Spontaneity

[Rockhound]

With mail drops and spread sheets and deadlines and timelines etc.... I was curious as to how often and how far apart everyone plans for spontaneity during their hikes. Serious replies only.

[Old Hiker]

I try to work in my spontaneity every 2-3 miles or so. This works out to be about every hour, depending on terrain. I used to be able to tell pretty much exactly when to be spontaneous, but as I've gotten older, I've had to start setting my watch. By making sure my spontaneity is well-planned, it eases my mind to know I'm still spontaneous, regardless of my age, and I can enjoy the hike a lot more.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Every evening when building the campfire. Spontaneity combustion.

[sheepdog]

I don't know which is funnier, Rockhound axing for serious replies only or Old Hikers response.

[Storm]

I leave the spontaneity at home when I hike. At my age I have to save weight anywhere I can.

[sheepdog]

I leave the spontaneity at home when I hike. At my age I have to save weight anywhere I can.

has anyone tried dehydrating spontaneity??

[WingedMonkey]

I put my right foot in front of my left food spontaneously. No wait I put my left foot in front of my right...no that's not it....damn I think I got two left feet. Ok that's it when I fall it's spontaneous.
When I get up, It's well planned..do I use my poles? do I take off my pack? do I roll over first? Yeah that's got to be planned while I lay there.

[hikerboy57]

My watch alarm is set to go off every 3 hours to remind me to be spontaneous.

[paistes5]

My spontaneity comes from very detailed planning.

[jlb2012]

so long as I eat enough refried beans I have no problems being spontaneous on the trail

[rhjanes]

so long as I eat enough refried beans I have no problems being spontaneous on the trail

So that was your spontaneous mess? I thought a bear did that....

[Bonjour]

I just felt the urge to dehydrate some fruit cocktail but it was spontaneously suppressed.

[sheepdog]

I just felt the urge to dehydrate some fruit cocktail but it was spontaneously suppressed.

Isn't dehydrated fruit cocktail.....gorp?

[Dogwood]

Seeing that no one else is giving a serious answer I'll chime in. The longer one is out hiking the more often spontaneity is needed IMO. Personally, even after all the pre-hike planning, although I try not to get overly anal about it, on everyone of my hikes I include a good measure of spontaneity, flexibility, adaptability and the unabashed ability to laugh, even at myself(that's a lot of ity!). TOO MANY controlling know it everything plan for everything hurried hikers out on the trail. SAD! I notice these people as often rushed, frustrated, and unhappy when they fail to meet their strict agendas on a continual basis.

What, am I going to pass up the unscheduled and unplanned for spontaneity of observing a 2 ft long Hellbender in the Smokies, a skydiving hunting Perrigine Falcon or feel the spray of one of the several waterfalls of White Oak Canyon in Shenandoah, a sea otter or Bald Eagle or spawning salmon or blue starfish or red sea urchin in Olympic NP, mountain goats with their newborn kids or a crackling expanding glacier in which I'm standing on at Glacier NP, or orange, blue, purple, etc. sunset with snow capped Grand Teton as the backdrop or a herd of grazing Bison in Grand Teton NP, a winter sunset and alligators in the Everglades, rain orchids and 2000* F spewing lava, in the same scene, in Volcanoes NP, the lunar landscape and powderpuff like Ohia a Lehua blossoms of Hawaii's state tree at Haleakala NP, the contorted flow of the mighty Colorado at Horseshoe Bend or the roiled chocolatey brown waters at Lava Rapids or the ever changing shadows of a snowy cliff face in the Grand Canyon, falling snowflakes or the Virgin River at Zion, the changing shadows cast from Delicate or Landscape Arch at Arches NP, a grove of mature 25 ft + flowering Joshua trees or the whirring sounds of the wind turbines or a Mojave Green Rattlesnake on the PCT, a Gila monster in the red rock canyons of Arizona or a view down Water Pocket Fold in Capital Reef NP on the Hayduke Trail, a spectacular purple sunrise over the hadoos and spires of Bryce Canyon, the view down Yosemite Valley towards Half Dome from Winona Tunnel, the eruption of Old Faithful or the Blue Pool or taking in the eerie howls of a pack of hungry wolves in the Lamarr Valley and then seeing them emerge from the forest hunting down a young elk at Yellowstone, sharing the laughter, stories, challenges, and dampness of other hikers while hunkered down during yet another rainstorm in yet another rickety AT shelter, the wild ponies at Grayson Highlands, flowering Flame Azaleas or Catawba Rhododendrons lining the "green tunnel" on the AT in North Carolina, a pod of rare yellow lady slipper orchids at Fontana Lake, the brilliant Fall colors on a cool frosty morn while climbing yet another mountain on the AT in Maine, etc etc etc.??? I COULD GO ON! ALL SPONTANEOUS EVENTS!

NO, NOT ME!!!

I HAVE LEARNED TO APPRECIATE BEING A SPONTANEOUS AND UNHURRIED ENOUGH HIKER THAT I WILL ALWAYS MAKE TIME OUT OF MY BUSY HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE HIKING SCHEDULE TO STOP STOP STOP AND THOROUGHLY ENJOY WHY I TOOK UP HIKING IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

Hopefully, I've provided an answer to your question, Rockhound.

[WingedMonkey]

You did notice it was the Humor forum??

[Carbo]

I planned to be spontaneous, but something always seems to come up unexpectedly.

[Old Hiker]

I planned to be spontaneous, but something always seems to come up unexpectedly.

And THAT'S why you have to PLAN your spontaneity, otherwise, you aren't prepared for the spontaneous moment!

[Pedaling Fool]

You did notice it was the Humor forum??

Damn, I didn't notice that! I thought this was a damn funny thread, until you pointed that out. It's not fun anymore

[jlb2012]

So that was your spontaneous mess? I thought a bear did that....

did it smell like pepper spray?

[pfann]

I always bring my spontaneity, but it keeps getting packed underneath my procrastination. I'll find it later.