Basic Information:
Author: Amy Freeman, Dave Freeman
Edition: Hardcopy
Publisher: Milkweed Editions
ISBN: 9781571313669 (ISBN10: 1571313664)
Start Date: November 2024
Read Date: January 17, 2025
320 pages
Genre: Biography, Outdoor
Language Warning: None
Rated Overall: 3½ out of 5
Synopsis:
A couple writes about their full year in the Boundary Wilderness to publicize the effect a mining corporation will have on the Wilderness. They make their journey principally with a canoe, but also skis and snowshoes. They are constantly moving throughout the area and observe the changes from season to season
Cast of Characters:
- Amy Freeman
- Dave Freeman
- Tank-the dog, nine year old dog
- Becky Rom-activist, lawyer
- Frank Moe-provider of dog team
- Acorn-12 year old dog, Tank and Tina’s mother
- Tina-nine year old dog
- Joseph-14/15 year old who was in treatment for cancer, but came out to restock the Freemans once each season, the last time bringing his whole family
- Recommendation: Don A
- When: October 2024
- Date Became Aware of Book: October 2024
- Why do I want to read this book: Don went on a trip to the Boundary Waters area, met this couple and found the book engrossing.
- What do I think I will get out of it? A good story about a wilderness experience
Thoughts:
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Twin Metals Minnesota - the mining concern of Antofagasta PLC which wanted to mine outside of the Wilderness. But there are concerns that both the noise, the type of mining and contaminated runoff would affect the Wilderness.
The reason for this book is the conflict between the Wilderness area and potential damage of the mining operation.
Each chapter has a map and line which looks like this is the route they traveled.
Beginning
The trip starts in September 2015.
Talks about preparation for the adventure, the support group they have and the previous experience in outdoor advocacy. Also talks about what they hope to accomplish by this year-the stop to mining which might affect the Wilderness area. One of the things they want to do is to keep in touch with the outside world. They will be carrying batteries and a solar charger to power a satellite connection.
They have packed an eleven foot sled which a team will bring in to them for their supplies. Amy notes that a Dene elder in a remote community in northern Canada told us that when you travel by dog team you see every rock and every tree--and the land speaks to you. I think this is true anytime you travel at foot speed. You notice a lot more. You create that connection with the land you travel through.
Talks about how they became involved with other activists.
Also, the Freemans were experienced in the ways of the wild. They had explored across continents for extended lengths of time and the Boundary Waters were their home turf.
Fall
They start their adventure. There is a send off with a hundred people or so. It took them a day more to escape the sound of machinery. They would base camp at a place and explore around. Some of the work they did was to measure water quality at their various stops.
Various people would come in and resupply them. Talks about camp routine as well as travel. We would keep moving but we did not have a destination we needed to reach. We would discover answers to questions we had always wondered about. There is a series of questions which I take as representative. Maybe not earth shattering, but maybe similar to some of the things which go through my mind on the trail. Their campsite becomes their office.
There are little snippets about the people who came out to see the Freemans while they were in the Wilderness.
Nate Ptacek and Matt Van Biene did a short 2 minute video called Bear Witness.
As they spent time alone, they felt time slowing, so they could enjoy things like the glow of the dusk and the coming darkness. This was after two months out.
Satellite phone still did not work. This meant that they needed to stay close to the border of the Wilderness to pick up cell phone signal to work through the issue. This was sort of ironic since the idea of going into the Wilderness was to show what the area was like without human interference. But they needed to communicate with the outside world in order to show this experience. A Catch-022.
They could listen to the news and were horrified by news of the Paris attacks. They faced their own dangers, but none felt as threatening as that of the outside world and its tendency for maliciousness.
Winter was on its way and the lakes were icing over. But they had to be careful as the ice was not thick enough to hold weight in all places.
In how many places in this country, we wondered, can you still experience true silence? This was as the animals either had migrated or had burrowed away, the Freemans were the only thing around moving. Do we really want to experience complete silence?
Wilderness offers [a] sense of cosmic purpose if we open our hearts and minds to its possibilities. Sigurd Olson - unknown book. As I was reading this statement, I was wondering if that is the reason why many people think of wilderness or the outdoors as something to be conquered rather than a place of revealing? It can be startling to have something about yourself revealed, particularly how vulnerable you are.
There are many descriptions of wildlife.
