Hours and Hours and Endless Miles of Snow

 

 

The decision was made.  We would continue on foot to the area we had chosen to stake our land.  We were sure it was not far now, and an easy hike would get us there.

 Morning found us up early and ready before first light.  We ate a hurried breakfast of instant oatmeal.  After carefully packing granola bars, our hot peppermint tea and emergency gear. We consulted our maps and compasses. Strapping on our snowshoes and backpacks we eagerly moved off into the deep snow with great anticipation.

 We soon found that it was going to be a long day!  Even with our snowshoes we were nearly waist deep in snow!  With five of us now on the adventure we decided to take turns breaking trail so no one person would get overly tired.

 Hour after hour on we trudged through endless drifts of snow!  As the shadows began to lengthen, the realization dawned that we would not make our goal. Standing there in the fast fading light we concluded that another day of breaking trail was in order. Sadly, we turned back short of our goal and headed for camp. It took us only a couple of hours to make camp on the packed trail.

 We arrived at camp exhausted, starving and soaked through. First thing was to get some hot food and drink and then change to dry cloths.  We slept well that night!

 One more day was all we had. As time was short, we were up early, on the trail long before dawn and moving towards our goal.  Reaching our turn around spot from the day before shortly after sunrise we again pushed on breaking trail through waist deep snow toward the lake.  Who knows how deep it would’ve been without snowshoes, but none of us were ready to find out!

 As the day wore on the truth became blatantly obvious.  We would not make it!  Turning around short of our goal was a brutal blow to our hopes and dreams.  

 

As a last chance we decided to mark the end of our trail.  Tying orange surveyor’s tape in a large triangle from nearby spruce trees, our hope was that one of the group could later spot it from the air and help us locate our lake.

 Once again we began the long trek back to our camp.  This time we would be packing up to leave the forest and return to town and our regular lives.

 Gear packed, we started our machines, beginning the ride back to town. A mixed feeling of emotions overtook me as I watched the trail roll by, this time with ease and speed, now that the trail was packed and hard.  We made excellent time.  I was looking forward to a warm bed and house and dry cloths.

 I felt a sadness and loneliness settle in as I saw the place slip by where we had camped the first night.

 Those last four days had brought accomplishment and frustration, success and failure.   I was already beginning to miss it! A seed was planted in my heart that time and miles has only succeeded in driving deeper, that call to the wilderness.

 

Would we ever find a place and return to this wilderness?