The Hermit of Whitewater Lake
Back Roads Bill Steer is the founder and GM of the Canadian Ecology Centre. He teaches part-time at Nipissing University (Schulich School of Education) and Canadore College. His features can be found across Village Media’s Northern Ontario sites
Back Roads Bill recently visited the Beckwith site as his first wilderness out trip according to COVID protocol allowances.
Here’s an excerpt from his June 30, 2021 story featured in ElliotLakeToday:
You first notice the sound as a low rumble in the distance, it is distinctive.
You see it skyward, it grows larger, and the drone increases, always in harmony, the Pratt & Whitney engine echoes its presence. The big red floatplane swings around for a landing. The silver, yellow-tipped prop stops and the working antique effortlessly glides to the dock. This 1956 historic Beaver will be the taxi to find what remains of the hermit of Whitewater Lake.
There are many adventurers or thrill-seekers who plan extraordinary pilgrimages into the wilderness. Their motivations are varied the subsequent experiential accounts different. Humans are meant to seek adventure it is part of our DNA.
Solitude can provide an opportunity for self-reflection, creative expression, or spiritual renewal; it also has its challenges and risks.
Have you ever wanted to retreat to the woods in search of solitude?