Nature
Seeker
I want people to know that
there is more to life than buildings and blacktops, computer screens and
phones. I want them to know what it feels like to get away from that. To find peace and feel a sense of freedom. We as society are
spending too much time looking on our electronic screens and not enough time
admiring the leaves on the trees. This is why I am a backpacker, to encourage
them to be adventurous! To find that happy place and enjoy getting away from
everyday stress even just for a little while.
Have you ever just stopped and looked at the
land around you? At the beauty nature holds in her hands? I find it inspiring;
sun rays through the trees is unimaginably breath taking. I could never imagine
losing nature, we need it to live, to survive. I love pushing myself to the
limits. If I can still walk, I keep going. Miles on end without stopping. When
I look back and I can see just how far that I have gone and what I have
achieved. It’s exhausting but that feeling you get after a ten mile hike on an
island is addictive.
My longest hike yet has
been on a beautiful rustic island in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, called
Isle Royale. It was our second day there, so we still had a lot of energy and
high spirits. My Dad, Kirsten, and I started early in the morning with the
rising sun to our backs. We eagerly headed to our destination ten miles away, Chicken
Bone Lake. It was a beautiful hike along Greenstone Ridge, we would often stop
along the ridge that outlooks the small bay or inland lakes to take pictures.
Our wandering eyes and ears were looking for signs of wolves and moose that we
wanted to see so badly. To our left we would see the cold blue waters of Lake
Superior, to our right were the thick green pine forest that held the wildlife
within.
With our legs growing tired we had to be more
cautious of the sharp rocks we had to step around. The hike went by fairly
quickly for how long the trail was. Nearing the camp site, and growing tired
and hungry we sat along an old wooden sign that pointed us to Chicken Bone Lake.
We all felt the effects of the long hike behind us, tired, blistered and
swollen feet. It was time to finish that last little bit of our hike to the
camp site for the night. Finding the last available camp site was a relief to us
this meant we had time to set up our tent and hammocks. Then finally make a
nice warm meal.
The time passes so fast when you are in the
arms of Mother Nature. Nothing else seems to matter other than getting to your
next destination. Fresh air, the green of the trees, the bright colors of the
blooming flowers, and the cool dry early morning air to the way the afternoon
sun shines down from atop of the trees. Those all just a small fraction of a
sample of what the wilderness holds. Walking through a dirt trail listening to
the birds sing and the chipmunks chirp is a great experience and knowing that
you are on an island heightens your senses to nature.
My most challenging hike
that I have ever experienced was also the farthest one away from home. In the
breathtaking mountains of Wyoming lies the Grand Tetons. My Dad, my friend Matt
and I planned on a 6 day hike through the Paintbrush Trail which totals to just
over 20 miles long, through all the switchbacks, and rough terrain. We set off
on our journey to our first campground site to Outlier. With each step we took
we heard our bear bells ringing on our shoes, you can never be too quiet in
bear country. Miles past as we grew more tired and hungry so we stopped for a
quick lunch break by a small creek fed by runoff water from the snow on top of
the mountain. That water was the most clear and cold water that I have ever
felt, it sure felt good to drink as to how hot we were. Our short lunch break
came to an end, we refueled ourselves and rehydrated. It was time to press on.
The weights of my pack weighed down on my
boney shoulders, rubbing a nice sized blister on one of them. That didn’t
bother me, it was the five dime sized ones that were forming on my feet that
had me wincing once in a while. At about three o'clock in the afternoon we
noticed the altitude taking a toll on all of us. Having to stop about every
half an hour just to catch our breath put a damper on our moral. We mostly
climbed up hill, whenever we got to a level part of the ground was a huge
blessing. My calves were on fire but that didn’t bother me because I knew that
this would be my greatest achievement yet!
Another hour passed and I
grew worried, thinking that we should have gotten there already. We stopped
under a huge rock away from the beaming sun and looked at the map, using my
compass as a tool to help, we noticed that it should be right here. Luckily we
heard some hikers, a man and a woman coming. We stopped them to ask some
questions as to where we are. They took out their map and showed us and I was
right it was just about a quarter mile away. They were the happiest hikers I
have ever seen and probably the nicest, they noticed our dinky little map and
gave us their twelve dollar outdoor recreation map. They have been there before
so they felt the need to give us theirs. We said our thanks and finished the
rest of our hike for the day. It was about seven o'clock when we finished our
five and a half mile hike. The trail almost three thousand feet in elevation which
we hiked in about seven hours.
Every
year I look forward to the adventures with my Dad and my friends, to seek out
happiness and have the best time doing it. Not only are we exploring new
grounds of nature but we are finding out more about ourselves and who we are.
Hiking and backpacking isn't just a passion, it is in our blood.
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