Canoe camping in the Great North Woods.
You see, there is something I wish every human could experience during a New Hampshire summer. That is, to feel the sensation of waking up in the morning, having slept outside, and to immediately breathe in the fresh mountain air of the forest. You won't need a weather station to tell you the temperature and humidity--you will feel it. The first few barefoot steps are on the bare ground, and either sunshine or precipitation will hit your face. Then, listening to the surrounding peace of nature, you eventually, but suddenly, become aware of singing birds, flowing water, and a breeze howling through evergreen treetops.
It may be a challenge to get to this spot, but your presence here in nature is calming. By living in harmony with nature's cycles, if only for a weekend, you develop a sense of connectedness that leads to an appreciation that you are only a very tiny bit of this big world. Devoting some time to get into nature in this manner, without meetings, appointments, or dates in the near future back home, you reflect on things that really matter.
I have two small children, and as a wilderness guide and outdoor educator running Outdoor ESCAPES New Hampshire, LLC for the past twelve years, I am constantly wondering what the future holds for all our children.
In my lifetime, I have spent many weeks and months each year living off the grid in situations as I've described above. The north woods, mountains, lakes, rivers, and seacoast areas of New Hampshire are my comfort zone. On the flip side, many people flock to cities using mass transport to visit museums and work in cubicles, surrounded by plastic and electricity. I prefer to surround myself with nature, every day.
Sharing these wild experiences and passing on the traditions of "backcountry" living is my life's work. Residing in natural environments is natural, meaning it's achievable and sustainable with the appropriate skills, knowledge, and culture. After all, our ancestors and predecessors got us this far, before the latest technological inventions.
I truly love guiding journeys with natural scenery and teaching history, purposeful crafts, and all kinds of outdoor skills. I also love the physical and mental challenges that come with being in the great outdoors. Most of all, I am grateful for the wonderful companionship of the people from around the globe who participate in our adventures and courses. Seeing the excitement on their faces in the beginning, watching them experience awe and self-growth during their experience (and not wanting it to end), and hearing about their feelings of accomplishment, is all worth it to me.
As long as I am able, I will strive to share the natural wonders of New Hampshire, and to teach people of all ages how to survive close to nature, which is where I believe our future lies. Each of us are a speck, and together we need to personally know about nature, learn how to live with it, and be inspired to protect it.
It may be a challenge to get to this spot, but your presence here in nature is calming. By living in harmony with nature's cycles, if only for a weekend, you develop a sense of connectedness that leads to an appreciation that you are only a very tiny bit of this big world. Devoting some time to get into nature in this manner, without meetings, appointments, or dates in the near future back home, you reflect on things that really matter.
I have two small children, and as a wilderness guide and outdoor educator running Outdoor ESCAPES New Hampshire, LLC for the past twelve years, I am constantly wondering what the future holds for all our children.
In my lifetime, I have spent many weeks and months each year living off the grid in situations as I've described above. The north woods, mountains, lakes, rivers, and seacoast areas of New Hampshire are my comfort zone. On the flip side, many people flock to cities using mass transport to visit museums and work in cubicles, surrounded by plastic and electricity. I prefer to surround myself with nature, every day.
Sharing these wild experiences and passing on the traditions of "backcountry" living is my life's work. Residing in natural environments is natural, meaning it's achievable and sustainable with the appropriate skills, knowledge, and culture. After all, our ancestors and predecessors got us this far, before the latest technological inventions.
I truly love guiding journeys with natural scenery and teaching history, purposeful crafts, and all kinds of outdoor skills. I also love the physical and mental challenges that come with being in the great outdoors. Most of all, I am grateful for the wonderful companionship of the people from around the globe who participate in our adventures and courses. Seeing the excitement on their faces in the beginning, watching them experience awe and self-growth during their experience (and not wanting it to end), and hearing about their feelings of accomplishment, is all worth it to me.
As long as I am able, I will strive to share the natural wonders of New Hampshire, and to teach people of all ages how to survive close to nature, which is where I believe our future lies. Each of us are a speck, and together we need to personally know about nature, learn how to live with it, and be inspired to protect it.
This is the boreal forest of New Hampshire at the beginning of Summer. Can you find the bull moose? Hint: Antlers reach their full growth at the beginning of Fall.
Outdoor ESCAPES New Hampshire, LLC offers events and custom guided adventures, nature tours, and outdoor education to individuals, families, and groups--statewide in every season. For more information, please click the links at the top or bottom of this page.
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