View Full Version : Wonder if I am being told something? :)
Was sent this e-mail by a former girlfriend who once
said to me "To you the outdoors is more of a lifestyle
than a hobby!" :). You can see I may not agree with
her sentiments concerning the following quote:
**********
And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of
miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual
journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and
humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground
at our feet, and learn to be home.
-Wendell Berry
Tha Wookie
06-08-2005, 14:11
Was sent this e-mail by a former girlfriend who once
said to me "To you the outdoors is more of a lifestyle
than a hobby!" :). You can see I may not agree with
her sentiments concerning the following quote:
**********
And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of
miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual
journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and
humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground
at our feet, and learn to be home.
-Wendell Berry
Hell yes... thank you Wendell
"The happiest place in the world... is right under your feet." -Ray Jardine told me this in person a couple years ago when I asked him how he handled the change from walking the walk to putting hte walk into your everyday life.
Hell yes... thank you Wendell
"The happiest place in the world... is right under your feet." -Ray Jardine told me this in person a couple years ago when I asked him how he handled the change from walking the walk to putting hte walk into your everyday life.
So Wookie..when are you going to stop thru-hiking? ;)
I love my everyday life..but I am not wiling to sacrifice traveling and exploring. Are you?
Tha Wookie
06-08-2005, 14:18
That's the thing, Mags. I am always thru-hiking. Since I left on the AT, I've never stopped. There is no separation between the physical and the divine, as now my steps are continuous -one leading to another, each as distinct and valuable to the other. Because I walk without a destination, there is no end. The trails are just some of the most beautiful places to live this way.
"When you reach the top of the mountain, keep climbing". -Zen Proverb
:D
That's the thing, Mags. I am always thru-hiking. Since I left on the AT, I've never stopped. There is no separation between the physical and the divine, as now my steps are continuous -one leading to another, each as distinct and valuable to the other. Because I walk without a destination, there is no end. The trails are just some of the most beautiful places to live this way.
"When you reach the top of the mountain, keep climbing". -Zen Proverb
:D
Well, tell the ex that then. :) She disagrees about me taking off for four months or so at a time. Suspect she would disagree with you as well. ;) And I further suspect you would not give up hiking the long trails..I can not as well.
Pencil Pusher
06-08-2005, 15:03
Maybe her point is that you don't need to go on these long treks to find inner peace and all that Wookie feel-good-stuff. If you have found it, you can still find it walking down the street, tying your shoe laces, etc, etc. The only difference is you perceive being 'out of the element' and thus unable to attain such solitude, peace, feel-good-yadda-yadda. I think wanderlust can be just as powerful as the temptation for a beautiful woman. Just as you'd keep your willy in check for the non-girlfriend, so too should you do the same for these long solo treks (sans girlfriend). Or it could be the type of women you are attracted to and what that should tell you about yourself...
Disclaimer: Single man, never married, giving you love advice.
[QUOTE=PencilI think wanderlust can be just as powerful as the temptation for a beautiful woman. [/QUOTE]
Absolutely. No question. But, to explore, dream and discover is part of the makeup for many of us. It will not change. I wish I could find peace in mortage payments, attending Little League games, PTA meetings (and only spending weekends in the outdoors), but I can't.
I suspect that is true for many of us...otherwise we would not be on a forum where it is common for people to ask about going on 2200 mile treks (or for 200 miles treks even).
I honestly can not go into the woods for just weekends at the time. How many of us on this forum can?
Lone Wolf
06-08-2005, 15:38
I can. And do.
Footslogger
06-08-2005, 15:52
I can and do too ...but I'd rather that my hikes were of longer distance/duration. That was a big part of the magic of my AT thru in 2003 ...the 6 months away. It allows you to really get into the experience.
That said, I will be doing a lot more weekend or week long hikes than I will distance hikes ...at least for a while. And I've even got a partner who "gets it"
'Slogger
I can. And do.
After how many thousands of miles of hiking? :)
Lone Wolf
06-08-2005, 16:04
Only 16,000 + or -
Perhaps when I am 16k (plus or minus) maybe I too can not have the urge to hike. About 10k to go...
