxes me to sleep.

jillpine: "

"

To this day, I remember saying to my campmate on the first trip to the BWCA some four decades ago, "The silence is so loud". I've heard people say variations of that ever since.
And to what you said, JW, I recall reading a news article, also about four decades prior, interviewing a man who was in his 80's (so born around in the late 1800's) and he spoke about how he missed the silence of his youth. "Everything was quiet except the birdsong," was how he phrased it. No planes, highway noise, beats, just birdsong.
"

That’s funny... my son said something to that effect in Woodland Caribou PP. We took time to listen to the silence every night. And every trip up there afterwards I’d do the same. It was nice traveling with people that enjoyed both conversation and quiet. There is a time for both.

"listen to the heartbeat of the wilderness" - I love that.

I can relate to that one 60 year old part. Personally, I don't mind a little talking. As a Forester, I get more than my share of solitude. But when one person dominates all noise at the campfire just to hear the sound of their voice, it"s time for me to go out and pump water for the crew...

DRob1992: "...They understand that silence can be gold - especially in nature."

Silence is golden; duct tape is silver.

TZ

TrailZen: "

DRob1992: "...They understand that silence can be gold - especially in nature."

Silence is golden; duct tape is silver.


TZ"

Bwahahahahaha that’s funny !

Well said girl!

Silence and freedom is what I go for.

Carl

Not that there aren't quiet moments, but one of my favorite things about the BWCA is few distractions, which gives time for deep conversations. I've had trips with my brother and a friend from high-school where we essentially talk almost non-stop the entire trip. It is so rare to get periods that aren't interrupted with work, kids, spouses, etc. that this is a rare opportunity for meaningful conversations.

My friend and I commented as we were wrapping up our last trip that four 12+ hour days of conversation wasn't long enough.

No judgement on the silent trippers. You trip your trip; I'll trip mine.

May Day paddle on the Kawishiwi River.
No quiet time to be had, the spring peepers, loons, geese, and trumpeter swans were as loud as they could be!

TrailZen: "

DRob1992: "...They understand that silence can be gold - especially in nature."

Silence is golden; duct tape is silver.


TZ"

Lmao!

CityFisher74: "I love the silence of the woods. My wife will sometimes ask "What are you thinking about?" and she doesn't believe me when I say "nothing", but that is in fact what I am thinking about. Not really thinking, more just listening. There's nothing better."

This reminds me of a humorous quote I once heard:

"What are you thinking about?"
"Well if I wanted you to know, I'd be talking."

-Al Bundy

Some of my favorite moments from years gone by, was laying on our backs near the waters edge, and quietly staring up at the stars, scarcely uttering a word.
Just awestruck by the enormity of the heavens.
I miss those times, and my companions.

Chuckles: "Not that there aren't quiet moments, but one of my favorite things about the BWCA is few distractions, which gives time for deep conversations. I've had trips with my brother and a friend from high-school where we essentially talk almost non-stop the entire trip. It is so rare to get periods that aren't interrupted with work, kids, spouses, etc. that this is a rare opportunity for meaningful conversations.


"

It's funny, I'll go golfing with a friend, and when I get home, my wife wants to know what we talked about. She doesn't understand that I can sit next to someone for 4 hours, and not really talk about anything.

W(wife) How's Matt?
H(me, hubby) Fine.
W: Is he still dating X?
H. IDK, I think so.
W. How long have they been dating?
H. IDK.
W. Are they going to get married?
H. IDK
W. Well, don't you ask him?
H. No.
W. Well, what do you talk about?
H. How bad that last shot was. How much i hate 4 putting. What my score would be if I didn't go out of bounds on 1, 2, 4, and 6. (when I'm on 8).

It's like the comedian said, how exactly does that conversation go? You're on one side of the fairway in the rough, and he's in the opposite side in the rough... What, are you going to do, turn to the other guy, and yell across the fairway "Are you Dating anyone?" IDK,maybe I'm shallow, but we really don't talk about much of anything.

It's alittle different when I go to the boundary waters. Some guys i go with,we never even turn the radio on, on the way up for a 6 hour drive. We just talk the whole way. But when we're on the water, we tend to be quiet, and listen to the white throated sparrows, and the peacefulness. We chat in camp, but on the water, we're pretty quiet.

Stumpy: "

I once had a gal from Italy in my canoe. I'm not anti singing, but she sang nonstop. Squeaky voice, and when she had nothing to sing she sang anyways with a "la la la la la", that went on and on.
Then she stopped and said "when we get to camp, can I swim?"
"

I think I would have been tempted to say, "only if you swim to the bottom, and hold your breath for 10 minutes".

My son invited his best friend Ryan on a trip with us ONCE. Like the Italy girl, he sang the whole trip, non-sensical lyrics, off-key. The W H O L E P H U G G I N G T R I P!!!

Needless to say, while he still comes hunting with us, (I can go sit in my stand, alone and get away), he will not be with me on another BWCA trip. He's actually grown on me quite a bit, and I find him to be funny, but still not enough to endure that in the BWCA. The bdub is my quiet place, to get away from all the stresses that come with life, and I just want to listen to the birds, and watch the dragon flies dance over a smooth lake surface, as the sun sets in on the horizon.

I find that the quieter you are, the more Moose and other wildlife you see. Animals know when you are in their element especially if you’re super noisy, and to be honest I’m there for the most part, to let them do the talking .

analyzer: "

Chuckles: "Not that there aren't quiet moments, but one of my favorite things about the BWCA is few distractions, which gives time for deep conversations. I've had trips with my brother and a friend from high-school where we essentially talk almost non-stop the entire trip. It is so rare to get periods that aren't interrupted with work, kids, spouses, etc. that this is a rare opportunity for meaningful conversations.



"

It's funny, I'll go golfing with a friend, and when I get home, my wife wants to know what we talked about. She doesn't understand that I can sit next to someone for 4 hours, and not really talk about anything.


W(wife) How's Matt?
H(me, hubby) Fine.
W: Is he still dating X?
H. IDK, I think so.
W. How long have they been dating?
H. IDK.
W. Are they going to get married?
H. IDK
W. Well, don't you ask him?
H. No.
W. Well, what do you talk about?
H. How bad that last shot was. How much i hate 4 putting. What my score would be if I didn't go out of bounds on 1, 2, 4, and 6. (when I'm on 8).


It's like the comedian said, how exactly does that conversation go? You're on one side of the fairway in the rough, and he's in the opposite side in the rough... What, are you going to do, turn to the other guy, and yell across the fairway "Are you Dating anyone?" IDK,maybe I'm shallow, but we really don't talk about much of anything.


It's alittle different when I go to the boundary waters. Some guys i go with,we never even turn the radio on, on the way up for a 6 hour drive. We just talk the whole way. But when we're on the water, we tend to be quiet, and listen to the white throated sparrows, and the peacefulness. We chat in camp, but on the water, we're pretty quiet."

When alone in the car I almost always leave the radio off and just think. That is my alone time.

Also, while we're always talking, most of my trip partners seem to know how to instantly become silent when there is wildlife around. It happened with my brother and I on our first trip. We rounded a corner and there were otters on rocks in the middle of the river. We both instantly froze and drifted silently toward them. They didn't notice until we were _very_ close and then both sides wanted to be further apart. It was a magical moment.

Same has happened with other partners with moose and eagle sitings.

mooseplums: "Some of my favorite moments from years gone by, was laying on our backs near the waters edge, and quietly staring up at the stars, scarcely uttering a word.
Just awestruck by the enormity of the heavens.
I miss those times, and my companions."

I hear you on that , it’s easy to see the hand of God in the stars at night !