Campfire Story #1: The Boxer Shorts Run
I was so wrapped up in life that I forgot to change into my running shorts. Halfway through my run, I realized I was running in my boxers!
Fortunately, they were dark blue and mostly covered by my T-shirt, so no harm done...
Imagine it—a retired Army officer and Ranger preparing to embark on one of the biggest adventures of his life, accidentally deploying in his underwear.
What struck me wasn't the mistake. A week ago, I probably would have been embarrassed. Today, I just laughed. Maybe that's progress.
As the Fire Dies Down...
Maybe healing isn't when you stop making mistakes.
Maybe healing is when you stop letting every mistake define you... and instead allow it to become part of the story that carried you to a better place.
Campfire Story #2: The Test of Time
Time doesn't magically make things true.
Time exposes what was true all along.
Patience
Real patience isn't passive.
It's active without being forceful.
A farmer isn't passive while waiting for harvest.
He prepares the soil.
Plants.
Waters.
Pulls weeds.
Then...
He waits.
Patience is confidence that reality doesn't need to be rushed.
Trust
It's not just about trusting other people.
It's about trusting the process of life itself.
Whatever unfolds...
I'll meet it.
You're no longer trusting outcomes.
You're trusting your capacity.
Letting Things Unfold
Some things reveal themselves only after you've stopped trying to manufacture them.
Understanding What Matters Endures
Character.
Friendship.
Integrity.
Love.
Purpose.
Truth.
What matters endures.
What is real does not fear time.
It is revealed by it.
Campfire Story #3: The Blank Postcard
A postcard sent from one of the most beautiful places on earth... sent after a few beers and a whiskey tasting.
Intended to say: "I'm excited to see you and make memories!"
Arrives blank... lol
Sometimes the message matters more than the words.
Campfire Story #4: Man's Best Friend
I unexpectedly made a new best friend. My good friend's dog, Scout, took a liking to me. He'd come lay next to me, often leaning into me or giving me his dog kisses in appreciation & love.
He was happiest when on the adventure. Even if he didn't always hit the trail with us. He simply wanted to be a part of it.
Scout didn't know I was on a grand expedition shakeout, where I had been, or what I had done. He didn't care. He simply recognized and experienced a good human... and for reasons only Scout knows, he decided I was his person for those moments.
Sometimes connection simply recognizes connection. There is something special about earning the trust of an animal. They don't care about your story. They simply respond to your presence.
Campfire Story #5: Bad Mood Bison
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There we were, maybe 200 feet from an angry snorting bison. We had pulled off to see a herd of bison next to the road in Hayden Valley in Yellowstone. One lone big male buffalo stood on the hilltop snorting and stirring up dust. My friend Lisa said, "He's angry!" It wasn't long after that he suddenly turned and made a beeline towards us a full run. After I realized he wasn't stopping, I yelled to Lisa, "Get in the Jeep" as we hopped in a quickly fired it up hoping to avoid another buffalo-human ragdoll incident.
It was a little intense in the moment, but we looked back on it and laughed. It will be forever remembered as the Bad Mood Bison incident where we, too, almost became a meme!
The bison wasn't angry at us. He was simply being a bison.
Campfire Story #6: The Journey
I left home thinking I was testing an Expedition. I discovered the Expedition was testing me.
I planned campsites, destinations, gear, logistics, workouts, and systems...
And the journey introduced uncertainty, loneliness, adaptation, vulnerability, connection, beauty, discomfort, and unexpected lessons.
You can prepare for where you're going, but you can't prepare for what you'll experience along the way. That's life.
The mosquitos didn't care about my comfort.
The weather didn't care that I wanted to be outside.
And reality didn't care what my plan was.
Maybe the purpose of the journey isn't to arrive as the person you imagined becoming. Maybe it's the courage to meet and embrace the person you become along the way.
I asked myself before I left... who is Scott when all of the structure is removed? I think the Expedition shakeout gave me a preview.
I'm a man who still wants connection. A man who still seeks adventure. A man who still has room to grow. A man who still gets emotional. A man who still can laugh at himself and his circumstances. A man who still gets surprised. And most importantly, a man that chooses forward movement.
That's actually a pretty good discovery.
And the real expedition hasn't even started yet.
This expedition isn't about escaping the old chapter of my life. It's about fully embracing my next one.
The journey continues...
