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View Full Version : What do you talk & think about when you hike?



DrRichardCranium
02-25-2010, 15:25
I belong to a couple of hiking clubs. When I hike I usually like to focus on what's going on around me, and what sort of trees & plants I'm looking at.

But there's always people in the hiking group who seem to only want to talk about their jobs. (Or movies or TV shows, or current events in the news, or whatever.)

Don't we get enough of that? I usually enjoy my job, but I usually don't want to talk about it or think about it all day long when I'm out hiking in the mountains.

You're out there looking at all this wonderful scenery, yet many people seem to be uninterested in focusing on it, they just want to complete the hike. They're in the forest, but their minds are back at their desks.

(of course, if anyone starts talking about politics, they should get shoved off the nearest peak, imho!;))

bmwsmity
02-25-2010, 15:38
yeah, i also prefer not talkin about daily life... i'm out there to forget about all that crap...i just want to take in nature and enjoy it...

Lion King
02-25-2010, 15:51
Im not a talker when I walk, not that Im anti social, its just that I will trip over my own feet, stumble and get frustrated.

I will talk to you all day at camp, at breaks, in town or whatever....but the walking time is mine to think. Oddly enough, if someone wants to walk and sing at the same time, I can do that...

I prefer the quiet so my mind can work through whatever issues Ive built up in my life since the last time Ive hiked.

SmokyMtn Hiker
02-25-2010, 15:59
yeah, i also prefer not talkin about daily life... i'm out there to forget about all that crap...i just want to take in nature and enjoy it...

Agree 100%, and it pissing me off to meet someone who just wants to complain about what going on in the world such as politics, bad economy, etc. Life is to short as it is, enjoy whats around you and forget that crap.

JustaTouron
02-25-2010, 16:02
Both, but mostly life in general.

Most of my hiking is either with my kids or with a long term friend that I only see a couple of times a year (when we go hiking).

With the kids sometimes we will talk about the view and certainly if we spot an animal. Or the weather or the food or other hike related topics.

But most of the talk is about life in general. Very often things they don't want to discuss in front of mom. (My wife has a hard time with "I want to tell you something but you gotta promise not to get mad or punish me" She will keep her promise about not punishing but rarely succeeds with the not getting mad part and she has a nasty tendency of bring what was discussed at another time. I am a little bit better at not being as judgemental or getting upset when they confess that did something that is against the rules.) Also their dreams, hopes wishes for the future. Funny stories about things that happened at school or with their friends. We have discussed politics.

When I am with my buddy we spend a lot of time catching up on our respective lives since the last time we went hiking together and we reminnes about the good ole day.

Semperfeet
02-25-2010, 16:14
"We just walked. I was very happy." A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson

NorthCountryWoods
02-25-2010, 16:14
Think about the future mostly. Wife and I usually don't talk much until breaks or camp. We have friends that we hike with often that will talk the entire time about everything. Luckily we all have similar political views.

BTW, you haven't heard talking until you hike with a pre-teen child. They will talk and ask questions about every other step.

skinny minnie
02-25-2010, 16:15
When I hike alone I tend to mostly focus on nature, and it is probably 90% of what goes through my head. I try not to let everyday life drown stuff out. Sometimes I hike hard, and it's almost like you can outrun your problems through the sheer physicality of hauling yourself up and down mountains. It's nice to let go of things that way. Very cathartic.

When hiking with my uncle: he usually is meandering on about haiku, philosophy and the meaning of life. I offer up the occasional grunt to punctuate his steady stream of chatter, a random rebuttal or two, groans at his corniness and often a not so gentle reminder that he just walked past a blaze! Occasionally I am a complete grump with him. We have a total father/daughter relationship.

