Knee Deep in High Water: Riding the Muskwa-Kechika, Expedition Poems

Following a devastating leg injury that would leave her with an acutely crooked knee, Bronwyn Preece embarks on an ambitious and immersive journey into a remote area of Northern BC. Written on the trail, knee deep in high water is a chronicle of the most physically challenging experience following her accident—a two-week-long horse expedition—and an impassioned ode to the breathtaking beauty of the backcountry. As she journeys through melting mountains and rising rivers, Preece encounters new moments of thwarted plans and questioned ethics that parallel her personal path of healing, both physical and emotional. These poems are an account of one woman’s movement into a deeper understanding of self. She grapples with her role as a settler in the unceded lands that provide her with so much comfort and attachment, as well as her own fragility and strength in relation to the terrains she explores. Through struggles and celebrations, lessons and longings, knee deep in high water is a love letter to the trail, and to returning home.

Bronwyn Preece is honored to live on the unceded Traditional Territories of the Lilwat7úl and Skwxwú7mesh Peoples in Whistler, BC. She is a multi-disciplinary, community-engaged arts practitioner. She holds a PhD in Performance, along with a MA and BFA in Applied Theatre. She has taught, facilitated workshops, and performed internationally. Her publications range from academic chapters to children’s books. Bronwyn is an avid, solo backcountry, multi-day backpacker and hiker who writes on the trail.