Winter
Right from the beginning, the Winter section talks about the tenseness of crossing a frozen lake. Will there be a spot which has thin ice? They feel safer in the middle of the lake than along the shores where the ice may be thinner. In many ways the new experiences and challenges we face are what draw us back to wild places. Wilderness pushes us and makes us better, leaving us more confident in ourselves and our ability to work together. This may be true as there are people who look at me and think I know more than I think I know and are willing to take my leadership, even though I do not feel especially confident myself. It may be the time I have spent outdoors which has built that image.
And then there is the warming in December where the lakes started opening up, making travel unsafe.
One time when Dave Freeman was going to the bathroom, a pine marten chased a snowshoe hare right past his feet. How often do you get to watch a predator chase its prey in your bathroom? I am hoping not too many times :-)
Christmas brought along a time of despondency as they had been mostly isolated, except for a satellite phone and a few visitors for about two months.
They traded in the canoe as the lakes froze solid for skis and a toboggan. Also a little later there was a dogsled team. Three things sled dogs love: food, pulling, and human attention
There is no point in fighting the elements, suffering unnecessarily, or taking dangerous risks. We’ve learned that it is better to wait for favorable weather and work with nature.
Even in the outdoors, there can be periods of frustration. The ground does not cooperate, too cold, too warm, … A note, I do not think I read where the Freemans argued or had a difference of opinion in the book, except when others were with them, such as the videographers. Not sure if I just skipped over it. There is mention in the next chapter about times of slight grumpiness. That would melt away when they would launch the canoe.
Meantime in the outside world, what the Freemans were sharing was affecting the discussion on the mining concern. Powerful people, such as the Governor were weighing in and telling the mining concern that this was not a good place to mine and that they would be opposing the mine permits.
Interesting about the coldness of the area. Looking at the seasonal temperatures for Ely, MN, they are routinely double digits below 0F. Once the temps get above 0, the Freemans think it is getting too warm. They are a different breed of outdoor people than what I am.
Winter is ending and ice is melting.
They continue to talk about Nature as a personality. Nature did not care about living things, such as a moose who had probably fallen through ice. Nor would Nature care if they fell through. Seems like many people who enjoy the outdoors have traded in a loving God for an unfeeling force. Which is better? Which is more intune with reality?
Challenges overcome out in the wilderness often lead to the best memories and lasting positive effects.
They noted that most of their anniversaries-round March 21st, have been spent out in a tent. They have not given each other gifts. They noted that this helps cut down on the clutter in their lives which seems to afflict everyone.
At the end of Winter, they return Acorn and Tina back to Frank. They keep Tank for the remainder of the trip.
Spring
But Winter is not quite done yet. When they trade out their toboggans for the canoe, it snows and they need to retrieve one of their toboggans.
Changing seasons required creative solutions. Such as lashing the toboggan to their canoe to travel over ice. Also there were still times where the weather dictated their activities. During bad weather, they were content to stay in their tent and do indoor activities: reading, writing, … I suspect their version of bad weather is a lot worse than mine would be.
Talks about Type I and Type II fun. See the Outward Bound site.
They still had responsibilities as well. Such as filing taxes by April 15th.
As much as they had been out in the wild, they were still learning the sounds of particular birds. Maybe there is hope for me? Or maybe I need to concentrate a bit more.
To them, it was getting unseasonably warm. I think this may have been someplace in the high 30’s. Definitely not warm for Fresno. Later on, maybe three weeks later the book says that it is now in the 60’s. But then again, if you have been in -0F temps, then that makes a difference as well.
Talks a little bit about smoke coming in from the Ft McMurray fire in Alberta. This is the same fire which I read last year in the book Fire Weather by John Vaillant
Something which I have noticed about their writing is that there is a tendency to start a story and then drop it rather than develop it. Such as she talks about meeting a group from the Outward Bound school which had been out 19 days, but could not fathom that the Freemans had been out 227 days. That is the end of what is said. But it seems like there would have been more to the story. Or maybe I am just reading more into it than what they wanted to say. They are into the play by play of their time.
On the other hand, a strength is at times they observe things like a moose without much of his fur coat. Why? The moose was trying to remove the ticks on his coat and had rubbed against a tree. Reason why there were so many ticks? Warmer weather in the Winter made it so insects multiplied faster.
Nights were conducive to being by a campfire when friends would come in. Also recreational folks were being seen more frequently. Sometimes their favorite campsites were in use.
There is one scene in which they describe dragonflies going through metamorphosis. The authors noted that all the adult humans turned into little kids. I think that is what curiosity does to us. We want to understand what is going on and there is fascination when we truly observe. I think this is a window into understanding God-seeing the world through His eyes.
