The Influence Of Hiking On American Culture

As a child, I unraveled nature’s beauty and existence. Each new experience brought me feelings of excitement and joy, sparkling my imagination and igniting my curiosity. It all seemed so large back then. Oceans appeared endless as they reached towards the horizon. Treetops seemed to make friends with the puffy-looking clouds as they soared to the sky. Over the years however, as I have grown older and life has become more complex, I am beginning to think less and less about the natural world around me. I glimpse sunset stuck in rush-hour traffic trying to return school after debate practices and only listen to the pitter-patter of the rain when there’s a storm outside. Forests and oceans seemed less appealing as they became intertwined with the urban development. In a way, I was becoming more and more distanced from the so-called nature. So, with an overwhelming desire for adventure and to escape the masses, my family and I drove to Big Bend National Park in Southwest Texas last summer.

Aside from memorable conversations and quality time with dad, hiking has affected my personality in so many different ways. By hiking and getting outdoors, I’m challenging not only my body, but my mind as well. Many

Have you ever been forced to leave and explore the world? Well that's relatable, it's the only option left for the immigrants trying to blaze a trail to travel on safety. But people don't wanna risk getting hurt or trespassing into someone's land.

Stevenson, J. (2010). The complete idiots guide to backpacking and hiking. New York; Penguin Group.

The modern Environment Movement began with the passing of the Wilderness Act of 1964. The act established a National Wilderness System and created 9 millions acres. The main influence and writer of the act Howard Zahniser, who felt that we needed wilderness as it takes us away from technology that gives us perspective of mastering the environment rather than being a part of it (Nash, 2001). With the passing of the act Americans questioned both preservation and conservation. A new culture emerged in America that rejected societal norms and praised independence and freedom. This culture developed in the youth of America and sparked change in preservation growth and the overall outlook of wilderness.

“Good morning! Today we will be going to Yosemite National Park. I hope you are prepared…” Eddie, the tourist guide, announced a little too enthusiastically for an early morning after my family and I entered the bus. Taking a seat by the window, I tried drowning him out with my music, and then proceeded to sigh when I could still clearly hear him through my headphones. I was annoyed, but not because I did want to go to Yosemite; I just did not want spend time with the group of loud and obnoxious tourists on the bus. When my family and I first agreed to go on a tour of Yosemite, I was excited because I had never been there and I had heard many positive reviews about its scenery. That day, however, it was hot, I was worried about starting college soon, and all I wanted was to sleep comfortably without a Chinese tourist behind me complaining about the American government. “Great,” I thought sarcastically to myself, “what a fun trip.” When we reached Yosemite, however, my attitude completely changed. Although I was still with the group of loud tourists, I was able to mentally escape from them and my worries for the short duration in Yosemite. The immense cliffs, everlasting sequoias, beautiful waterfalls, and abundant wildlife were mesmerizing and for the first time in a while, I felt humble and small, as if I were just a tiny ant in an incredibly huge world. We, as humans, often forget our relationship with Mother Nature, but this trip to Yosemite had reminded me of this

This proposal is to help bring to life the Semester on the Appalachain, a semester long expedition on the Appalachian Trail for a group of ten participants, in order to provide an environment that can not be replicated in a typical classroom setting. In the proposal, it will provide research on the benefits of experiential and expedition education, improvement on psychological health, and organizations that run similar programs.

There was no pavement for his dog to follow. The trail is marked only by small patches of white paint on trees, rocks, or occasional posts. No signs were in Braille, so Bill Irwin had to run his hands over their etched letters to read them. Many of the hundreds of footbridges were only twelve inches wide or less and Irwin had to cross them on his hands and knees. The trail often wound its way along steep cliffs and mountainsides. He had to contend with the continual unevenness of the trail’s rocky surface, which tore up his boots and twisted his ankles. And Bill Irwin fell literally thousands of times – fracturing several ribs on one occasion. There were no inspiring vistas that would reward all those uphill climbs. He made the journey in perpetual darkness. And although the Appalachian Trail Conference has published dozens of detailed topographical maps of the trail, they were all useless to this man who couldn’t see. How, then, could he find his

for excitement, adventure, and freedom. All of these people have one thing in common, which is

In the first passage of Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction novel, he argues that Christopher McCandless was thought to be an avid survivor of all terrain. In his two year journey, McCandless learns to live off  “wild plants,” experiencing his “adventurous spirit” across North America. He encounters many people from Mexico to South Dakota, who set a trend of wonderment in what a “twenty-four-year-old vagabond” could be doing traveling the country with nothing but a backpack. His “figure out all on his own” attitude suited his “nomadic” life well. The “radical” lifestyle provides McCandless with a sense of newly found “solitude” until his unfortunate “great Alaskan odyssey,” that ultimately ends his life.

Although it may seem illogical, my love for hiking started before I could even walk. When I was still quite young, I remember being put into a child carrier on my dad’s back, my head bobbing in rhythm to his steps. I am told that sitting in that backpack is the quietest I had ever been, as I was enraptured by the passing trees give way to the sunny slopes of the alpine. Upon learning how to walk, I began to pester my parents to free me from the prison that was the child carrier, and ever since then, hiking has become one of my favorite hobbies. Hiking gives me a sense of accomplishment and provides me with a place that I can find peace from the literal and metaphorical noise in my life. My parents have fostered my love for hiking and nature, by bringing me on vacation every year to hike for at least two weeks.

It is amazing how some experiences stay so crisp in my memory, that if I were to close my eyes, I could almost swear that I was there right at that moment. It's as if my body can almost taste the sweet air, feel the cold, wet breeze on my skin, and recall the scent of the pine trees towering above our heads. Hiking in Payson, Arizona, after a snow storm is one of the best places I have ever visited in order to collect one of these memories. Payson is a great place to take the family dog hiking, but also you will be able to appreciate the beautiful landscape Payson has to offer, with it being conveniently located just a brief drive from the sweltering heat of the Desert Valley.

Long distance hiking not only helps you physically, but an also help you grow mentally. Many suggest hiking as a therapeutic experience. On long distance hikes, the hiker distances themselves from the trivialities of modern day society and funnels all their attention on only themselves and the trail. This dissociation from life allows the hiker to forget any anxieties they had before the start of their journey. Hiking connects you with nature, appreciating it in its entirety. Hikers takes themselves out of their daily lives and join many others with a similar goal, entering into an accepting community of fellow hikers. Hiking can also boost creativity, as it disconnects one from technology and modern conveniences. They instead must rely on the items in their pack and what they can find in nature. Long distance hiking is considered a form of therapy evoking feelings of creativity, disconnection from civilization, and community.

Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” is a book that epitomizes the struggles that one needs to go through in order to better themselves. This is evident with the main characters. They are two middle aged men named Bryson, a man who resideds in New Hampshire and Katz, Bryson’s overweight alcoholic college friend from Iowa. When he thought of someone to accompany him, a grumpy college friend named Katz came to mind. As they started off, Bryson started off with the goal that the trail was only being hiked as a way to see the grand nation of America, but it lead to so much more as it uncovered many important topics. This is true because the trail was filled with adventure in discovering America’s heartland and realizing their own personal

We humans are social animals. We normally prefer others around us and enjoy sharing experiences with others. In some situations, some of us like to experience the world alone. If the empty, open trail beckons you, then solo hiking might be what you’re looking for. There may be potential consequences when solo hiking which you need to be prepared to deal such as being prepared for solo hiking, and the dangers of solo hiking.