The Native Iowan

Yep, another one. One I kinda forgot. But trading emails with my ol bud, DB, brought this up…

Between spring of 1979 and January 1981 I shared space with a Wolf. An interesting creature that taught me a lot about a lot. His wild-side was never fully domesticated, though he was a very good “dog”. He was all ways and basically a Wolf.

One of the things I figured out fast with “Nuclear Fusion” was he’d trade being domestic for being allowed to run wild.

For much of his life he lived comfortably as a house dog. He cooperated and was a very, very good “house dog”. But we had to go wild regularly.

And we did. He’d take me running through field and forest at night. I tell my grandkids that I learned to see in the dark from “Nuke”.

We’d go spend long weekends in remote camp sites. Summer, winter, didn’t matter. It was being wild that was important.

June/ July 1979, Nuke and I humped into a favourite spot in NE Iowa. Near the college town, Decorah. This place was state/ county owned. There was a little access point where you parked. Most folks sat there and thought they had found wilderness, but… if you humped-in 3 hours or more you got to a set of horizontal springs that were magnificent. A series of falls, with freezing water, fresh and sweet, filtered through thousands of feet of porous stone. Falls fell horizontally through limestone cataracts. Water seeped out of the cliffs, high huge sandstone cliffs lined the valley. A fine cold mist filed the air.

The small streams that surrounded had fish.

I dont know the name of the streams/ rivers but know the parking spot was called “Malanafy Springs”.

No one ever went there.

I humped-in a complete camp site… tent, sleeping bag, fishing gear, a light hammock, and… a big cast iron pot and three old metal tent posts.

I knew the area well and was inclined to hump-in, set up camp and use the spring water and the cast iron pot to make a big stew. I’d stopped at the local HiVee and bought some meat and veggies.

So I set up camp and have my pot of stew simmering by day’s end. Intending to stay there for days.

Nuke and I came up to be wild… to not be stressed by towns and people and rules about Wolves.

Weather is fine. My old 61 Dodge (push button transmission) is in no danger. We can simply disappear, go wild. For as long as we want.

My buddy, Nuclear Fusion, a Mekenzie Valley wolf, is my protection and my best friend. We enjoyed each other’s company. Going wild regularly was a requirement with Nuke.

Very little in these woods will “get you”. Possibly a rattle snake, but doubtful.

I intended to live pretty much naked for a week. We’d wake each day and go shower under the 34f falls. Fish and hike and go tramping with Nuke taking the lead. He taught me much.

We both liked fishing. All fish are tossed in the pot. Maybe Nuke gets one or two, but he likes cooked fish as well as raw.

The stock-pot started with meat and potatoes and carrots and such. We both live out of the pot. But we don’t eat much. As the days pass the pot becomes a fine, rich thick mess of gruel, with flakey chunks of fish and plenty of bones.

When we ran out of food or got tired of what we were eating we’d pack up and go home.

I was unemployed, hanging out between college terms. Taking the summer “off”, working a bit of construction. My folks owned an “INN” that served grog and food from 7am to 2am. Located in a two-horse-town in northern Iowa. I had a place to live and worked for the folks when they were busy or took off for as weekend. But mostly I was young and free. Enjoying the things I enjoyed with my buddy Nuke at my heel.

Or was it me heeling to Nuke?

I didn’t worry much about clothes while in camp. A pair of cut offs and maybe a sweat shirt if it got chilly. But mostly I put the same clothes on each day as Nuke did. I really enjoyed “running wild”, running naked, running free.

A lovely afternoon at camp… you can hear the falls in the distance. We’ve been up and fished and replenished the pot and got fire wood and were just hanging out. I was laying in my string hammock, Nuke was laying between me and the fire. We both dozed and listened and sniffed the air, then dozed some more… It was good.

We were both undressed.

Nuke heard it first and cocked an eye at me… it was a distinct noise of “people” coming up the train leading to us… leading to the falls.

I gave him a one-eyed acknowledgement and played possum. He held steady…

We were on the main trail to the falls, not unusual if someone walked up but, so few made the trek to the falls I had never expected this…

I did not have time to get dressed. Standing up and introducing myself didn’t look like a good move. So I pretended to snooze. As did Nuke.

I peer through closed eyes… A mature man and woman with a couple younger folks slow as they note the camp site, caught sight of a naked, hairy dude in a hammock with a jet-black canine.

They detour around the camp site and carry onto the falls. They did not return via the main trail so we never saw them again.

And, I am sure that to this day the guy and his family talk of the day the went hiking and encountered a wild man and his dog in the woods.

Big smiles all around…