Attention all HF friends, post here to be part of collaborative art

[canoebie]

I think of Ralph Waldo Emerson who said something to the effect of, "In the woods I return to reason and faith....there nothing will befall me, no disgrace, no calamity which nature cannot repair."

The quality of my life, physically, emotionally, spiritually improves exponentially when I am out of doors.

Have read the "Last child" book. Could not agree more with the premise, in particular the notion that parents so fear their environment, that they won't let their children explore. Over exagerrated fears, created by modern media moguls.

I used to leave my house on my bike with a fishing pole and bait and tell my Mom I would be home by dark. Unheard of now.

[babelfish5]

I pack my backpack and leave the modern world. I leave the drone of the video games, televisions, commercials, traffic, smog and the ever present smells of fumes and smoke. I walk on the trails and listen to the birds and crickets an smell pine pitch. I hear the rustle of the oak leaves in the breeze. I hang my hammock and relax in it. And I mean RELAX! My hammock sways and cradles me while I just listen and relax.

Most times I just lay there and wonder if possibly, just possibly, the animals in the woods have the right idea.

[Cannibal]

My maternal grandfather was rarely found indoors. The moment he got home from work, he ditched the suit and donned the jeans. Grandma always had to send me looking for him when she needed something. Folks used to joke that he just wanted to be out of earshot of his wife, but those of us that really knew him, knew much better. The man just loved to be outside. Be it under his porch knocking rust off of some new antique tool he had found, or clearing brush on his lakeside property. Unless the weather was particularity foul, if you were looking for Tom, best to start outside.

He was my hero in this world; nobody else even comes close. Since we all emulate (or try to) our heros, I spent most of my childhood outside learning how to whittle on the porch swing, man a brush bonfire, follow game trails for fun, or practice "talking to the deer". The last one never quite worked out for me. Animals knew my grandfather was one of 'them'. He had a way with animals (wild or domestic) that any current animal 'whisperer' would envy. The man simply fit better in the natural world than he did the civilized world. A trait I strive to achieve.

His teachings are most surely what led me to get a degree in Wildlife Biology. The teachings of everybody else is likely what led me to my career in banking; huge, massive, mistake. Should have listened to grandpa. As I grew, I became distracted by all the other things; school, career, thoughts of my own family, etc. In my mid 30s, I had made it through school, had stumbled into fast advancement in my career, and had made my decisions about having a family. By all outward accounts, I had it made. In truth, I was beyond miserable and looking for any kind of exit ramp I could find.

I started doing a little soul searching. At the time, I was an executive at a financial institution; same thing my grandpa did for money. I started trying to think "what would grandpa do?" As a result, I found myself outside. Doing nothing really, just wandering around on the beaches in Florida. Bought myself a kayak and started paddling some of the inner waters. Doing that, rekindled my love of camping. A year or two later, I made the full conversion and started planning my AT hike. I blame grandpa!

It is near impossible for me to not think of him every time I load a backpack, a range bag, a tackle box, or the like. He died in 1994, but I still hear him whispering in my ear, usually when I'm doing something dumb like, "whittle with the edge going away from you...stupid!"

Being, living, and playing outdoors is great therapy regardless of the reasons for a person being there. For me, it's more than just therapy. The outdoors simply have to be a part of my life for me to live with any happiness. Not only do I get to enjoy the world of nature, but I get the company of someone very dear to me. Even if it is just the voices of memories, they are much louder and easier to hear outside.

Hopefully, as I become an old man, Genuine Draft's son will start his own family and Genuine Draft will have to send one of her grandkids outside to find me because something needs to be moved that she can't lift. Instead of fetching me back quickly to their grandmother, maybe they'll become interested in looking at the same set of tracks in the ground I'm following. Maybe they'll have to climb that hill out back to find me up on top just looking around at nothing in particular. Or maybe, they'll join me on the shore while I pretend to be fishing so people don't think me odd for just sitting there doing nothing. Whatever the case, when someone goes looking for me I want others to say "If you're looking for Grant, best to start outside". I would like to be a hero in the way my grandfather was to me and teach a young person about all the things you can do without electricity. My hope is that they are smarter than I was and they listen to their grandpa. It's a simple life, until people start to tell you otherwise. Being outside, regardless of the setting, reminds us how simple things can be.

[sargevining]

More 8 year olds can tell me about deforestation of the rainforest and holes in the O-Zone than can tell me of the last time they went swimming in a lake, hiking in the woods, or stargazing.

Have read the "Last child" book. Could not agree more with the premise, in particular the notion that parents so fear their environment, that they won't let their children explore. Over exagerrated fears, created by modern media moguls.

I used to leave my house on my bike with a fishing pole and bait and tell my Mom I would be home by dark. Unheard of now.

I don't think the circumstances in those two quotes are unrelated. At some point it all got political. At some point fear took over.

I used to think that I enjoyed my time in the woods as a kid more than others because I lived in a suburban area close to the woods. But I talk to folks my own age and a bit younger who grew up in the city who relate similar experiences---just fewer of them. Little has changed in the Island Pond Rd neighborhood where I grew up---a few more houses and sidewalks where there were none before, but I see gang tags on the overpass close to my old house and the last time I visited there were weeds growing where the path went into the woods used to be.

A few years ago, I spoke to the mother of a young girl. She told me that she herself had no real interest in camping and hiking, but she wanted to make sure her daughter could "see nature" when she grew up. I told her that if she wanted to do something that would help the environment and ensure that her daughter had places to take her children to, she should buy a hunting license and some duck stamps. She utterly recoiled at the idea. She could quote chapter and verse the dangers of the hole in the ozone layer, and how evil corporations were destroying the environment, but she had no earthly idea how the prinicpal method we have of preserving wild places is funded.

[DavyRay]

I first hiked the Rock Castle Gorge when I was ten years old. I was camping at the Rocky Knob campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway with my parents. I left camp mid-morning to "go hiking". The trail head was only a half mile from the campground. It was early in the season, and the trail was not well maintained or well marked that early. I thought I was lost several times. I finally emerged at dusk near the Parkway, and hitched a ride back to the campground. I arrived at the campfire just as full dark fell. My folks asked, "Where have you been all day?". I said "Rock Castle Trail".

It is about a 10 mile loop. The first 3 miles are pretty much straight down. I was sure ready for my beans and corn bread that evening.

Today, I expect my experience would have been on the evening news nationwide.

[NickoftheWoods]

Thanks everyone for the great posts. I am scrambling now to get everything in just the right order for the final work. I'll post photos tomorrow.

[DivaB]

Thanks everyone for the great posts. I am scrambling now to get everything in just the right order for the final work. I'll post photos tomorrow.

Sounds great, good luck, and I look forward to seeing the pictures!

[Moondoggy]

Well I'm pretty new on HF but old to the trail. For me hiking in the woods is like church for a priest! I think alot out there find and gather all of my thoughts that cannot be reached in suburbia! I hope when I leave this world I do it while camping in the woods!

[Tancrad]

there is an excitement i get, when it comes to living out of my backpack if only for a couple of nights. and those experiences shared. nothing can take that way.

[deadeye]

The silence of winter is magical. No bugs, no birds, no creatures stirring, unless a raven croaks. Then, if it's cold enough, the snow squeaks like styrofoam when you walk.