When hiking with my hiker trash buddies (amazing women, class of '09 GAME): there is usually an excessive amount of ridiculousness and hilarity. A LOT of laughing and vulgarity. And a rather disturbing amount of farting! :eek: I think at least 50% of our subject matter is highly inappropriate. AT LEAST. What can I say, we're raunchy women! :D

When hiking with my two male partners (also former thru-hikers): the conversation is almost never raunchy (they are polite dudes) and is more about planning future epic hikes, talking gear and the occasional random subject matter. There's actually a lot less talking than with my other partners because these guys can haul ass and pull heavy duty miles. I'm usually at the back trying to keep up!

We all love pointing out the amazing aspects of nature we are walking through. I know all of us are soaking in as much as possible, regardless of what we are talking about. (Except when someone passes gas, ha. We get a little distracted from nature at that point!) I love the fact that I laugh so often when I hike. And they let me occasionally bitch about work. I need to vent with friends now and then - it helps me let go of my problems in a supportive environment. I don't think nature is overshadowed by our talking about other things: it is something we are surrounded by and so appreciative of, even when discussing something totally unrelated. We talk about the mundane, the comical, the ordinary and the extraordinary. Sometimes we talk for hours and sometimes we hike in silence for miles. I love and appreciate all of it.

Blissful
02-25-2010, 16:21
I think about food. And more food. :)

10-K
02-25-2010, 16:35
There are times when I find hiking incredibly boring.

I've noticed that if I'm hiking with someone a good conversation is a great way to pass the time and seems to make time go by faster.

Doctari
02-25-2010, 16:49
As my wife will use ANY excuse or no excuse to talk (&talk&talk&talk&talk&talk&talk&talk). Sometimes she seems to just use random words sort of strung together. When I am out in the woods, I prefer to not hear any talking, even if it is me thinking inside my head. So usually it is just "white noise" as I walk along.

I do sometimes cuss the ATC as I walk, mostly when they have routed the trail, for no reason, 2 miles over a steep hill with no views or water, only to come back to the nice logging road 100 feet from where the AT veered off. Or when they barricade a level smooth trail to go over ankle twisting rocks on a poorly angled trail. Etc.

buff_jeff
02-25-2010, 17:38
Babes and fast food

Mags
02-25-2010, 17:46
If you are hiking with an outing group, then I am not surprised there is a lot of talking about 'things'.

Outdoor groups are social groups first that use the outdoors as a way to form friendships. I met some of my closest friends through a local outdoor group. Did we discuss the outdoors all the time? No we discussed history, politics (yes), religion, pop culture...and the outdoors, too. Conversations on all aspects of life.


If you want to talk strictly about the outdoors, you are better of solo or with a chosen friend or two. Then again, even when I by myself, I seldom think of just the outdoors. If the outdoors was just for thinking of the outdoors, well, we'd lose out as culture. :)

Ender
02-25-2010, 17:46
I think about food. And more food. :)

Ditto. I think about food when out for a long hike.

Rockhound
02-25-2010, 17:47
Babes and fast food
That's funny. I think of food and fast babes.

zelph
02-25-2010, 17:57
My natural surroundings, all the beautiful plants and animals that were created for us to enjoy. God is an awesome designer:)

Slo-go'en
02-25-2010, 18:00
Hiking and holding a conversation doesn't work out very well. You can never hear what the person in front of you is saying unless thier shouting. Better to leave the conversations to camp or during breaks.

When I hike I go into a "hikers daze" and don't think about anything. Sort of a meditative state.

Turtle Feet
02-25-2010, 18:28
Hiking and holding a conversation doesn't work out very well. You can never hear what the person in front of you is saying unless thier shouting. Better to leave the conversations to camp or during breaks.

When I hike I go into a "hikers daze" and don't think about anything. Sort of a meditative state.

OMG - that is so true!

I'm always conscieous of "noise pollution" too. Not just in camp, but out on the trail as well. We've all been victims of the inconsiderate. Maybe you're not out there for the peace and serenity, but don't ruin it for those that are.

