The Pull Of The Wilderness

By Jeffy Geer
 
 I began winter camping as a solution to an issue I was having. The pull of the wilderness in the winter months was almost painful to my soul. While it is true that I could get out ice fishing now and again, every January I would get to missing the trees, campfires, and sleeping out of doors.
   
     Having just returned from a winter excursion to an old, abandoned log cabin for the weekend, I find myself unable to concentrate on the duties of my day job, or anything else. My thoughts keep returning to the cabin in the woods. I revel in the satisfaction of heating with wood I just harvested and boiling river water for consumption. The smell of food roasting over open flame and the sting of the cold against my cheeks holds the forefront in my mind and takes it wandering down drifted trails lined with Fir and Birch trees, heavily laden with fallen snow.

     The crunch and sift of the snow as my snowshoes travel through it beats a cadence for me to march to. The pulk trailing behind me seems to float on the free powder. As I come to a small bridge over the river, I can already smell the smoke from the cabin's chimney before it comes into sight. I smile to myself, ready for the anticipated fellowship of strangers and old friends. This beats  my best day at work with a stick!

     The fact that my son Mark is with me only geeks me up even more. He rolls his pack off his shoulders and stretches, then looks at me with a grin. He's never been one for words, but his contentment was written all over his face like the pages of a favorite book. Who wouldn't love this?

     Below is a video link to a short film about our journey. Please check us out at www.commonfolkselfreliance.com.

Safe journeys!