I step out of the car and stretch my muscles in the balmy ambience of the morning.
Inhaling the misty air and exhaling worry, I am awash with pure excitement as I begin to trek into my realm of peace and beauty: a hiking trail.
I watch as the tall pine trees and mountains replace the familiar surroundings of concrete buildings and copper telephone wires. The sun, warming my face, filters through the ceiling of leaves and leaves a kaleidoscope of light upon the dirt floor. The sound of crunching gravel under my feet contrasts with the whispering wind in my ears.
Senses enlivened, my mind is at ease and set on one thing only: following the path in front. Nothing is hectic. Nothing is complicated - save the struggle to tear my eyes away from the scenery whilst walking on the rocky terrain. As I immerse myself further into Nature’s tranquil embrace, my steps become measured by the pauses and moments I am drawn forward in awe, rather than the amount of miles left until the top.
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The backpack stuffed with water, trail mix, and extra socks on my shoulders satisfies me more than a high-fashion Chanel purse ever will. The cries and chirps of wildlife excite me more than the buzzing of my iPhone. I am locked fully in the ‘now’. There is no nag of deadlines and schedules; the focus is to live calmly and appreciate the present beauty that surrounds
Paths and nature trails are able to give people a sense of peace, relaxation, a place to exercise, and bring back memories from years ago. Different seasons make you feel a different emotion each time you visit the trail. Due to the change of surroundings, you may feel merry in the winter time, but energetic in the summer time. On the Thomas J. Evans Trail, you get a mixer of a well nourished landscape along with a historical background. City life can be busy and stressful without a break now and then. Visiting a childhood trail can bring forgotten joys that are just waiting to be dug up again. Taking a walk on the trail with the trees high above you and the cement path below gives the impression of openness and freedom. With many animals seen scampering around and the aromas can catch your attention from the various plants that thrive here. Along with the wildlife, numerous people are seen enjoying the scenery along side you. Whether they are riding their bikes or jogging along to the beat of their music, an arrange of activities take part in the
After a long mountainous drive, I arrived at my destination to embrace one of nature’s wonders in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, Abram Falls Trail. Upon departing the car, a cool crisp breeze brushed my face and the aroma of bacon lingered in the early morning air from the neighboring campground. The narrow rocky footpath looked like a tedious adventure, however a gorgeous, vibrant array of red, purple, orange, and yellow wildflowers blossoming at the entrance made the trail alluring. Navigating the rocky, uneven terrain required sturdy footing, but the quiet stillness created a peaceful relaxing atmosphere. The lush pine-oak forest formed a green canopy of shelter above the trail, offering welcome cool shade, as vivid sunlight filtered through the foliage. A sweet honey fragrance permeated the air, as a stunning scene displayed a cluster of purple and pure white
A fortnight passed, and Percy and his siblings spent extra time with Will. After coming close to losing him, they all got along better than ever.
As Bill took his first step in the woods, he takes a deep breath soaking in the scent of oak and fresh ash. “far removed from the seats of strife”, not having a warm bed or hot meals even a full night rest. Knowing he had one abventure ahead for Bill and Kats. Both having to hike 16 miles everyday over rocks,trees, crossing ice cold rivers, and hearding the rain outside of thier tend and the roaring of the bears at night.
As we started along the trail, I worried about forgotten items and my decision to only bring one extra pair of socks. However, after a while, I became aware of a pair of birds chattering above me and the soft murmur of water trickling down a stream bed. After an hour of walking, the trail starts winding back on itself in a series of switchbacks. The chatter between my family members slows down, as we soon struggled to breathe from exhaustion. Sometimes I was hunched over so far from my load that I would stare at my rubber-toed boots and forget to look up at the majestic trees surrounding me.