When I'm hiking alone I look around alot, checking out 'stuff' (pretty flowers, catepillars, unusual rock formations, ect) so I'm making mental notes to do some research when I get home (then I forget). I TRY not to think about songs/singing. It inevitably ends of being an earworm that drives me crazy. Then I have to try to think of another song to take it's place but it's a vicious cycle. :eek: (no, I don't hear voices)

Hikers daze? I wish.

boarstone
02-25-2010, 18:31
My feet on the trail and my head in the air....

Dogwood
02-25-2010, 19:02
Yeah, you are right Cranium. Some folks have a hard time letting go of the world they purposefully tried to leave behind. I notice it all the time in the way they hike or behave on the trail. Some folks have the hardest time quieting their minds or switching focus...

Lots of folks have a problem focusing for long periods. That's one reason why they don't finish what they started out to do, complete a thru-hike! I'm bored! The worst excuse I've heard for quitting!

When I hike I do it to take leave of the human created "static" and "noise pollution." One reason why I seek less crowded trails or like bushwacking or camping in out of the way places.

When I hike I attempt to stay in the "Now" - the "Moment." I try to plan for the future, learn from the past, but "LIVE" in the Now, the "Moment." I think about losing my ego. I think about and try to be consciously aware of absorbing, multiplying it within myself, and then sharing love, joy, peace, laughter, wisdom, faith, hope and losing the pride, fear, hate, prejudice, and ignorance. I think about connecting with nature when I hike, not merely be one who travels through it along a trodden path. I honestly think, on some level, I somehow connect with animals, clouds, the rain, the plants, the waterfall, the soil, etc It's a wonderful place. AND, then you get to bring those experiences back to family, the job, society, etc.

scottdennis
02-25-2010, 19:08
I think, "God why does my legs hurt so bad! When do we stop! What's for dinner!"

Seriously, someone said it earlier about the kids. When I have my two year old in the kid carrier I'm confirming her pointing out "Rock! Tree! Leaves! Stick! Bird! Ooooo! Ahhhh! Juice!! Oh oooo!" (NOTE: You have to stop and pick up the juice cup, etc.)

Those are the BEST hikes!

10-K
02-25-2010, 19:17
It inevitably ends of being an earworm that drives me crazy. Then I have to try to think of another song to take it's place but it's a vicious cycle. :eek: (no, I don't hear voices)


I got "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by Charlie Daniels stuck in my head once...

Made me want to shoot my face off....

johnnybgood
02-25-2010, 20:43
Yeah, you are right Cranium. Some folks have a hard time letting go of the world they purposefully tried to leave behind. I notice it all the time in the way they hike or behave on the trail. Some folks have the hardest time quieting their minds or switching focus...

Lots of folks have a problem focusing for long periods. That's one reason why they don't finish what they started out to do, complete a thru-hike! I'm bored! The worst excuse I've heard for quitting!

When I hike I do it to take leave of the human created "static" and "noise pollution." One reason why I seek less crowded trails or like bushwacking or camping in out of the way places.

When I hike I attempt to stay in the "Now" - the "Moment." I try to plan for the future, learn from the past, but "LIVE" in the Now, the "Moment." I think about losing my ego. I think about and try to be consciously aware of absorbing, multiplying it within myself, and then sharing love, joy, peace, laughter, wisdom, faith, hope and losing the pride, fear, hate, prejudice, and ignorance. I think about connecting with nature when I hike, not merely be one who travels through it along a trodden path. I honestly think, on some level, I somehow connect with animals, clouds, the rain, the plants, the waterfall, the soil, etc It's a wonderful place. AND, then you get to bring those experiences back to family, the job, society, etc. Great post Dogwood .This post here is like the Mona Lisa of hiking philosophies..

JAK
02-25-2010, 20:54
I think about all kinds of stuff.
Alot of times it is pure observation, sometimes without much conscious thought.
Trail, trees, sky, where my feet might land next. That sort of thing. Bliss.

I like to figure stuff out too. Getting lost is particularly fun. Then I get to stop and make tea, and figure stuff out, like what sort of an idiot I was this time. Laughter. More bliss.

