Siarl, what got you to stay in Terlingua? Do you work at Big Bend, in Lajitas, Study Butte, or travel to Mexico often? Border Patrol? I was there last at the Chili Cook Off.
I did it to change my life. To start living for who I am and to help define who I am. I did it to experience life for who I am.
i backpack because it is what i do and i have not found another activity that brings me the satisfaction of a slog up and over mtn or thru forested tundra. i have yet to find an air conditioner or heater that compare to a nice mtn breeze or a bright sunny day on a summitt of natural creation. when out backpacking i can carry on a conversation with fellow hikers as opposed to a basketball game where all we do is talk smack to each other[still lots of fun]. backpacking is one of the most rewarding and challenging activity one can endure. for those reasons and many others that is why i do it....peace. solitude, wildlife,mtn terrain, glacial melt ponds, streams and brooks, caves, cairns, maps, trails and much much more....
Why slog, sweat, and struggle at times...
to exercise the human spirit, mentally and physically...it's innate.
and it's just plain fun
Because a good, well planned. outdoor adventure/hike for me is better than any prescribed medication on the market today. for me my body has always needed/craved a physical challenge to maintain my always fragile mental well being. from youth sports, individual sports in my 20-30' such as marathons, triathlons, outward bound to now simply walking and hiking, ahh the satisfaction of the accomplishment.......
I sometimes do both.Originally Posted by johnnybgood
It doesn't make much sense but I like to be out in bad weather...with the right gear. Every time it comes a downpour the neighbors will see me out walking, when I lived in upstate NY and MN I'd go out every time we had a blizzard, I sleep like a baby with a severe thunderstorm when everyone else is up worrying what will happen.
This is exactly me Drybones, love a good thunderstorm, and blowing snow calls to me.
I hike to get in touch with my Earth Mother and my Spirit Father. It balances me.
I hear ya DB!
I loved waking up every morning on the trail not having to deal with wet stuff or being cold. It was like heaven waking up on top of a mountain, like that. I'm a huge fan of nice weather while hiking.... it makes me HAPPY.
I do remember, it rained heavily on us one afternoon but like you said, we had the right gear so it wasn't that bad. We were at Uncle Johnney's cabin that night so it worked out perfectly for drying out our wet shoes etc.. we rode bikes and explored the area, the next day... some much fun!
Yup! It's hard not to think about spiritual things while hiking surrounded by nature.... it's bigger than US. :>)
From my "Feeling Good" thread on November 3:
So next time somebody wants to know why we haul our gear miles through the woods and over the hills in the cold and the rain, here's the answer:
Feeling good feels good!http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...od!&highlight=
Life simplification (at least for a while). If it isn't in your pack, you don't need it or want it.
I hear this a lot....what are folks considering spiritual?
.........well because the wife won't follow me there!
+1.............
Piece of mind, to gain a new perspective
I can't believe no one has said "to get away from the wife".
I do it to see what I can see, to go places I have never been and to unplug and recharge my mind and soul.
I have always enjoyed nature. I know the terrain is a 360 degree contrast to that of my native Appalachians but when I came to visit some friends who moved back to Terlingua, the wide open space and the simple way of living here I found attractive...the fairly inexpensive property prices was also a plus. So I purchased twenty acres and moved to Terlingua from California, two years later. Been here over five years and have no regrets. I would also like to purchase some land in the Appalachians but the property prices are a bit more than I can afford.
If I did own some land in the Appalachians, I could spend the winters in Terlingua and the Summers in the Appalachians. My hometown of Galax, Va also hosts one of the largest and oldest Fiddler's Conventions in the world every second week in August. I was going to try to arrange my thru-hike to coincide with the Fiddler's Convention but in August I need to be in Maine finishing up the thru-hike.
Yes, the Chili Cook-Off is quite the gathering. I've never been to it. Not really my scene and I'm usually working since that is our busy time.
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