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Wilderness Survival Short Story: The Back Country Journey
The Decision
It was a thought that ran through Jared's head for years. How does one make his way into the wilderness and live off the land for good? The more city life he endured the more he longed for the freedom of the wild. The clean country air was something this middle aged man thought of often.
Jared wasn't a green horn or anything when it came to outdoor life, he spent many a day wandering the thick Adirondack country side hiking, hunting, fishing and camping and most of his child hood was spent doing the same. For sure living at a camp site for a week or two was totally different than spending months at a time in rugged country and solitude but, his wandering mind couldn't be helped.
I think the tipping point came when he lost his job at the Tin cut factory. Cut backs they told him. No room for an ol country boy anymore with all the younger folks coming in for work force and at a much cheaper pay scale. It was a devastating blow to Jared and his wife Madeline. Twenty years right down the crapper! Benefits, pension, everything all gone.
At first Jared pounded the pavement looking for work, filled out more applications than he could count, but with such a down turn in most local business the door just got slammed in his face time after time. Even tried cutting lawns for extra cash, but with so many out of work most locals were cutting there own lawns.
They talked about this journey many times before, Madeline supported the decision. "We have no kids and we are still young enough if we cant make it we can always come back and start over." They both knew though there was no second chances. One mistake out in the Wild country and your life could be over quickly.
Besides now a days selling a house and all your possessions and heading for free range back country isn't as easy as talking about it. A plan was needed.