August 02, 2016 at 04:21PM

As I lay awake at 3 AM unable to sleep because of the deafening sound of rain pummeling the tent, thunderous rumbling and flashes of lightning, I thought of all the bluebird days we have had recently. July and August in the Boundary Waters often mean paddling across calm, warm lakes under blue skies dotted with bright billowing clouds, portage trails sprinkled with blueberry bushes covered with juicy bunches of ripe berries, plenty of swimming and lounging in the sun.
However, the heart of the summer also brings some the year’s most tumultuous weather. I guess we have to take the good with the bad. After all, the storms in life help us appreciate the calms and the people that help us weather the hard times a little more.

In the Wilderness, we must rely on only our skills, our tent’s thin layer of fabric and the few items we can carry with us. Our senses are sharpened, elevating the intensity of the calms and the storms. We feel alive, in-tune with ourselves, our companions, and the world in a unique way that is hard to duplicate in an urban setting.

This special place needs our help. Sulfide-ore copper mines are being proposed along the southern edge of the Wilderness, which threaten to pollute our nation’s most popular Wilderness. Please follow the link in our bio, sign the petition, and take action today to help protect the Wilderness for future generations.

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