Someone once said to me, “Everyone puts hiking on their profile, but you actually hike!”  Yes, I hike.  I’ve hiked in the warmth of summer and the cold of winter, on clear, sunny days, as well as wind-blowing, rain-soaked days.  Forty minutes of bushwhacking to a nearby open vista or several hours hiking a couple of four-thousand-footers in the White Mountains, both satisfy me. 

Sitting on a boulder, off the Ridge Trail at Camden Hills State Park, no one else there.  The occasional sound of a vehicle off in the distance.  A carpet of autumn colors as far as I can see, with the ocean off to my left.  A bald eagle glides across the air below my vantage point. I don’t rush for my camera; I enjoy the moment. 

Moments like those, you can’t order from Amazon.  Moments like those are magical, slowing time down, making me feel alive.  But not all of hiking has these moments; I have put many miles in on a path with no view, no special feature.  Those miles are just as important.  Those miles let me escape the daily grind and let my mind wander.  Being on a trail, away from the civilized world, not only gives me a physical workout, but it also improves my mental and spiritual well-being.  Surrounding yourself with nature will do that.  When I haven’t been on a trail, a walk in the woods for a bit too long, I do notice a negative impact on my mental state of mind.  

The mountain-top views are great, but it is also the walking among the trees, across the fields, and along the bodies of water that draws me to hiking.