I don’t know about you, but this pandemic has exacerbated the wanderlust that I usually end up feeling this time of year. Most summers I travel someplace completely new to me, and obviously this has not been possible to do. It seems everyone else is feeling the itch, too. And so, we go outside.
When I walk in my neighborhood I see so many more men, women, children, and pets gracing the sidewalks. Parking for popular trails (that are still open) fills up early in the day. Heck, people are camping in their own backyards. We’re desperate for a change of scenery. Who could blame us, after we’ve been staring at the same screens and walls every day? And so, we go outside.
Hiking seems to soothe me more than any other outdoor activity I know. It’s such a sensory experience. When Rachel and I hiked up to Tinker Cliffs some Friday afternoons ago, I noticed all of the different smells of where we walked. The sweet and tangy scent of manure as we plodded through a cow pasture at the beginning of the trail. The loamy, earthy whiffs coming out of the dense underbrush by the creek. The dry, piney aroma - my favorite - at the cliffs. So many different worlds in one little hike.
And the sounds! Our steps landed with thumps on bare soil and crunches on stones. We waltzed along to the soundtrack starring the startling thrash of squirrels in last autumn’s fallen leaves, the rustling of a young velvety buck, the whoosh of wind in the treetops. This is a familiar trail to me and though it may take me along the same path every time, the environment is constantly changing and so every visit is new.
My water tasted like the CamelBak in which I carried it - artificial and plasticky - but refreshing, nonetheless. I licked my lips and tasted salt.
I felt the my lungs sucking air as we climbed sets of stairs and switchbacks on the way up. My legs burned in protest of our swift pace. At the top, the dry breeze pushed the sweaty hair off my forehead and the sun warmed my skin as we lounged around the cliffs taking pictures. I laid myself down on the ground, ignoring the rocks and pebbles that poked my flesh.
As for the sights, well, I’ll let the photographs speak to that.
Any hike, no matter how many times I’ve traveled a trail, is unique. It’s always beautiful, and it’s always worth it. And so, we go outside.