About a month ago I left civilization for a week to be one with nature. I left my cell phone at home and checked out of my daily reality for a few days with three other amazing women. I was more than excited to once again enter the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the Quetico. This National forest is one of 12 places left in the United States that is untouched and remote. No indoor plumbing, no electricity, no running water, just us and our food and equipment.
I took this adventure with my sister Nunciata, and two other friends Nancy and Sara. I was especially excited for I had ventured before into the BWCA but this was my first time in the Quetico. The Quetico is considered more rugged and is located in Canada (just north of the Minnesota border). This trip was planned out well in advance for you need to acquire a permit from the Quetico, get a passport if you did not already have one and get your CanPass for entry into the country. Having the right equipment and food is super important for once you are in you cannot run out and get something you forgot. So after months of planning, quite a few miles traveled in my case (from Florida to Minnesota and then to the Canadian border), we were ready to conquer the Quetico.
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| The Wilderness Women
We had kept our eyes on the weather for many days leading up to the trip and knew that having a rain-free trip was near to impossible - especially with the wet season they had been having up north. Our greatest chance of rain was for our entry day - of course! So we woke up before dawn to pack up our equipment and the skies were cloudy. Luckily the air was not cold so we knew that a little rain would not hurt us - just make the adventure a bit soggy. The hardest part with being wet in the wilderness is that it is really hard to find a dry place and it takes a while to dry out when you do get wet.
There was no turning back once we were dropped off at our entry point. Get our equipment and food into the canoes and start paddling. Our first hour of paddling was in a complete downpour and I kept thinking to myself, "Did I really sign myself up for this?" The funny thing was that even during the midst of being completely soaked I was still looking forward to this time away from it all. Fortunately Mother Nature was merciful and at about Noon that first day the sun broke out and we were able to find our first campsite and dry out. It is amazing how dry clothes become a luxury in the wilderness.
This trip tested us both physically and mentally. On the first night, Sara fell off a five to six foot landing backwards and we were so worried she had broken her foot. Luckily our first night in we pack in frozen steaks as our first meal to really fill us up for the week. The steaks were still somewhat frozen and so she helped defrost the steaks as it aided in her foot recovery. We had an excellent first aid kit (Sara is a nurse) so we were prepared. I also think that Sara's strength and high threshold for pain is why she was adamant that we persevere. We were all ready to do whatever Sara thought she needed to do but she was firm on foraging ahead with our trip. The one condition we all had for her was that she was not going to lift anything heavy. Luckily her paddling arms were not hurt.
 
The first picture above is of Sara's foot - ouch. She did get it checked out after the trip and no broken bones thankfully!
The second picture is evidence of the mud we had to drudge through with our canoes and equipment.
So, as we ventured on for the remainder of the week we laughed, and laughed, and laughed. I swear, I have not laughed that hard in years. It felt so good. It felt good to work hard portaging canoes and large packs of equipment across knee deep mud paths. I know that sounds crazy to many but it was physically and at times mentally challenging. You have to use your mind and body, work together as a team and sometimes you have to take another way to get to your final destination.
We had a campsite that was right next to a waterfall and because of the heavy rains earlier in the summer it was rushing quickly. It was such a treat to fall asleep to the sound of falling waters. We also were able to hike up to the top of the waterfall and take in amazing views. I forgot how much I loved the cool, clean waters of the north. It was so refreshing to take a daily dip into the freshwater lakes and not have to worry about alligators or water moccasins! Our final night in the Quetico was next to a babbling brook. Again, we got to experience the sounds of water flowing as we breathed in the cool, crisp air at night.  
Me chilling next to the babbling brook, hammock style!
As I look back at this trip I truly believe that my yoga practice is what helped me through a lot of the tough stuff. First, physically my yoga practice strengthened my entire body to be ready to complete some really challenging portages. Yet, I think that my breathing work and meditation practice really helped to ground me when "the going got tough." Perseverance is exactly what is needed when you are in the wilderness.
Morning has broken...gorgeous
There is such a sense of accomplishment to be able to work as a team through thick and thin. We worked hard but we also were able to play hard and relax as well. Being together to talk about things that inspire us, joke a lot of the time and just be ourselves.
Letting go of expectations and just taking what comes at you can be really difficult. My time on my mat has given me the ability to do this - yet I will be the first to admit it is not easy. There were times on the trip where I was really physically beat after numerous portages and having to deal with some soggy weather. The lack of indoor plumbing really teaches one to be thankful for the invention of it. Seriously, this part of the trip is not for the faint of heart - it literally is about digging in the dirt. I will not go any further with that subject!
Amazing sunsets, you can just feel the quietness
As I continue on with my daily life, with my time I spend on my mat, I will always remember how I felt both fully alive and fully calm in the wilderness. I hope that this is also how I can continue to feel as I go about with my future yoga practice and with daily life. Remembering that life is about living here and now, there will be challenges, there will be sadness and joy, there will be times of high energy and times of calmness. The true test is to be able to embrace them all. May the wilderness in my heart honor the wilderness in yours, Namaste |
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