The Ordeal... a Heroines journey continued.

Dear friend, in my previous story I shared about my backcountry hiking adventure. The response was beautiful. I think we really enjoy reading these kinds of stories, because it speaks to the human soul. A few of you also wanted more details. Today is a longer share, part 2 if you will.

Enjoy :)

It had been a gruelling day. The first 8 kms of our hike was like a gauntlet. We relied heavily on our phones GPS to ensure we didn’t veer off track, because many times we had to abandon the main path and find new ways through the forest. Large spruce and pine trees had fallen across trails and there was no way over them, only around them.

When we found our way into Swayers Bay and met the elderly couple docked by the shoreline, they mentioned there was an old rangers cabin several meters that would make a good spot to camp for the night. It was pretty run down. Half the roof was caved in, but the other half of the roof was still intact and could offer additional shelter.

We positioned our tent, some tarps, and went to hang our food bags. In these parts, you never want even the slightest hint of food or scent near where you sleep. It’s what I call “Gods Country”. Bears, wolves, racoons, rats, mice, you name it, all want a piece of the scent they pick up. So food must be hung several meters away, high up preferably between two trees if possible. I left these details to David as he was more experienced than me when it came to food management.

We had a small fire, a few snacks, and began to retire for the night. David slept with the ax next to his camping pad easily accessible just in case. As exhausted as we were, we had a hard time settling in. The night is ominous, eerie, and unsettling when you’re aware of just how vulnerable you are in remote wilderness.

We could hear mice scurrying around under the log cabin floor boards. Some howls off in the distance, lapping water, and nothing that reminded us of civilization.

“Did you hear that?” I said to David. Now when David wants to sleep nothing rouses or alerts him, but this sound was different. We heard it again. A loud huff or snuff. It was audible enough that we knew whatever it was, wasn’t far, and at the same time it was clear… there was a bear in the area and it had picked up our scent.

We both jumped up, grabbed the ax, and peered outside the tent and cabin. Shit!! We both realized we had hung our garbage and snack remnants in a tree next to our cabin. Completely forgetting to hang it with the rest of our food. Afraid it would draw the bear closer to us, we grabbed the bag and walked down the trail tossing it close to where we hung our food.

Not quite relieved, still on alert, we tried to settle back in and get some sleep.

The next morning we met up with our new friends and they began to share that during the night their two goldens, Murphy and Muff, had been very unsettled! They sensed animals in the area and Bonnie had heard some howls. We definitely had a few visitors that night and a solid reminder that we are guests here.

Doug took us across the bay that morning saving us 3-4 kms of hiking on foot. While this was a very welcomed gesture, the terrain was no different on the other side. Narrow trails, loads of debris, and as we began to approach our next camp site it started to rain. We scrambled to get things setup, but the battle in my mind was reaching its peak.

Maybe we can get a blip of cell service and call for help? Maybe someone will see us from the shore and boat us back to comfort? How do I get out of here was all I kept thinking. I was done. My body already bruised and fatigued. It felt like we had been too ambitious with our plans and never considered if we could actually complete this hike. I stood on the rocky beach next to lake Superior. I began to cry.

“I can’t do this.” I said to David. At the time, we were still new to each other. This was our first trip together, our first adventure of this kind, and not really knowing if I could rely on him, I felt alone and shaken. He responded by pulling me in close and hugging me. He assured me that everything would be ok and that we were more than prepared for this hike. He reminded me of why we chose this hike. We wanted to ascend and sit on top of the Sleeping Giant. The view we would enjoy, and that the trail will get better the closer we get to the summit junction.

This was the first time I learned to let go and surrender. The first time I let someone else take control and hold me. I felt my whole being accept that this experience was more than just a leisurely stroll through a forest. It was going to show me something about myself I would not have otherwise received by taking the easy route.

The next morning we set off. I want to say the trail got easier. This part of our hike is what I would consider the Ordeal from the Hero’s/Heroines journey. “a dangerous physical test or a deep inner crisis that one must face in order to survive or for the world in which you live can continue to exist.”

The Ordeal of this journey is what I call “Boulder City”. Large chunks of rock (not gravel, not garden stones, but massive boulders) one after another. It required agility, climbing, patience, and lazer focus attention. I took one picture. I didn’t have the ability to carry my camera through this area as I needed all my faculties focused. One miss step here would put us in grave danger and circumstances I didn’t want to imagine.

Boulder City was the commitment we had to choose in order to receive the rewards of our adventure. It was the last test to determine how badly we wanted that summit. It’s this choice and commitment to self where you begin to draw on all your skills, and gathered experiences up to this point, to help you overcome the most difficult test you may face on your quest.

Only through some form of "death" can you be reborn, experiencing a metaphorical resurrection that somehow grants you greater power or insight necessary in order to fulfill your destiny or reach your journey's end. Failure, often, is not an option when most reach this point. The reward is too close a reality to just give up. And if you keep taking one step after another, if you stay focused and connected to your body, tending to the mind, you will learn that you can move through anything.

We made it through Boulder City and found our last campsite. The Sleeping Giant junction was maybe 500 meters to 1 km away. As we began to setup, I noticed a path leading down to the rocky shoreline. Curious, I said, “Let’s go check things out.”

The most glorious landscape unfolded before our eyes. Crystal clear waters as far as the eye could see with red cliffs looming over us to one side. We yipped and howled at what a treasure we had stumbled upon. This would make for a most memorable last night. We enjoyed our meal by the shore that evening and even received a wink from Creator as a beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky. We had done it. We had made it to the final stretch.

The sweet scent of victory was in the air and we were ready to sit on top of the Giant!

__

You might think that this was the last of our trials on this fateful adventure. The journey out of the park has its very own story, what I call the Return — “the Hero's/Heroines journey is not yet over and you may still need one last push back into the Ordinary World.”

Until next time, know this, to willingly choose discomfort, change, challenges, and healing is to also embark on a tremendous quest of returning to ones truest self. It signifies rebirth, beginnings, and proof of just how capable you are to live the life you most desire. Every time we choose the paths that liberate us, we get better at traversing difficult terrain in the future, and for me, that’s the most valuable part of entering into your wild soul.

May your wild soul always find the path through, xoxo