Why We Hike
Some of us go to find ourselves. Some to get lost. Some are
in search of what the Appalachian Trail conference’s motto refers to as “fellowship
with the woods.” And some of us just want to disappear for a while.
I’ve neglected this blog lately for reasons I want to
abstractly discuss here (and isn’t it always abstract?). Motive is a primary
concern for the hopeful AT thru-hiker. The long hours spent walking and
thinking give rise to a great many concerns and doubts—and doubt, both in
preparation for and during the actual hike, is the thru-hiker’s greatest enemy.
When I find myself doubting my reasons—when the world is
closing in or getting too fast or noisy—when life feels only like a superficial
series of decisions, I always try to remember Thoreau:
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front
only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to
teach, and not when I came to die, discover I had not lived.” –Walden
Tattoos don’t fit with my beliefs, principally that
attachment causes grief. But, if ever there was something that I felt I needed
to carry for the duration of my existence, it would be Thoreau’s noble motive.
There is simplicity in hiking that allows for a deeper appreciation for the
things that make up your life—both physical and immaterial. The simple act of
finding drinking water is at once empowering and humbling, to say nothing of
being able to carry everything you need to survive on your back. This is why I
hike.
Preparation for a thru-hike involves a lot of distance
calculations, weight ratios, and synthetic fabric. Also: a good deal of stress
thinking about bears, insect-borne illnesses, injury, socially challenged “mountain
folk”, giardia, and the realization that almost half a year will be spent
alone, outside, in the middle of the Great Eastern Deciduous Forest. Needless
to say, I sometimes question the colossal effort required to accomplish this
goal. I believe this is natural. After all, simply financing this crazy scheme
is a mountainous effort unto itself. It’s not unexpected that the hopeful
thru-hiker would experience some motivational deliberations. And that’s when I
must remember Thoreau.
Nature=Perspective=Healing.
Every aspect of this hike is a zen meditation on determination.
Logistical problems abound at every corner and present life crises peel my
attention away from the goal at hand. In his book on the psychological aspects
of being a thru-hiker called Appalachian
Trials, author Zach Davis proposes that the would-be thru-hiker create a
list of the reasons for wanting to hike the AT, so that during those moments of
doubt and confusion, you may look upon your list and be inspired anew.
Anticipating this doubt (after all, a lot can happen during
the year of preparation) I crafted my own list of motives.
