During our enjoyable excursion numerous observations, questions, and thoughts were brought up; it was really nice to hear what this experience brought to people’s minds. While my observations, thoughts, and ideas about this experience covered a broad range and hopped from place to place, I found for much of the time I took note of change in wilderness flavor Leopold mentions in Flambeau during the trip and the immersion into this wilderness experience I felt as a result.

Starting off, it too seemed like when we set off the wilderness at the confluence of the Delaware and the Lehigh was on its “last legs” as in Flambeau. As we sat there for some time discussing the reading I took in the setting. The massive dam seemed intimidating, a large dead tree caught in its grasp. The large concrete ramp we sat on seemed barren, a desert of pavement alongside the river. The constant screeching of cars passing over the grating of the Free Bridge’s floor rang through the scene. As we sat there all these sorts of things and more seemed to put this river’s wilderness on its last legs. However, once the trip had commenced I was pleased to see the restoration of the wilderness flavors and the corresponding feeling of being immersed in this experience and surrounded by this wilderness.

As we continued on the wilderness flavors became more apparent and abundant, and those infringing on them much more sparse. The sounds of the birds and insects along the river became louder and more apparent as we moved forward. Signs of wildlife became more noticeable in the form of things like bounding deer, bubbles of some aquatic animal rising to the surface of the water, birds stretching and drying their wings for flight, and much more. As these restored wilderness flavors exposed themselves and captivated my senses, I felt more in tune with this wilderness around me. It was easier to observe more of and some of the smaller details of the wilderness as these wilderness flavors became more apparent, better enabling immersion into this experience.