An epic journey into the wilderness
Introduction
What had started out as a well planned fishing trip with friends, has led to chaos, death, and isolation within the vast area of timbers and lakes, in the mountains near the Madawaska. Throughout these valley's and within these hills, lays crystal waters flowing through the land, fields of flower, as though a precision sewn carpet, and trees of mighty splendor reaching to the sky. I roam for miles, and endless days, no signs of civilization. For in this vast area of splendor, I find myself lost, turned about, and isolated. Fighting against nature, the elements, and my own minds demise trying to survive this tragic ordeal.
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The journey began as some friends and I decided we would go on a fishing trip to a remote area north of the Madawaska. Like all trips, we began as huddled masses packing gear, making plans, and strategizing our points of entry, and so on. The evening had come, and we headed out, for it was to be a long drive to our destination, a place so isolated, that few have ever stepped upon the land.
Darkness had befallen us, and a few slumbered, putting their fates in Mathew the designated driver for the first leg of the trip. Mathew had been elected this sole position for day one, as he had gotten some shut-eye prior to our departure. We had formed a buddy system of sorts for the long road trip ahead. Jason was to team up with Mathew. Jason was to keep him awake, alert, undistracted, and focused on the task at hand...which was to drive us safely in the direction we needed to be going, as Mathew was terrible at navigation and following directions.
Throughout the first evening, we rolled on for miles, through town after town, making occasional stops for fuel, and the opportunity to stretch a bit. "Matt" was feeling the weight of his eyelids, and was having trouble remaining focused on the road, so we decided for safety reasons, it was time to awaken team number two.
Darren and Paul were second in line, so having taken a short pause, we once again got underway. Paul was a large man, of good spirit, but lacking in judgment at times. Darren took the wheel, figuring Paul would have no trouble occupying his time and keeping him alert. Settled again, feeling refreshed, as we drank our coffee, we began talking of fish- tales. As stories are told, there is always that one, which nobody believes, well this time it came from Reggie.
Reginald James Fitzpatrick, a tall, slender man of forty years, never married a true bachelor if ever there was one. This man loved to tell stories, and be the center of attention. From women to fish, to adventure, no matter the topic. "Reg" loved to exaggerate and spice things up a bit. To hear him tell a story would make you laugh and cry and you could not help but carry on, which I think was his goal. For the more he would speak, the more we would fall into the storyline.
Before long, time and distance had been put behind us. We had passed through several states, and figured it was time for a good meal as we were all feeling the hunger settle into the pits of our stomachs. So we gently rolled through a small town, off the beaten path looking for a diner of sorts, a place to grab a bite to eat. It was a quaint little town, the locals seemed friendly, and we strolled up to a place called "Buck's Eatery". Kind of a strange name so we thought, but nevertheless we were hungry and really paid no mind to the name. Greeted by a friendly waitress, we said how-do's, and placed our orders. Matt was a sure bet for a steak, and I had no doubt that whatever Paul ordered would not survive longer than twenty minutes, because this man could eat. Reggie and I opted for something a bit lighter, but we had put the caffeine to us pretty hard, as it would be our turn at the wheel once we got rolling again.
Jason had pulled a disappearing act. Now Jason was a young sprig, half the age of the rest of our crew, recently married, and child on the way. We had been instructed to mind his welfare in his wife's absence. We queried one another as to his where-abaouts; nobody had seen him since we entered the diner. Seems Jason had found himself a telephone on the outside of the building and had called his recent bride. Relieved we had not lost and abandoned him, we awaited his return and continued to devour our meals and stock up on some supplies while he ate his meal. Having packed our snacks, drinks and other road trip necessities into the coolers, we readied for the next leg of the long road ahead.
Reggie felt renewed enough to start the drive, so without objection, I sat back in the passenger seat and consumed the views at hand. We pushed forward for hours, after a few mistaken directions we had reached the fork in the road we where looking for. Off to the left was civilization as we know it, off to the right, a dirt road no wider than the vehicle itself. This dirt road was our destination, the entrance to our dream fishing hole. We followed this dirt road over hill, through twisted turns, following along lakes and streams, anticipating our arrival. Suddenly, the road in which we were on came to an abrupt end. Confused, we decided it best to awaken the others, and come to a decision, a course of action. We all new this was a place of splendor and remoteness. There were trails leading in every direction, some passable, others not so easy to travel, all with their own hidden dangers.
