The Peace Within Wilderness

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of everyday society, Wilderness brings forth an untamed peace that is prodigious. It is not competed with by any factor, conscious or innate.

Sounds. The rustling of trees by a gentle breeze. The constant flowing of a small mountain stream. The crunch and tumble of rocks on a trail. The slight pounding of a precipitant of hail. The soft crunching of leaves and twigs under feet. The buzzing of insects in a summer heat that surrounds us and reminds us of simplicity.

Sights. The color changing of leaves, beauty that only comes through death and re-growth. The blue, high peak that will take your breath as the hills and valleys below transcend into hues of green and purple. The flow of a waterfall matched with the simplicity and tranquility of sitting by a fire having a brew.

When alone, the body’s senses seem to improve, grow greater in their distinction, elevate in their ability to connect detail with the human mind. The mind transforms into an omnipresent way of thinking, imagining how the foreseen landscapes were since creation as well as the possibilities of how it will change in time. The thoughts of the people that have been before, the things that they thought about at the certain spot of respite that you lie. The weather, how it can impact the body’s mood and thought processes. The landscape design, the body’ reaction: all immersed into one sensation.

Wilderness has a way of making even the most experienced man seem inept. No man can tame all distinctions. While time and talent produce a skilled man, few, if any, can acquire the conscious stability to become one with the landscape in which he travels and recreates upon. Few men experience the sensation of joining into the natural process, the “natural selection” of taking forth into the mindsets of those who have walked before. Instead, in our time, we are “entitled” to everything. There is no work ethic, no desire to build from the bottom and construct our own way individual life plan or spiritual views. Society has overrun and now dictates our way of thinking. It is important to remember that individuality is what makes a great society. Great ideas and adventures sprout within our minds like a small seed. When time and attention is used to develop these ideas, they will grow until they are visible by others. These other people, most of the time, will either accept it or reject it. It’s important to remember that if you are passionate about something, there will always be other people that will be negative and doubt you. Instead of letting it hinder you, move forward and work harder to accomplish your dream. It is only after a great deal of time that people will look back at the small idea you had or adventure you set out on, that they will think “Wow, maybe they had it figured” or it may even inspire them to allow there own ideas to grow. It’s after a great deal of time that a small seed develops into a large, strong tree. While these great trees stand, it is important not to forget to where they came from, saplings and sprouts, the minds and ideas of people like yourself. Wilderness relates to every aspect of life and I plan to embrace it fully for my 2,190 mile journey.

16 Days until I start on Springer Mtn!