We again find ourselves back in the wilderness, after nearly a months absence. We are slowly coming to terms with the fact that we will not spend a fully un-broken year in the wilds, but that fact has definitely taken its toll on our attitudes. It would help if we could truly capture the comical qualities this adventure has taken on, but lately it seems we have only focused on the messy jumble it has created.
This morning we were in Big Creek, having driven the long and bouncy 80 miles of road to get there, rushing around to get our gear together so it could be ferried to Chamberlain on the mail plane. We, too, jumped the plane instead of hiking the nearly 30 miles, in order to be there for the start of hunting season. Now we find ourselves at Chamberlain, sadly missing our tent poles, water filter, and sound tripod, three fairly important items that got misplaced in the morning shuffle and failed to make it onto the plane. For a while we considered hiking the 60 miles round trip back to retrieve them, and finally (thankfully) discarded the idea because we were unable to agree on who would make the hike, and who would stay to film. Either one of us would have been lamed by the excessive miles. So we jerry-rigged (jury-rigged? I've never been sure which is correct) the tent, using just the fly and some artistically placed branches, and are crossing our fingers for decent weather that will not tax the less-than-perfect result.
It always seems to be a gathering of ups and downs getting back into the flow of this journey after having spent some time away. This time was no different, but now we are looking forward to a much longer stretch of un-broken wilderness time. Isaac is currently hiking somewhere between here (Chamberlain) and Moose Jaw Meadows. I went part way with him, but decided I didn't really feel like hiking till midnight (we left at 5:00 pm), so I turned around and am now cozily tucked in my sleeping bag about to fall asleep under this barely stable tent canopy. Hiking back alone I went through the typical mental struggles that seem to accompany transition time, wondering why we were even trying so hard to make this film and what the point was. But now, pleasantly tired and warm, everything has a rosier glow. I feel as calm and happy as I have all day.
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