Not so much fun with other people though. lol

Bear Cables
02-25-2010, 20:58
If I'm hiking with my sister we talk alot about the funny stuff of shared childhood or how to "fix" our older and very different sister.( that's always a favorite topic but we have fixed her yet ;) )Lots of time I pray and then other times I sing silly songs or make up songs.

drifters quest
02-25-2010, 21:32
I usually find myself day dreaming, taking in whats around me, and thinking about people I know. I think about the future but live in the present. I hate talking about politics but I do love my job and people tend to ask questions about it so i'm generally ok with that. I enjoy getting to know people and will talk some on the trail but think camp is an overall better place for conversation. If I need a little motivation (long, steep hill) sometimes i'll put on some music.
I've found if you are hiking with someone who won't stop talking to just start hiking faster- works especially well when going up hill.

Wolf - 23000
02-25-2010, 21:44
Simple, how can I hike more!!! I never seem to be able to stay out long enough

Rockhound
02-25-2010, 22:54
A lot of people do manage to let go of the real world. Talking about work, school etc... only to replace it with talk of gear and miles and maps, gear and miles and maps. Trail conversations can become repetitive and boring very quickly. Unless of course the conversation is about food. Somehow those conversations manage to hold my attention.

DAJA
02-25-2010, 22:58
I wonder if it depends on your lifestyle and whether you live in a rural setting or urban setting. I'd think if I lived or worked in a city I'd want to really absorb nature and every day chatter would be annoying.

On the other hand, living and working everyday surounded by nature, seeing more wildlife than people most days, makes some good conversation welcome. Heck I'm perched in my tent on a bluff 90 meters above the ocean right now reading whiteblaze on my iPhone right now.

The wind is absolutely whipping off the coast. Enviro Canada says it's 26 F with sustained winds of 30MPH and gusts of 54MPH. By morning temp will drop to 15 F. Long and short of it, this will be a fun ride tonight. So long as I don't lift off this cliff and become a nylon and down shark snack.
The point being, when this is your average day and not a vacation, you apprechiate being able to reach out and touch someone. Even if it's virtual. Ok purists, take your shots.

DAJA
02-25-2010, 23:46
Since I'm on A hiking trip, why not tell you what I'm thinking about.

First and formost, I'm having a debate with myself, trying to decide if it would be safer to do a fast pack and move down the ridge and into the woods for a little protection from this relentless wind, or stay put in this open bluff safe from widow makers. Winds are expected to intensify over night and into tomorrow. Plus we're expecting an inch of rain overnight. I think I'm gonna stay put, but be prepared to move quickly if need be.

I'm floored by the sound of this wind. As the gust builds you can feel it build force a d come screaming through the forest to my east. Then a sudden vacant sound as it clears the trees opening into the bald I rest upon. That vacant sound last just an instant before plunging at speed over the edge with a deafening howl before the final thunderous boom as it collides with the smashing waves below.

I'm strangly amused by the irony that I'm camped on the northwest tip of Grand Manan Island In Canada , yet my signal is coming from a AT&T tower in the US. Likely a tower somewhere near Eastport ME.

I'm coming to terms with the possibility that I'll be tent bound tomorrow due to the storm and hope I can get home on Sunday in time to watch the mens hockey Olympic gold.

I'm wondering if national pride and patriotism is healthy in a world as densly populated as ours.

I'm thinking it's time to go pee before the rain starts.

johnnybgood
02-25-2010, 23:52
Hey DAJA , that's cool . Hang on buddy !! Okay, I consider myself a purist that seeks to hike alone but enjoys enteracting with others for a brief time .

I don't carry electronic gadgets and like simplicity in most everything I do while on the trail. I don't judge others for we are all different with various interests including those that could not fathom going anywhere without their mp3 or Iphone.

I think one does appreciate nature more , I know that I do , living in an surburbite environment which lends itself to the Starbucks & Walmarts in every direction mentality.

