Silence
Enjoy time on peaceful lakes listening to the breeze and resting in the wilderness. Imagine Bible study at a solitary sunrise with mist on the lake, siesta after lunch, and peaceful evenings.
“Wilderness Voices” - on trail we will keep our voices at a soft speaking level; it involves slowing and calming our bodies. Sound travels across still water with amazing clarity, such that you can hear word-for-word the people at a campsite across the lake. We all want to enjoy the quiet and beauty of the wilderness, so we keep our voices soft.
Boundary Waters days are peaceful, awe inspiring, and happily long. They are full of adventure, growth, decision-making, conversation, silence, good food, hard work, deep rest, and adventure.
One of the attractions of the Boundary Waters is the quiet, learning to travel quietly to take in the beauty around you.
Mornings
The sun rises at 5 am, but you don’t have to. Wake up peacefully to the stillness of the lake, the mist on the water, and the glory of the day. We’ll enjoy the mornings in silence. This may be new for some, but it is one of the highlights of wilderness travel. Grab your Bible, trail study, a cup of coffee, your breakfast, and find your favorite spot in camp to enjoy the morning.
Afternoons
Most days we’ll take an afternoon siesta. It’s time to read, swim, nap, do Bible study, talk quietly with each other, or enjoy looking at the lake. On trail we will learn to be unhurried, enjoy the day without knowing what time it is, and rest throughout the day. We will still have work to do (paddling, portaging, cooking, dishes, setting up camp, and gathering water), but even in those, we will learn to enjoy quiet.
Evenings
Dinner and Bible study discussion at the end of a long day are lovely around the evening sun or a campfire. The end of the day is another amazing time in the wilderness. Camp chores wrap up, we hang the bear pack, do our evening toiletry routines, and prepare to settle in for the night. The quiet returns on the lake and in the woods. Until the mosquitos come out, then it’s time to get in the tent!
Keeping it real…
A struggle: Depending on your personality and experience, quiet or silence may be new for you. This is OK. It is one of the benefits of a trip like this: to try something new and rest from the fast, loud, hurried aspects of life.
An invitation: It can be hard to let our minds and hearts quiet down and be fully present (no phones or watches helps). It can also take a bit to learn to talk softly on trail. This may be new for some people, but the invitation is here.
A hope: Most people love the profound quiet and beauty of the Boundary Waters. I hope we find our body, mind, and heart quiet down and find rest for our souls in Christ as we travel, work, play, rest, and reflect on trail together.