If you’re a wilderness camper, you know.

When you read someone’s trip logs you’re more than entertained, you live the experience through the lens of your own trips. H. D. Thoreau’s Canoeing in the Wilderness is no exception. Despite 164 years of temporal distance, Thoreau’s memoir came alive as visions of my own experiences coloured the pages.

Of course, Canoeing in the Wilderness is a product of its time. In order to traverse the Maine wilderness, Thoreau begins by obtaining the services of a Penobscot Indian as a guide. What was encouraging (despite the anachronistic language), was the respect that Thoreau had for his guide. In an odd anti-colonial twist, Thoreau asked his guide what he does on Sunday. The guide replied that he does nothing, just attends church. Thoreau is disappointed by the answer, frustrated at the influence of European religion.

Canoeing in the Wilderness is a brief memoir excerpted from the larger The Maine Woods. It’s a fine read for a wilderness camper’s off season or something to be thrown into the backpack for evenings around the fire.

Thoreau, H. D. Canoeing in the Wilderness. 1864. Arcturus, 2020.