If an adventure takes place…

If an adventure takes place but we didn’t capture it for social media, did it really happen?

Social media has sure integrated into all of our lives, even the lives of the outdoor enthusiasts. Not too long ago, we would just follow the lives of the rich and famous for a glimpse into their fascinating lives. Now we can follow a climber to the Summit of Everest, or down a raging class 5 river, or off a mountain peak for a first ski descent. Add to that we can follow the less experienced but social savvy personality on a more local simple adventure or their trip of a lifetime.

I totally get it though; outdoor adventures can impact us so deeply that we want to share that experience with everyone. We are so taken with the moment that we want to shout at the top of our lungs “how awesome is this!” I can still remember my first trip north of La Ronge, SK onto the rapids of the Churchill River. The views, the smells, the clean water, the camp spots, and pulling a wicked eddy turn on Mosquito Rapids with folks watching and cheering from the island… Amazing. It was over 20 years ago but ingrained in my memory to recall at any moment. It was such a wonderfully positive experience and I wanted to share it. I did shout out to anyone I could to “head up north”, and “paddle on the Churchill”. Back then the internet was rarely used and therefore no social media so I guess you can say I reached out to people the old fashion way. I became a canoe instructor, and taught and trained everyone I could so they too could experience what I knew.

We are inundated with more information each day then ever before via news, events, crises, plus the trivial matter to boot. Campgrounds have WiFi, cell phones work on the top of most mountains. (In February I read that Mt. Everest will have WiFi up at 17,600 ft. ) I wonder if I text a TNF athlete while enroute to the summit, will they respond?

I am a little jealous of some of the great pictures I see posted from the various adventures that I have followed. A little less impressed when I learned that you can doctor the heck out of an image on Instagram but hey, they still took a picture. I have never been much of a photo nut, relying more on taking in the overall scenery and experience for memory recall. My favorite part of summer is my Northern Canadian canoe trip where I don’t have cell service, and therefore cannot be reached. Sure on some trips I take a Satellite phone for emergencies, or have used other devices like SPOT. But I am not connected, except to the surrounding nature.

To all the great adventurers out there, thank you for all the pictures, posts, and information. Don’t forget to unplug and experience a trip for yourself first hand every once in a while. Geoff Horn