Why I hike. It’s a common hashtag on Instagram, and one I use a lot too. It’s usually accompanied by pictures of amazing vistas or wildlife or secluded views. And there’s no doubt that stumbling on a waterfall or watching the sky come alive with colors at sunset are big perks of hiking.
But that’s not why I hike. Or at least, that’s not the only reason why I hike.
I’ve always had an affinity for nature, and especially trees. (Hence the dryad association.) One of my favorite things to do as a kid, especially in the summer, was pack a bag with some crackers, a drink, and some books, climb a tree – particularly the old elm in our front yard – and read. I hike to regain a sense of that peace and serenity that I’d find tucked away in those branches, hidden from the world but able to observe it. Hiking allows me to get away from the cares and worries of everyday life. I don’t have to think about anything in particular and so my mind has a chance to wander its own pathways, jumping from thought to thought or lingering over a particular sense.
But that’s not the only reason why I hike.
I used to be in pretty good shape. I walked or biked almost everywhere as a kid. I used to do long, multi-day bike trips for the MS Society. But now I’m older and fatter and spend a lot of time sitting. Before the pandemic, I was trapped in my car for hours a day, commuting. Now I spend that time still working, just without the commute. Two years ago, I started getting back out on my bike and doing long distance day trips. I enjoyed it, but there was a downside – while I churned up the miles, I flew by the scenery when I wanted to be able to stop and observe and look closer. As the seasons changed and I put my bike away for the winter, I decided to start hiking and began taking pictures with my little old iPhone. And very soon, I was hooked on both hiking and photography. I could go at my own pace and stop and stare at little details I would have never seen if I was rushing through. I could get into places that would have been off-limits to my bike. It was a new world opening up for me.
But that’s not the only reason why I hike.
Being out in nature reminds me that I’m part of something infinitely bigger. When I look at rock formations that have formed over millennia or consider the rivers that make their unceasing journeys or what the sun’s rays filter down through the canopy of trees, I realize that my life is a small blip on the cosmic scale and that brings me comfort. The actions I take here are simultaneously insignificant and essential. A flower is unlikely to remember the specific bee that lands upon it, but the loss of that bee would still be felt. And so no matter how small my actions may be, hiking reminds me that little actions, like drips of water, can build up and wear away even the most imposing stone.
So that’s part of why I hike. Why do you?
