As I zip up my backpack to put it up for who knows how long, I wonder where I will carry it next. It is a little sad to come home from a long awaited adventure and not know what will happen around the corner. I think it is important to have something to look forward to no matter how big or small.
I was pretty nervous about this "Trip of a Lifetime". When I hear that phrase, it usually means that I will have experiences out of my control and out of my comfort zone. Both of which happened on this trip.
Here were my fears not in any particular order:
1. Would I come face to face with a bear or a mountain lion?
2. Would I be constantly cold?
3. Would I be able to keep up with the younger folks on the trip?
4. Would I be able to paddle for five days in a row with tendonitis in my right shoulder?
5. Would I be able to poop?
6. Could I manage to sleep on the ground for a week without being sleep deprived?
7. Would there be anybody on the trip that I would enjoy being with?
I had to ask myself if I would let these fears trump the one-of-a-kind beautiful experience that I was blessed with and sharing with my soul mate. (who had absolutely none of my trepidation)
So I got ready:
I prepared for the trip the best I could by researching and listening to Kathy who had done it before. (Thank you, thank you!) I unpacked two extra pairs of shorts so I would have room for my pillow. I packed lots of layers realizing I could stuff things into my dry bag as the day warmed up. I rode my bike an hour a day 5 days a week and walked as much as possible. I bought a Tilley hat and lots of sunscreen. The rest was not in my control.
So on day one the beauty and the magnificence of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and the expertise of the guides dissolved any creature discomfort I might have whined about. The astounding beauty of the Frank Church Wilderness was incredible. I learned about the families rafting with us--they all had a life story. I learned about the land and the homesteaders who loved it and lived on it, the hermit, Earl Parott, who lived on the river in almost total seclusion, the Native Americans who called the Middle Fork their home, the waterfalls of the Impassable Canyon. We came to hot springs along the trip just when the weather was turning chilly. But not everything was perfect and not everything was comfortable. It was not supposed to be.
And I realized that the only way to be fully in the moment of that wilderness was to forget about all the things that would keep me from the joy of that moment. I did return from the "River of no Return" wanting to go on another adventure. A fantastic voyage-much like life.
