The stars aligned for us in 2015. To the point that not only did we buy a camper in May, but we’ve already had the privilege of pulling it over 12,000 miles around the southwest United States. It’s been amazing.
“Geologic time includes now.” – Edward Abbey
Our tour revolved around several National Parks and natural places that we feel not only drawn to, but that are somewhat time sensitive. We forget often that everything around us is always changing, evolving, adapting, or possibly dying. Our own bodies aren’t the same as they were just a few years ago, and neither is our planet. Seems like a universal truth that change comes with time. I remember as a kid looking forward to going to Yellowstone for years, and finally rolling into the smoldering remains of widespread fires when we finally got there. The Yellowstone that so many others have fallen in love with wasn’t the one I explored. My version was charred, bare, blackened destruction as far as I could see. The air of smoke and disdain for the careless spark (or cigarette) that ignited one of the most beautiful places in the world. But strangely enough, it didn’t bother me then, and it doesn’t bother me now. I actually count myself as lucky for having been there. It was an iconic time, and at some point I’ll get to see a second, entirely different, version of Yellowstone. Nature heals herself in the most miraculous way.
As this year has come together so perfectly, I can’t help but realize the grace of our own timing. Our trip in May took us to perfect conditions in Utah and Arizona while my hometown experienced the worst flooding of my life. Literally, the first day we got home was the first day of sunshine in a month. In August, we escaped to the mild temperatures and amazing scenery of California’s National Parks, effectively missing every single one of our triple digit heat days in Texas. It was the ideal Texas summer… to be somewhere else when it gets unbearable! Not only this, but our trip itself came together in these perfect month long windows where my wife was between semesters and I was between projects, so neither of us left anyone hanging.
Nature has no mercy.
This sense of timing continued to be a theme after we came home. We watched the news for the places we’d been, and saw the changing conditions turn deadly. Zion experienced flash flooding that killed 7 in a canyon that we had explored just a few weeks earlier. Only days after leaving Yosemite, headlines read that 2 teens were killed when a tree fell on their tent. To add a little paranoia, the area we stayed in Yosemite was quarantined and treated for plague later that same month. While we were in King’s Canyon, we parked for a while and watched a fire grow on the side of a nearby ridge. As time went on, it grew into the Rough Fire and destroyed over 150,000 acres. On an overnight backpacking trip into a grove of Sequoias, we endured the adrenaline dump of a 300 foot redwood falling to its end. Timing is everything.
What marks the difference between perfect timing and disaster? How do we know when it’s the right time? Sorry to say, but every adventurer out there will tell you there’s no way to know for sure. Especially when nature is involved. She’ll do whatever she’s going to do with or without our approval. Thankfully we have some resourceful tech that can help us be a little more prepared. Watches that measure barometric pressure, lightning strike trackers, high tech weather forecasting, previous records, top notch healthcare, etc. But often these conditions are completely unknown until the last minute, and we’re faced with strange decisions. Being proactive people, we tend to do everything in our power to be prepared. We dial our fitness to the tasks at hand, preparing our bodies to handle what we need it to and then some. We seek out training or certifications in the more technical endeavors or emergency care. We build confidence in our own abilities and equipment, all things we can control. And when the time comes, it all boils down to gut instinct. The power of our intuition, the subconscious that we develop as we prepare ourselves. I’m not talking about fair-weather participants that are afraid of a sprinkle or sweating. This is for those clutch moments where there is real danger. Dropping in to a trail, the crux of a climb, the mouth of a canyon or cave. That eery red sky morning in a new place that is much more powerful and merciless.
We can do our part to ready ourselves, but we have to know when it’s time to back down. So often we place unnecessary pressure to perform tasks. Maybe it’s a trip that’s been years in the making. Maybe it involves thousands of miles of travel. Or highly sought after permits, or thousands of dollars of equipment. The fact is, no amount of experience or willing risk will outweigh the forces we can encounter out there. Let the amazing places and experiences continue to draw you in, and always do your part to ready the body and mind. But don’t ever let yourself silence that still, small voice that tells you when you’re in too deep.
We all have tales of that near miss, or the split second reaction that saved us. We’ve all weathered storms, pushed our limits, and found the edges of our comfort zone. But we can’t help but take a moment and realize that even the best will fall. The adventure community loses superstars every year. Headlines read of people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Accidents happen, lightning strikes, and the waters rise. I have no life changing words of wisdom to part with, but rather a somber feeling of gratitude for when timing has been on my side. Keep exploring, keep preparing, and live your adventure.
Tao of Scratch 