January 1, 2018
Down is optional, up is mandatory...
January 2017 found me seeking something great, some profound new direction in life that would certainly and quickly lead to blue skies and smiles all day every day. I just could not tell you what exactly it was that I was looking for. After all, I was 44 years old, happily married to Debbie, my wife of 19 years. I had 4 children, all of whom were more intelligent and better citizens than I had ever been. I had a fantastic job, working as a Certified Arborist for Gamma Tree Experts in St. Louis, Missouri. I had flawless health, a comfortable home in the suburbs, and a wonderful extended family network both near and far. So what was the deal, what could I possibly be looking for? Was I having a mid-life crisis? Was I losing my marbles?
I don’t know, maybe, the jury is still out on those questions. However, one thing was clear; I wanted to push myself a bit harder on all levels to be a better human being. I wanted to savor life’s moments, enjoy every day, smell the flowers while I could. I wanted to use my skills and God-given talents to make my life and the lives of those around me better. I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone and learn new things. I wanted to, in fact I needed to, work harder at being a better husband, father, leader and child of God. But how? I was seeking a grandiose new experience with rather vague goals. The vision was cloudy with no clear, defined, attainable end in sight. That is no way to accomplish anything. So, predictably, I rambled on through the year, enjoying some incredible successes while at the same time muddling my way through many of my old old habits.
However, some things began to come into focus for me. For clarity on that, I have to bring you back to September 2016. I had joined my friend Dan Klein in Bowling Green, Kentucky, who was celebrating a cancer-free milestone in his life. You see, Dan is also a father of 4 wonderful kids married to his college sweetheart, and is a dear friend of mine for over 26 years. His story shook me to the core, as he had faced cancer, the scary monster that it is, and beat it. He did it with such faith and courage and sheer willpower that you couldn’t help but respect him and hope that some of what he had, some of that grit, would rub off on you so that you could take on your challenges just as he had, and with the same spirit.
For more on Dan Klein and his story, I highly recommend you check him out at www.mythreefiftynine.com. And read his book, ‘My 3:59 – The Man I Am Called To Be’. I am confident you will come away a better person.
Anyway, as I’m preparing to leave and get back on the road to St. Louis, Dan begins to talk about this crazy idea to hike the Grand Canyon, all the way from one rim to the other, 24.5 miles, in one day. In the middle of summer, to top it all off. He subtly patted me on my ample belly and suggested that I lose some weight, get in shape, and join him and his friends on the trip. I nervously laughed and told him that would never happen and hustled out of town before he could give me any more crazy ideas.
Well, you guessed it. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. I agreed to go. I set a series of fitness goals, all with the end result of hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim. I trained hard, lost a lot of weight, regained muscle mass long since lost and gained the confidence to take on this seemingly distant and out-of-reach goal. On June 18th, I managed to successfully walk down into that giant chasm and climb back out. It was incredibly difficult, even harder than I had imagined, and honestly if there was an option to tap out mid-hike and catch a tram ride up I might have taken it. But boy am I glad that there was no such opportunity; “Down is optional, up is mandatory” the signs warned. The hike was beautiful, and the Grand Canyon is a place too majestic and complex for me to even find words to describe. The feeling that came with the accomplishment, with my success, was far more satisfying than I could have dreamt it to be, and also beyond words.
The only thing that rivaled the actual hike was the training for the hike. In order to be a successful soccer player, you play soccer. In order to be a successful hiker, you hike. So, armed with a mission and end goal of the rim to rim, I sought out all sorts of trails throughout Missouri and Illinois and walked them with vigor. When I was lucky, I was able to drag my wife and kids along with me, usually just one at a time so that I could build a memory with each of them and thank them for getting behind me on this mission. With each hike, each mini-adventure, another door opened to yet another hike or outdoor adventure. Sometimes I would see a sign for a new trail, or maybe see a promising locale on a map, or bump into someone on the trail who would tell me about their favorite adventures. Things snowballed, and I began setting goals for trails to hike, creeks to paddle, lakes to fish, game to hunt, summits to scale, and fire rings to camp around.
Like many, I find a profound sense of peace in nature, a connection to something much bigger and better than me. A sense of being, a sense of place that many more eloquent than me have written books about, so I don’t even want to pretend to be able to express it on these pages. The experience is so personal that it feels like I am the only one to ever feel this way. Of course I realize that I am not alone, and I know that many people of all ages, all backgrounds, and from all over the world are under the same spell. However, most of us get drawn away from the experience of the outdoors, held down by the weight of our jobs, our schedules, our finances, our daily doldrums of this modern, hi-tech life we all live. Bills, time cards, crying babies and groceries are very real. These things require real attention, and can’t be ignored. However, with some effort, there is a balance that can be found that makes the grind more tolerable.
So as 2017 wore on, I sorted through the puzzle pieces trying to find focus on how I was going to be great. I concluded that I needed to pursue more time doing the things that I love to do outdoors, not just casually fit them as an afterthought to my day. I then wanted to find a way to continue to include my family, as each of them in their own way love the outdoors as well. Debbie enjoys hiking and float trips, at least when the weather is right. Katie loves the solitude that comes with a hike along a flowing stream, as well as photographing the landscapes and wildflowers. Billy is all in, hunting/hiking/fishing/floating/birding with a fervor that exceeds mine. Ben enjoys hiking, shooting, and kayaking. Daniel loves to camp, float, and throw rocks in any body of water he can find. He can’t figure out why anyone would ever WANT to go hiking, but we are working on that.
So why a blog? Well, Debbie and Ben are technology wizards who enjoy a challenge and were excited about the prospect of creating and maintaining our website. Katie likes to share her photography, and Billy and I enjoy writing. Daniel just likes to be a part of any project, especially if we give him a job to do. I am not very good at sharing my thoughts publicly, but perhaps it is time to start. While I hope that our readers enjoy what we put on these pages, I hope to learn as much from them as maybe they will from me. I guess the hope is that while the McCaslin family chases our outdoor adventures, as a team maybe we can produce an interesting narration that will motivate others to get out and explore the outdoors and find their own peace in nature. Maybe through this medium, we can help bring great things for you and your family. Or maybe you will just enjoy the photos. At the very least I am confident that we can help you find new places to wander. Please read on and check back from time to time while we report back on our journey birding, camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting throughout Missouri and beyond. Thanks for reading!
