Epic Outdoor Adventures for Sobriety, pt. 2
Reconnect with the Wild in Sobriety
What better way to feel alive than to adventure into unknown, mysterious, and beautiful places in Nature? You could have killed yourself with alcohol or drugs, but instead you are alive. Climb the mountain and howl over a cliff’s edge in the wind!
Be like Walt Whitman, who says, “I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable,/I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.” Sound your barbaric Yawp!
Here is the second part to the outdoor adventure list. These trips are a little more extreme than the adventures listed in part one. Still, anyone can do them. It just may take a bit more research, gear, and preparation. Paying a guide wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
5. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Who needs a frozen margarita when you can go to this icy Alaskan paradise instead? This is our biggest national park, at 13,188,000 acres. It is also very remote—like they say, Alaska is the last frontier. The park contains four giant mountain ranges, glaciers, rivers, and tundra to explore.
Go in the summer to take advantage of the lodges and guide services. Go in the spring for amazing country skiing. Be warned though, adventuring out of summertime here isn’t for the faint of heart.
6. 10th Mountain Division Huts, Colorado
These huts near Aspen, Colorado, were dreamt up to compete with the Alps’ Haute Route for skiing. Now they are a huge system of winter huts, connecting more than 300 miles of skiable courses. If you like skiing, especially back country skiing, this is the adventure for you. Many hikers enjoy these huts as well, during the summer months.
Take in the stunning views of the Rocky Mountains as you ski freely all day long. Then, go back to warm up and get cozy in front of the wood burning stove in one of the many beautiful huts.
7. Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia
Rent a canoe for three days and explore this mysterious black water swamp, from east to west. Trade in your repetitive daily drinking for some true Indiana Jones style adventure. Yes, there alligators and other swamp life afoot— an incredible amount of wildlife to observe is here.
This is 438,000 acres of swamp. Get ready to paddle from prairie with a huge open sky, through to bay tree and cypress forests. It will be a truly magical experience.
8. Ocoee River, Tennessee
Go white water rafting on the Ocoee River. This isn’t just a few exciting runs on an overall chill river float. No, this is extreme rafting—Tennessee’s portion of the Ocoee has hosted the Olympic games. It’s like a roller coaster of nature.
The surrounding area and wildlife is truly beautiful as well. Lush hills, wild flowers, cliff views, and mountains to admire. Leave behind addiction and say hello to adventure as you have the time of your life, bumping along these rapids.
Nature as Cure to Addiction
One thing you should know about some of these more extreme trips is that they can be a little pricier than an old fashioned hike on the local mountain. Addiction is expensive too, though— drinking every day, bar tabs can really add up. Put that money to better use, getting in touch with nature and experiencing the thrill of adventure.
These trips take preparation and organization—things you probably weren’t capable in active addiction, but now you are! The philosopher Bruce Wilshire believed that addiction is caused by modern detachment from our primal animal needs and Nature. He thought that this was the cause for the void we feel inside, which we try to fill with drugs and drinking.
Whether he was right about this or not… it doesn’t hurt to reconnect with Mother Nature. In fact, it’s incredibly fun. If you need some help kicking your addiction, call (520) 288-8484. The person who answers can help put together a plan that will lead you to recovery.
Start checking things off the bucket list. Start living the life you deserve.
