Of the things that please me, one of my dearest favorites is a pair of muddy hiking boots that I take off my tired feet. I did not know the pleasures of hiking until I got married and settled in Washington. The "upper left" corner (as one of my friend calls this state) of this country is a beautiful place, especially if you love Nature then you wouldn't need to look too far. Beautiful green trails attractive all year round with meadows of wild flowers, misty mountains, rain on fern leaves, ice crystals and the crunch of fall leaves under your boots will be enough to lift your spirits. I am so glad that REI tried to get everyone outdoors on the day of Black Friday. Instead of doing rounds in the shopping mall and spending money on a bunch of crap, they tried to make people go and enjoy things that come for free and actually do you good. And I can't be more grateful to have a partner who shares my enthusiasm in roaming in the wild, that the sight of a lake at the end of the hike is more attractive to him than an expensive leather jacket.
I have some dream hikes in my bucket list -
1. Wonderland trail - hike/backpack for 12-15 days. A trail that encircles Mt. Rainier.
2. Machu Picchu Inca trail - following Hiram Bingham to the "Lost City of the Incas"
3. African Safari - to the land where wild animals roam free....
4. Mount Kilimanjaro climb - to the Mountain of the Moon
5. Iceland winter adventure - maybe to find the center of the Earth?
6. And last but not the least - Mt. Everest base camp
It is difficult to explain what is so fascinating about Nature. I know of some people who (sadly) do not get inspired by Nature. One person went to the amazing Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park and asked his friend "ok I see the trees, now what? Do I expect the trees to dance for me?" No, they won't. The mountains won't join in a chorus, neither would the river beat the drums... actually things will be very quiet and you will hear the chirping of birds, the boom of a thunderous waterfall before you actually turn the bend and see one. If you hike along the ocean, you would take your time to see the different sea weeds and the strange and unique shape of driftwood. The main thing is to slow down. I am a goal motivated person, so sometimes I have the tendency to keep walking with the end of the trail in mind. That feeling of achievement is good, but hiking isn't a competitive sport. You don't have to prove anyone anything. Last week, this mentality made me walk past beautiful ice crystals without noticing them. Good that Arnab was behind me and he pointed them. Later I intentionally slowed down to admire the mushrooms growing on stumps of fallen trees.
Long back I received four books by National Geographic specially created for young explores. I am so glad that my uncle gave those to me, because growing up in a city in India, it would have been very difficult for me to learn to admire the little things Nature offer. The books - "Creatures of the woods" and "The World beneath your feet" had opened my eyes to look at this world from a different perspective. It taught me to love animals (despite their looks) and to make me aware of a vast and beautiful Nature.
I have some dream hikes in my bucket list -
1. Wonderland trail - hike/backpack for 12-15 days. A trail that encircles Mt. Rainier.
2. Machu Picchu Inca trail - following Hiram Bingham to the "Lost City of the Incas"
3. African Safari - to the land where wild animals roam free....
4. Mount Kilimanjaro climb - to the Mountain of the Moon
5. Iceland winter adventure - maybe to find the center of the Earth?
6. And last but not the least - Mt. Everest base camp
It is difficult to explain what is so fascinating about Nature. I know of some people who (sadly) do not get inspired by Nature. One person went to the amazing Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park and asked his friend "ok I see the trees, now what? Do I expect the trees to dance for me?" No, they won't. The mountains won't join in a chorus, neither would the river beat the drums... actually things will be very quiet and you will hear the chirping of birds, the boom of a thunderous waterfall before you actually turn the bend and see one. If you hike along the ocean, you would take your time to see the different sea weeds and the strange and unique shape of driftwood. The main thing is to slow down. I am a goal motivated person, so sometimes I have the tendency to keep walking with the end of the trail in mind. That feeling of achievement is good, but hiking isn't a competitive sport. You don't have to prove anyone anything. Last week, this mentality made me walk past beautiful ice crystals without noticing them. Good that Arnab was behind me and he pointed them. Later I intentionally slowed down to admire the mushrooms growing on stumps of fallen trees.Long back I received four books by National Geographic specially created for young explores. I am so glad that my uncle gave those to me, because growing up in a city in India, it would have been very difficult for me to learn to admire the little things Nature offer. The books - "Creatures of the woods" and "The World beneath your feet" had opened my eyes to look at this world from a different perspective. It taught me to love animals (despite their looks) and to make me aware of a vast and beautiful Nature.
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