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| Outdoor staffer Chase Christensen takes a break with the guys. |
An expanding crew of residents has just returned from another fun outdoor adventure with Back2Basics. Three new residents, along with one of several months, were on the trip this week to the White Mountains area, east and south of Flagstaff. (A few other residents stayed behind this time, to participate in a different set of activities.) We headed out on Tuesday and arrived in time for a five-mile jaunt through the pinyon-juniper woodland. It was hot and dry, which helped drive home the importance of a state-wide ban on fires, and even smoking, in the forests. The residents did famously on the hike, keeping up friendly chatter and enjoying spectacular views.
On the second day, we hiked twice as many miles. We weren’t sure how the guys would do, being so new and — in one case — not too long out of detox. But the guy we worried about the most surprised us the most, by pushing the pace in the front of the line. On the whole, the group was highly impressive, both in their easy camaraderie with each other and with staff, and in their willingness to explore their physical abilities.
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| We took pride in our dirty legs after a long, dusty hike. |
Several of the residents overcame personal challenges on the trip, in ways that were inspiring to see. For example, one resident said he felt a bit haunted by memories of some past using he’d done in the White Mountains area. He talked about it openly with the group and got through with room to spare, even picking up a token to mark five months of sobriety in a local 12-Step meeting. Another resident loves to fish, and regretted not having fishing gear while camping so close to Show Low Lake (rumored by the locals to contain catfish “as big as cars”). But instead of complaining, he took matters into his own hands: he rigged a fixed line with materials he scrounged from the beach. Then he shared with us that he was happy to be sober — so he could carry out a creative plan, rather than just talking about it.
Early in the trip, I tried to introduce the concept of seeing what we can contribute to life, rather than (as is so common with addicts) always seeing what we can take. In keeping with that idea, outdoor staffer Chase Christensen and I initiated a beach cleanup near all the public access areas of the lake. The guys did a phenomenal job; together we filled two 55 gallon trash bags, and one resident even insisted on dragging an old, rusty barrel to the dumpster. Another of the residents relished the feeling of doing something for others; he said it felt great. For yet another resident, the activity reminded him of times when he littered. Let’s hope he’s seen the light!
— Anne Minard, B2B writer, writing teacher, and occasional outdoor staff