What's The Most Awesome Thing You've Seen

[den's wife]

My husband and I have done a lot of canoeing over the years. We're not into "wild ride the rapids" stuff. Instead we like to meander along the shoreline and just look around and enjoy the ride. One highlight for us has been seeing bald eagles. We had a good look at their nest and there were two of them just sitting on the branch of a tree gazing back at us. We were able to get close enough for a good look before they flew off. The other was coming pretty close to a black bear on the shore. We came around a bend in a narrow river and there he was. Needless to say, we started paddling fast to put some space between him and our canoe.

 

[CatsEye]

I've always been fascinated by wild horses. I have seen a lot of things while trekking but the sight of these magnificent creatures running like the wind and throwing up their heads was something I'll never forget.

 

[ppine]

The Northern Lights from the Arctic Circle, 2 bull moose with their antlers locked, a wolverine, mountain lion and bobcats, wolves, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, large pods of Orcas from a boat, ice caves at Mt. Rainier, Lake Louis, Alberta, Machhu Pichu, the Sistine Chapel, the David, the Roman Coliseum, 200 elk in one herd on the Continental Divide, wild horses running along side, 60 antelope crossing in front of my truck. A black bear with cubs trying to sniff me while asleep, a stunned hummingbird in the palm of my hand. Eight grizzly bears in one day. The Grand Canyon in the moonlight from the water's edge. A six pound trout. A laser bouncing off the clouds at Burning Man. Twent-six bald eagles in one tree. The Grateful Dead anywhere.

 

[Pathfinder1]

One highlight for us has been seeing bald eagles. We had a good look at their nest and there were two of them just sitting on the branch of a tree gazing back at us. We were able to get close enough for a good look before they flew off. The other was coming pretty close to a black bear on the shore. We came around a bend in a narrow river and there he was. Needless to say, we started paddling fast to put some space between him and our canoe.

Hi...


You certainly saw some interesting sights...!!

Eagles are fairly common in this area. There are actually eagle watching areas throughout parts of this County.

I still would have to say eagles, too. Not around here, but in Haines, AK. At certain times of the year, they actually have HUNDREDS of them gathering at one time to feast on the salmon...!!

Another would have to be the northern lights in AK. They are amazing. A virtual curtain of color dancing its way across the night sky.

Then, there are otter. I do love to watch them in their natural habitat. I also saw one in "unnatural" habitat...at a boat museum in MD. It was so people oriented..or lonely...that wherever you were within its sight, it would do its best to get as close to you as possible. This was in a glass enclosure, with lots of water, and also land for it to live.

I was told that there were once two otters there, but there was only one left when I was there. Both a delightful and a sad experience.

 

[Pathfinder1]

I've always been fascinated by wild horses. I have seen a lot of things while trekking but the sight of these magnificent creatures running like the wind and throwing up their heads was something I'll never forget.

Hi...


What a nice experience. I wish I could have seen them.

I haven't seen wild horses, but I have been amid the Chinkateague (not sure of the spelling) wild ponys on the mid-atlantic coast. Although they are "wild", they are quite acclimated to humans. People are discouraged from interacting with them, though, as they ARE wild, and could do you great harm if they were so inclined. Anyway, they were kinda fun.

 

[Pathfinder1]

A black bear with cubs trying to sniff me while asleep.



Hi...


Now, there's an exciting experience. I'd like to know what your reaction was...!!

 

[ppine]

Pathfiner1,

I was in a campground in Alberta at the time, in a tiny A-frame tent. The flap was open, with mosquito netting between me and the sow. I heard grunting, and woke up on my back looking back to see the bear. I whistled at her and she left quietly. I went back to sleep as first light comes early in the north. I woke up a second time, and there was one big black nose and two little noses. I whitsled again and they left. But I got out of the tent after that. It was an experience that I will never forget.

 

[jason]

While paddling. I would have to say watching a dolphin chase all my fish away. It got within 15 feet of me, if not less. Other then being close to one in captivity, it was the one closest to me ever. It was neat to watch him feed too. Just a little sad I did not catch anything after that.