I do although appreciate being able to reach out into a virtual landscape and interact with others while in my urban setting much the way I prefer to meet hikers on the trail in the real hiker world.


Cheers !

DAJA
02-26-2010, 00:25
Thanks Johnny!

I'm betting the ferry to the mainland and home, won't be running tommorrow so even if I wanted to pack up and try to get out of here it would be pointless so I'm gonna hang tight. Fingers crossed for a break in the weather Sunday morning, so I can be BMW in time for the game. I got lots to read so as long as everything holds together it should be a good day.

Here I am sitting in a tent not two miles from US soil chatting away to the virtual world. We are so Interconnected. Yet we choose to cling to our flags like a child with their blanky. Maybe it's time we grow up and realize we're all in this together. Maybe it's time we throw down our national blanky's and face our problems together. Share our abundance with those without. Recognize differing cultures , beliefs, and values as a strenght and the diversity that gives life beauty. Rather than trying to convert everything into a monoculture that worships a dollar.

Ahh the rain has arrived. Time to check the guy lines, batten down the hatches, fix some tea and relax to the music of nature thumping on my door.

Oh and tonight, just this one night, let's try to dift off to sleep without our blanky's and see if we wake up to a better tommorrow.

Erin
02-26-2010, 00:51
Our hiker group sings, talks about what we are doing, catches up (we live apart)
shares ideas, recipes, and encourage each other to do the best in their own personal life. We don't talk politics. I only see this bunch together a few times a year and it is the best gathering. We are having ours this weekend. A total bunch of joksters, we laugh until it hurts and solve all our problems too.

fredmugs
02-26-2010, 07:40
I hike SOBO and my partner hikes NOBO. When we meet in the middle we exchange trail intel. I would never hike with someone who talks about work.

While alone non-sensical sayings seem to pop into my head that I repeat over and over and over.......

Mrs Baggins
02-26-2010, 08:08
I think about food, books and essays I'd like to write, the scenery, whatever big decisions might be coming up, past trips, upcoming trips, my kids. I'll talk about whatever the person I'm with wants to talk about EXCEPT politics (unless we agree - I have no desire to debate or try to change someone's mind when we're just trying to enjoy being outdoors) and religion (ever). If the other person is out in front of me I can't hear anything they're saying if they keep facing forward, so when I'm in front I'll usually stop for a minute and turn around to face the person when I want to say something.

amac
02-26-2010, 08:44
yeah, i also prefer not talkin about daily life... I'm out there to forget about all that crap...i just want to take in nature and enjoy it...
..........
+1

John B
02-26-2010, 09:28
When I hike by myself, I often think about all the relatives and friends I've known who have passed away. I say their names aloud. I don't know why I think about that but I do. Maybe it's because being alone in a forest makes me think about temporality, how much I'll miss things when I'm gone, and how insignificant we as individuals are. So I often get seriously depressed when I hike.

Shiraz-mataz
02-26-2010, 10:19
I hike with a buddy and we will go for long stretches without saying a word but we usually end up telling crude jokes and complaining about the world we left behind. During the quiet times, my mind drifts away to somewhere "between channels..."

sbhikes
02-26-2010, 10:42
On day hikes I talk and think about regular life (talking if there's someone else there.)

On a backpack trip I find it takes 2-3 days before home/work life is gone and trail life has taken over. Then I think a lot less, talk a lot less and my thoughts are all about what's happening in the moment on the trail.

On a long-distance hike my thoughts go a million miles an hour. So much happens on the trail. Every moment is jam packed with stuff happening. So much to see and think about.

I think about food, about writing stuff down in my journal about every little detail I see of the animals, rocks, plants, scenery. I think about about family at home. Music runs through my head and sometimes it gets stuck there, sometimes words get stuck in my head, too. I think about what's coming up, how I'm going to split the days up to the next resupply, how many miles to the next water, food and more food, what I'm going to eat next on the trail, what I'm going to eat when I get to town, sometimes I think fondly about taking a shower.

