The Barn, A Civilization Away From Civilization

If I were to leave society, for whatever amount I please, probably a couple months, I would go to my barn. There there are people, but there is my horse, she os the only thing I would need to bring with me. I would take her up in my all my tack, buy some extra gear, a tent to put up, a make shift field post system, and some previsions; like food, a weapon, Belle’s halter, her feed, a canteen to fill up with water, and of course, I wouldn't need to bring any electronics. Mainly because I won’t need to contact anyone. But the plus side of my phone is that I could call someone if either bell or I got injured. The good part about leaving society with my horse in rock state park is that I know the area, and it is ride-able, its only like, 5-10 minutes away from my barn and its cross country course, and that I won’t have to deal with any one telling me what to do. Everything I do will be my choice and I know that I am doing the right thing by me and my horse. I don’t care if that sounds selfish. Know to why I would bring a weapon of some sorts, most likely a gun. There has been some spottings of a mountain lion roughly 20 minutes away from where I would be escaping to. I like my life and wouldn't like to die from a mountain lion attack so I would bring a gun for that purpose only. Since I wouldn't be alone out there, I would need to not be too far away from civilization in case I, or Belle get injured. I have wanted to leave society before, people agitate me. But there is something I would miss, the completions I would enter with Belle, my friends, my school, my parents, my family, and yes I admit it, my brother. So that’s my no society dream, what’s yours?

Their Quotes, His Story

As you read the book Into the Wild, you will see italicized paragraphs at the very beginning of each chapter. These excerpts are from Chris McCandless’s books that he brought along with him to Alaska.  Some of those excerpts were also letters from post card he would send to people that he met along his journey. They were highlighted parts, or on pieces of papers found in the bus. Some of the authors of those were Jack London (his favorite), Leo Tolstoy, and Paul Shepard. These three authors were and still are very well known authors.

Jack London wrote many terrific novels, including White Fang, his most popular (in my opinion), The Call of the Wild, The Sea-Wolf, To Build a Fire, and many, many more books and short stories. A lot of his books are related to wolves and cold Alaskan weather. Does that sound familiar to anyone? Any ways, Krakauer wrote this quote into his book, on page 9 at the beginning of chapter two, my favorite lines in the quote were lines 5-10. This line is about how the weather is so cold and unforgiving, but even how relentless it seems, the author can still a glimpse of happiness amongst all that sadness, a glimpse of laughter. When Chris was out in the Alaskan wilderness, running short on food, unable to find any game to hunt, or even the inability to stay warm, he could have heard this, soft hint of sorrowful laughter in the air.

The author Leo Tolstoy was also another famous author who was quoted in Into the Wild. From his novel Family Happiness. Among his many other novels, Anna Karenina, War and Peace, The Death of Ivan Ilych, and etc., Family Happiness was one of the ones that got his name out there. When he wrote, he wrote with such relation that anyone with a problem could somehow make his life similar to their without much force. My favorite lines in this particular quote had to have been lines 3 and 4. Chris would have 100% agreed with this quote. And I know he did because he highlighted this paragraph in the book. That is the whole reason why Chris left his life behind, because he had so much energy stuck, trapped inside of him that he just had to get out, get out of that house, that town, and that life.

            The last author I am going to talk about today is Paul Shepard. He wrote the books Nature and Madness, Trace of an Omnivore, and Man in the Landscape. The book Man in the Landscape was the book where Krakaur took the quote out of. In my opinion, the lines 3-11 are the best lines in this little excerpts from the book. They are also what I think Chris would like this little excerpt as well. He would agree that the sky is a majestic place and when in the desert, it will intertwine with the land.

            I also have a favorite quote, this quote is from one of my favorite songs, “If You’re Going Through Hell” by Rodney Atkins. I really like this song. It sometimes will give me the strength to keep on going in my shows, even though I have a bad ride or even a bad show. I think Chris would understand my quote, I think he would “get it”. He had to basically go through hell up there in Alaska, but he fought it out till the end, or at least that’s what it seems like. He would understand that even you may be going through a rough patch, if you keep on going, you eventually will make it through.

My Dream US vacation

If I could go anywhere in the US on a vacation, I would go to 16985 Buffalo Valley Rd, Moran, WY 83013. That address is the home to a ranch called Heart Six ranch. My friend went there over the summer. She absolutely loved it, they went on trial rides with the horses they used for the week, and they played games with other campers. It was basically like living on a real ranch. They had “chores” to do every day, which was cleaning the grounds, taking care of their horses, checking the fences for any holes, like they would do on a cattle ranch. I know if I go, I will see many new species of animals I have not seen yet and I would love to see some day. I will be able to see the mountains, the birds, and even beautiful plants.

 Another thing I know I would enjoy about living, or staying, on a ranch like this is because of the beautiful wildlife and environment nearby. Heart Six ranch is in Wyoming, near Yellowstone national Park. I have also always wanted to visit there. But I can’t make two trips. So I would got to Heart Six Ranch, stay on a dude ranch for a week or so, and travel to Yellowstone to see the scenes there. 

Now, by the time I get home, I will have had to have bought another memory card for my camera because I would have taken so many pictures. You can say that I am addicted to taking pictures.  I love photograph a lot actually. But before I can come home, I have to get there. I would probably fly there considering I can’t take my own horse.  They have to know my riding experience in order to fit me with the right horse, so I would so I was novice, even though I have now been riding for 10 years, so I didn’t have to get a horse I had to fight with the whole time. Its called a vacation for a reason, I actually would like to relax and stay calm. I know this isn’t required in the blog, but I do have another place I would like to go.

 I would like to visit the island of Assateague. There is this camp on the beach there. If you say you want to go six months in advance to the day,  you can take your horses up there, stay for the weekend, and ride your horses on the beach, with a couple of friends.

Jon Krakauer biography

Jon Krakauer was born in April 12, 1954. He grew up in Brooklyn, Massachusetts but later moved to Corvallis, Oregon. As the third child of five, he was only two when his whole family moved to Corvallis. at the age of eight, his father introduced him to mountaineering. He later went to college at Hampshire College in Massachusetts with a degree in Environmental Studies. he later got married in 1980 to Linda Mariam Moore who was also a mountaineer. Krakauer was a mountaineer, meaning he knew how to climb mountain safely and sufficiently. He, like Chris McCandless, both spent some time living off of the land in Alaska. Some of the differences were between the two was that they spent a different amount o time in different pats of the mountain ranges, and of course Krakauer made it out alive. Besides Into the Wild, Krakauer wrote 5 other non-fiction books called Into Thin Air, Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, and Three Cups of Deceit.