Canis Lupus

by Rollie J.

Heading out from my weekend camping trip to Itasca, I hefted my backpack and quietly and slowly walked across the lake soaking up the brilliant blue-sky day. The dusting of overnight snow brought thousands of diamond sparkles brilliantly shimmering in the rising sunshine. The dark green of the domineering red and white pines contrasted crisply and cleanly with the deep cobalt blue of pure Minnesota sky. The cold temperatures bit at my face but could not deter the joy and serenity of a new day to explore and observe.

Regaining the trail proper, I followed the gently snaking and undulating path up and down as it wrapped around several lakes. I was soaking up and photographing several unique natural objects and scenes when I happened upon a large canine track that had imprinted over my own mukluk tracks from the day's previous walk. At first, I thought it to be a large companion dog for one of the other day-hikers. My gut told me differently and was soon confirmed as the tracks left the trail and headed into the woods. Unlikely behavior for a well-heeled pet.

I chose to follow the track to see where it might lead and thought I could see a lake or pond ahead where he might be heading. The many ponds and small lakes of Itasca often have one or several beaver lodges. Predators most often take a mandatory stop at these truck stop-like lodges to scent check and leave their own territorial markings.

Following his track was easy in the light dusting of snow and sure enough, up and over a knoll his tracks soon led to another lake. I was thrilled to be following Canis Lupus, or more locally known as a timber wolf or grey wolf. This apex predator is king of the forest and I was on cloud nine sensing he may be relatively nearby.

As I followed this lone wolf’s tracks onto the lake he headed for a small island and then part of my theory was blown apart. Now, my lone wolf was no longer alone, he was joined by the tracks of three other wolves. I was now a part of a full-blown wolf pack!

Giddy with delight, I joined in with the pack's tracks and tried to imagine what it must be like to run alongside and participate in a wolf pack. Soon they paused at the island's edge and there were a plethora of jumbled tracks as they gathered, the reason for which I could not discern from the sign. And then, sure enough, as predicted, they all headed for a nearby beaver lodge to scent check and do their thing!

Pausing at the beaver lodge for several minutes, I scanned the lake and nearby hillsides hoping against hope to get a glimpse of this canis lupus family. My wishes went unanswered, but not different than my expectations for it is a rare gift indeed to witness a full pack of wolves. Moving onward, I corrected my course and headed to intersect with the trail once again giving thanks for my brief attempt at dancing with wolves.

As I now sit in the warmth and comfort of my home with a crackling fire to my side, I continue to think back and ponder my brief chance intersection with these phantoms of the north.

What is the purpose of a grey wolf? Why are they a part of our world? What do they have to offer the planet? For what did our Creator create wolves? It seems a fair question to ask of anything made by our Creator? How do wolves fit into the bigger scheme of creation? One might ask these same questions about mosquitos, wood-ticks, rattlesnakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or ostriches?

Most wolves only live 6-8 years, and most pups never make it past their first summer. Certainly, they act as game managers, keeping prey populations in check and in balance by thinning the herds. They are born to be apart of a pack, to be in a relationship with others, to work as a team. The lone wolf is a fairly-flawed icon and most often only happens briefly as adolescents set off to build a pack of their own. Wolves need each other to survive, to eat, and to reproduce.

But maybe this wolf track and trail could lead us to deeper questions; Why are you here? Why and for what purpose did the Creator place you upon the planet? What is your role in our world? What is it that you were created for? How do you honor God our creator? Are you a mere random act of evolution and the haphazard result of science played out over millennia?

The reality of tracks, whether made in sand, mud, or snow is that they are very temporal, very ephemeral. They leave a mark only briefly, and as with these mysterious wolf tracks, they will soon melt into oblivion with the coming of the spring’s warmth.

Ponder for a moment; What will someone who follows the tracks of your life find? Will your tracks lead to a dead-end? A being that is dead, or full of life? A lost soul? A lonely spirit that is disconnected from the rest of the pack? Or someone who is leading their life full of purpose, intention and meaning?

Will your life have made a positive difference in the lives of others? Will someone else’s life have been enriched, blessed, or enhance by your having passed this way? Will you have lived your life in such a way that your impact will live beyond the physical tracks you’ve left upon this earth? Will your life and actions point in a Godly, Christ-like direction? Will your tracks lead others to embrace and draw closer to their Creator? Or is your life simply about you? How much you get, accumulate, own, and possess? Possessions, titles, accomplishments? About eating, consuming resources, and walking blindly through the world.

Good stuff to ponder on a cold winter’s day. May God fill you with His purpose, His direction, and His meaning.

-- Rollie J.