When humans are insulated from the world--by cars, houses, light switches, and water faucets--it can be easy to forget that we are part of nature, and that clean air and water are essential for us as well.
Song: This Quiet Place by Jerry Vandiver and others.
Summer
Mundane stuff. Also seeing lots more people. Concerns about thunderstorms-particularly since the death of Carl Waltz, brother of Tim Waltz who was a congressman at the time, now governor and was the 2024 Vice Presidential candidate.
Times of peace and tranquility and beauty. But there are also times of danger, rage and brutality. The wilderness is a wonderful teacher. Often its toughest lessons are the ones that stick with us the longest, …
The Forest Service held a listening session Most of the comments were in favor of keeping the Boundary Waters area protected.
Explained that Boundary Waters is made up of three units. They are not contiguous , but the Forest recognizes certain ways of moving between units as continuous travel.
Talks about the destruction of a wind which happened a couple of years before. They detail a night in which they were caught out in a storm with limbs falling, close to their tent. Also one limb almost smashing their canoe.
They became more aware of motorized boats as the Summer season progressed, depending on the location where they were.
The publisher of Milkwood Press, the publisher of this book, came out to meet them, brought by Becky Rom.
Talks about wild rice and the importance it is to the wildlife. Also how pollutants will kill the wild rice which will make one less food source for animals.
They are down to their final days in the Wilderness. Talks about how they feel, do they want to return? We have to put all that noise away and make pilgrimages to wild places; we have to slow down, unplug, and just be.
Humorous line-they washed their clothes because even though they did not notice their smell, it may be because they had gotten accustomed to their own odors. I think this is true. After two weeks out without a shower, I did not notice my own smell, except when I climbed into my sleeping bag. There, I could not put my head inside the bag for too long without a sense of not being able to breathe in.
They were leaving the Boundary Waters with regret. They had everything they needed: food, water, shelter, companionship. I wonder how much of the food and companionship would be going away if they became permanent residences instead of campaign representatives to save this area? Or what would they rely upon if one of them got hurt?
The Freemans ask questions about the nature of boundaries? The need to protect places like this outside of the boundary.
There was a crowd greeting them, along with news interviews.From the outside, they appear to be re-entering the “real world”. From the Freemans perspective they are exiting it and coming into something artificial.
Onward
For the next several months, they moved at the speed of society, giving testimony to the place called Boundary Waters. But had they adjusted to being away? Probably in some ways, but in many ways not.
The Freemans point out that we are tied to the land and that many of the ways we live are artificial. They point out it is in our DNA to live close to the land. But I am wondering what would happen to places like the Boundary Waters if 100,00 people decided to do what they did?
A decision by the BLM and Forest Service came that there would be no development permits within the Boundary Waters watershed for two years, giving time to study. And a recommendation for a 20 year moratorium. In December 2017 there was a reversal of the decision and a lawsuit.
Evaluation:
The problem with outdoors books, particularly those of a prolonged journey, is that there is a tendency to be very repetitive. But that is also a virtue of these books. The outdoors life is made of three things: eat, sleep, move. The Freemans have added a fourth element: observe.
And that is the goal of this book, to observe and report on life in the Boundary Wilderness. A mining interest wants to dig in an area close to the border of the Wilderness. The Freemans want to report on what effects such a venture will have. They are not impartial observers but go into the wilderness to advocate for it and preserve it.
How do they do this? Predominantly through their canoeing. But as Winter freezes the lakes, they talk about picking up Tank, a loaner musher dog-the Freemans dogsled in the Winter. They snowshoe and cross-country ski around the area, talking about the camps they do and the things they see.
They do that through their presence, writings and photographs, motivating thousands of people to write in protest of granting the permits. While the writing is rather common, the pictures they present are powerful, complimenting the descriptions. If nothing else, pick up the book to view the pictures. Then see how people can live in sub 0F weather with just nylon between them and the outside.
Notes from my book group:
How much time have you spent alone? For how long? What did this do to your sense of a passage of time? How does the sense of waiting affect this sense vs when it is open ended?
In how many places in this country, we wondered, can you still experience true silence? Have you experienced silence? What does silence sound like to you? Do you want to experience true silence?
Sigurd Olson noted that Wilderness offers [a] sense of cosmic purpose if we open our hearts and minds to its possibilities. What is this cosmic purpose which Olson talks about? What does it reveal? Why is being in the wilderness an instigator of it?
