The road chose me

Lately I’ve been tearing through mounds of books, suggesting maybe I’m craving some English input. I’ve read some fantastic stories that have kept me up at night deep in thought and would like to share them here.

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

I can’t believe I have not read this before, and as usual for such a top-shelf title it found me more than me it. This is Orwell writing in the late 1940′s about a fictional 1984 with a very controlling government actually called “Big Brother”. Some of the following ideas hit so close to home I’ve read and re-read them many times, with varying degrees of alarm:

The problem was how to keep the wheels of the world turning without increasing the real wealth of the world. Goods must be produced, but they must not be distributed.

The primary aim of modern warfare is to use up the products of the machine [modern production] without raising the general standard of living.

The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but the products of human labour. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses to comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent. Even when the weapons of war are not actually destroyed, their manufacture is still a convenient way of expending labour without producing anything that can be consumed.

In principle it would be quite simple to waste the surplus labour of the world by building temples and pyramids, by digging holes and filling them up again, or even by producing vast quantities of goods and then setting fire to them. But this would provide only the economic and not the emotional basis for a hierarchical society.

The Worst Journey In The World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

This is a first-hand account of Scott’s final and fatal journey to the South Pole in the winter of 1911-12, written by one of his supporting party and containing many journal entires from all men involved. This is without a doubt the most awe-inspiring adventure story I have ever read, in fact it’s quite likely to be one of the biggest and most epic adventure stories ever told.
I was shaking when I read the final paragraph, so certain it was written for me;

Exploration is the physical expression of the intellectual passion.
And I tell you, if you have the desire for knowledge and the power to give it physical expression, go out and explore. If you are a brave man you will do nothing: if you are fearful you may do much, for none but cowards need to prove their bravery. Some will tell you that you are mad, and nearly all will say ‘What is the use?’ For we are a nation of shopkeepers and no shopkeeper will look at research which does not promise him a financial return within a year. And so you will sledge nearly alone, but those with whom you sledge will not be shopkeepers: this is worth a good deal. If you march your Winter Journeys you will have your reward, so long is all you want is penguin’s egg.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

This is a great little book where a hypothetical farm of animals drive our their human masters and set up a society of their own, which is decidedly communist. Things run smoothly for a while and without ruining the tale, I think the final and lone “commandment” of their society sums things up nicely.

All animals are equal… but some are more equal than others

-Dan

My brother was really keen to write a story about the time we shared, so today’s update is written entirely by him. I can’t express how much it means to me. Thanks Mike!

My brother Dan has been road tripping for a while now. He is a few months into his epic 50 000km odyssey; driving and hiking to find special places and people (or what I like to call ZenFun). Ever since he and I have been traveling the world we have had a friendly rivalry around who can do something more epic than the other. Right now he is taking the cake – and eating it too!!

So when he got close to my current home in Nelson, BC it was crystal clear that I would meet up with him and ‘live the road’ for a while.

My role in our journey revealed itself over time to be:

• To make Dan look buff in photos
• To remind us how glad we are to be alive by evoking death threats from young girls’ fathers
• To help Dan blow his budget sky high
• To discuss the meaning of life as if I have a clue

None of these were intentional, but sometimes you just go with what you’re given!!

I rolled into Pemberton, BC on my BMW motorcycle to be greeted by a tanned looking guy with a huge smile. It was Dan, but somehow different. You could almost see an inner calm and contentment in his relaxed but confident gait. Maybe it was because he was not wearing shoes or shirt. Maybe it was that I was really happy to see him. In any case we were stoked to see each other. We each bubbled with our respective stories from the last couple of months since we’d seen each other in Northern Alberta, at tree planting camp.

Dan had plans to see hot springs and being the aficionado that he is meant that this would involve much more than a trip to a glorified swimming pool style resort.

It meant that we visited multiple naturally-developed hot springs and a totally undeveloped one at Frank creek that very few people have ever seen.

Upon thinking about Dan getting these directions from possibly the only person who knows them I found myself reflecting on how the universe seems to put the right things in the path of a person who is actively living life. Just like in Paulo Coelho’s beautiful little book The Alchemist where he talks about each person’s “Personal Legend”:

Central to the novel is the concept of a Personal Legend.
Santiago first learns of one’s  Personal Legend from The King of Salem, who tells him:

It’s what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal  Legend is.

He expounds on this, saying

…there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.

The King also tells Santiago of the importance of following the omens on the journey to realizing one’s Personal Legend.”

So it seems that because Dan’s odyssey is authentic and genuine, it originated in the ‘soul of the universe’. Because it has come from the earth it means that things will naturally fall into place as they need to for him along the way. Not in the sense that he can put his feet up and wait for good things to happen, but in the sense that while he is living in this way, the universe will provide. Maybe not even to make his journey easy. But certainly to make it an adventure.

