Sometimes a Walk in the Woods Is All You Need
Even if it isn’t an epic hike
When I was in my twenties and extremely bored, I came across a book by humorist Bill Bryson called A Walk in the Woods. As I remember it, the author and a very sad and angry friend, neither of whom were equipped for long-distance hiking, decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. It is a very funny and entertaining book, but it did make hiking seem extremely miserable. So, while I was somewhat interested in the concept of taking on a big mountain hike, it’s not something I ever seriously considered.
Until a couple of weeks ago.
Just kidding. There’s no way I’m hiking the Appalachian Trail anytime soon or probably ever, but I did take a walk with my seven-year-old, Bennett, at the nature preserve where he and his older brother attend an eco-camp in the summers. It was a Friday morning when we sallied forth. A school day, but I had promised to let Bennett take a day off and he was finally collecting on that promise.
He deserved it. He’s a hard worker, rarely complains about having to go to school, and after the last few years we’ve had, it’s literally the least I could do for him.
As we walk along the trails on this almost summer-like morning, around a small pond choked with greenery, the sun hot on our skin, he talks much faster than our feet move. His word-to-step ratio is approaching world record level.
He points out where the gopher tortoise lives, where they made a lean-to at eco-camp last summer, where they saw a rattlesnake, and very casually without breaking stride, where a camper almost passed out from dehydration.
Just as I’m about to follow up on that last one, he lets out a small gasp midsentence, and my heart rate spikes as I turn toward him, expecting to see a rattlesnake curling around his feet.
“Daddy, this is the PERFECT walking stick,” he says, lifting a stick off the ground that, I’m not going to lie, does look pretty ideal. He holds it at arm’s length to admire it for a moment before striding onward down the sandy, pine tree-lined path and launching into a somewhat speculative commentary on the possible origins of the Boy Scouts.