Of the six we were, we split off and traveled different direction, all with the understanding of not venturing more than a half mile of our starting position. We were looking for the most passable route, as we would have to portage with all our gear on our backs. Within an hour, we had all returned, and came to the realization; there would be no easy way through this terrain. We entertained the idea of using the river for travel deeper into the area, to locate a suitable spot for setting up camp. Mat had found an area which we could portage and have minimal difficulty and risk in getting the canoes down to the rivers edge. Having deliberated long enough, the decision was made to attempt the path as daylight was fading rapidly.
Gathering all our equipment, rations, and hoisting canoes overhead, we were underway. We walked for what seemed like hours, but in reality, only a small step in this long journey. Having to carry three canoes, six backpacks, and rations for a week on our shoulders, was no small feat as we trudged our way down the path of enlightenment. Slippery slopes, loose shale stone, thick brush, and unsteady footing due to the massive weight upon our backs and shoulders, wore us down rather quickly. We managed to get to the rivers edge, all in one piece, looking forward to dropping the weight from our shoulders and minds. We rejoiced briefly as we had conquered the first leg of this torturous terrain.
The sun was almost at the point of disappearing on the horizon. Rather than take the risk of getting injured or worse, we decided to make a shelter on the rivers edge that first night, as it would be impossible to navigate or accomplish much in the darkened forest. We prepared to make shelter with broken bough and other materials we could forage. Weary, and tired, we lay restful within the primitive shelter we erected. Drifting off, we slumbered, thinking only of what lay ahead on tomorrow’s quest.
The sun had risen, cascading a shimmering light, over the land and waters, and exposing the beauty upon the mountainside. What a glorious day this was going to be. Suddenly I had been startled. Reggie had awakened previously, and was stirring about in the brush looking for small firewood pieces so as to start the coffee for the crew. What a thoughtful gesture I recalled thinking, as Reg was not the type to do much of anything without complaining about it, or being asked to do it. Glorious morn’ he stated, the java shall be ready shortly. Surprised and clearing the sleep from my eyes, I thanked him and replied yes.. It shall be a glorious day today. Next to be heard from was Paul,”can’t anybody get any sleep around here” he stated. Welcome to the real world my friend, I replied. “Get up and get your butt in gear” was echoed through the hillside as Reg let out a shout, and followed up with a big grin. It was refreshing to see a different side of Reg than his usual all business and straight forward attitude. It was almost as though he was being reborn, right before my eyes.
With the scuttling about and the greeting from Reg, the rest began to stir and make their way out into the daylight one by one. Once the morning niceties had been dispensed, and all where assured of a good nights sleep, we settled into some breakfast and began packing our gear. Darren had made the comment that “this place is gorgeous” as we did not get a really good perspective upon our arrival as the darkness was already settling in. Almost as a well rehearsed choir, we all glanced upon the land and the surroundings simultaneously, and took in the wondrous view before us. Jason made the comment “this is what it’s all about gentlemen” and took a deep breath as he stood and outstretched his arms.
Almost immediately we began to clean and pack as we all knew we had a long day forthcoming. Paul had been walking the river bank looking for a suitable place to drop the canoes in, so that we could make our way upstream, further into this tangled web of mountains. He had located a spot not more than sixty or so yards that provided the necessary space for our endeavor. So without further hesitation we began humping our gear and headed to the destination of our launch.
We fumbled through the rough terrain, not fully erect and alert as it was a short nights rest. We managed to reach our drop point, and situate the canoes so as to be able to load them and secure our cargo. The waters where calm for the time of year, but we decided to not take any chances as we may encounter some rougher waters as we went along, seeing as how none of us had ever been in these waters before, and did not know what to expect, at any given moment.
We broke off into our buddy system, two to a canoe, and we were off. Our destination? Unknown, only to travel up stream as far as we could get on this given leg of our journey. We paddled along for hours, consuming the beauty of this mountainous region. There were trees of majestic size, mountaintops that seemed to rise thru the clouds and along the rivers edge, a carpet of flora that any gardener would be proud to claim as their own. We were awestruck by the views around us.
Several un-eventful hours had passed and it was approaching time for some lunch. Matt and Jason had point and were sent ahead to scout for a suitable place to pull off the river. They had located a spot around a bend with a nice clearing at the rivers edge. It looked like a great place to take a rest and put some grub into ourselves. We settled in and tied the canoes to one another, and anchored the trio to a large tree on the river bank.
