As Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin
with a single step,” and for the owners of Wine Lake Camp the first step was
the largest of them all. They dive
in head first unaware that there are sacrifices they must make, cold they must
face, as well as things and people they must leave behind. As the torch is
passed off so are the hardships, the long hours, the stress, but also the joy.
As the new year arrives the torch is handed to the new owner of Wine Lake Camp.
He spends hours planning, packing,
and preparing himself to be away from his family for months. The truck is
started and he pulls out unaware of what journey is ahead of him. All he knows
is he is pursuing his lifelong dream. Scenery passes by and he drives for many
long hours as the distance between him and what he has always called home grows
larger. When he nears the landing the landscape becomes vibrant and beautiful.
He reaches the Eagle’s Nest and
tries to comprehend that he is almost there. Everything around him is
breathtaking. The snow and ice have melted earlier than expected and the
temperature was supposed to reach eighty degrees. He gets his first real taste
of what it is like to be a camp owner: you never know what the weather will be
like during opening weeks.
The bay is picture perfect. Fed off of a waterfall the water
reflects the blue of the cloudless sky. The dock is empty; waiting and ready to
be lined with boats for the upcoming season. He unloads his truck into the
Eagle’s Nest, and prepares to journey to the camp first thing in the morning.
As daylight approaches his first real challenge ensues. Overnight he had fallen
ill. Unable to go out on the boat he has no way to get to the camp and loses an
entire day of work. When he recovers, he excitedly sets out to find Wine Lake.
After taking a few wrong turns, and crossing the portage, the giddy new owner
catches his first glimpse of the thing he has been working so hard for.
He spends some time getting to know the camp, but must
return to the landing for the night. After crossing the portage again, he
learns his second lesson: always bring enough gas. He is able to get himself to
the camp Sleepy Dog where he meets Tom, the son of Wine Lake Camp’s original owners.
Tom gives him gas and a meal, and Nick goes on his way. The sun comes up the next
day and he is unaware that it will be a very grueling day. It is filled with
trips back and forth, and across the portage. The precious cargo consists of
Wine Lake gear, files, office supplies, and much more. Everything he
transferred between boats by hand.
By the time he pulls up to the boat shop at the end of the
day he is drained. He closes up and heads to the lodge. He sits for a while and
collects his thoughts. He is overflowing with emotions of joy, excitement,
fear, stress, and satisfaction. He is finally here after all the years of
dreaming. He gets ready for bed, it is another early day tomorrow, and it
doesn’t get easier. He finds himself already missing his family. One more
glance out the window and he goes up to bed.
He wakes up and bundles up. The temperature has dropped
significantly since he first arrived; it is now in the low forties. He climbs
in the boat and starts on his way to pick up some old friends. The wind is cold
and brutal but he presses on. He arrives at the landing to find none other but
the wonderful Ann and Herb. It is another grueling day of carrying and
transporting, but they make it. The next days will be a challenge for Nick. He
has less than two weeks to learn anything and everything. Two weeks to learn as
much as he can about what Ann and Herb learned in thirty. The three of them
accomplish as much as they can before dark. When they finish the come together
and head to the lodge for dinner.
A few days of hard work later, Nick returns to the landing
once more to pick up his new employees Brent, and Karen. When he greets them he
can tell they are eager for this new adventure. They made it in and were
unpacking when they decided to play a trick on Nick. He had set a trap to catch
squirrels, but had caught a chipmunk. He set the cage on the dock for him and
Herb to take with them to release. They forgot the chipmunk on the dock and
left on the boat. Brent and Karen saw this. They released the chipmunk, reset
the trap, and happened to catch the squirrel. Knowing that is what Nick was
trying to do, they set the cage back where they found it. Nick and Herb return
to find their chipmunk has turned into a squirrel! The can’t believe it. They
ask around, but no one seems to know what happened. Everyone finishes with their
day and decide to meet again early the next morning. As everyone in the camp
gathers around the lake to learn how to use the water pump, Karen and Brent
finally confess that they caught the squirrel. They have a good laugh and carry
on now that the mystery is finally solved.
