Creative Hike Writing

Every hike is different, they all have their different obstacles and different rewards.  

Even when you walk the same trail, on the same rocks, with the same people. Sometimes the obstacles are physical, sometimes they are mental. And although you always receive the physical reward of staying healthy, but the mental rewards can always change.

Our two first hikes were different than the other hikes I had been on. Usually when I am hiking it is just me and my dog, and maybe a boyfriend or two. Excluding a few class field trips to Mt. Philo I hadn’t really been hiking with a big group, and those few field trips don’t really cont. The wild isn’t used to entertaining large groups of people like a whole class. Our 9 person group is a good fit though.

On the first hike, the real challenge was getting there, but we conquered that pretty quick.  I did have some trouble with the write ups that first day though. My mind hadn’t warmed up to the idea yet. I sat awkwardly with my pen and paper writing about things that seemed pointless at the time. We didn’t really see the purpose at first. Now, after only a few free writes, I’m starting to think of some really intellectual things. Things that helped us appreciate the world a little more.  Not that we wouldn’t appreciate it otherwise, we just might not realize the potential of our thoughts. The weirdest part; the best things I think of, are when I wasn’t thinking at all. It’s like a whole new method of writing for me. This particular challenge had its own way of turning into a reward.

The challenges of the second hike, were definitely finding it again, but also the heat. The heat was just proof that mother nature is always more powerful than we are. The sticky sweat and endless amounts of bugs were very uncomfortable Luckily we had the river, and the chance to spend some time in the bird museum.

There are a lot of things to say about this rewarding trip to the bird museum.

First, its really cool. I didn’t realize it was possible to carve all that on your own. I didn’t even realize how many different kinds of ducks we have here. It was cool putting faces to all the different songs of the birds I hear in my own back yard. Birds really are very interesting.
So I guess you could say that the mental reward of the second hike was knowledge, because I also learned many things about the history of Audubon and his tracks around North America.

Birdsongs or not, this adventure was definitely a dive into nature.

Even though every hike is different, the lessons and messages are the same. Every time you go outside, nature is trying to tell you that the world is a beautiful, and delicate place. We need to preserve the world for posterity, so that our kids will be able to learn the same lessons that we did.