At this point we had not assigned or divided any of the “chores” to the crew members and it was a matter of volunteering to set up and serve lunch. Darren was the first to step up to the task, followed by Paul. As a group we agreed and they began their preparations. While this was being done, the rest of us had ventured off to take in the sites around us. There was nothing to special about our location, aside from its usual view, but there was a small pathway leading to somewhere, where was unknown. Curiosity got the best Reggie. He had decided to follow along this pathway to see what lay at the other end of this large canopy of trees. He could not help but ask himself, if this area was so isolated, how and why is there a beaten path within the forest?
About that time, Darren and Paul had signaled grub was ready, and Reggie had wandered his way back to the pull off spot. Darren and Paul had prepared some sandwiches, and bug juice, and managed to find some fresh berries along a small stretch of the clearing. It wasn’t much, but it looked like a feast to the rest of us. We consumed our offerings and began clean up, as we needed to get underway once again.
The sun was hot, and the effort of rowing upstream was causing a sweat. One by one we began striping the clothes off our backs as we pushed forward. It was only a matter of time before someone started to complain about something. Paddling along and swapping stories with Reg, out of nowhere he states “man, I’m getting tired of this, when are we going to pull off again”. We still had several hours of good daylight to burn, and we had no intentions of pulling off, barring a medical emergency, or a dumped canoe. So my reply to him was simple “quit complaining, we have a long way to go and a short time to get there”. Well, he was not so fond of this reply, and just gave me a nasty look. About an hour had passed and he once again started in, I asked him out of curiosity why had he come along? He replied “I wanted to get away from everything, and enjoy some great fishing with you guys”. My next question was, where did you think you where going?
Looking at me with a puzzled expression, he replied “to the mountains” I could not resist the urge to say it…Well did ya’ think the mountains where gunna’ just rise up around you? Flustered and bewildered, he just turned away and began paddling once again.
I couldn’t help but think boy is this going to be a long trip. As an after thought, I had decided no matter how much complaining Reg did on this trip; I was not going to let it spoil my adventure. The others seemed to have enjoyed each others company, as you could hear conversations and laughter all along the river that day. It was approaching early evening and within the mountainsides the darkness falls rapidly.
At this time, Reg and I had point and I had told him we needed to start scouting a spot for a campsite, and call it a day. Reggie’s eyes lit up like a child being given candy. “I know you have been waiting to hear that haven’t ya’ Reg?” I asked him. So we signaled to the others and moved on ahead, all the while looking for a suitable campsite. We had taken our time in finding one that we felt would suit the purpose as it had been a long and physically demanding day, and we wanted to be comfortable for the remainder of the evening and into the night.
I felt I needed to give Reg a sense of responsibility and a feeling of importance after our long afternoon together. So I told him, he would choose our location for this part of the trip. Reggie had told me, he never really spent any amount of time in the wilderness, and really had no clue as far as setting up camp and choosing a location. I suggested he may want to think about safety, comfort, and space, and then told him; think about your own comfort level. If it doesn’t look or feel right, then chances are it’s not a good location.
With this in mind we ventured a bit further, stopping at a few locations along the rivers edge, and letting Reg get out of the canoe to look over the lay of the land. After three or four stops, he had made a choice. Feeling good about the location he had chosen, he had asked me to give it a look and give him my point of view. Well done Reg, I replied as I approached the banked canoe. We signaled the others as they were approaching our location to notify them we were on shore, and the river travel was done for the day.
Reggie and I helped tie off the other two teams as they pulled along side our canoe. There was sufficient light for us to make camp, but still were limited on time as the sun sets abruptly and disappears behind the mountainside. With no haste, we scurried about gathering boughs and other materials we would need to complete a large enough shelter to house our gear and bodies. Once the materials had been collected we thought we should have a crew meeting and figure out who was responsible for what tasks, therefore eliminating any confusion and wasted efforts.
It was decided that since Reggie and I had point and found the campsite, we should begin shelter construction, while Paul and Darren gathered firewood and built the fire pit. That left, dinner preparation to Jason and Matt. All were in agreement, and set off to complete their objectives respectively and in a timely manor.
Construction of the large lean-to style shelter was begun, and had starting to take shape. Paul and Darren were busy scurrying about, looking for materials for the fire pit and a wood supply that would last the evening. Seems Jason and Matt were deliberating on the menu for the evening. Idle chit chat was the mood for the moments that followed.
Reggie continued to give me a look that sent the message loud and clear that he had no clue as to what he was doing. I approached him in secrecy and told him, I was aware of how uncomfortable he was at completing the task at hand. I silently told him to follow my lead and just do what I was doing, and if he needed any help to ask. I did not want to embarrass him in front of the others, and said its ok, we all learn some time, and from each other. We continued to lash the corners and the crossbar of the lean-to, then managed to find some materials for an under laying, so as to not sleep on the bare ground.
