NHVSP 2010 Update 4

February 2, NHVSP 2010 departs from Kroka's base camp, 300 miles lie ahead of them

To the readers of far away lands,

Before the morning light can waken us with its shine, we shall set foot to the road. When his rays finally reach for us, father sun will find nothing but shadows -- we’ll have slipped to the northbound woodland to slide into the rhythm of our journey. Piece by piece we’ve laid the stones of our expedition’s foundation, and now, as I write, we’ve laid the last stone. We’ve departed.

It was a stressful week finishing up the last of our preparations. We spent every spare moment catching up on projects. On Monday we piled into the van for a trip to the local Nelson Contra dance. This weekly contra dance is filled with townsfolk enjoying a night out. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and came home dizzy from swirling, brightly colored dresses still filling our eyes. Laughter illuminated our dwellings into the wee hours of the night, until finally the coals burned down and we laid our heads down, side-by-side, smile-by-smile.

Erica, Melody and Iyla

We put the finishing touches on our mukluks and gators. Kendra helped out a great deal, staying up late into the night to show us, stitch by stitch, the correct way to sew. We each had to finish our big job preparation and still, there was much more to do.

Sheets of rain fell this week, rushing down the stream like a swarm of angry bees. Our camp was flooded, and everyone could be seen from miles away in their bright orange rain gear, each of us looking like lobstermen lost at sea. The day after the rainstorm, some brave souls dived into the icy river. The current briskly ushered them along and it wasn’t until they were swept to the bridge that they could pull their shivering bodies out of the chilly water. As their bodies met the air, you could watch the steam curl ripplets into the biting air. Their skin tingled in the fresh breath of the morning.


On Wednesday we prepared and packed all of our food. We spent the entire day organizing our meals for each leg of the journey. Erica had worked hard organizing everything, and with her careful guidance we soon had our food bagged and ready for departure. It was a long day, but we filled the food room with our joyous voices, humming and whistling, eager to pack hearty meals for the trail.

When Friday rolled around we organized our personal gear. We brought our wooden boxes into the Big Yurt and separated our expedition gear from our layover gear. We put all of our spring gear in separate boxes which gave us a better idea of what we needed to give back to parents. On Friday night we watched the Wolf Moon raise its head over the mountaintops, streaking the sky with its golden light. I looked up at the moon and stared into its lolling light with unblinking eyes, dazed by its perfection. I felt alive with the wind. There was a stir in the air that swept the land with a changing breath.

On Saturday our parents came to visit and our spirits seemed to lift higher than the sky. Laughter filled every corner of the dwellings and food came in abundance beyond our stomachs’ capacities. We all rejoiced with our families and the opportunity to meet and mingle with each other’s families. Chocolate came in armfuls and we stuffed ourselves as if it were Thanksgiving. We were all so thankful to be with our families in the warmth of the fire, preparing to embark on a journey with those we hold close to our hearts.

Eliot and Ari entertaining parents

We spent the last day packing and cleaning. It was quite a chore but we organized everything for our return in the summer. We finished projects, loaded gear into the trailer and put Brita, our horse, to work pulling logs for our work when we return.

So the days whittled down to hours, the sun continued to tick-tock across the sky, and we carried on methodically with nothing but our goals in sight -- preparing for the unknown with many new skills and hope to carry us onward.

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset." (Crowfoot)

Yours truly,


Iyla Therese