Impossible Beyond This Point

Many people long for a simpler life and some may even dream of getting away from it all to live off the land in a self-sufficient paradise. Just think – minimal food costs, no utility bills, no traffic, no neighbors – just God’s great creation and the time and freedom to enjoy it to the fullest. That’s the dream. But if you’d like an inspiring and entertaining first-hand look at the reality, look no further than Impossible Beyond This Point, the true story of one family’s adventure moving to the middle of the wilderness back in 1967.

At the time of the move, Virgil and Marcella Horn were both close to 40 and had three small boys, ages 5-9. Seeking a freer life, they uprooted the family and left the comforts of the city to hike into a remote, rugged canyon and eke out a living on a gold mining claim. With little money and no experience with the harsh conditions that awaited them, they learned by doing and persevered to create a life that continues to this day.

How do I know? Well, I live there now, too. In 1996, I married the youngest son (who is one of the authors) and have been living the dream ever since. Is it all roses? No. But I so appreciate the hard work and sacrifices made prior to my arrival on the scene that created the comfortable life I now live.

Impossible Beyond This Point combines much of Hooray the Wilderness, Virgil’s unpublished manuscript, with material from Marcy’s We Walked the Tall Grass. Joel blended his parents’ writings with his own recollections to create an inspirational “real” account of the family’s struggle and triumph. As Virgil said back in 1972:

“…someone has to reassert the evident truth that the individual is the basis for a free society. It is for this reason that we have come to the wilderness and through continuing hard work and enterprise show that the American dream of freedom of the individual is worth much more than security of the masses.”

~ Virgil Horn, 1972

Crystal

Crystal Marie lives by the philosophy that needing less rather than earning more is the key to happiness and financial serenity, which allowed her to “retire” from formal employment in health education at the age of 44. She can be found making the most of the second half on her blog, The Best 50 Years.