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Re: [at-l] Thoughts when hiking
>
>Does anyone else think about these things when they're "out there"?
>Who the indigenous people were, how they interacted with nature, what the
>land looked like before Columbus "discovered the Americas"? Great stuff
>to contemplate around the campfire or in a shelter on a rainy night.
>This passage speaks to why I got started in backpacking, why the AT
>is so special, and why it and all wild places must be preserved.
>Food for thought next time you're out hiking... (Climbing down off
>soap-box now...)
>
when I hiked up to the crest of Bear Mountain, I was overwhelmed with what
the area must have looked like to those who came way, way, way before us.
The Hudson Valley is so rich in history and tales (Rip Van Winkle country,
you know), and it was so striking, especially since it was something I'd
always read about in a book and never seen for myself that the mental images
I carry around in my head are among the most vivid I carry around with me.
I am, of course, partial to the area in the Nantahala National Forest and
the role the area played in the Trail of Tears. After spending some time
over close to Robbinsville, I can honestly see why the Cherokee chose to
hide in those remote coves. The sun hardly pierces through tight ridges. I
would have hidden there, too.
Lynn
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