What does "Wilderness" mean to you?

[DOGMAN]

The concept of Wilderness can have different meanings to different people. What does "Wilderness" mean to you?

[Ole WV Coot]

My idea of wilderness is probably different because where I live to a lot of people is wilderness. Anywhere in the Appalachians is like home but you get me in the desert or North woods I am a lost ball in tall weeds. When I was a kid I went into the woods North of Caribou Maine on Grandpa's farm. I didn't get lost, just badly confused for a few hours. I wandered around and everything looked the same and swampy. Darn near lost all my blood to mosquitoes and black flies. When I lucked out I was only a few hundred feet in the woods, that's wilderness to me.

[crashdive123]

Many days it's the far reaches of my mind.

[Rick]

"Lost ball in tall weeds". I gotta start writing this stuff down.

[Alpine_Sapper]

"Lost ball in tall weeds". I gotta start writing this stuff down.

lol. Yeah, I rolled when I read that.

[trax]

Those Cootisms are priceless, Coot you come to WE's this year and I'm gonna follow you around with a pen and paper in my hands taking this stuff down.

If wilderness is defined as an environment where one feels out of place or experiences a sense of threat or animosity from the local/area beings then I'd have to say wilderness to me is large cities, business conferences, crowds of people. Wilderness in reference to the outdoors, though, the reason why we're mostly here, I feel that part of why I'm here is to discuss what a good time can be had and how survival doesn't always have to be particularly difficult.

[Sourdough]

Wilderness is the terrifying stuff we don't understand......... like Women......

[BraggSurvivor]

Wilderness is the terrifying stuff we don't understand......... like Women......

Especially really hairy women named "Suzie".

[Alpine_Sapper]

Wilderness is the terrifying stuff we don't understand......... like Women......

I understand my wife perfectly...Can't live with her, and can't club her like a baby seal.

I'm TOTALLY kidding. You can't club baby seals.

[wildWoman]

Wilderness to me is a large ecosystem that is still healthy, unroaded and free from industrial activities, without crowds of people.

[Rick]

Wilderness to me is making jokes about women of any name. I don't want to go through the rest of life looking over my other shoulder, too.

[trax]

Wilderness to me is a large ecosystem that is still healthy, unroaded and free from industrial activities, without crowds of people.

My thinking is like when white missionaries first asked Indians why they let their children play freely in the "wilds" and weren't they afraid for them. The Indians responded that it wasn't "wilds" before the Europeans got there and there was nothing to be afraid of. I'm with the Indians on that one.

[BraggSurvivor]

Wilderness to me means I can go out on my deck buck naked in the middle of the day, and take a pee through the rails without anyone ever knowing.......

[nell67]

Wilderness to me means I can go out on my deck buck naked in the middle of the day, and take a pee through the rails without anyone ever knowing.......

You REALLY didn't have to go there.

[trax]

Well Bragg, except that we all know now. Having said that I agree with you totally.

[crashdive123]

Wilderness to me means I can go out on my deck buck naked in the middle of the day, and take a pee through the rails without anyone ever knowing.......

TMI Bragg, TMI.

[Rick]

I was in Tampa once. At a new community development that had a lake. In the lake were four boys about 8 years old, swimming. Having a great time. I almost swallowed my tongue. "Oh my God. What are they doing?" I asked.

"Swimming you moron," (that last part is pretty common for people that know me).

"What about alligators?" I asked.

"The kids won't hurt 'em."

I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. About 30 minutes after they climbed out a seven foot gator went swimming by completely unperturbed.

That, my friend, is wilderness to me.

[Tahyo]

I was in Tampa once. At a new community development that had a lake. In the lake were four boys about 8 years old, swimming. Having a great time. I almost swallowed my tongue. "Oh my God. What are they doing?" I asked.

"Swimming you moron," (that last part is pretty common for people that know me).

"What about alligators?" I asked.

"The kids won't hurt 'em."

I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. About 30 minutes after they climbed out a seven foot gator went swimming by completely unperturbed.

That, my friend, is wilderness to me.

Was the same thing where I'm from in La. We never thought about it. We use to swim around them all the time and they would keep their distance. In all the dealings I had with gators, I only saw one person get hurt and that was when a 6 footer came out of the marsh into the church yard. Some kids were poking it with a stick and one got too close and the gator whacked him good with his tail making him fall and hit his head.

I'm not saying a gator won't get you, but other than when a female is guarding a nest of eggs or you corner one, they usually leave you alone.

Now... get me around bears and I'll soil myself.

[Rick]

I may have told this before. If so, forgive me. It's old age. What? I said, it's old age. Oh.

We were at a golf resort north of Tampa. My little cabana had a porch facing a large pond. We were getting ready to go to dinner one evening and I stepped out on the porch for a moment. There was a good 7 or 8 foot alligator swimming directly toward me. He disappeared below the water about 30 feet out from shore. In just a few moments those eyeballs broke the surface right at the bank.

"Was that Sally that just ran by screaming and wringing her hands?"

"No. That was just Rick."

If I'm on the menu, I'm in the wilderness. Inside the city limits or out.

[crashdive123]

I used to do alot of windsurfing. A few years back we were sailing at a resevoir in one of the state parks. One guy would always trail a fishing line behind the board. I never saw him catch anything, but he swore that he had. It was a light wind day, so not too much sailing. My friend was out doing his fishing thing while the rest of us were grilling on the shore. Somebody said "Hey what's that following Hector?" Grabbed a pair of binoculars and took a look. Yep - being stalked by a gator. We yelled to him that lunch was ready (truer than he could imagine). He made his way to shore, we pointed out the gator (about 6-8 ft.) We didn't want him to panic and fall, figured burgers would do the trick.