Nothing like a trail friend

EW THINGS in life are quite as wonderful as friends who share outdoor experiences.

An outdoor friendship means many things in many situations.

There is joy in sitting around a remote campfire on a summer evening, trading stories of past adventures with a companion who still laughs, though she has heard the same tale a dozen times.

How can one measure the value of a fishing companion willing to share a lure which is catching all the fish? Such an act shows that helping a buddy means more than hoarding all the fish and glory.

Outdoor friendship means sharing the last drop of water on a hot July afternoon when the car is still miles away.

It is waiting for a slower companion to catch up when climbing a mountain and not complaining.

It means squeezing one more person into a cramped tent when an unexpected rainstorm hits.

Friendship involves sharing a secret place with another person, experiencing the original joy felt when the companion first saw the place.

And it also means not sharing that place with others once it has been revealed.

Putting up with a noisy, pesky dog on an all-day hike without a complaint is a sure sign of outdoor friendship. So is allowing the same wet animal into a new utility vehicle without a complaint.

Friendship means helping a mechanically challenged companion fix his car, repair his sandal, change his flat bicycle tire, fix his broken fishing reel or repair a broken camp stove.

It involves cooking the night’s meal after a 20-mile hike with full pack when everyone else is too tired to move.

It means carrying some extra weight when a companion shows signs of lagging too far behind the first day of a three-day backpacking trip.

Leaning down and letting a pal step on your back so he can climb to the next level qualifies.

So does offering a hand when a companion is struggling up a steep incline.

An outdoor friendship involves putting up with the foibles of a longtime companion. That means not complaining about loud snoring, lousy card playing, bad jokes, poor driving, forgetfulness or talking too much.

An outdoor friend rescues a buddy who has two flat tires 120 miles from the nearest service station.

He drives two hours through a snowstorm to deliver a new set of keys to a friend who has lost his in the snow.

An outdoor friend breaks trail on the morning after a 10-inch snowstorm.

He brings the maps, makes the phone calls and studies the routes so an outdoor adventure can start and end in safety.

She is always prepared. Though her pack weighs close to 80 pounds, she always seems to have the safety pin, duct tape, band aid, insect repellent, extra water, filter or trail mix when such items are needed the most.

Outdoor friends make others feel comfortable in a new situation. They share their skills with novices, build up the confidence of a person who is struggling and offer compliments while never bragging.

Outdoor friends ignore differences in religion, politics and basic values. Though they might disagree, they are willing to accept and even celebrate such differences.

Such friendships can never be taken for granted because they are such rare treasures. They need to be celebrated, nourished and continued.

Plentiful fish and game, beautiful scenery, solitude, deep powder, well-groomed trails and great equipment all contribute to a successful outdoor trip.

But none is more important than an outdoor friend.

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