Lone Wolf
06-08-2005, 16:10
I had the urge real bad this spring. Went to Springer with plans to hike home to Damascus. The novelty wore off by Neels Gap. I went home. I'm done with long distance backpacking. Maybe you will never be done with it. You'll know.
Lone Wolf
06-08-2005, 16:14
Although, my sweetheart has informed me she wants to SOBO the AT when she finishes schooling in a few years so I may come out of retirement. Or I'll drive the Winnebago support vehicle. Yeah that's the ticket!! :D
I had the urge real bad this spring. Went to Springer with plans to hike home to Damascus. The novelty wore off by Neels Gap. I went home. I'm done with long distance backpacking. Maybe you will never be done with it. You'll know.
Maybe it's because of the all the other hikers, newbies that they are, the novelty wore off?
If you want to see if the wanderlust is dead try starting at Glacier on the CDT.
It's a whole different ballgame, unrivaled scenic beauty, abundant wildlife, and a thinking man's trail.
Lone Wolf
06-08-2005, 16:25
Maybe you're right Sly. I think I've graduated way beyond the super highway known as the AT.
Maybe it's because of the all the other hikers, newbies that they are, the novelty wore off?
If you want to see if the wanderlust is dead try starting at Glacier on the CDT.
It's a whole different ballgame, unrivaled scenic beauty, abundant wildlife, and a thinking man's trail.
Hey Sly, have you hiked the Black Mountain Crest Trail? I have heard some amazing things about that trail.
Short but apparently sweet! I may want a shutlle or hiking partner for this trail - perhaps backed up against a section of the MST.
Hey Sly, have you hiked the Black Mountain Crest Trail? I have heard some amazing things about that trail.
Short but apparently sweet! I may want a shutlle or hiking partner for this trail - perhaps backed up against a section of the MST.
Yeah, I have. It's an awesome little trail, highest in the East! I wouldn't mind doing it again. Let me know well in advance so I can schedule time off.
Wow-this thread includes posts by Wookie, Mags, Pencil and Wolf and so far it's been all positive vibes. Good stuff fellas, this is the ideal way WB should operate. As for myself, I've got a lifetime of hiking, traveling, adventuring and living to do. I'm Ridgerunning on the AT to incorporate some of that magic into a job, or vice versa. It's nice to get paid to hike :) Plus it's taught me to slow down and smell the roses, and identify them, and I've learned more and had more experiences in 2 weeks than I had in 2172 miles.
This is the big question that I've been wrestling with for the past month or two. This summer is going to be more challenging for me than previous ones, despite taking on a bigger physical problem than I ever have before. The problem is one that Herman Hesse spelled out so well in Steppenwolf. One reason people frequently give for thruhiking is that they don't want to look back on life and be dismayed by the "What If?" question. Now, I'm worried about the same thing, although viewed from the other side of the looking glass. My summer excursions have helped open new doors to me, but that is all they should be, I think. That is, I don't want my life to become one of waiting for the summer to arrive, for that lifestyle to kick in once again, to feel free there. I want to feel free always. I want to always be happy. I want everything. Long summer jaunts might actually prevent that from happening.
Wow-this thread includes posts by Wookie, Mags, Pencil and Wolf and so far it's been all positive vibes. .
That's because it's BEST FRIEND'S DAY (http://www.earthcalendar.net/_php/lookup.php?mode=date&m=06&d=08&y=2005)
:eek: :dance :jump
That is, I don't want my life to become one of waiting for the summer to arrive, for that lifestyle to kick in once again, to feel free there. I want to feel free always. I want to always be happy. I want everything. Long summer jaunts might actually prevent that from happening.
Chris,
I think many people in our age bracket who have lived a life of exploring and adventures grapple with this question. At least for me, at 31 I am in almost two worlds. Still young, but leavened by more maturity and wanting some different goals then even five years ago.
Part of me craves stability. I want a life where I can be happy in the day to day joys. And often I am...but part of me wants to be out for days, weeks, months. See what is around the next bend of the canyon wall
Trying to balance stability and wanderlust is interesting. As with you...I want it all..and have yet to get it. Let me know when you find this balance.