Oddly, even though my thoughts go a million miles an hour and trail life is jam packed with stuff happening, I feel slowed down, calm, like I could go weeks without ever saying another word. But when I meet another hiker, we both talk a million miles an hour about everybody we've met, great experiences we've had, trail intel and food. When I get to town I'm suddenly assaulted by people who talk fast about things I no longer understand and sometimes I have a hard time making sense of what they are saying. The trail I understand now, not regular life. I love it when it gets like that.

JustaTouron
02-26-2010, 10:56
I think it is fair to say that various different hikers have different views about what they prefer to discuss on when hiking.

Some such as the OP prefer to leave the world behind. Others use it as a time to be social and discuss life in general.

Both approaches are perfectly fine. What is not fine is expecting everyone else to conform to your particular expectations.

If you ask someone about there thoughts on a movie, work, politics, sport, etc and they respond they would rather not discuss such topics, don't push the issue. OTOH, if other people in your group are discussing a topic that doesn't interest you, don't bitch that you don't want politics, sports, movies, etc discussed on a hike. Ignore them or hike faster or slower than them.

It seems to me that the OP and a few others that have posted in this thread expect the world to conform to their particular view of the hiking topics. Sorry, but that's not gonna happen. Hike alone or find new hiking partners. But don't expect that you can join a social club that hikes and dictate what topics are off limits for discussion.

DrRichardCranium
02-26-2010, 11:49
I never complain out loud. I don't feel I have any right to dictate what people should talk about. Unless it's politics, in which case they get a sock of manure upside the head.

Deadeye
02-26-2010, 12:03
sex

what was the question?

FlyPaper
02-26-2010, 12:12
My son was almost 2 years old when I went on my first hike. I'd been driving around for weeks with a children's tunes cassette in the car.

Big mistake!!!

I could not get the tunes out of my head during the hike. I tried banging my head against some of the convenient rocks. That just made it hurt worse.

JAK
02-26-2010, 15:17
Thanks Johnny!

I'm betting the ferry to the mainland and home, won't be running tommorrow so even if I wanted to pack up and try to get out of here it would be pointless so I'm gonna hang tight. Fingers crossed for a break in the weather Sunday morning, so I can be BMW in time for the game. I got lots to read so as long as everything holds together it should be a good day.

Here I am sitting in a tent not two miles from US soil chatting away to the virtual world. We are so Interconnected. Yet we choose to cling to our flags like a child with their blanky. Maybe it's time we grow up and realize we're all in this together. Maybe it's time we throw down our national blanky's and face our problems together. Share our abundance with those without. Recognize differing cultures , beliefs, and values as a strenght and the diversity that gives life beauty. Rather than trying to convert everything into a monoculture that worships a dollar.

Ahh the rain has arrived. Time to check the guy lines, batten down the hatches, fix some tea and relax to the music of nature thumping on my door.

Oh and tonight, just this one night, let's try to dift off to sleep without our blanky's and see if we wake up to a better tommorrow.

Well that must have been quite the night. You were correct that the ferry was cancelled. It was blowing the dog off the chain this morning. Freezing rain now. I'm guessing you are having supper in one of Grand Manan's fine eating establishments. Trip report?

I wonder sometimes about the justice of some people being born onto some Pacific Island nation the size of a postage stamp without any resources left by the time they gained independance. Citizenship might be one of the last remaining forms of legalized discrimination. Works for me though. We have more square miles of awesomeness per person than any other nation on earth.

So just how awesome was it last night? lol

DrRichardCranium
02-26-2010, 15:35
RE. boredom, I think it helps if you know something about the trees & plants & other wildlife you're looking at all day long. The more you learn about that, the more interesting it becomes.

I have a friend who doesn't like to watch American football, because she doesn't understand the game, so watching it is very boring for her.
Similarly, to someone who doesn't know much about the wildlife, hiking could get boring very quickly. But the more you learn about nature, the more interesting it becomes to be out there all day long.