There are many alluring opportunities to witness nature, such as local trails and protected woods, but even a peaceful park or a backyard pond can produce such a feeling. As for me, I enjoy hiking the Appalachian Trail, the longest national park and a 2,200 mile stretch of elegant woodlands. From the summer of 2013, my father and I have established a tradition of taking two or three days to hike twenty mile sections of the trail. Though hiking the whole trail is unrealistic, the trips are most significant to me as a chance to hike, forgetting about homework, extracurricular activities, and other stressors. Admittedly, I am always reluctant to believe that climbing up rocky mountains with a twenty-five pound backpack will is a form of relief, but somehow, it always is. We typically sleep in hammocks, which allows
How being outside can deeply change who we are and how being outside can alter our ways and mentality. After the long two year journey his travels lead him on a path of self-discovery, to examine and appreciate the world around him and to reflect on and heal from his troubled childhood and parents' sordid and abusive relationship. He lives in Alaska for a couple of month reflecting his travel across the nation. He soon realizes that it is time to cross back home, but fails from a raging river. He eats berries because of lack of food but realizes that the berries are poisonous. Shortly he dies of starvation, but towards his death. He concludes that happiness is only shared with others. As his journey went on he reflected on the many times he was happy. All of those times were when he was with his friends on the road. He changed being outside on the road, but felt pure and happy while with others. In my journey I hope to travel to these different places with my brother or my friends. Since happiness is only shared with others I hope that being outside with others and meeting new people will help change my emotional dwellings. To exploring my city and finding the different cultures. While at the same time witnessing the outdoors in different hiking spots and places to walk to. Visiting landmarks and other places to mimic the idea of traveling around the world. Finding an answer or peace within myself. To finding a way to channel my negative feelings to something productive that in the long run will help myself and other people. To finding a solution to my doubts which are blocking me from succeeding and finally coming through and becoming who I want to be and wish to gain from being
I didn’t know that nature could bring so much peace. As I felt a cool breeze hit my face and leaves crush under my feet, I felt calm. I decided to walk down a trail called the Towpath Trail. I walked down the path and it led me to a little bridge. It was going over a small river. Walking across the bridge I couldn’t help, but to stare at the serene water in the river. I watched as a bright red leaf fell on top of the water. I have never experienced this feeling before. I was in a state of tranquility. This park, in a way was speaking to me and I listened.
The food recharges my body, and I feel energy flood my body. Once back on the trail, I drag myself up a set of switchbacks going up the steep rock face. The sun is beating down at this point, and I wipe the sweat beading up on my forehead. I feel as if I have been walking forever on the rocky path, small bushes, and plants around me when we finally reach the top. The wind blows around me like a tornado, helping me.
The sun was glistening through the tall, swaying pines. To the right of the trail, a gentle river flowed softly down towards the mouth of the lake. Walking across the rickety wooden bridge, I inhaled a deep breath of refreshingly crisp mountain air. The sun beat down on me as I made my way across the bridge and back onto the well-used hiking trail. The ambient sounds of chirping birds, babbling water, and the croaks of several frogs filled my ears as I made my way around the bend. As I entered the mouth of the forest, I could see my father standing in the middle of the path, glancing upwards, taking in the beauty that had began to engulf us. “We better get going.” he said, looking back at me. “There’s still many miles to go.” I smiled and turned, taking in one last view of the beautiful creekside. Then, with determination, we set out to finish the challenging trek we had started.
Walking under the canopy of trees was like a breath of fresh air from the harsh reality of the world. The sun’s rays try and try to push through the thicket of trees. Yet the trail stays barely light enough to see.
The first time I went to the Wilderness, I brought my friend Brianna. We had lots of fun on the rides there. We were basically just sitting in our seats playing on our tablets and staring out the window. Like I said... "We had lots of fun." We did talk a little about how excited we were to go there. (I think we were there for like 3-5 days!)
"Wake up, partners," the trail boss, James called. I sleepily looked up , shivered, and saw I was the only one not up. "Here," James said, giving me the horses' bridles and saddles. "Take these and get the horses ready. We have a long day today." I groaned in reply and set up the horses for the day's long drag. I was the horse wrangler and this was my everyday job but I still couldn't get use to the idea of waking up before the sun and working. We drove the cattle into open plains against the winter's cold wrath.
The swirling wind deposited my hair into a disarray on top of my head. My legs and feet were sore from the constant hiking and my back ached from the cumbersome backpack. The discomfort was pushed into the back of mind because in just a few more steps, I would summit another mountain. Although it may seem illogical, my interest in 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. My parents have since fostered my love for hiking, as I have had the good fortune of being able to travel all over the world including to Austria, Iceland, and Utah.
I lay in the center, listening to soft music my iPod or the birds lulling me into a deep meditation. It is in this spot that I’ve had the deepest conversations with myself, coming to realizations and understandings about my relationships to life, others, and me. The secluded stillness allows my brain to freely wander, explore, and reflect deep concepts coming to profound insights that further benefit me in this crazy journey I call life. The winds, curves, inclines, declines of the trail makes it a perfect path to jog on. The isolation from the outside world makes it easy for my mind to focus on nothing but the task at hand – which is making it all the way around the 3-mile trail without stopping. Although, most times this doesn’t happen because I’m so taken back by the surrounding beauty. I always stop to take in the deep blue sky or the butterflies fluttering gracefully through the field of wild flowers. But when I am running I feel virtually weightless physically and mentally. My mind is blank allowing me to become one with my surroundings. The feeling of the cool crisp air breezing through my hair relaxes me as I intensely run to the heart pumping music blasting through my headphones. The path winds throughout an open field into a forest where you come out by the base cemetery. Passing it constantly fills me with emotion, carrying not only the weight for