The Sound of Silence

Bill McKibben vividly describes many beautiful aspects of the Adirondack park over the course of his trek back home. One moment in particular that really struck a chord with me was when he comments on the "noisy kind of silence" (65) he experiences. His grand description of this "pulsating hum" (65) sent me back to a moment of unspeakable beauty I experienced while leading an Adirondack Adventure trip in the Dix range last summer.  The group was above tree line taking an afternoon nap on a smooth and perfectly slanted rock face and I was building a small cairn. For some wonderful reason no black flies buzzed about my head and the trails had been nearly deserted all day. The only sound I could hear was the wind rushing through the trees as it whipped through the range. But, contrary to McKibben's assertion that this very biological and geological sound "never subside[s]" (65), the gusting wind stopped for what must have been fifteen seconds. The rustling of the leaves faded and eventually disappeared, leaving me in the most silent moment I have ever experienced. But even in this very isolated and natural setting this silence ended. This rare moment continues to represent one of my favorite aspects of being the "wilderness". It provides an escape from the constant bombardment and overstimulation that I, like so many others, experience on a day to day basis. I personally value the uninterrupted reflection silence can allow and I, like McKibben, believe that the interruption of this sensory immersion by ATVs and Jet Skis destroys such an integral part of the setting. McKibben connects this type of interruption back to the underlying hyper individualism in our culture and I too believe that it reflects a certain lack of awareness and consideration of how your actions affect others around you.  Most of my experiences in the Adirondacks have been relatively isolated hiking trips. I would be curious to discuss others' experiences with noise pollution of any kind on lakes or trails. I am also curious if anyone else can think of the most silent moment they have experienced.