MEARS AT THE CO-PILOT SEAT IN OUR TURBO OTTER SEAPLANE.
with Becky Mason—we gather around to watch Mears erect a hearth with a Voyageur-style tripod and start fire with flint and steel. Later we enjoy a delicious demonstration in making bannock us- ing hand-carved utensils. Mears’ camp kit is a hybrid of old and new.
Wooden utensils nestle in well-used canvas ca- noe packs, next to a modern Hilleberg tent and lightweight tarp. Though he adopts new tech- nology where he feels it’s appropriate, “The old way is the better way” will be a common phrase throughout the trip. Perhaps it’s because he’s not leading this trip—
the Hyers are officially our guides—but Mears is pretty laid back except on one subject. Don’t call what he does survival. “I don’t like that term. It makes me think of
people who stockpile tins of beans and toilet paper in case the world ends,” he says. The fire crackles and gentle waves lap the rocky shore be- side us. “What we’re doing out here isn’t survival, this is a joy.” While we explore the area by canoe, our group
gets to know each other. I discover Mears has a soft spot for Cohen brothers movies and the ‘80s Brit comedy show, Blackadder. Though he says
he’s not afraid of any animal, he admits a deep re- spect for crocodiles over four meters long (“That’s one animal I have very serious views on,” he says). His real fear is industry destroying wilderness spaces for short-term gains. Mears’ encyclopedic memory and impromptu
historic tale-telling delight our group. Whether describing Samuel Hearne’s travels to the Arc- tic—complete with dates and source referenc- es—or Grey Owl’s environmentalism, his tales often end with the phrase, “It was absolutely fan- tastic.” Fascinated by his storytelling as much as the stories themselves, we can’t help but agree.
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