FOOTSLOGGER: Ah, it would be easier if I had a parnter who "got it". But the last person (who is very sweet, intelligent and attractive), did not get it. To bring up my age again..many of the women I now date have a strong "nesting urge" that probably is not totally compatiable with things I want to do.
Yet another journal entry, this time from the Colorado Trail:
Tues Sept 21st Boulder, CO
It has been almost two weeks since I have finished hiking the Colorado Trail. Transcribing my journal has brought back the memories of the trail vividly. As I type this last entry it is raining and is only about 45F outside. Thankful I am not on the divide right now!
I am a little worried about my trail friends out on the CDT right now; hope they are OK.
The CT was a wonderful experience and a trail I am glad I hiked. The CDT may get all the glory in thru-hiking circles, but the stretch from the Animas basin to Durango is simply wonderful as well. Glad I hiked this trail!
As it was a fairly short trip, re-adjusting to society again was easier than past trips. Already the trip seems like a dream, though. Two weeks ago at this time was in the San Juans at about the place the CDT and the CT split, looking at the divide and thinking
of future adventures. Today? In the office, clean shaven, wearing blue jeans and a cotton flannel shirt. I am dry, comfortable and full from the lunch I just ate. Part of me is content.
The other part of me wants to be on the trail again. To be dirty, tired, hungry…and seeing those mountains that extend from Canada to Mexico. Part of me wants to be on the divide right now with my friends – facing the snow, feeling the cold against my skin,
feeling alive.
In my day-to-day life I am luckier than most. The mountains are in my backyard. I have a group of friends who can understand why I must do these journeys. Every weekend can challenge myself physically and immerse myself in beauty. But I am addicted.
Want to be out for days, weeks, months. As I sit here at my desk already thinking about future adventures: the CDT, hiking through Italy, canoeing the Mississippi, exploring the canyons of Utah and other adventures yet to be dreamed of. Trying to find a balance between my wanderlust and needing to work to earn money is interesting. Maybe someday I’ll find the balance that works for me. In the meantime will continue to dream and let my mind wander on treks not taken.
I may be in Boulder physically, but my mind has me on some distant peak in Montana. Or in a village located in the Appenines where my great-grandfather came from. Paddling down to where a river ends and the ocean begins. I see myself exploring a
canyon wanting to see what is around the next bend in the trail.
But for now will enjoy my life here in Colorado…and still dream of journeys yet to be taken.
A-TRAIN: Yes..a good "meta" discussion. We can talk about filters, purity debates, GPSs, etc.etc. But these deep background discussions often discussed less. And probably says more about why we hike, how we hike, and why a hike is successful than any discussion on stoves.
At least for me, the quote struck a nerve. Can I find lasting hapiness in the day to day? No. I can find hapiness in my day to day life..but, (and maybe it is a failing on my part) need the "grand epic" from time to time to make my life complete.
And, I think some (many??!?!) of us feel that way too!
Footslogger
06-08-2005, 18:31
FOOTSLOGGER: Ah, it would be easier if I had a parnter who "got it". But the last person (who is very sweet, intelligent and attractive), did not get it. To bring up my age again..many of the women I now date have a strong "nesting urge" that probably is not totally compatiable with things I want to do.
====================================
Mags ...it's not just about the "age bracket", I assure you. I'm gonna be 56 next month and have as much wanderlust as I've ever had in my entire life. I think part of my problem (maybe most of it) is that I'm a 30 something year old in a 55 year old's body.
This thread hits at a peculiar time because my partner and I, no more than a week ago, had a fairly deep discussion on the exact topic. Yes, I am fortunate to have a partner who totally understands the "other side" ...so much so that she has told me on more than one occasion that if I NEED to take off and hit the trail it's not a problem. Truth be told though, I too struggle with the conflicting forces of a job and security versus the live of adventure that I love and enjoy. In fact ...in the past 2 - 3 years those forces have gotten stronger, most often in both directions simultaneously.
I think the solution, at least for us, is to continue to dream and plan, taking advantage of any and all opportunities to stop the world and get off ...be they 1 week, 1 month or 6 months long. We're not totally "tied down" to a mortgage and car payments, but we do have them and we do like having a house and cars to call our own. When I get really frustrated about not being out somewhere on the trail I step back and do a little time travelling (forward, that is) and ask myself where this all is headed. Bottom line is that we both DO want to have a little money in the bank so that we can just "play" some day. Not a fortune or even the amount of money that the financial planners say we should, but enough to feed our addictions to fun and adventure. The only way to have that is to hang in as long as we can, doing what we're doing ...until the day comes when we just can't take it any more. No telling when that will be but we're both willing and ready to jump ship when that day comes.