 

[CozInCowtown]

My wife and kids!

After that, probably being part of the USS Kitty Hawk crew. That is the largest machine I have ever seen.......and it moves!!
DC

 

[Lorax]

It's hard to pick just one or even the top five. There's been so many of those moments and I feel truly blessed.
That's the beautiful thing, I get to go back out and watch until I see some more. Just when I think I've been amazed like I never will be again, there's always another incredible moment. Might be a year or two in between for those truly incredible moments, but it will happen.
It's why I try to get out as much as I can.

 

[Lamebeaver]

Not so much a single thing, but experiencing twilight in the Rocky Mountains. As the shadows start to play tricks on your eyes, sitting in front of a very small campfire in the wilderness, hearing the shrill of a nighthawk, the slight rustle of the wind in the trees, and feeling a certain kinship with the people who have experiences a similar sensation through untold generations since the dawn of time.

 

[ppine]

Lamebeaver,

Good writing.

 

[ppine]

Lorax,

You are a person with a lot of experience. Please take the time to share a few of your favorites. It takes some effort.

 

[Pathfinder1]

Pathfiner1,

I was in a campground in Alberta at the time, in a tiny A-frame tent. The flap was open, with mosquito netting between me and the sow. I heard grunting, and woke up on my back looking back to see the bear. I whistled at her and she left quietly. I went back to sleep as first light comes early in the north. I woke up a second time, and there was one big black nose and two little noses. I whitsled again and they left. But I got out of the tent after that. It was an experience that I will never forget.

Hi...


A super interesting story. Glad everything turned out alright...!!

 

[Lorax]

Lorax,

You are a person with a lot of experience. Please take the time to share a few of your favorites. It takes some effort.

Wow! Where do I even start? Let me name a few quick off the top of my head.......
-Seeing the Spector of The Brokken on a mountaintop after a climb with my buddy. Must have been 200 ft tall!
-My 3.5 month solo backpacking and paddling trip I took after walking away (literally) from a Fortune 500 company job that I hated.
-Watching a Wolf chase a deer on a small island I was on and the wolf, after looking back at me for 5 seconds, taking off into the water to swim after the deer.
-The ochre stained rock wall of dozens of children's handprints and pictographs from 4-6000 years ago up in the Quetico.
-Deer having their young right in front of me (3 in one day).
-Working with the PA Game Commission as a biologist with the PA bear program under Gary Alt for six years.
-Sunrises and sunsets that would blow your freakin' mind!
-Coyote howls from bluffs 80 feet above your hammock from groups of coyotes along the Mississippi in the mountainous (yes...that is correct!) bluffs along the river in Iowa.
-The crystal clear waters of the rain fed Buffalo River in Arkansas.
-Hiking incredible hard to get to waterfalls in Dominica.
-Snorkeling next to a 250lb grouper in Eluthera for 10 minutes before he got bored with me.
-Storms that made me wonder if I would survive.
-Climbing every 4000 footer east of the Mississippi, and doing it in every season.
-Lining a canoe up some rapids with tens of thousands of Red Horse suckers bumping underfoot, only to watch 11 eagles perched not even ten feet away from our heads waiting for us to get through so they can wait to pick their lunch.
-Having an otter occasionally come and climb up on my home made little pram I used to paddle around in a 9 acre bass filled pond. Little guy had no fear of me. I used to cherish his visits.
-Hiking the Superstitions early before light, just to catch the sunrise and watch the desert colors come to life.
- Winter camping along Lake Superior in snow caves.
-Northern lights.
-Paddling the keys by kayak.
-Moose walking through camp
-Wolves howling nonstop from 7pm to 4 am over a calm lake and starry skies. So many, we lost count at about 15 different ones.
-Sleeping out under the stars in the Boundary Waters.

-Sharing my love for the outdoors and exposing many people to what is out there.



Just to name a few.

