On the Loose

I'd like to share one of my favorite songs, which brings me back to being in the woods no matter where I am:


On the Loose

Did you ever watch the sunrise turn the sky completely red,
Have you slept beneath the moon and stars, a pine bough for your bed
Did you sit and talk with friends, though a word was never said,
Then you’re just like me and you’ve been on the loose.

Chorus:
On the loose to climb a mountain,
On the loose where I am free.
On the loose to live my life, the way I think my life should be,
For I’ve only got a moment and a whole world yet to see.
I’ll be looking for tomorrow on the loose.

There’s a trail that I’ll be hiking just to see where it might go.
Many places yet to visit, many people yet to know,
For in following in my dreams, I will live and I will grow,
On a trail that’s waiting out there on the loose.
Chorus

So in search of love and laughter, I’ll be traveling cross this land
Never sure of where I’m going, for I haven’t got a plan,
So in time when you are ready, come and join me and take my hand,
And together we’ll share life out there on the loose.
Chorus

In this world that I am traveling, I will think of you this way,
Remembering your smile, for it seems like yesterday
When we slept beneath the stars, and we dreamed about this day
Now we have come together on the loose.
Chorus

Do the trees in the forest make you sit and think of love?
Does it take you twenty times or more to count the stars above?
For I’m here now and I like it and the hours melt away,
And if I want I’ll stay here another day.
Chorus

As I sit and watch the sunset and the daylight softly fades,
I am thinking of tomorrow and the friendships we have made.
I will value them for always and I hope you’ll do the same,
And forever we’ll explore life on the loose.
Chorus

Now the moon is softly glowing and the stars are twinkling bright
Our laughter and our friendship have cleared this cloudy night
Come and join our flickering campfire, come and sing our happy songs
And together we’ll share life out on the loose.
Chorus

Simplicity

"Simplicity in all things is the secret of the wilderness and one of its most valuable lessons. It is what we leave behind that is important. I think the matter of simplicity goes further than just food, equipment, and unnecessary gadgets; it goes into the matter of thoughts and objectives as well. When in the wilds, we must not carry our problems with us or the joy is lost." Sigurd F. Olson

Sometimes I think about how much "stuff" I have and how much money I put into it. It disgusts me. Nobody needs all that junk. I have closets full of "stuff" I haven't touched since I moved into my place a year and a half ago. Simplicity really is key.

How much clutter do you carry with you, both physically and mentally? Wouldn't it be nice to clear our your brain once in a while and just take in your surroundings?

Think Outside

Answer This

Question for you readers out there - what do you love about the woods?

Couple died in BWCA while pursuing their passion

Scary to think that even experienced paddlers have "accidents". I fit the same criteria as these two: very experienced canoeist who travels to the BWCA every year, sometimes twice per year. I couldn't imagine this ever happening, maybe there's more to the story? However, if I were to ever die, I'd want the same exact newspaper headline to tell my story :)

Forest Lake: Couple died in BWCA while pursuing their passion

By Elizabeth Mohr and Dave Orrick
Pioneer Press

Posted:   10/09/2012 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated:   10/10/2012 01:12:09 PM CDT

An undated photo of Thomas and Cynthia Pineault, a Forest Lake couple who died while canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness last weekend. (Photo courtesy of Sheri Pineault Photography)

Thomas and Cynthia Pineault were expert canoeists and were visiting one of their favorite spots in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness last weekend when tragedy struck.

The Forest Lake couple was found dead in the chilly waters of Alton Lake, wearing life jackets, near an overturned canoe on Sunday, Oct. 7.

The Cook County sheriff's office said foul play is not suspected. Autopsy results are pending.

Thomas Pineault, 55, and Cynthia Pineault, 51, had lived in the Forest Lake area for about 20 years and were known to frequent the Boundary Waters, their son Nathan Pineault said Tuesday.

"They were very experienced canoeists," Nathan Pineault said. "They would go up for multiple weeks at a time, multiple times a year. ... As long as I can remember, that was one of my parents' passions, was being in the outdoors."

Nathan Pineault said his parents had left for their latest trip "earlier in the week." The Alton Lake area was "one of their favorites," he said.