The fire pit had been completed, and there was sufficient twig and heavier woods that would get us through the cool night air, and give enough ambient light to see our way. Dinner had been completed, all that remained was to settle in for a comfortable evening and rehash the day’s events. We sat around the campfire and told of our thoughts of the journey thus far, and progressed to yet another “fish tale” of Reggie’s.
The evening air was cool and crisp, yet full of the aromas one would expect in the wilds and the mountains. There were familiar smells and some that where not quite identifiable. The musky smell of damp wood, the pungent odor of the true earth, the scent of the mosses and greenery that surrounded us, the smoke that filled the air about us, and the very distinct body odor that was abundant on all of us.
Relaxing by the fire after the days events was a true pleasure, for it had been a physical day rowing upstream, portaging, and setting up camp. Slowly but surely, the conversations begun to dwindle and the fatigue settled into each of us. We decided it best to work on tomorrow’s agenda and plan of attack, at the crack of dawn, after we all had a good nights rest. After stoking the fire once more, and settling in for the evening, off to slumber we went.
I could not get to sleep right away, as I was rehashing the day’s event, and remembering the insurmountable beauty that lay in front of me along the river. It seemed there was a new and vivid image that introduced itself at every bend. From the trees, the flora along the banks and mountainsides, to the incredible views looking upstream. The sky had been opened, and the light had been shined by the all-mighty himself today. For it had been a glorious day after all. I drift off to the thoughts of tomorrow, and wondering what is in store for us around the next bend of the river. The crackling of the fire was the perfect remedy to collapse my weary eyes. Before long I was in a deep sleep and in the comfort of friends, in some of the best, this land had to offer. It was truly a magnificent night under the stars.
Morning had come much too soon. The night had been short but very relaxing. We were greeted with yet another day that only the all-mighty himself could have created. The early morning dew formed on the flora, looking much like small crystals, the fragrance of the fires ambers, and the sounds of magical songbirds off in the distance. The rivers flow was smooth, but still a hint of torment as the current wisped by. The crew began to wake, and the outstretched arms and yawns, said volumes.
Breakfast needed to be prepared, and the daily intake of caffeine was a sure thing. We were all avid coffee drinkers and it became our primary beverage on this trip. We may run out of food, but we were definitely not going to run out of coffee. We all set our priorities straight before the trip had begun.
A small fire had been started from the remaining ambers, and the water was on. Paul had volunteered to work on the coffee, and rustle up some grub for breakfast, while the rest of us had begun the task of breaking camp. We packed our gear, broke down the lean-to, and readied the canoes once again for a day on the river. Having had our fill of coffee and a few other tidbits for chow, the fire had been dowsed, and we were on our way once again. The water was cool to the touch, and a slight hint of the current showed itself as the canoes began floating downstream as we placed them into the water. What we did not realize was this was a sign of things to come.
We had turned the bend, and thought we had an easy day of paddling ahead of us. We could not have been more wrong. What had started out as a peaceful, and restful morn, was about to become ugly and in a hurry. For around the bend and upstream a short ways, there was a section of rapids that was impassible by way of paddling. The rock formations made it impossible to paddle around and get above the rapids. The rivers current had so much force that all one could see was a blanket of white frothy bubbles.
The rocky formation stretched from side to side along the river, there was no passable area to get a canoe through. We were left with only one option, we had to portage our way around and thru these formations. The rocky underlay was slippery, and very hard to negotiate with the current underfoot. The first to attempt the slippery terrain were Darren and Paul. After placing their footing in strategic crevices, and avoiding the mossy covered rocks, they had managed to portage with all gear in tact. Both had plenty of advice and were shouting commands from the other side. The roar of the current made it near impossible to hear anything but the deafening sound of the waters rage.
Next were Reggie and I. We carefully found our footing among the rocky formation and thru the waters current. We had a close call as Reggie had lost his footing, and was barely able to regain composure while crossing. We had lost a bundle of rope while attempting the cross and the others said they would grab it when they crossed over. This left Jason, and Matt to cross last. The current was really strong and getting stronger by the minute. As they attempted the cross, Matt too had lost his footing but was unable to regain his footing. Matt had fallen and floated down the rapids like a rag doll tossed into the air.
Unable to gain control of his body and the direction of his travel, he rolled over once and was immediately swept under the frothing waters fury. Jason was helpless as he was now bearing the wait of their canoe and all its cargo and facing the other direction. It took but a few seconds to realize what had happened, and once the severity of the situation had grasped us, Darren responded first by dropping his gear and tried to work his way back over to the other side. Unable to get thru the rocky terrain fast enough, Matt had already surfaced but appeared not to be moving of his own free will.
