Post Voyage
  The
OA Wilderness Voyage at the Northern Tier National High Adventure Base ranked to
be my number one Scouting activity. In my 13 years in Boy Scouts, this event proved
to be the most demanding and rewarding. I am still in contact today with the friends
I made during my trip, some of which I can see turning into life long relationships.
The trip will be forever remembered. I traveled 130 miles in two weeks, through
the thick and the thin. In doing so, I have kept a journal of my memories, which
made this story possible. The OA Wilderness program provided me with the water proof
notebook pictured top right. Close to three hundred photos were taken on my digital
camera, some
of which are hanging up on my wall today. The camera was kept dry in a water tight
box, along with the extra batteries and memory cards I carried.
I sincerely feel I have changed since the trip. I have become more aware of
the work rendered on trails, even as minor as the work may seem. I learned
that every little piece of work in the wilderness took many hours and many
hands to accomplish. I have developed myself as a stronger leader and a more
competent outdoorsman. I learned to respect the wildlife, as it is the real world
that God created. It is important to keep the wilderness that way it is so that other people
may enjoy it. Most of all, I have learned that life is full of
adventures.
You should make your own experiences come true, rather than just watching it
lived through other people in movies or reading about it in books. I have found
myself in the wilderness at Northern Tier. It was something I never expected,
but something I cherish to this very day. My foreman Andy Akin sums it up very well,
"This history of world literature is full of characters who venture around the
world only to find what they seek at home. But what happens when you find it in
far corners of the world? The answer: Carry a part of it with you always and
make it your own."
I recommend this program to everyone who is eligible. A participant in my sister
crew surprised me the most. He was 16 years old and went through the program without
any complaints. He carried the canoe over his shoulders and a heavy pack on his
back when he needed to. The catch was, he had a artificial leg. His perseverance
and dedication to accomplish this high adventure challenge made him successful.
Though he was missing his leg, something that we all take for granted, he went through
the trek without questioning his capability. He is a fine example of what a true
outdoors man is.
I recommend this program to any and all who want to experience
the true wilderness, God's country.
Path of Brian's 130 mile voyage.
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