The Call: First Encounter

My first encounter with a wolf was a lesson in humility. I saw no fear, no urgency, no uncertainty in the animal. The wolf seemed so real, so true, so RIGHT in that wilderness. This was where the wolf belonged. Between the trees, among the rocks, along the creeks and ponds of the Canadian Shield that my brother and I were backpacking through. We were very much the outsiders, visitors from a world of steel and concrete.

 

Crossing the Threshold: Wilderness Wanderings

A lifelong interest in wolves was born in me that day, some 25 yeas ago. Over the next couple of decades, I spent much time travelling in the wilderness seeking wilder and wilder places, first on foot and later in my kayak. I had many incredible wildlife encounters in that time, but I saw no wolves. I have heard that wolves only show themselves when they have something to tell you. Perhaps I was not yet ready?

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The Test: She Wolf

My interest in wolves waxed and waned over the years as human life distracted me. But when I made one of my dreams come true seven years ago and I started storytelling, I knew I would have to create a story about wolves. Finally in 2019 I wrote and started performing the story “She Wolf” based on the inspiring life of a wild wolf that lived and died in Yellowstone National Park in the 2000s. The story is a celebration of wolves and of “She Wolves,” the strong female spirits who live in our world.

 

Reward: Meeting the Pack

A planned trip to look for wolves in Wyoming and Montana in the Spring of 2020 was promptly cancelled by COVID and I found myself limited to trips in Manitoba. With my friend Ethan, I returned to a place on Lake Winnipeg I had visited in my kayak previously and where I had seen ample signs of wolves, but no wolves themselves. This time would be different.

A distant sighting of a black wolf walking the shoreline was our first unexpected glimpse, and that 30 seconds alone would have made the whole 8-day trip worthwhile. Then, paddling along the same shoreline a few days later we were stunned by what we saw – a grey-white adult followed along by three pups, no more than 4-5 months old. As I slowly moved closer, the adult and two of the pups disappeared into the trees, but one of the pups continued trolling the shoreline, and I managed to float within 10 meters of the young animal. It was an incredible moment.

 

Sharing the Gift: Synergy

Since then, wolves have exploded into my life with a total of twelve encounters (including a five-minute staring contest with the same pup as a young adult the following year), an intense desire to learn even more about wolves and the pack we had discovered and, finding any chance I can to share with others my passion and stories about wolves. The profound experiences of encountering theses wolves and the recent synergy of my two greatest passions (stories and the wild) have certainly led me into a whole new and happier chapter of life.