What do you like about hiking?

"I'm formed for the wilderness, if ye love me, let me go where my soul craves to be agin"  ~Natty Bumppo, The Pioneers by James Fenimore Cooper


I have been asked by one of my sisters and my son, at different times, the title question.  Much like Gretchen Wilson trying to answer the question put before her, "What is a redneck?", I find that the answer cannot be reduced to one sentence.  Gretchen's response took an entire book.  Not to worry, I intend for my attempt at an explanation to be shorter.

I'm not even sure I can put my reason(s) into words.  Everything about the woods, all nature, really, brings me peace.  The senses are heightened.  I can smell leaves, fresh air, bear musk, and flowers.  I can hear owls hooting to one another, chipmunks chattering, woodpeckers drumming, brooks (or creeks, depending on where you live) babbling.  I get to see, with appreciation, odd fungus formations, birds I've never seen before, and animal tracks like a bear track-- as big as my size 8 boot-- deeply impressed in fresh mud from the previous day's rain.  I usually don't get to see these things from home, either because they are not there or my responsibilities don't allow me the time.

this is the first hooded warbler I had ever seen

Daily tasks can become stressful.  When I'm hiking, I don't have to think about next week's menu, completing chores, planning or studying for a Bible lesson or paying bills and balancing the check-book.  I simply have to think about putting one foot in front of the other until I reach my destination.  I get to enjoy for as many moments or minutes as I want the blessings God puts before me.  A purple mushroom can be appreciated for five minutes, rather than five seconds.

There is something to be said for tackling a tough goal.  Carrying 35 extra pounds while gaining 500 feet in elevation over a one mile stretch can be exhausting.   However, once the day is over, I'm filled with a sense of accomplishment.

Of course, there are also the memories.  Reaching the summit of Mt. Katahdin with my then eleven year old son is one of my all time favorite experiences.  Reading through old journal entries and looking through pictures of my trips allow me to relive the experience.  An elderly man once told me to turn around from time to time to see where you have been.  For me, hiking and backpacking have been great tools for building character.  I am much more confident now.  Walking through the woods is like charging my "happiness battery."