Over at Go Girl, I get lost. And found.
PS: Her Side has been on temporary hiatus as the summer has been OVERSCHEDULED. We’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming as soon as I can manage it. Thanks for hanging in there, and I hope you’re having your own adventures!
Last night, President Obama called for new ideas and innovation to decrease our dependence on oil and turn to new energy sources. That Obama, he’s always calling out to the public for ideas.
For example, on April 16, the President established America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to “promote and support innovative community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and to reconnect Americans to the outdoors.”¹ Well, that sounds pretty good to me. How?
Step one seems to be to start a countrywide conversation-of-sorts about promoting and preserving outdoor spaces. No, really. The powers that be want to know what you think. First, there are “listening sessions” being set up across the country, the first being Annapolis, MD, on June 25, from 1-5PM.
Can’t attend one? You can submit your ideas and innovations (and read and vote on those submitted by others) at the America’s Great Outdoors idea center. Check it out, there’s a lot of interesting stuff on there.
A lot of people seem to like the idea of creating a “master naturalist” volunteer program, based on the Texas program of the same name, in which individuals would rack up volunteer hours and undergo training to obtain a certification as a “master naturalist.” Texans seem to like their program, and it seems to do a lot of good.
Less well-liked (or maybe just more controversial) is this suggestion to revamp Smokey the Bear. I wonder if the number of “demotes” (think the oft-wished-for “dislike” button on Facebook) on this suggestion is because people love Smokey or because forcing poor Smokey into retirement at the age of 65 hits a little too close to home for some people?
Which ideas do you like? What do you think of the “conversation”? Is Obama’s tendency to solicit ideas from the public increasing democratic involvement and allowing for real innovation that might otherwise have been stifled, or is it just another way for well-funded organizations to lobby? (Oops, that last question is a little charged. Have at it anyhow.)
¹ Glunz, Christine, et al. April 16, 2010. “President Obama Launches Initiative to Develop a 21st Century Strategy for America’s Great Outdoors.” Retrieved from http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/Press-Release.cfm.
© Her Side of the Mountain, 2010.
Today on Go Girl, I talk about why visiting a dude ranch is a great way to spend a week.
© Her Side of the Mountain, 2010.
My calendar is way more full than this.
I woke up yesterday and realized that while I was recovering from the holiday weekend, June had descended upon us.
How in the world is it June already? Beware, campers, this summer is going to fly by, I can feel it. Are your weekends already booked? Weddings, baby showers, trips to the beach, family obligations…when are you going to have free time to get out and hike?
Answer: Make the time.
I know, it’s easier said than done. It’s much more comfortable to make time for your family and friends, to make the time to travel to see other people or share in their momentous life events, than it is to make time for yourself. I experience this too. I feel guilty when I try to tell someone I can’t make plans to travel to see them for a weekend not because I have already booked time for someone else, but because I have things that I want to do, things that are important to me.
Well, I’m telling myself — and you — to Get Over It.
Go ahead, schedule some time for yourself. You don’t need an excuse. You want to spend a day hiking and are worried that your schedule is filling up too fast? Quick, pick a day, and pencil yourself in. Better yet, write in ink. Now, keep your date with yourself. Don’t cancel just because you get another offer. You deserve more consideration than that.
I know I do.
© Her Side of the Mountain, 2010.
On Monday, in a moment lacking inspiration, I offered to answer some or your questions. In no particular order (except the order in which I felt like answering), here we go!
Adelaide of Dressed in Dirt asked: Ok, here’s mine: when did you first start hiking solo and what motivated you to do so?
My solo hiking was borne out of necessity, and a desire to not be a wimp. Oh, and a need to keep up my image as a cool, independent woman who backs down from no challenge. Back in 2004, I graduated from law school and found out that I had two and a half months between taking the bar exam (at the end of July) and starting my job (mid-October). While my first thoughts were to panic about availability of cash, my second thoughts focused on travel. Immediately, I seized upon the fantasy of driving around the United States, especially since I had really only ever seen the eastern seaboard, Denver, and Chicago. Going alone was a little scary, but I thought I was up for the challenge…and after all, who else could leave their jobs/families for 6 weeks and go with me?
