Wilderness Waters: A Book That Touched My Heart

 

The final line of Norman Maclean’s epic short story, A River Runs Through It, is, “I am haunted by waters.” I turned 71 last week, and more and more I find that is the case with me as well. If you look at my bookshelf there are books that confirm this, with names like Calling After Water, Healing Waters, The Voice of Rivers, Ernest Hemingway’s Big Two Hearted River, John N. Maclean’s Home Waters, (which I love) and my most recent, Wilderness Waters by Steve Osterholzer, which I also quickly grew to love.

Wilderness Waters is a deeply introspective look at the author’s long-standing love for and exploration of northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I was drawn to the book by its description in a book review I read in one of the flyfishing magazines I receive every quarter, and also by the comments on the cover by John Eldredge, a Christian pastor, best-selling author, and leader whom I respect. The book is subtitled, “adventures paddling & fishing the wilderness.” That also drew me in, right there. It took me a while, due to work and other obligations, to get around to reading the book, but over Labor Day weekend, faced with my third surgery on my left foot in four years the following Wednesday, my wife and I went camping on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. My happy place. I almost couldn’t put the book down. It didn't just draw me in, it grabbed hold of me, and didn’t let go until the last page. Now, I am haunted by Wilderness Waters.

There are many, many quotable lines in Steve’s book. Probably the first one I made note of is in the chapter explaining the what and the why of the Boundary Waters. He says, “You’ll find quiet here. But not just quiet surrounding you – you’ll find quiet within you. You’ll discover needs you may not even know you had. A need for adventure. Exploration. To minimize.. To think. Listen. To discover what’s truly essential in your life.” That’s deep, and some of the chapters are deep like that. Some of them are quite funny, like his adventures with his wife he calls the “perfect paddling partner,” or his wilderness latrine rating system. Others describe the gamut of emotions he experiences in the wilderness, particularly during solo expeditions. He talks about fear, courage, and the awakening of his senses to the natural world that he’s paddling through.

I could go on and on about this book. But suffice it to say, it touched my heart. It touched my spirit. There are parts I could identify strongly with, and others that caused me to sit back and think how I would approach the situation he describes. But the best thing I can tell you about Wilderness Waters is, buy it, read it. Meditate on it. I think you’ll love it. I do. I am haunted by waters, Wilderness Waters.

Conundrum: Caught in the Horns of a Dilemma

I admit to being caught in the horns of a dilemma. What do you do when a politician that you don’t care for makes a good proposal that would greatly benefit persons with disabilities and their ability to access the backcountry for sport and recreation? Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act which would enable and empower persons with physical limitations access to our vast backcountry and wilderness areas using the mobility assistive equipment that helps them in their daily activities. If you’ve seen my previous posts, you know that I am no big fan of Senator Lee, however this does seem to be a step in the right direction. And, if you have followed this blog for any period of time, you know that I have advocated for allowing e-bikes to utilize the same trails as their non-electric counterparts, even though I do not own one. Yet.

At the same time, the Trump administration and the Department of Agriculture have proposed rescinding the “roadless area rule” which places serious restrictions on roadways in our national forests, parks, and BLM land. The rule has served a valid purpose, and continues to do so, but when viewed through the viewpoint of the above-mentioned legislation, it gives me pause, and it should give you pause also. Probably the best response to this proposal that I have seen comes from the website of the Blue Ribbon Coalition, and access advocacy organization based in Colorado. They quote the leader of the veterans organization, and said:

"Without motorized access, those with special needs and disabilities - including many veterans - will not have access to public lands because they do not have the ability to hike, jump on a bike, or ride a horse. Motorized vehicles are essentially an extension of their body; it’s their legs to enjoy the same great outdoors that able-bodied citizens can enjoy. If you eliminate motorize access to public lands then you take out two user groups that have zero chance to ever experience these public lands. These user groups are not asking to forge new trails, they just want to keep existing routes and trails open so that they can get the same therapeutic experience from nature that able-bodied citizens have access to. At Trail Hero we have had over 5000 veterans and over 1000 people with special needs join us on trails….” - Rich Klein - President/Founder, Trail Hero (Emphasis by myself.)

Organizations that I belong to and support such as Trout Unlimited and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers are actively campaigning against the rescission of the roadless rule, joined by a vast number of advocacy and wilderness organizations. On the other hand, there are groups like the Blue Ribbon Coalition, Outdoor Access Initiative, and a myriad of off-road vehicle organizations that feel the other way. I have openly disagreed with BHA’s position on e-bikes since it was first published several years ago, and with the US Forest Service policy that decided that e-bikes are motorized vehicles. The BRC’s position on roadless areas is much more in line with my own position that Type I (pedal assisted) electric mountain bikes are bicycles first, with the electric motor simply assisting in peddling, and should therefore be allowed on all trails which are open to mountain bikes.

Any time a trail is shut down or restricted for any reason, somebody’s access is going to be cut off. Admittedly, some of these restrictions are necessary for safety, habitat protection, or administrative purposes. However, public lands are supposed to be accessible to all Americans, including those with disabilities, impairments, or mobility issues. As a seventy-one-year-old who’s next bike will very likely be an E-bike, and who has endured three foot and leg surgeries over the past four years (the most recent of which was only last week) I see the need for open trails, logging roads, and other pathways (where safe, of course) that will provide access for me and people like myself to continue to enjoy our Public Lands unimpaired. So, I will continue to ride my Cogburn fat-bike as long as I physically can, or until the land managers change their policy and my yet to be purchased e-bike can be ridden legally on the same trails the Cogburn is. Therefore, I give qualified support to the rescission of the roadless rule, hoping that the land managers will be judicious and careful in their application of their new authority if and when it occurs.