Campfire Story #7: An open gate doesn't mean the road is open.
I arrived in Yellowstone ready to claim my incredible boondock sight on Blacktail Plateau Drive. But alas the gate was closed. Dejected, I found another amazing free campsite above Gardiner, MT. The next day as i head into Lamar Valley, I noticed that the gate was open, so I turned around and headed up to the site. While there is practiced using my new Vortex spotting scope. I checked with Chat GPT about the legality of staying up there since there weren't any "No Camping signs posted at either the gate or the site. Park policy prohibits staying in the site since it doesn't meet the backcountry criteria, and I didn't have a backcountry camping pass. So, after eating lunch up there, I left. I had noticed that the stream of cars that had passed my spot abruptly stopped, so I assumed they had shut the gate for some reason. As I got to the bottom of the one-way drive, I noticed a Park Ranger Ford Explorer stopped facing the wrong way. I stopped, and eventually the Ranger cautiously approached. He asked me how I got up there, and I simply told him I drove in through the gate. Incredulously, he told me the road has been closed for days. I explained that there were several vehicles in front of me and behind me. But that I had stayed up there for awhile to use my new scope. He didn't seem like he was buying it. He asked for my drivers license and called me and my truck in. Fortunately both came back clean and he let me go on my way. LOL! All part of the adventure!
Campfire Story #8: Wolves of Lamar Valley, Yellowstone.
I decided to get a Vortex spotting scope to view wildlife and get better long-range pictures. I went to Lamar Valley in Yellowstone and was treated to a pack of about 12 wolves stalking and harassing a heard of bison. Wolves happen to be my favorite animal, and to see a pack that large in action was a true blessing! Unfortunately, I need a better phone mount... I wasn't able to get pictures.
Campfire Story #9: Adopted!
I was hiking up the trail to Delta Lake in the Tetons and kept passing and then getting passed by a group of three ladies... a mom and her two daughters. It happened enough times that we started chatting and I learned they were from Minnesota. Eventually, we introduced ourselves and ended up walking together. They basically adopted me as one of their own. It certainly made the adventure more enjoyable for everyone!
Campfire story # 10: It was my last day in the Sawtooth mountains, and I had yet to paddle the pristine waters of Redfish Lake. But that morning I woke up to a dense fog that wasn't burning off like it usually did. It was mid-day and I decided to do a load of laundry at the Lodge figuring the day was a bust, and that I would just drive on to Cascade, ID. However, as I was drying my clothes, the fog lifted revealing an amazingly beautiful day. I knew this was my "now or never" opportunity, so I seized it! I paddled out onto that beautiful lake and even dove off the swim platform into what was probably 55-degree water. Very cold but not quite take your breath away cold. So, not only did I get to paddle beautiful Redfish Lake, but I got my cold plunge in, too! And I took videos of both, so I'd have pictures for the coffee table book Im going to make after this trip!
Campfire Story #11: Nudge from the Universe & Reality
In an interesting turn of events, I decided NOT to attend Octoberfest in Leavenworth, WA for the second day in a row (maybe I'm getting too old for the chaos and prefer nature?), and instead, decided to go to Wenatchee, WA for a workout, shower, and a movie (Brad Pitt's Heart of the Beast - great movie!). I decided to stay up on the mountain overlooking the city/valley for the night. As I went about drinking my coffees and eating breakfast over the course of my now notoriously slow morning the next day, I got the feeling that I should do PMCS (Preventive Maintenance Checks & Services - Army term) on my Lexus. Good thing I did! I noticed the coolant reservoir was empy, so I decided to check under the vehicle. I noticed coolant hanging on the bottom of the radiator housing, but not an obvious puddle or moisture on the ground. Luckily, I had some coolant with me, so I filled the reservoir and decided to have it checked out the next day since it was Sunday. As I got to the Toyota dealer, I looked under the front of the truck and noticed the leak had significantly worsened and cooland was all over the suspension, etc! I told the service writer my plight, and they determined they could squeeze me in. Additionally, they just happen to do rentals for a very reasonable price, too. So glad I found this in a place it could get fixed vs out in the wilderness of the North Cascades! All because my "intuition" told me to check my fluids. Grateful for that, and the lesson is always trust your intuition! And the reality? Things will happen in life, and we just need to deal with them and not worry about it. Soon I'll be onward to many more Tier One adventures! Prost!