Pacific Tortuga
02-26-2010, 15:49
Im not a talker when I walk, not that Im anti social, its just that I will trip over my own feet, stumble and get frustrated.

I will talk to you all day at camp, at breaks, in town or whatever....but the walking time is mine to think. Oddly enough, if someone wants to walk and sing at the same time, I can do that...

I prefer the quiet so my mind can work through whatever issues Ive built up in my life since the last time Ive hiked.


I agree 100% with Lions feelings.
If you are a talker, for the most part I can listen almost all day, just do not expect me to to join in. I just walk, breath and look .......... for a perfect rock or log to sit down on, slanted just right to take the pack pressure off my back.
Cold beer drifts through my mind the closer I get to a town.

Mrs Baggins
02-26-2010, 19:11
I agree 100% with Lions feelings.
If you are a talker, for the most part I can listen almost all day, just do not expect me to to join in. I just walk, breath and look .......... for a perfect rock or log to sit down on, slanted just right to take the pack pressure off my back.
Cold beer drifts through my mind the closer I get to a town.



Oh my yes. All the way around. :D

Bonjour
02-26-2010, 22:49
Many times I think about and notice the rhythms around me. The swaying of the trees, the sound of my footfall, the clicking of my polls. It gets me in a zone and before long the miles melt away. On the way up hills when I'm huffing and puffing I often silently repeat Om mani padme hum as I inhale and exhale. Its not really a spiritual thing it just helps the rhythm of getting up the hill.

DAJA
02-26-2010, 23:24
Well that must have been quite the night. You were correct that the ferry was cancelled. It was blowing the dog off the chain this morning. Freezing rain now. I'm guessing you are having supper in one of Grand Manan's fine eating establishments. Trip report?

I wonder sometimes about the justice of some people being born onto some Pacific Island nation the size of a postage stamp without any resources left by the time they gained independance. Citizenship might be one of the last remaining forms of legalized discrimination. Works for me though. We have more square miles of awesomeness per person than any other nation on earth.

So just how awesome was it last night? lol

Still out... Day three... Socked in completely.... Warm meal, warm tea, read, nap - repeat... That's been my day, and a dandy one at that. I did get a brief break in the weather around noon, so moved about 10km down neAr southwest head. May of been a mistake, lighthouse fog horn LOUD.... It was not activated when I chose site. As pressure dropped visibility followed and now the HORN! Much more sheltered from the wind. Great veiw if I had one!

Tomorrow if I get a break in the weather I want to move to Flock of Sheep point for one last night before catching the ferry Sunday morning.

Awsome storm!

wudhipy
02-26-2010, 23:34
While hiking it is the one time I require myself not to think. It is incredible how noisy our thoughts are, they can drown out a rushing stream,the Aria of a song bird,the arguements of Chipmonks. In the quiet is where the true magic of the moment lies. Just walk...just walk and be amazed at the beating of our own hearts. :o

DAJA
02-27-2010, 00:54
Horn too mu h to take. Sleep will never come. The rain has subsided to a thick mist. I'm gonna do a night pack and move 5 km south to Flock of Sheep. It's always good practice to kick yourself out of a warm bag in the middle of the night to do a night move.

Thinking about the fry pan thread. I am triing out a new pan I got at walmart. It's called the One Egg Wonder, $7.00 and just a smidge over 6oz. It heats evenly, and Ive successfully cooked eggs, bacon and tea buiscuts on this trip. It mates well to the jet boil with the GCS pot holder. It's passed the test and will be with me on future trips.

Weather is turning bad again. Time to move.

sparky2009
02-27-2010, 10:58
When I hike, I like to look around at my surroundings and take in all of the beauty. I've learned not to talk so much when hiking with a friend mostly because it's hard to hear them. Also, I'm aware that they might not want to talk either. I try to be sensitive to that these days.