 

[ppine]

Lorax,

Thank you. My intuition was correct. Please tell us some time about the 3.5 month solo trip. How did you change mentally during that time? Most people spend a few days or a maybe a week in the outdoors. We all want to know what it was like. How did you coordinate hiking and paddling?

 

[Lorax]

I had a job in Logistics for a big company (40,000 employees). It sucked. Everyday was horrible. I was killing myself to work that job which was 68-80 hours a week and my part time biz.

One morning I worked all night on my feet (docks) managing crews of freight guys and we had been wearing pedometers to see how far we walked each day. 18-21 was the norm. I was always close to 30 in the 13-17 hours with out breaks or lunch. All desks were waist high and there were no chairs.
Well.....that night came and went. I was once again defeated and worked my way over to an open trailer door in time to watch a sunrise. In the chaos of forklifts running as fast as they would go, dust, pallets of freight, the PA system and people screaming, I loosened up my tie and took a deep breath. I looked out at that sunrise for about 10 minutes and thought about how much I cherished those moments and all I ever lived for was to be outside.
I loosened the tie more and stepped to the door to try and get one halfway clean breath of morning air and I did something about my situation instead of ***** about it.....I took a step. I then took another and another until I realized I was walking away from a job that paid easily 2.5 times the norm in that county.

I never looked back.

In this time, I had exactly 43 minutes each day to myself between work, the biz, sleep and getting ready for more work. This was 7 days a week. In this time, I built (and even sold) a few wooden kayaks. I was finishing one about the time this happened.
After a week and a half of prep and dehydrating food while pouring over maps, I took off for VT, NH, Maine, Algonquion Park, Lake Nippissing, Lady Evelyn Smoothwater and the Goin Reservior, only to come back down through and finish up at Adirondack Park.
I would finish one grand adventure and move on to the next, swap out the kayak or backpack and take off again. I would ask landowners if I could park for a while or I'd stash the kayak in the woods. It all worked out great. I met some great people along the way.

It was awesome! I'd do it again in a heartbeat and my wife is never really sure when that will happen as it seems I've got myself stuck in another rut for 6 years now. In about a year and a half, I'm going down to a more flexible little job or even part time to pursue my outdoor stuff. When and if it does happen again, she understands having introduced her to this lifestyle and sharing great adventures with me along the way.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Eagles flying upstream while I sat by the river enjoying a cup of morning java, An eaglenest we stumbled on that that can only be seen from the water.( I return at least once a year just to make sure that it is still being used.), a beaver lodge, a box turtle laying her eggs in the middle of the trail,a small copperhead that came onto the trail in the middle of our group as we passed a certain spot. She coiled showing us that she meant buisness and kept our group seperated for a few minutes before she moved off the trail, coyote tracks in the snow around my tent one morning on the AT. There have been other things but my favorite was an eagle flying up stream towards the canoe I was in one day. He got lower and lower till we thought he was going to fly right into us when all of a sudden, about 30 feet in front of our canoe he threw his body back hitting the water feet first with a splash that we will never forget, and emerged flying only feet above us with an eel in his talons and dripping water all over us as he passed us heading upstream towards his nest.He couldnt have been more than 10 or 12 feet above us.

 

[Marshmallow]

We came upon a pair of otters sliding down into the creek while we were paddling up a small, hidden creek. We were able to catch them a number of times, but we also tried about fifteen times without seeing them.

 

[ChadTower]

Four years ago I sold my Honda Civic and got myself a Tacoma. It was a pretty bold financial move for me because money was really tight and the Civic had low mileage and no payment. I picked up a canoe off Craigslist. I grew up canoeing but had not been since before I got married. I took my then 8 year old son out on a good sized pond for his first trip. Once he got used to the motion of the boat, and wasn't nervous anymore, he turned around and said "This is awesome! I'll remember this for the rest of my life. Thanks, dad!"

He is the type that never lets you into his feelings unless they are negative. That one moment was worth every bit of risk and effort I put into it. I can't imagine finding anything more awesome than that on the trail or water.