To me this idea of a Personal Legend doesn’t say that there is one specific meaningful thing that a person is to do in their lives, to me is says that if what you are doing is all that you can dream, without concession to fear or normalcy then it is the right thing to be doing and naturally, the universe will help you to do that, because you are living your life on the level of the universe. Another way of saying this might be to say that when you are living “the right way” you are a healthy and harmonious part of existence and the whole of the universe operates better around you.

…Wow!!  I like the sound of that – Yeah Dan!!

Following Dan’s Personal Legend then, we dropped my motorbike off in Horseshoe Bay (which proved to be expensive) and Ferried/Drove our way up the Sunshine Coast and across to Vancouver Island. We were finally closing in on the famed West Coast Trail and the sense of excitement was growing ever greater. The forest of Vancouver Island is so grand, so green, and so alive. The thought of living in this for a few days was inspiring!

When we arrived at the trail head we were told that the trail was full that day and we would not be able to start until the next day. Using our Zen approach, we made sure not to see this as a setback and were rewarded with a beautiful story.

After ‘the tourists’ left for their hike, Dan and I got chatting with the friendly Parks Officer. She shared some stories of rescue missions for hikers on the trail over the last few days; including being attacked by a swarm of wasps and having a camping stove explode in your face – woah!!

As we were parting she said

“Hang on guys; I have a video here that you just have to see”

Dan and I looked at each other and I could sense that this was an omen for us.

“Sure”
“Right On”
We replied in unison.

We sat down to a simple, low budget documentary called “Sombrio.” It tells the story of a community of squatters and surfers that lived for over 30 years at Sombrio beach on Vancouver Island’s West Coast (just south of the WCT). The film depicts the simple lives of the people and how they were forced out of their self-built homes in the late 1990’s when the Juan de Fuca trail was created through the area. This eclectic collection of people was able to form a functioning community in the wilderness using not much more than their wits and a respect for simplicity. The story really resonated with me. I too have become disenchanted by society. To me it is crazy to measure standard of living by how much each person consumes. This is but one example of how inhuman an industrialized society has become. Surely this doesn’t bring happiness? Is the answer to try to change society? Is the answer to leave it? I sure loved seeing an example of how that could be done. Inspiring.

Later that day we were strolling through Port Renfrew and at the fishing dock we bumped right into one of the main people from the Sombrio story – Rivermouth Mike (His house was on the mouth of the river).

“Hey!  We just saw you on the movie Sombrio!!”  I exclaimed with a big smile.

“I’m really glad to meet you” He replied with a sincerity that was so unusual as to make me feel a bit uncomfortable. Right away I could tell that this person was actually talking to me. Not just talking to fill the space, but communicating directly with me. Wow.

“Do you still get down to Sombrio?” Dan wondered
“I surf there almost every day” He said.
“More in the winter”
“Nice!”  We replied in unison

Rivermouth Mike went on with warm chatter about days gone bye and life as it is now, keen to share with a couple of strangers from afar. Something about him made both Dan and I want nothing more than to hang around him and absorb his aura. His eyes were so alive – a mix of crazy and enlightened I think!

Finally we dragged ourselves away, the both of us beaming and feeling lucky to have met Rivermouth Mike – a man who lived in a diverse community of squatters away from society.

The next day we went for the hike and it sure was everything we hoped for. Spending time in the West Coast forest is a beautiful thing.  Good for the soul for sure.

Getting to spend a couple of weeks with Dan on his adventure sure was great. Every time we catch up it becomes grounding, encouraging and thought provoking. I’m lucky to have such a brother. It seems that driving his Jeep down the Americas is as much a spiritual journey as it is a physical one. I love the way he is able to spread the joy he is creating with a wider audience through this web site.

I can’t think of anything more valuable for a person to do. Maybe that is the purpose of life – to create and spread Joy!!!

Right-on Dan!!

Love Mike.

The Magic Bus was a place I had dreamed of visiting since I first saw the movie and read the Jon Krakauer book, “Into The Wild”. I think of it as a pilgrimage made by those who have felt some kind of connection with Chris McCandless and his story. Most people don’t realize the bus lies on the well known “Stampede Trail”, not all that far from civilization and can be reached in a solid day of hiking.

The Stampede Trail is fifty miles of rough, overgrown mining road that was abandoned in 1963. No bridges were ever constructed over the several rivers it crosses so it is primarily used by backcountry travelers on foot, bicycle, snow machine and motorcycle. The now infamous Fairbanks City Transit bus #142 was left behind by the Yutan Construction Company during the road building to serve as a backcountry shelter for hunters, trappers and ranger patrols.

