by a wanderer
Why do I hike?
Now that is an interesting question
with many an answer.
Do I hike for the feel of trails under my boots?
Do I hike to escape the confines of crushing society?
to stay fit and lean, to meet new friends
to see the world, to study strange and new animals
all of these are true and more.
But why I hike is something that does not have an easy couple-word answer.
it’s waking up in the morning to frost covering your tent.
it’s dancing on the precipice of a mountain, with the world’s freedom beneath you.
it’s moving through titanic ancient trees, feeling like a bug
and it is not all Thoreau novels and picturesque paintings.
it is seeing climate change up close and personal,
a forceful opening of the eyes to the many turnouts to the natural world
it’s watching species dwindle and tremor and change around you
it is being an active part of an ecosystem.
That is, in a brief summary, of why I hike.
Why do you?
(Elliott, from New York, was a student on one of our recent trips, through ARCC Programs Gap Semester. We are happy to feature them as a guest on our blog today!)
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