Retrospect: the woodsperson

Self-tutoring about past events and situations: the tutor mentions one that’s intrigued him.

One morning in December 2006 I was out with my younger son for a walk in the woods. It was sunny and cold, with about an inch of fresh snow lying about. My son was two, so was running here and there, though never far away.

You might walk often in the woods, yet always pass by certain places. A trail might lead off and disappear around a corner only a few metres from the main one. For some reason, people seem to agree on where is desirable to go, and where to avoid. Therefore, you usually have places almost never visited that are very close to others that commonly are. In the woods, the limited visibility separates such places. Yet, as logic suggests, inevitably a “deserted” place borders a frequented one. Very often, as others have pointed out as well, places that are avoided by people are often closer to the road than places well traveled.

This sunny, cold December morning, my son and I were in an area less traveled, yet near a well-traveled one. I’d known of signs that someone spent a lot of time out there, but was discreet. This morning that wasn’t on my mind. Yet, up a shallow hill, my son saw smoke coming out of the ground. He began to run towards it.

I followed my son right behind, suspecting what was happening. When we arrived at the source of the smoke we found a dugout shelter. Steps had been fashioned in the turf, even. Its entry ditch was on one side only, maybe going five feet down. Because it was at the top of the hill, you couldn’t see it unless you were right beside it.

A tarp blocked the entrance, so we never saw inside. I admired the workmanship for a moment: it was pretty well turned out. Then, I led my son away: I didn’t want to disturb the woodsperson living there.

I went back around May, suspecting the woodsperson would be gone – they were. The shelter was wrecked, with remnants of clothing, bedding, and camping gear lying around. There were also many newspapers and magazines – the woodsperson was obviously an avid reader.

As I recall, the oil boom was happening in Alberta then. When I saw the shelter in December, I figured they were planning to live in it through winter, then strike out for the mainland when spring came. A person who lived outside for so many months would easily be able to make it to Alberta in good weather.

Once in a while the kids and I would return to the deserted shelter – every time, there’d be fewer remnants as nature slowly reclaimed them.

As I’ve mentioned, that area of the woods, though near a well-traveled place, wasn’t frequented. Yet, some kids built BMX tracks there. They left one or two signs that they knew of the woodsperson. The kids may even have encountered her/him.

Probably, the kids and the woodsperson were alike attracted by the seclusion that area offered. (BTW: it hasn’t changed.) One might wonder how they interacted – some of the BMX trails were only 25 metres from the woodsperson’s home.

From the remnants of the encampment, one would suspect the woodsperson wasn’t much older than the BMX kids. For instance, both the woodsperson and the BMX kids drank energy drinks. The clothes left around also suggest the woodsperson was a teen, or in their early twenties at most.

Moreover, the woodsperson and the BMX kids all did a lot of digging. The BMX kids built their tracks by digging dirt from one place and piling it somewhere else. I’ve often wondered if the woodsperson had been a BMX kid earlier, so knew the potential of digging a temporary shelter in the woods.

There are some holes you can still see near the woodsperson’s encampment, of similar size to what their shelter was. One or two of the holes even had tarps in them at one time. Yet, they are on the side of the hill, not the top. I’ve wondered if the woodsperson dug those spots first, but realized drainage was a problem. This is Canada’s west coast: we get almost no snow most winters, but a lot of rain. Possibly the woodsperson realized that only at the top of the hill would a dugout shelter work.

One can’t help but wonder – was the woodsperson happy? They were free, which must have mattered to them. They read the newspaper and magazines about outdoor living. They definitely bought food and drinks, so must have had income. What did Christmas look like to them, back in 2006? They must have been aware of the date from reading the newspaper.

The woodsperson was – and perhaps still is – a survivalist. They independently found a way to sustain the winter. Then, like any survivalist, they left for a more promising situation when the opportunity arose. By now, they’re likely in their thirties. I hope they’ve thrived:)

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.