I love this essay.

Awesome

Thanks - I enjoyed this.

Nice story - reminds me of my quick four day solo in the UP of Michigan last week.

Great read-I agree. But I also believe adding some context in your initial post will entice more to check it out.

Thanks MM

Frenchy19: "Great read-I agree. But I also believe adding some context in your initial post will entice more to check it out."

Less beguiles?

Kind of depressing, but not in a bad way. I like the picture a lot.

...Through all of life's travails and changes, the wilderness is always there to comfort the soul.

Also reminded me to "Enjoy Every Sandwich"!

"Here I sat, my canoe and me moving in rhythm with the world, tucked in the inlet, having a Labatt Blue and a roast-beef-and-cheese sandwich and feeling really good."

That pretty well sums it up. I've had several evenings similar to that.

"That world changed quickly. One by one, family farms disappeared. Young adults migrated to wherever livelihood led. The sudden death of my uncle brought on the unthinkable, and the five-generation farm was soon sold out of the family. I felt I’d lived through the sequel to Gone with the Wind.

My path led to college, work, and a teaching position. Now that my parents, homestead, and most relatives and old neighbors are gone, the lasting feature from my youth is this northern lake country. I felt good being in motion within it."

Perhaps that is one of the things I like best about the boundary waters. So much of life is about change. While everything we know, changes around us, even the Gunflint Trail has been paved, when I get to my special place, outside of variances in water levels, it largely remains unchanged. It is still intact, storing all of my memories, until I return.

I think I could actually taste the beer and sandwich. Thanks for sharing!

Dave