The Freemans took a year out of their lives to save Boundary Waters. What would you do to save something you loved?
When you go somewhere new, do you feel stronger afterwards? More able to cope with change? Wilderness pushes us and makes us better, leaving us more confident in ourselves and our ability to work together.
There is a tendency to talk about Nature as having a personality. How do you envision what or who Nature is? How does this fit into your belief system?
What is Type I and Type II fun? What Type II fun have you had and why did you think it was fun later on? What can you learn from this metamorphosis of what is hardship and what is fun?
When was the last time you observed something small going about its business? Maybe something like an ant. Was it boring? Fascinating? … What kept you interested?
The Freemans noted that they had everything they needed: food, water, shelter, companionship. How were each of these obtained during their adventure? How could they have made this sustainable for more than a year? How would they have taken care of things in an emergency?
It sounded like the Freemans were advocating more people take to the outdoors for longer periods of time. What kinds of preparations would a person need for this activity? Is there a limit to how many people an area like Boundary Waters could sustain without damage?
What is the real world?
Wild places cannot maintain their wildness when encroachment of populations and industry happens. Large masses of people cannot exist in our modern civilization without industry. How do we work out the needs of both? Is this a case where we need to figure out what is more important? If so, how do we do that?
Was there something which this book motivated you to do? What did you do?
How do you want your life to change because you read this book?
Many of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.
Why the title of A Year in the Wilderness?
Does this story work as an adventure?
Did the ending seem fitting? Satisfying? Predictable?
Every story has a world view. Were you able to identify this story’s world view? What was it? How did it affect the story?
In what context was religion talked about in this book?
Was there anybody you would consider religious?
How did they show it?
Why do you think the authors wrote this book?
What would you ask the authors if you had a chance?
What “takeaways” did you have from this book?
What central ideas does the author present?
How did this book affect your view of the world?
Of how God is viewed?
What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?
Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?
What was memorable?
New Words:
- skijor-a winter sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog (or dogs), another animal, or a motor vehicle. The name is derived from the Norwegian word skikjøring, meaning "ski driving". Although skijoring is said to have originated as a mode of winter travel, it is currently primarily a competitive sport. From Wikipedia
- mukluks-a sealskin or reindeer-skin boot typically worn by Indigenous peoples of usually arctic regions of Alaska, Greenland, and eastern Siberia.
- Rod-5.5 yards
- portage-the carrying of a boat or its cargo between two navigable waters.
- flails-a threshing tool consisting of a wooden staff with a short heavy stick swinging from it.
- The Singing Wilderness by Sigurd Olson
- The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
- Indian Creek Chronicles by Peter Fromm
- Afloat Again, Adrift by Andy Keith
- Trader, Tripper, Trapper by Sydney Augustus Keighley
- The Boat Which Wouldn’t Float by Farley Mowat
- Being Caribou by Karsten Heuer
- Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kanter
Good Quotes:
- First Line: It was 11:00pm on September 22, 2025 and we were busy sifting through boxes of food and piles of gear strewn across our pre-expedition headquarters in a friend’s home near Ely.
- Last Line: Now, more than ever we must speak loudly for those quiet places.
- In how many places in this country, we wondered, can you still experience true silence? Chp Fall
- Wilderness pushes us and makes us better, leaving us more confident in ourselves and our ability to work together. Chp Winter
- Challenges overcome out in the wilderness often lead to the best memories and lasting positive effects. Chp Winter
- When humans are insulated from the world--by cars, houses, light switches, and water faucets--it can be easy to forget that we are part of nature, and that clean air and water are essential for us as well. Chp Spring
- The wilderness is a wonderful teacher. Often its toughest lessons are the ones that stick with us the longest, Chp Summer
- We have to put all that noise away and make pilgrimages to wild places; we have to slow down, unplug, and just be. Chp Summer
- Beginning
- Fall
- Winter
- Spring
- Summer
- Onward
- Acknowledgments
References:
- Publisher's Web Site for Book
- Author's Web Site
- Amazon-Book
- Amazon-Author- Amy and Dave
- GoodReads-Book
- GoodReads-Author
- Los Angeles ReviewYouTube
- Nate Ptacek - behind the scenes
- National Geographic Adventure
- 2014 Adventurer of the year
- After a Year in the Wilderness, Adventurers Return to Reality
- A Year in the Wilderness: Hauling Over Thin Ice – Week 10, Post #5
- Paddling the Amazon's “River of Doubt” 100 Years After Roosevelt
- Save The Boundary Waters
