[pct-l] Why Hike?

[dude at fastmail.ca (dude)]

> Escape, Adventure, Achievement, Solitude, Solace, Fun/Pleasure, the
> need  for personal space, Romance, Spiritual Connection, Self
> Discovery, the need for Awe in life, the thrill of intimacy with
> "nature,"  the desire for a simple kind of life, ect., etc.


All of the above.  Like most people in modern American society, my desk 
jhob affords very little exercise and even less adventure.  The large 
urban area that I live in provides less solitutde than is probably 
healthy.  My dad asked my once why I like the back country, and I 
responded that I feel close to God when I am there.  I also cannot deny 
tat I have the time of my life when I am in the backcountry.  I also 
discover something about myself almost everytime I go into he 
backcountry.  In 1998, I ecided to quit law school even though I was 
3rd in my class when I did so.  I've only met three lawyers who have 
told me that it was the wrong decision, and I believe that at the time 
I made the right decision.  I also cannot deny that ther simplicity of 
getting up every morning and walking as far as I can is a simplicity 
that is a huge difference to modern life's millions of stresses and 
stimuli, spawned by spam, junk mail, telemarketers, bills, day care, 
insurance, traffic, fire drills, fire walls, pesticides, etc, etc, 
etc.  Hiking just makes everything so much more simple.  Two weeks per 
year of this simple life does wonders for the rest of the year.

peace,
dude



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