Typical conditions on the Stampede Trail

I met two cool Austrian characters, Thomas and (roll the ‘R’) Roland on the Dalton Highway and it took all of 10 seconds to convince them to join me on a trip to ‘The Bus’. We were able to drive about 12.5 miles down Stampede Road before we had to leave the vehicles behind and continue on foot. The first hour and a half of hiking the next morning saw us travel on a really good quad trail, through some small swaps, through a couple of shin-deep river crossings and spat us out at the edge of the Teklinika River.

Ultimately, the ‘Tek’ was Chris’ downfall when he was unable to cross it and return to civilization, forcing him back to the bus. Although it was not the raging torrent Emile Hirsch faced in the movie, it was obvious we would be swept off our feet and downstream if we did not keep our heads about us.

We ummmed and arrred for quite a while and wandered upstream, where we had been told the river was wider and shallower. Once we got sick of our aimless wandering, Thomas picked a spot and after throwing in rocks and using sticks to measure the depth we all agreed it was our best chance. We tentatively forded one at a time, with our packs un-buckled so we could ditch them if we were to get swept in. It’s a shame you can’t see my face in any of the photos – I was more than a bit scared when it reached mid-thigh in depth and began to really push hard. Slow and steady won through and I was relieved to be on the other side. Roland came powering across like he was on a mission and in a voice that was too much Arnie to be true beamed “Bah, dat was easy”.

Crossing the mighty Teklinika River

Thomas and Roland are fitness machines and once we were back on the trail I was quickly left in their dust, alone with my thoughts. Chris must have felt such a sense of isolation and awe to be all the way out here, alone, not knowing if there was anything or anyone ahead. At times I yelled into the alder and clapped my hands, trying to avoid startling any neighborhood bears. At times I sang aloud and at times I was silently reflecting – I was actually going to the bus, the bus that Chris had spent four months living in, was essentially trapped in and finally died in. Wow.

When bus 142 appeared on the side of the trail, seemingly out of thin air I was quite startled. I’d been hiking on my own for 10 miles but somehow wasn’t ready to be there yet. I paused on the edge of the clearing for a moment, then again in the doorway, trying to take everything in. Even though I’d never been there before, it was very familiar – from the description in the book, the movie and also from the pictures I’ve seen online.

The front of The Magic Bus

I thought The Magic Bus would be a quiet, sad place to spend time – I was quite surprised to find the opposite was the case.

The stove and bed of The Magic Bus

It’s customary for visitors to inscribe their name on the wall of the bus and write a message in the “Guest Book” – a book placed in the bus by Chris’ sister Carine. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of exhilarating messages from people all over the world who had made the trek out to the bus. People wrote about how upon hearing Chris’ story they changed their lives so they could live their dreams, people wrote of hitching thousands of miles to be there, people wrote about how beautiful of a place Chris had found. Graffiti like ‘Solo trek to honor Chris’ and ‘Swept downstream by Tek, it was worth it’ made me grin from ear to ear – Chris has inspired thousands of people and and I was thrilled to be a part of that.

Jon Krakauer's message in the book

My message in the Guest Book captures my feelings:

You have inspired more people than you will ever know, not least of all me.
Your passion, courage and determination gave me the strength to believe I really can make my dreams come true.
And here I am, in Alaska, having been to the Arctic Ocean, on my way to South America.
Thankyou Chris.

Christopher McCandless Plaque

I spent many quiet hours in the bus, reading the walls and the many guest books.
Although I hunted high and low I could not find any writing from Chris himself – it seems they have all faded away over the years.

A quote by Thoreau on The Magic Bus

It was truly and amazing experience and all three of us couldn’t stop grinning and talking of adventures to come the entire hike back.

Roland Dan & Thomas at The Magic Bus

My hair is all wrong and my beard is not nearly long enough, but you get the idea:

Dan at The Magic Bus

-Dan

If you’ve just stumbled onto my site, I encourage you to have a look around and read more about my ongoing adventure from Alaska to Argentina.

I just finished reading a couple of books that I highly recommend.

The Dolphin’s Tooth by Bruce Kirkby is the amazing story of an average Canadian guy who adventures around the world for 10 years. He is a whitewater rafting guide in northern Canada, spends a season at Everest base camp, rides camels across a desert in northern Africa, whitewater rafts the Blue Nile, the list goes on and on. The part the really spoke to me was his ability to make friends and find fun no matter what the circumstance. He also started out as a computer programmer working a 9-5 … an irony not lost on me.
Truly inspirational.

In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson is basically Bryson’s journal from his travels and experiences in Australia. Bryson has an amazing perspective – an American by birth, he spent 20 years in Europe and now lives in New Hampshire. His enthusiasm and quest for information are un-matched as he troops around the country seeing significantly more that I have. His discriptions were uncannilly accurate, often invoking the strongest home sickness I have ever felt.
It’s amazing that it takes someone else’s experiences to bring out such pride in my home country.

-Dan