With gratitude to our facilitators Amin and Neda, we are so proud of having gotten our intimate band of participants through the trail and back home safely, al-hamdu lillah.
Have a look at some highlights, shot and compiled by the immensely talented Luke Frobase, masha Allah:
We hope that you feel something when you see the video above (and others). We hope that you feel a stirring, a sense of complacency, an awareness that, in a world full of possibilities, you are restricting yourself to the safest, narrowest, and least compelling options.
And here’s why:
As an organization, we were skeptical about hosting this trip. The Lost Coast is a big deal. Getting there alone is a challenge. It’s very far up north, approaching the Oregon border. The logistics are complicated. There is no reception, which is not unusual for a wilderness experience. But most places we go are not nearly this remote or inaccessible. And because so few people go, getting real-time updates on trail conditions is next to impossible.
It’s also one of the most beautiful places most of us will never see. Old growth redwoods and black sand beaches, dark gulches overgrown with ferns seemingly from another time, and coastal vistas that will take your breath away even as the salty ocean breezes caress your face- all this and more is there.
But you were not.
And there were several moments where that could have been the case for us.
Support and advocacy is what made the difference. Our facilitators were committed to doing the heavy lifting. In many cases, they were making choices that challenged our instincts. That was very uncomfortable from an administrative standpoint, but the absence of confidence is an invitation to trust, so that’s what we chose, grudgingly.
The video above is the result, though it remains a superficial representation of a much fuller experience, masha Allah.
If you’re reading this, it’s highly likely that the wilderness holds a special place in your heart. Are you honoring that through engagement? Or are you fooling yourself into believing that a social media feed filled with pictures of wild places is sufficient?
You don’t need Dust and Tribe to get outside, at least no more than we needed the help of our facilitators to convince us that the Lost Coast was worth staging. In other words, if you can find the motivation, if you have the expertise and the gear and the social support for your passion, then get out there!
For those that have the desire but maybe don’t have the support and advocacy that we find so necessary, we got you.
Summer is just around the corner. We’re backpacking Lake Tahoe’s Desolation Wilderness in June and September has us taking just the men back to Henry Coe State Park in the Bay Area.
Or maybe you wanna geek out in August, dress up, and play Dungeons and Dragons right here at Camp One in Placerville.
Al-hamdu lillah wa shukr lillah, it doesn’t end with us. Within the Muslim community we’re seeing a beautiful proliferation of other conscientious wilderness initiatives. You can start your search at the Faithfully Sustainable directory, an absolute treasure trove of resources to get you outside and connected with others who understand just how important that is.
Blessed travels, outlander!
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