Culture Shock
The wilderness is dynamic, so beautiful, so rugged. The mountains try and kill everyone. Regardless of what you do in them, they are trying to kill you. Everything we had been doing for the last 30 plus days was risk management. Is what we are about to do safe, is there a better way to do this. Laying in the grass eating a sandwich, my toes catching the air, all of that went away. Gone.
The supermarket was our playground. Each one of us was given $20-$30 which was to last us five meals until we got back to PNW, the staging area in Washington. It was mass chaos, students running up and down the isle with candy and soda. After the instructors had gathered us back in the van we headed to our last camp sight. "Camp sight," RV parking lot would be a better description. Bathrooms and clean, running water just down the road; camp was quickly assembled and warm, fed, NOLS students were quickly asleep.
Packing camp up, we piled in the vans and drove toward the dock to catch our ferry. Watching the landscape scroll by like some three year old's movie rewinding continuously, I watched but didn't see anything. Boarding the ferry was a shock. Weird smells. So many people. So much noise. In time I found my way to the top deck and just sat watching the islands move by trying to be as small as possible as the trappings of "normal" life surrounded me. Sitting on the deck in a t-shirt, hiking pants, hat and sun glasses, warm and comfortable, I replayed in my mind the last thirty days, amazed that it was over. It was so loud, everywhere was loud. Having grown accustomed to hearing the gravel under my boots, the wind moving across the trees, the breathing of the rest of my team, this sudden change overwhelmed me. Hundreds of people, all talking, music going, the engines rumbling below decks, processing all of it was challenging and tiring.
Staggering back to the vehicle we off loaded and headed toward the border. A few hours later filled with junk food and spotty singing, the gate came in sight. Through that gate PNW was a few hours away. It was at that point that the mood changed, becoming very serious. All food wrappers were to be hidden, hats and sunglasses were to be off, and we were to be quiet and let Jorn talk for the group. The officer professionally checked each passport quickly working through the blue ones, but stopped on Jorn's and Mandeep's. The van was directed inside to speak with a manager, who with luck would clear Jorn for entry, but Mandeep was out of luck. The issue, to my knowledge, was that both Jorn and Mandeep had a one month work visa, which due to the late evacuation time had expired the day before. Jeff, a United States citizen, was going to take all the students back to PNW, should Jorn and Mandeep be unable to cross over. The officer who helped us inside was diligent and professional, and after about an hour had given the green light for both Jorn and Mandeep to cross the border. Quickly loading into the van we exited the crossing hardly believing our luck, cheering quietly once the van door had closed.
Hurry Up and Wait
The energy which had carried us through that morning had worn off, and combined with the warm car, this soon had most people asleep or close to. My mind had finally started the transition back to being accustomed to the sounds of civilization, but was having a hard time processing everything, thus it soon found its way to its empty box where it stayed until PNW came into sight. Getting out of the vehicle was unique due to stiff limbs and slowed minds. After gathering us, the PNW staff informed us of the current situation; our parents or emergency contacts had been notified of the delay and we would each have the opportunity to contact them, and that we could stay at PNW until we had arranged for travel home. Next we had to check in all of our gear, during which time we were encouraged to reach out to our family members or emergency contacts and touch base with them. Showers were available, dinner would be ready in a few hours. After checking my gear in and setting up my clean sleeping bag under the tent, I then called my parents, who didn't sound surprised or worried. After asking about what caused the delay they said that nothing felt wrong about it so they weren't worried about it. Ok then.
Next I started working on what I had to do to get back home, getting a plane ticket and bus ride to the airport, that was about as far as I got before they told me the good news; it had all been taken care of. Having booked the flight with their card, they were able to move the flight back as well as the hotel. My new flight was in three days as they figured that would be enough extra time to get everything done in time.
My parents rock.
Dinner came and went, as did the night. My flight was one of the last flights of the trip because the others scheduled their flights sooner, watching the group leave in small handfuls was kinda like watching a town become a ghost town. By the time I left for my hotel the night before my flight, it was just me and one other member of the original goup. Upon arriving at the hotel I opened a card from my parents which bought pizza and wings. I had gotten a shower at PNW but decided another one wouldn't hurt. After the mirror had cleared a I got my first good look at myself in over a month. Patchy facial hair, and my body was very thin and tired. looking After hacking at my face with a razor, the pizza and wings arrived, which I devoured. After packing my duffel and insuring my hotel room was storm proofed, I set my alarm and lay in bed trying to go to sleep. Four hours later having not found sleep, I seriously contemplated sleeping on the floor because it would be more comfortable. But what was messing with me the most was the smell of clean. It was weird. You'll either know what I'm talking about or you wont.
Sleep came almost too late.
Home
Catching the bus was almost easy, a short half mile to the station, and soon we were blowing by traffic in the HOV lane toward the airport. It was shocking, moving so fast, so much noise, I found myself almost unable to process everything. Blinking, a cup of coffee in my hand I am suddenly listening to live music waiting for my plane. The lady next to me on the airplane was worried about the delay, in my mind I thought about how it was better then walking. All day I was watching, watching everything, trying to take it all in before it was fast-forwarded. I felt sorry for all of the people who were missing out on life as it went by without their knowledge. They were so tied up in their phones, instead of enjoying the way the clouds rolled over themselves, or the suns reflection off the water. Flying into Denver I thought about my trip to the best of my ability but all I knew was that it was over.
Everything I had experienced, was suddenly over.
It be that way sometimes.
Conclusion
It has been a journey, a long journey which in no way went the way I thought it was going to.
Thank you for reading the story of WAD 6/8, hoped you enjoyed it.
I have completed my Ski Area Operations Associates from Colorado Mountain College, Timberline Campus and am working year around at Beaver Creek Resort.
