On the trail - July 24, 2011

Proposed Title: Activate your senses to enjoy hiking more

In our everyday lives, we shield our sanity from the barrage of the information age by tuning out. Since our senses are the banquet at which we feast when it comes to hiking, we need to reactivate them to truly appreciate what nature has to offer.

When we hike, we need to tune into the world around us. What we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste produces the experience. Sometimes it is the little things in nature that make the biggest difference, so tuning into those things can enhance your hiking experience.

If you are one of those people who hike with time goals in mind and have set your sights on conquering the trail, you most likely are going to miss most of the nature “experience” and probably my point as well. Life is a journey, slow down and enjoy the ride. Take time to absorb the natural world around you.

Just last weekend I was hiking with an old friend and his wife when we came upon an aspen tree on the side of the trail that was cheeping. We looked at the tree and saw no birds on its branches. Upon further review, we discovered an adult woodpecker in a hole in the trunk and baby woodpeckers in another hole higher up. Thru-hikers would have probably blown right by and never saw them.

Also last weekend, we were hiking through a wet, marshy portion of the trail and we spotted Pink Elephants. No, we were not under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Pink Elephants are a type of flower that is usually found at a much higher altitude than we were at. If we had just been concentrating on plotting our course out and keeping our feet dry, we would have missed them as well.

As part of our hike last weekend, we heard hummingbirds and never saw them and saw bluebirds that we never heard. We saw wildflowers of almost every color, but really didn’t smell them. We tasted the sandwiches we made for lunch and felt the mountain breeze that cooled us as we walked.

I had hiked this trail by myself years ago. I remember making good time and covering a lot of ground, but that was about it. By slowing down and smelling the roses so to speak, my experience was quite different this time around. As Ferris Buehler once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around every once in awhile, you might miss something.”