Date: 2006-01-26
To: Which came first?
Miles today: 0.0

Does hiking the AT change us or does the change take place first, which in turn leads us to the AT adventure? It's that age old question of which came first, the Spruce Grouse or the egg. I remember reading a statistic that said of those who attempt a thru-hike, 65% do so for adventure. It's kind of hard to find adventure in the everyday. The outdoors has also been named as being an integral part of American history, with all the settlements and exploration of the West. Although some went West for land, prosperity and the promise of a better life, still others went for no other reason than they were curious to what lay just beyond the far blue mountains. Lewis and Clark's excellent adventure was actually initiated because it was believed that a Passage to India could be found. That the Missouri River headwaters would meet some Great River of the West making a water route possible. This would create a boon for commerce. They found much, but not the short cut that would eliminate the dangerous, long voyage around the points of South America and Africa. However, they did find prairie dogs and grizzlies. Maybe sparked by commerce, it had to have been exciting to go and see what they could see. During my first thru-hike year, I'd never heard of a Spruce Grouse. Whether brave or oblivious, these friends of the feather will occupy the trail and think nothing of your formidable size. Where normally your approach will send chipmunks scurrying and black bears thundering over dell, the Spruce Grouse will just hang and look you over. Juncos also like to have an involvement with us on the trail. They'll fly low maneuvers around our legs, darting back and forth just out of the reach of our stride. One encounter involved a momma Junco giving her chicks their first flight instruction that happened to be on the trail. During one of the first-time solos, a hiker came around the bend and smack dap into flight school. The chick, which was already aloft and winded, decided that the perfect perch to take a break on was the hiker. To the angst of momma, the little Junco sat happy on the pack of the thru-hiker. Wow. Take a thousand little moments like those and its no wonder why so many cherish their experiences with the AT. Things that we can't predict happen time and time again. For me, the abundance of wildlife was an enormous surprise. I somehow hadn't thought that would happen, probably focused too much on the enormity of the thru-hike before my foot hit the trail. I can't wait to hear the Ruffed Grouse of the southern Appalachians and their machine-gun-like thump: bump¢¦¢¦bump¢¦bump. Bump bumpbpbpbbb. I told a few hikers who were particularly unnerved by the drumming that it was the chest beating of a escaped Silver Back Gorilla from a local zoo that had made the news. (Yea, I know that was evil. But great fun.) And the owls and loons with their haunting calls always say wilderness and adventure to this hiker ¢ sure beats the sounds of honks, sirens and brakes squealing. I seem to be more moved when I see a hawk now ¢ I suppose the answer to the opening question is yes to both. Qualities that are already within us bloom and deepen on the trail. I think its great that so many individuals try to thru-hike each year without a lick of experience. All they have is an inner desire, a longing for what can be. Good for them. Bravo to the brave. To leap is to live today.