For me, going to the Adirondacks, is like pressing the reset button. I have always thought this, but after this weekend (which was a different Adirondack experience containing countless hours in a car, numerous museums, and two great camps) Im convinced it's true. Weather it's a solo hike that leave me sore, leading an easy canoe trip with incoming freshman, or a tour of the Adirondack Park through history and place, I always leave feeling new. When we went to the museums and refuges I found myself thinking that I would never have gone to these places outside of the class, but Im so happy I got the chance. I felt small so many times. Besides the daunting castle, with its extinct animals hanging on the walls, I felt insignificant at the refuge center, as I stood in awe of the wolves and bald eagles (things often reserved for post cards), tiny knowing that it only takes a half mile hike to get to views that go for miles, and even smaller knowing that at the end of our trip we had only seen a fraction of the park. Im not sure if it was the laughter I shared with my classmates (who I probably wouldnt have spoken to for the entire semester if it hadnt been for the closeness the vans forced us in to), the unbelievable colors leaves turn in the fall, the seclusion I felt at times, the things I learned about a place I love, or just the trip as a whole, but today I feel new(ish). Maybe this is why Litchfield Castle has a driveway that takes 30 minutes to get down. Perhaps this is the reason that every year the people at Winona Camp open their houses to us. These people understand the power of watching the seasons change away from pavement and cities, the value of seclusion, and the many benefits a place like the Adirondacks have.
Today, we even use science to show the value of Nature:
http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/Study-Hiking-Makes-You-Happier.html?utm_reader=feedly&utm_content=bufferedf66&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
I completely agree! I think spending just a small amount of time in nature really enables a person to put things in perspective. On our hike the first morning, as we stood on top of the summit, I realized how tiny an individual is compared to the scope of the Adirondacks. I had a similar feeling as we stood before Whiteface Mountain at Asgard Farm. It is interesting and somewhat displacing to stand in front of something so large as a mountain and all of the sudden feel so small.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is how Bill McKibben feels about the Adirondacks as well. He definitely talked a lot about how much better he feels after spending time on the trail. It's definitely one of the reasons the Adirondacks are so appealing. Just being there is somehow magical.
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