A few Saturdays ago I went with some friends on a 2 day adventure exploring some back-woods trails. There are many such trails scattered throughout the Maritimes: often they were a road going to a tiny community or from farm to farm. As the years went by and highways were built and communities abandoned, these roads fell into disuse. Some have been picked up organizations and maintained for ATV and snowmobile use, others are still considered government roads, and others are new roads built by forestry companies.

After work on Friday, we packed the barest essentials for what we would need for the next 28 hours for 9 people, and drove to a place that would be easy to park the trucks at. We unloaded the 4 ATVs and a side-by-side, strapped on our gear, and headed out. This was our first attempt at an overnight excursion so it was a great opportunity to see what was really needed or what could be left behind next time.

It was a little later than we hoped to be leaving by the time we hit the trails.  We were planning on going straight to the spot we were thinking of camping at and setting things up before it grew too dark, but we missed a turn-off and stumbled across an amazing view of the Bay of Fundy.

It was quite dark by the time we made it to where we wanted to camp. We quickly set everything up, built a fire, and roasted a few hotdogs and made s’mores and enjoyed a cup of coffee. It was a lovely night – not too chilly at all considering it was late in the season and we were right on the bay which normally gives off cool breezes and fog.

The next morning I took a few pictures of our camp site:

We made breakfast on the camp stove we brought with us and had eggs and bacon and more coffee. It was a beautiful morning. We then packed up and started out exploring a few trails.  There were trails of every sort – rough, muddy, or nerve-wracking, to easy and smooth gravel roads (good enough for a car), and everything in between.

We ended the day weary and dirty, but with smiles on our faces. A hot shower and soft beds awaited us at home.

Lessons I learned from the trip: Don’t sweat the small stuff. If things end up going a different way than planned, enjoy the adventure, you might find something better than you ever expected. Who knows what you will find around the next bend? Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Be spontaneous. Step outside of your comfort zone now and then and challenge yourself. You don’t need a bunch of “stuff” to enjoy life – sometimes having less is best. Enjoy nature and take the time to soak in the beauty around you. Last, but not least, stay in shape – when spontaneity strikes, you want to be ready for it!