'Slogger
Ah, it would be easier if I had a parnter who "got it". But the last person (who is very sweet, intelligent and attractive), did not get it. To bring up my age again..many of the women I now date have a strong "nesting urge" that probably is not totally compatiable with things I want to do.
Date younger women.
My summer excursions have helped open new doors to me, but that is all they should be, I think. That is, I don't want my life to become one of waiting for the summer to arrive, for that lifestyle to kick in once again, to feel free there. I want to feel free always. I want to always be happy. I want everything. Long summer jaunts might actually prevent that from happening.
Ah yes! The age old quandry. Being happy in the moment - in your current situation Allowing the simple things to satisfy deeply.
For this hiker, my wanderlust has subsided some in the last few years. As that has occurred my commitment and appreciation of family has deepened. I still have moments when I want to say ***** everything - and go off to Alaska, South America - or hike the PCT.
Those moments are few and far between these days. Sme of that has to do with the fact that my financial situation has changed dramatically. I just can't afford to take long trips to far off places. Some of that has to do with the realization that life is pretty good. AND, it's not all about me. I have kids - and pets - and a spouse.
There is always the knowledge of the next short trip - like the Roan Highlands this weekend. Then there is the dream of the Colorado Trail - which is only about 7 weeks away. Then there is the long term goal of the PCT - which is years off.
I hiked with a guy this weekend from Chattanooga. He doesn't like to drive more than an hour to hike - and that rules out the Smokies, and lots of amazing places less than 3 hours away. In some way - I realy admire that outlook. He embraces all that Chattanooga has to offer, and revels in the familiar. He doesn't like to spend time in his car when he could be hiking or riding his mountain bike close to home. I'm not there yet - but that outlook would be easier on my pocketbook - and my marriage.
Pencil Pusher
06-08-2005, 19:38
Take up climbing, Mags. There's plenty of it in your parts and if you want to epic, there's the place. You can epic to your heart's content on the weekends, and on the weekdays attend to the normal day-to-day. Ice, rock, snow... and since it's alpine, the approach covers your hiking 'fix'.
Feel My Pain: http://www.pikamtn.com/12clothing.html ;)
Tha Wookie
06-08-2005, 20:16
Yes, peace and contentment rest under our feet moment by moment, if we let that moment fulfill us. LD hiking has help taught me to harness that power, plus other "higher order" powers that relate to the wildness. So yes, Town can provide that same ground in terms of contentment, but nonetheless it is full of distractions that prevent me from moving forward at a pace that I periodically require.
So, while I do admire Wendell's quote and the way he said it, even agree with it, but he is not a thru-hiker. He is extraordinarily articulate and connected, but I doubt even he realizes the distractions that he succumbs to in his subconcious.
Obviously, he has spent a great deal of time in nature, but in response to his quote I offer this:
It is true that an inch is as important as a mile, and that home can be found anywhere. But letting go of "home" is important for another type of experience that comes with movement according to the winds. When inches combine to make feet and miles, they undergo a Gestalt transformation, where they whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. In short, the moments across those arbitrary units become fluid, and thus transcend time completely.
Wendell's quote does not convince me that he fully understands the differences in phenomena.
Home is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
Take up climbing, Mags. There's plenty of it in your parts and if you want to epic, there's the place. You can epic to your heart's content on the weekends, and on the weekdays attend to the normal day-to-day. Ice, rock, snow... and since it's alpine, the approach covers your hiking 'fix'.
Feel My Pain: http://www.pikamtn.com/12clothing.html ;)
I am not a gear head by nature. So climbing is not for me. As I said, a weekend at a time only works for so long. :D
(It is why I have taken up ultras...an epic type adventure crammed into a weekend..but that is only a fix, too.)
Date younger women.
:)
Easier said than done my friend.
