Getting away from it all is everybody’s dream, right? So why is it so hard? And … don’t shoot me for saying this, but it is always a good idea?
I sometimes find it hard to get away and fish when I really want to. Don’t you? Many things demand our time nowadays, and I find myself having to schedule my spontaneous fun well in advance.
With so many ways to stay connected, how do we truly disconnect and go “off the grid” for outdoor recreation?
But again, and more to the point: is this actually a good idea?
In today’s world, we are connected with smartphones, tablets, laptops, and a myriad of other communication and information devices. We get internet, TV, e-mail, text, voice mails, tweets, status updates and a host of other communications.
With a few exceptions, we can be connected and reached at anytime. And while this is good in some situations, it is nice to disconnect and get away.
However, watch what you wish for … you just may get it.
A few years ago I went to Montana on a week-long fishing trip.
I was planning to fish in both northern Wyoming (near Yellowstone) and in southern Montana. I knew cell service would be spotty at best. I was really looking forward to a great trip, with no calls, texts, or e-mails for over a week.
When I arrived in Billings, I called home to let my wife know that I was safe and sound at the hotel, and that I would be meeting up with my two traveling companions the next day. I told my lovely wife that I would call when I could, but not to expect much communication until I returned to the “big city.”
The trip was very fun. The fishing was lots of dry fly fishing, which (to be honest) isn’t my favorite style of fishing.
I am kind of a big streamer guy, and prefer nymphing over dry flies. I tried both, with little success; so I adopted fishing dry flies for my time out west.
The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and the weather was really bad only one day during the week.
We fished out of a very small town (and I use that word loosely) and our accommodations were nothing more than a bed and shower. No TV, no radio; just a couple of beds, one nightstand, and a ceiling fan. This was fine with us, as most days were literally on the water from dawn to dusk. We showered upon return to the room, prepped a bit for the next day and hit the hay.
I thought about calling my wife one morning, as there was a 30 minute delay on the shuttle for the drift boat; but it was 5:30 AM Mountain time, and 7:30 Eastern time. My wife would already be in route to the office, so I didn’t bother.
Our last day on the river didn’t go as planned.
We only planned for a half-day on the river, so we could return to Billings, get a hotel room, and fly out very, very early the next morning. It was an epic day of fishing. I landed some huge rainbow that put me into my backing. With the fishing being so good, we took longer than we had planned, thus delaying our departure until early evening.
When we finally arrived in Billings, we got a hotel room, ate a great dinner, and re-packed our luggage for the early flight the next morning.
Then I found out …
When a tornado and a bear attack happen in the same week, both making national news where you are fishing, loved ones tend to worry. Ironically, when three people are killed in the tornado and three people were attacked by a bear (less than forty miles from the river where you were fishing), and you and your two fishing companions can’t be reached, loved ones may panic.
So be prepared when you are sitting in the airport awaiting your flight, having finally gotten good cell service, to receive lots of desperate sounding voicemails and panic-stricken texts all at once. Keep in mind, you have no idea that these events have even occurred, so you are blissfully ignorant and confused about the outpouring of concern.
Before I boarded my flight, I called home and left a message that all was well. I called the office to let them know that I was not mauled and eaten by a bear.
While on the flight home, I thought about my situation of actually being disconnected from the outside world. I really enjoyed it, but felt a bit uneasy that I was so successful in doing so.
So, where is the via media?
Do you like to disconnect completely from civilization? Why or why not?