Reggie had backtracked to give Jason a hand in crossing and to carry the canoe, while Paul and I had managed to grab a rope and throw a land line off to Darren, so as to not loose another member to the current. Darren was able to gain access to the rope, and secured it around his waist before plunging into the icy cold water, attempting to reach Mathew. By this time Mathew had floated downstream approximately seventy five yards, and not once while keeping an eye on him did anybody see any kind of movement or signal from Matt, saying he was ok.
Darren was able to reach Matt as he washed along shore after sliding thru an eddy. He was unconscious and non responsive to Darren’s pleas to show movement or respond in any manner. Paul and I where able to locate and come upon the two of them after a short time, but in the heat of the moment seemed like forever. When we approached him, Darren had this terrified look upon his face and all he could do was shake his head, signifying he was no longer alive.
Paul had grabbed Mathew by his shirt and shook him in disbelief waiting for a response. In the process of this, he pulled his hand from the back of Mathews head and it was covered with blood. The disbelief took hold, after laying Mathew back to the ground, and seeing the look upon all our faces. How where we going to tell the others that wait up stream, that a crew member, and a friend had been lost.
Paul, being the big strapping man he was, laid Mathew’s body across his shoulders, and carried him back upstream to the others. From a distance you could hear them shouting a congratulations in rescuing Matt, and saying they thought he was a goner. The closer we approached, the more it settled in that all was not fine.
Jason had begun to feel the unsettling news before we had gotten there. He walked off shouting No, No, No. and shaking his head in misbelief. The reality and the severity of the incident seemed to grab Jason in a tight grip, and was not going to let go for some time. Paul lay Mathew, gently against one of the canoes, and regained his composure after a brief moment. Everybody was thinking the same thing, time to end this trip and return home.
After some careful and thought provoking deliberation, the decision to continue was made. We had discussed a proper burial for Mathew as we were now deep within the Madawaska, and it was not practical to try and carry Mathew out of this vast wilderness.
Burial preparations where begun, and the task at hand had been completed. Each had a short moment of silence and a time to say their goodbyes to Matt in their own private way. Jason had removed Mathew’s wedding band, and planned to return it to his wife upon our return. He felt it proper and was told no explanation was needed.
We had lost several hours of daylight during this unfortunate chain of events, and said our final goodbyes and pushed further upstream. We still had a few hours of paddling time ahead of us. The atmosphere was quiet, and serene the rest of the day, as we all were morning the loss of a friend and crew member. We were almost stagnant and just doing the bear minimum to get us away from that particular location, all the while, considering if we did the right thing.
Several hours had passed, and darkness was befalling us once again. We scouted a location to set up camp for the night. We were all one man short and still dealing with the thoughts of losing Matt, and decided we would set up our own shelters and have some time alone to reflect on the day. While the others were doing odds and ends around the campsite, I too was setting up shelter and gathering some needed materials to sustain myself through the night. I collected firewood and stones for my fire pit, set up a suitable shelter, and even managed to get in a quick meal before darkness had settled. It was a somber night to say the least. Each lay adjacent to one another and there were separate fires and crude shelters for each.
No one mentioned Mathew that night. We all had thought about him and how we would explain to his wife what had happened. We all mourned the loss in our own, private ways throughout that evening. It was indeed a tragedy to lose Mathew, but we all new the risks involved in taking an adventure such as this. There was no fault or blame to place, it was just a tragic event that was unexpected, and unpredictable.
I found it very difficult to sleep that night as I am sure did the others. I kept playing back the days events in my mind as though a tape recording of a movie. I kept seeing the look in the eyes of the others as things unfolded rapidly, and the fear placed in the hearts and minds of the others. Were we doing the right thing I kept asking myself as I tossed and turned throughout the night, unable to get comfortable, and revisiting these flashbacks, that were sure to haunt me for sometime. At one point I had climbed out of my shelter to sit near the fire, as I could not sleep. I noticed that the others too were restless and doing much the same as I had been.
Finally after an hour or so, I climbed back into my shelter and closed my eyes, and was able to drift off to sleep. I had decided that what happened had happened, and that I would not speak of Mathew again the remainder of the trip. This was the only way I felt that I would be able to continue this journey and have some piece of mind. I wanted to remember him the way he was and not the way that he had died, and vowed to myself I would not mention it again, and had planned on telling the others the same in the morning.
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