Wilderness Tales : Adventures in the Backcountry

by Christensen, Peter

• ISBN13: 9781551539874
• ISBN10: 155153987X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-05
• Publisher: Altitude Pub Canada Ltd

Table of Contents

Prologue

A Horse Named Wasp

Help!

Reid Goes Natural

Living the Life

A Sharp Knife

The More Time I Spend with Horses

Ox's Clothesline

Freddy's Saddle

Eric's Tune-Up

Gopher Paradise

Elk

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

PrologueAs evening approached, Joe and I rode down the back trail of Stoney Squaw Mountain on our return from a nine-day shift in the backcountry. As we rounded the belly of the mountain we could at once hear the high-pitched buzzing sound of truck and car tires on the Trans-Canada Highway.After a shift in the backcountry where the soft thud of horses' feet, the twittering of a flock of cedar waxwings, or the low moan of a wolf were everyday sounds, this roar of traffic was a stark reminder that we were returningto another time and another world. Hearing the white noise of the highway, I turned in my saddle, grinned at Joe and shouted, "It's the sound of snivilization!"Joe grinned back, understanding my meaning and the contradictions inherent in the life we led. While working in the protected areas of the backcountry, we were not only insulated from the intrusions of highway noise, but from the stress of modern life. Time slowed down out there. It was as if we entered a different dimension.Sometimes we would ride for three or four consecutive days to a destination, covering 25 to 40 kilometres of rugged mountain country per day. Time in the saddle, constantly searching for signs of wildlife, trail cutting, and occasional repacking after long steep descents, hada rhythm of its own. Life progressed at about five kilometres an hour.I threw my gear in the back of the truck and jumped into the cab. I fired up Old Red and eased out of the yard, making a right turn onto the Trans-Canada Highway. After the first kilometre I noticed the traffic whizzing by at an astounding rate; I also noted that I was driving about 70 kilometres an hour.I have been at this juncture between backcountry and frontcountry pace many times. I take a deep breath, check and adjust my rear-view mirror, straighten up, check my speedometer, pay attention, and then get with the traffic. I shift both mechanical and mental gears into high and enter the 21st century of daily hot baths, box spring mattresses, constant, multifaceted stimulus, and lazy-boy chairs.