Wilderness Exodus

Wilderness Exodus

Reach Savage

Father and son had prepared for the fly-in fishing trip of a lifetime. For months, they organized their gear, studied fishing tactics and prepared to be successful in their quest for trophy fish on a wilderness lake in northern Ontario, Canada. As the day for departure approached, they could hardly contain their excitement. Finally, the day arrived. They loaded their gear into the family truck and headed north through Michigan's Lower Peninsula, across the Mackinac Bridge, through the Upper Peninsula and crossed into Canada over the bridge at the Soo Locks. 400+ miles and many hours later, they arrived at their destination - the small frontier settlement of Kanina. They found the outfitter's camp on the shore of a small lake and their Beaver float plane tethered to the dock, ready to transport them to the wilderness camp on the shore of an unspoiled and barely fished lake more than 100 miles further into the bush.

The plane took to the air on schedule at 7:00 am, lifting powerfully off the glass-like surface of the small lake and banking gently but quickly to the northeast. The flight was awe-inspiring to Eric Jamieson and Eric, Jr. They stared wide-eyed at the impressive panaroma of trackless wilderness spreading out for thousands of square miles in all directions. They had no premonition of how wrong things would go so quickly - and how the preparations they had made for their trip would pale in comparison to the survival skills and intestinal fortitude they would be forced to call upon as they found themselves in the Canadian bush after surviving a plane crash that killed their French-Canadian bush pilot.

This is their story. It is first and foremost a story of survival as father and son struggle to stay alive and secondly a story of dogged determination to return to the lives they left behind, seemingly in an instant. The flora and fauna of the Canadian wilderness play a major role and are described in vivid detail, as is the transition young Eric is making from boy to man. Parallels are drawn and contrasts made between the simple lives of our ancestors and the relative "comfort" of mankind in the world of today. One struggle after another is described in detail as are the solutions found as each is overcome. Twists and turns along the way keep the reader plowing ahead, wondering what will happen next.

It is a good read that will provide great entertainment and serious food for thought, as well.