Musings from the North: Part 2

Day Three: I suppose this day really starts at midnight. I didn't get much rest throughout the wee morning hours due to lack of evening routine and the crashing of the waves on the shore throughout the night. I crawled out of bed in the morning and, shivering, dressed in the clothes of the day before. I thought I would never get warm enough. But then, oh, could it be?!? Hot cocoa! What's that? Could it be...? Wild blueberry pancakes! It warmed my heart as well as my body to have something nice to eat and drink after freezing to death in dirty clothing. We broke camp with everything on our backs around ten o'clock and began the long trek in the sun. Through the woods, over rocky cliffs, and by twisty pathways we traveled. I can't say what I thought about during the adventure for I don't know if I thought anything. Or rather I was never aware of my own thoughts. It's hard to describe the weirdness of my brain but I shall try a poor attempt. Imagine you are sitting nearby a river, the water rushing down its course with endless murmuring. If you sit there long enough, you become less and less aware of the noise until such a time as you tune back into it. My thoughts turn into a noisy stream when I walk and I forget they are there until I focus back upon them. The going was more grueling now, but I enjoyed the challenge. Lunch was at a small bay - the first sandy bay we had seen while backpacking. In the bay was a tiny rock island to which us four youngest waded. Matt and I took a brief nap in the sun and next to the warm fire which Luke had built for pleasure. After some debate as to where we were going to stay for the night, we picked up our packs and trudged along for another hour or so. We finally reached our stopping point; packs went off, tents went up. The evening went pleasantly. Matt, Elle, Luke, and I went exploring on the rocks and watched the sunset. Gorgeous! We walked back and went to bed after talking 'round the fire.

Day Four: Only day we didn't have packs on, though we did hike out to a stream and broke for a lunch. Matt and Mom fished, Luke and Elle played on the rocks, and Dad and I hiked the trail even farther out. After half an hour or so of hiking, Dad and I came across a beautiful hidden cove. It looked like a scene from Voyage of the Dawn Treader (new version). The water was a crystal blue. We turned around and went back to the stream to meet the others and hike back to our point. Unfortunately, I had brought no water with me for the day and the others had not packed enough for themselves. Matt and I stuck together and moved as quickly as we could back. Every step I was mentally reminding myself "Do not faint. Do not faint. Do not pass out." Every five minutes I would ask Matt "How are you feeling? Are you cold and clammy?" I knew I was in severe dehydration because I had stopped sweating several hours before and my skin was cold and clammy. We had half a bottle of water to share between us and I forced myself not to drink anything more than a tablespoon until I knew we were close enough to camp. I have never been so relieved as to see the little cove which marked our camping site. We drank what was left in the bottle. The rest of the afternoon was drowned in swimming. The evening was rather uneventful except for the long conversation around the fireplace with all the kids. Nat and Sarah were telling us about how their relationship had developed and how they got to know each other, etc, etc. It was in the moments like these were I would look around at my family laughing and talking and praise God for how blessed I am. I have really missed my family and it was good to be back with them.

Day Five: Everything was packed, devotions were sung, and we started back. The going was rough, but enjoyable. Once we had reach the very first campsite from Day Two, we stopped and set up camp. Nat, Matt, Luke, Elle, and I decided to go exploring the waterfalls we had discovered on Day Two. What fun we had! The water was freezing, but very refreshing. The waterfalls were amazing. Luke and I swam right under the rushing water. You don't know what power running water has until you are in it. The water just pours over you and in your mind you are wondering if you're going to make it back to the surface. Those moments of panic was forgotten once you breathe again, but while under, your mind is thinking of its next breath. The pounding of the water pulling over you is terrifying, but exhilarating. Then we all climbed up the waterfall itself - or on the out edge of it. It's quite terrifying to know that if your foot slipped, if there wasn't a hand hold, if you somehow missed a step, down down down you would plummet to a cold and rocky death. Needless to say, we all made it to the top. From there we went to an adjacent waterfall and I scoped out the hole and the underwater situation. Never, never, NEVER jump or dive or even swim for long period of time in water that you haven't already checked. I slid into the pool off the rock and down I swam. I didn't think I could make it to the bottom of the pool. Every stroke took yet another second or two of my remaining breath. I finally touched the bottom and struggled up to the surface, gashing for air. It wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough for Luke - the best swimmer among us - to be unable to reach the bottom. I don't know how I had managed it. On my second journey underneath the surface, I looked at the waterfall and discovered that rocks were right underneath the waterfall and caused a current strong enough to suck one into a crevice on the other side of the pool. Luke and I declared it too dangerous to swim near the waterfall and so we moved on. From there each of us did our own thing and puttered around the rock formations, swimming here, climbing there. The last and best discovery was a small waterfall. The waterfall was such that the water poured over a four and a half foot drop onto a rock which created a small space behind the waterfall which one could easily fit into. We all in turn would step onto the rock and have our bodies blasted with the water which poured over us. You'd never guess looking at it how powerful the water would be. I was surprised I could stand. To get into the little space behind the waterfall, one had to go through it. Again, it felt like you weren't going to be able to get your next breath...then, air! You would be in the little pocket. To get out, you would have to push yourself through the waterfall again. I found going out more terrifying than going in. Once back at camp, we goofed around until supper time and then loafed around until Snat, Elle, and I found ourselves around the campfire. Then the wonderful chitchat that only siblings or close friends can have. Somehow the conversation went to pickup lines and I shocked Elle by teaching her how to count shoulders. Nat, Sarah, and I had a jolly good time scandalizing Elle. Matt came in after the sun had set and later Mom, Luke, and Dad drifted in. Jokes were cracked, stories were told, songs where sung, and off to bed we went.