In to the Wilderness

Sometime we journey into the wilderness because we have lost something that we want to find, and sometimes we go because we haven't yet lost ourselves completely.

At Tomahawk I have already lost myself - I live here more simple and more contained. I do not have constant cell phone disturbance because we are out of cell phone reception. I also do not have constant internet access. We are asked to live with children who have asked to come to camp. This life is simple and sometimes very quiet. It is hard and we are with children for 22 hours a day sometimes less than 8 of those are sleeping, although we as counselors try to sleep at least 8 hours a night.

I've spent the past few days living even more simply as I have been backpacking in the lost creek wilderness. This is an amazing place about 1.5 hours from Bailey. While backpacking you take only what you can carry on your back, and only what you need.

Day one: pack clothing, food, equipment, Bahba, my journal, my i-pod, a small book. Drive to Trailhead, pack in 6 miles, set up camp.
this is the day Erin caught a fish, I pumped mountain water, I decided I'm making memories to tell my children, I lost my Brikenstock in the creek, Kate saved my Birkenstock from certain death, we all fell asleep in the rain.

Day 2: eat breakfast, pack one bag, hike to the lost Valley.
This is the day I saw a mountain lesbian, got to the lost valley, bouldered into the valley, used all the muscles in my body, found I have upper-body strength in my right arm again, wrote a lot, took an afternoon nap in the woods, pooped in the woods, cooked in the pouring rain, went to bed in the rain again

Day 3: eat breakfast, pack camp, do a ground check, pack out
This is the day I woke up to a dog smelling my feet, I pumped my last mountain stream water, I played with the dog who belonged to another pair of hikers, I became a Tadjer, Bahba became friend with Cream, I made it back to the car.



This was the first time I backpacked within America - I'm sold
I loved it and wished only that it hadn't rained every night. I've started looking up trails in Iowa, Illinois, and Vermont. So far I am pretty sold on ending up in Boulder someday - but Vermont and San Fran still call my name. I know of good national parks in the San Cruz valley so San Fransico may still steal my heart for a long time, but Vermont still has goats and gay marriage which beats both the other places. I am actually really excited about living my young life, because I have so many places to go. I may end up somewhere completely different and because I have no solid plans yet, that's okay! Who would have guess that going further into the wilderness and coming back again would inspire me so much.

until then - I'll be thinking about you
and the life you also should be leading