I sometimes like to think about issues, problems, etc when I'm hiking by myself. Not too much though because I might miss something around me. The past is done and gone, the future is only speculation. The present is all that is real as far as time is concerned. While one may enjoy memories from the past and make plans for the future, there's no sense in wasting the opportunity to enjoy the present on these things. IMHO

I'm comfortable talking about anything to anyone as long as they're willing to keep the length of the conversation reasonable and allow others to have their say. It's the on and on and on and... that's really annoying. I'll end up graciously ending it by saying something along the lines of I've got to...

JAK
02-27-2010, 16:18
Horn too mu h to take. Sleep will never come. The rain has subsided to a thick mist. I'm gonna do a night pack and move 5 km south to Flock of Sheep. It's always good practice to kick yourself out of a warm bag in the middle of the night to do a night move.

Thinking about the fry pan thread. I am triing out a new pan I got at walmart. It's called the One Egg Wonder, $7.00 and just a smidge over 6oz. It heats evenly, and Ive successfully cooked eggs, bacon and tea buiscuts on this trip. It mates well to the jet boil with the GCS pot holder. It's passed the test and will be with me on future trips.

Weather is turning bad again. Time to move.lol
Yeah that is one heck of a foghorn down at Southwest Head.

Found this old photo on the internet...
http://www.vintagepostcards.org/grand-manan-southwest-head-lighthouse-light-house-p-3580.html

JAK
02-27-2010, 16:20
Watch your self in the fog now. That first step looks like is a doozy. ;)

GGS2
02-27-2010, 18:24
DAJA, what were you thinking! And JAK, they're all loud, close up.

I've never camped on Grand Manan, but when I went to UNB, my girlfriend and I went out to Deer Island and mooched about. Then I married a girl who used to summer on GM. So I got to know it some. A truly wonderful place, but don't camp by the horns when the weather is deteriorating. Maybe find a groaner you can hear all night. Or a bell? Can't remember any bells.

Tinker
02-27-2010, 18:36
I belong to a couple of hiking clubs. When I hike I usually like to focus on what's going on around me, and what sort of trees & plants I'm looking at.

But there's always people in the hiking group who seem to only want to talk about their jobs. (Or movies or TV shows, or current events in the news, or whatever.)

Don't we get enough of that? I usually enjoy my job, but I usually don't want to talk about it or think about it all day long when I'm out hiking in the mountains.

You're out there looking at all this wonderful scenery, yet many people seem to be uninterested in focusing on it, they just want to complete the hike. They're in the forest, but their minds are back at their desks.

(of course, if anyone starts talking about politics, they should get shoved off the nearest peak, imho!;))

I prefer to hike alone so I don't have to talk OR think. :D:jump

JAK
02-27-2010, 19:19
When I hike alone, I prefer to be by myself.

wvgrinder
02-27-2010, 20:12
I daydream about hiking. :sun

randyg45
02-27-2010, 20:22
It's amazing sometimes what the kids tell Dad (or Uncle Randy) when there's no one else to talk to for a few days.

Many of my trips have centered around not just my own children but also my nephew and soon, I hope, my niece. I'm sufficiently self-centered to think that not only do they need the great advice they receive ;>) and the lessons in self-sufficiency and resultant self-esteem they learn; but that they also probably need the stress relief more than I do.

I haven't forgotten how hard I thought it was to be a teenager, and I'm pretty sure it hasn't gotten any easier.

Hoot
02-27-2010, 20:55
The last two times i did any hiking (both were less than 9 miles) with other people the latter centered on beef jerky recipee's and beer. the other entire conversation involved on wether or not we were going to be arrested due to the person with me continuely shedding her clothes (she was a nude model and i'm a photographer) and the narrow escapes we'd were having of her gettng caught by others on the trail.

other than those two hikes, it's been maybe 10 yrs since i'd hiked with a group, that was all guys and we mostly talked about beer and women..

although i prefer the hike in peace and quite, if people are there i suppose i'm going to talk and most the conversations based on memory will likely revolve around alcohol