Alton Lake is northwest of Sawbill Lake and north of Tofte, Minn.

The sheriff's office said the bodies were likely in the water for more than 24 hours.

Several agencies assisted in the recovery effort, including the sheriff's office, Cook County Search and Rescue, Minnesota State Patrol, U.S. Forest Service and Sawbill Outfitters.

The Pineaults' bodies were discovered by canoeists in a church group from the Chicago area heading out for a picnic on Alton, said Bill Hansen, owner of Sawbill

Outfitters.

Hansen said a minister in the lead canoe quickly determined there was no chance the two people were alive and herded the rest of the church group, mainly high school students, away from the scene. The group returned to Sawbill Lake and reported what they saw to the outfitter, who contacted authorities.

Hansen said he wasn't sure if any other boats had been through Alton Lake in the past several days.

Conditions were windy Thursday and Friday, with gusts from the west reaching 35 mph on Friday. On Friday afternoon and evening, it snowed, significantly reducing visibility, said Karen Ness, pastor for Winnetka Presbyterian Church in Winnetka, Ill. Ness was in the lead canoe and among those who found the bodies.

On Saturday, the wind shifted from the north. This would have created larger waves on the southern end of the lake, which is where they were found. Such winds can be hazardous for paddling, even for experienced paddlers in a seaworthy craft, such as the Pineaults' Wenonah Prospector. Still, Hansen said the situation was "puzzling."

Hansen estimated the water temperatures to be around 50 degrees. In 40- to 50-degree water, unconsciousness or exhaustion sets in after 30 to 60 minutes, and survival time is one to three hours, according to the U.S. Search and Rescue Task Force, a volunteer agency that responds to East Coast incidents.

"The water's cold right now, but they would have had some time to try to reach shore," Hansen said. "Of course, we might never know what happened."

On Tuesday, authorities inspected the Pineaults' campsite on Alton Lake, Hansen said.

"They told me it was buttoned-up, with good gear, and everything seemed to be in order," he said.

"This whole thing is heartbreaking."

Wilderness Values

A good friend of mine enjoys the outdoors, and several times has hiked in a nearby state park. It is always enjoyable (it's the woods, of course its awesome).

However, we recently went to the Boundary Waters together and she has a far different perspective of this same state park she's enjoyed so many times before. Here is a paraphrase of what she told me the other day:

"I've hiked in Afton State Park many times and have enjoyed it. But, I had a different perspective when I went there again after our trip to the Boundary Waters. I was annoyed by all the people, boats, noises, etc and wished we were back to where we were secluded."

This made me both happy and sad. It was sad that this beautiful state park did not have the same meaning anymore. Before, it was a place to escape and get to the woods. Now, it seems like just another place where there are man made things, sounds, etc. Yes, it was one of the last beautiful days for boats to get out on the river before the snow falls, so there were probably more people there than usual. But still, the air was flooded with noise, and there was a constant reminder that these natural places are shared with so many others.

Mostly, though, her statement made me happy. I have long ago found the greatness and the value of seclusion. Being in a place where, at least for a moment, you feel like you have the whole world to yourself. You can stand on the edge of a cliff and scream into the open air, and not a single soul can hear you. Now, sharing the secret of the Boundary Waters with others is incredibly rewarding. I watched this particular friend grow and adapt to the same mindset I have when I am in the secluded wilderness - to appreciate just the bare minimum you need to get by, and to rely on nobody but yourself. Hearing her say that she values the secluded wilderness over places populated by worldly things makes me happy. I accomplished my mission of passing on my values of the wilderness to another.

The News Today

There are so many things in this world that corrupt, distort, pollute our happiness. Just think of the news today - are we really becoming so immune to the horrible and twisted things that go on that we are just used to it? Do you really hurt inside when you hear about another young kid getting shot on the streets of Minneapolis? Refer to this Jack Johnson song, which says, "Why don't the newscasters cry when they read about people who die? At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their eyes".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzMY59pQ0Z8

We are immune to the horrible worldly things. It takes a different perspective to realize that. When you are away from it all in a place of no crime, prejudice, violence - you become thankful that a place like that still exists.