Lone Wolf
06-09-2005, 13:59
Gypsy has been with me 5 years. She's 18 years younger. She thinks I'm a hikin stud. :D
Gypsy has been with me 5 years. She's 18 years younger. She thinks I'm a hikin stud. :D
Hmm...if I was to date someone 18 yrs younger than me, it could be a problem.... :p
:)
Easier said than done my friend.
That's right.
ga>me>ak
06-10-2005, 21:15
Or date older women that don't have kids and past the nesting age, with money, looking for someone to spend it on. Oh yeah, and "get's it" :D
Good luck with that......
Spirit Walker
06-10-2005, 22:32
Terrific discussion, and one that hits close to my heart in a lot of ways. I've been backpacking for a lot of years, did my first thruhike 17 years ago, and I still yearn to go out each and every year. When I finished the PCT (my 4th LD hike) I was tired, and I thought, "Okay, I've done the three long trails I really wanted to do, now I'm ready to settle down and live a normal life." I liked the idea of having a home, a garden, a dog, real furniture, etc. We looked at the future as Footslogger did - and came to the same conclusion. We needed to work for a while to build up savings so that we would have the ability to do what we want to do when we are no longer working. But it wasn't six months before I started getting itchy feet. And we decided not to get a dog, because, after all, it's not fair to leave a dog alone 11 hours a day, and we still have a lot of activities where a dog can't come (trail care, some places we backpack, most of the places we've done vacation trips). And within a year, I knew that I wasn't ready to give up my long distance hikes. We might have to wait a few years - but that was nothing new to me. That's how I did all my hikes - saving money over several years so I would have enough to really enjoy my hike, and have some savings to come home to. This isn't much different. I have the trappings of security, but I'll give them up quite easily when the time comes (10 months from now).
At the same time, I do see the other side. Chris' point about living your life in anticipation, waiting for the next long trip or the next vacation is absolutely on the mark. Yet I have done that all my life, long before I began backpacking. For most people, ordinary life is not lived passionately. Most people get through weekend to weekend. A few have careers that really turn them on, or are passionate about their family or their hobby and live fully in the present moment all the time. But for most people, Thank God it's Friday, is the norm. And from what I see at my office, most people aren't even living all that fully on the weekends or on vacation. What did you do? Shopped. Cleaned house. Sat on the beach for a week.
We spend time outdoors every weekend, and there I am fully alive - but sitting in the office, staring at a computer -- I can't wait until my next weekend or my next vacation or my next long hike. Chris, you are lucky that as a teacher, your opportunities to get out for longer periods are more frequent -- unfortunately I don't have what it takes to stand up in front of a group of strangers and talk for an hour or two five or six days a week. (Anyone who has seen me at the CDT workshop would agree with that.) So I have to make do with two weeks a year, or quit my job and do the long hikes.
I also understand the point of view that happiness is not found in the long walks, but much closer to home. Happiness is found in the ability to find joy in the small things - whether it is a bird singing in the brush, a ground squirrel playing hide and seek, a child's laughter, a hug at the right time. The ability to be totally in the moment. You don't have to go far to find that kind of happiness. But I find, for myself, that I am more open when I am in nature. I can experience supreme joy while sitting on the living room couch with the music playing and a cup of coffee in my hand -- but it is rare. It is less rare when I am standing on top a mountain seeing ridge after ridge spread at my feet. Or feeling the spray of a waterfall on my face. Or seeing a flower underfoot that I have never seen before. There is something about leaving your comfort zone and experiencing something totally new and different. You become fully alive and aware. My senses are totally open to all that is around me. In ordinary life, the opposite happens. Most of the time, in order to survive life in the city and in the office, I shut down large parts of myself. I don't like it, but I do it because being open and aware, in the midst of the chaos and anger that is life here, is too dangerous for me.
Several years ago I was asked, "Can't you find in your ordinary life the same things that make you happy when you do a long hike?" And I thought about the things that draw me to long distance hiking - adventure, wildlife, beauty, living in the moment, camaradery with other hikers, being totally challenged, physically and emotionally -- and I thought, yes, I can get parts of that in ordinary life. But only in small bits, a little at a time. It is different to wake up every morning facing all of them at once and knowing that for the next five months, this will be your life, all day every day.