Michael Uehara's Row, Part 3: Mess is Lore

This is part three of a series of blog posts by ForestEthics board member and president of the eco-luxury King Pacific Lodge, Michael Uehara, who sets off this Sunday to row 26 miles in a tiny boat through the waters of British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest. His mission? To raise awareness about the dangers of an oil pipeline proposed by energy-giant Enbridge.

In any other business, less is more.  In the lodge business, mess is lore.  It would almost be impossible to describe the piles of junk we have at King Pacific Lodge (all of it, at one time, costing a considerable bit of money) stored in the multiple bowels of our two barges.  Suffice it to say that it would be glorifying this collection to call it detritus.  But today, the investment in hording yielded benefits.  Eli Andersen, master alchemist, was able to fashion a better oarlock.  There was some question as to the durability of the gunnels when Pat, a more robust rower than I, rowed his hardest.

I have asked George Fisher, our youngest guide, to captain the safety boat for the row.  George is from Hartley Bay and, represents so much of the future the community and King Pacific Lodge envisions. He is bright, enthusiastic, eager, a quick study and unwaveringly Gitga’at—a walking embodiment of a vibrant and ancient culture.  George is the future anchored in the past.  He is as comfortable alone in the deepest recesses of the Great Bear Rainforest as he is surrounded by a group of international guests at the lodge.  He will be keeping both the lodge and Hartley Bay informed of our progress and for anyone who knows his penchant for tall tales, I know you will be stretching the bounds of credulity to ferret out the truth of what is going on.  Thank you George, for accepting my request.

Yesterday Eli and I rowed 21 total miles.  I rowed 13 of those, double my longest one-day row.  I think I am ready.  I know Pat is.  A strange process is going on here: the clarity of purpose with which both of us had when we conceived of this plan is happily being complicated as others become excited about the row.  For both of us now, there is a sense of many aspirations, emotions and objectives being attached to this journey by others.  It is as if everyone has added their own meaning to what we are doing. It is the adding of light to the sum of light.  When I think of all that people are doing about the pipeline and tankers I am hopeful that our small collection of humanity here can add to that sum of light.

Short row today, maybe just 90 minutes; I have been told to ratchet down the rowing in the lead up to Sunday.