But what to do while driving around? Realizing I had to find some way of picking where I was headed, I thought about different themes for the trip, and immediately knew I wanted to visit National Parks. I wanted to hike. But…I had never been hiking alone. Was it safe, especially since I’d be in unfamiliar places all by myself, thousands of miles from anyone I knew? Was I physically capable? Did I have any idea what I even needed?
And there it was. A challenge. I sort of thrive on challenge. Telling me something can’t be done — or that I can’t do something — is a sure way to make me find a way to do it. I decided that I could hike and camp alone if I set my mind to it. The best part was, if I hated it, I only had to turn around and drive home. So I did my research, mustered up the courage to ask a lot of questions of the helpful REI clerks (who were, really, all too happy to walk me through the stores and help me try on backpacks and show me different types of hunting knives, I might add), and gave it a try.
The rest, as they say, is history. Or herstory? No, I didn’t just say that.
Sara asked: We’re moving out west this summer (Albuquerque, to be exact). Neither Bryan nor I have ever spent any time in that part of the country, and we’re looking forward to exploring it. Other than the grand canyon (which neither of us has ever visited and will only be two hours away), any good suggestions for day/weekend camping/hiking trips? Any favorite places in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, or souther Utah?
Oh dear. How I love the West. How I love, love, love the West. This could spawn an entire series of posts. And since that’s the kind of idea I like, I’ll launch into that in the near future. For now, please consider the following:
In any event, enjoy Albuquerque. When am I coming to visit? Or meeting you at one of these places? 🙂
Dad (yes, my dad) asked: Tell us about your youthful adventures at Alton Jones, Chewonki and backpacking in Ireland. And don’t forget Mark Trail.
Well, that’s not a question, Dad. Those are suggestions. But they are much appreciated. I’ll share one anecdote for now, and file these ideas away for future posts.
When I was maybe fourteen, my ninth grade class spent a week camping at Chewonki in Maine. I was not a camper back then. The woods scared me. Animals scared me. Dirt scared me. Bugs scared me (okay, bugs still scare me). One night, the girls in my group were misbehaving and hanging out in one of the boys’ tents. Eventually, everyone fell asleep. Except me. I realized I still had my contact lenses in, and had to take them out if we were going to spend the night. So after debating with myself awhile, I very carefully snuck out of the crowded tent, made my way in the pitch black forest to my own tent, located my lens case (in the dark…I couldn’t find a flashlight), removed my lenses (in the dark), and proceeded to try to make my way back to the boys’ tent (in the dark, now without my lenses, meaning I was basically blind). I was trying to walk quietly, to not wake anyone up, and slowly because I was mainly guessing where I was going. I put my left foot down onto something that felt weird and soft — and it moved! It ran. I am not kidding. I caught myself, choked back a scream, and ran myself — over a small sapling and smack into the platform with the boys’ tent. Trying not to panic, I climbed into the tent and settled myself back in. Of course, me banging into the platform had woken up everyone inside the tent, and we girls decided to go back to our tent to sleep, so we wouldn’t get caught in the morning.
To this day, I don’t know what I stepped on. A raccoon? A skunk? I don’t know, I don’t care, and it scared me silly.
Thanks for the questions, everyone!
© Her Side of the Mountain, 2010.
I got nothing for you today. I’m sure there are plenty of things to talk about, but as I peruse outdoors-related items, I’m just getting depressed because most of it is about the oil spill. We still have a few points to address on the Rules and the Good Stuff, and plenty of equipment to discuss, but today, I’m not feeling it. Probably because it’s absolutely glorious outside and I’m not out in it.
So instead of forcing something, I’m throwing it back to you, dear readers. Ask me questions. About me, about hiking, about camping, about National Parks, about blogging…whatever comes into your pretty little heads. I reserve the right to refuse to answer, or to answer a different question than you asked. Answers to be posted on Wednesday.
Now, bring it on…and please ask, so I’m not sitting here all by myself on Wednesday.
© Her Side of the Mountain, 2010.
You’re a busy person. You’ve got a job, or school, to deal with. Maybe you have a family. You have friends, social obligations, cleaning to do and errands to run. There’s that book you’ve been meaning to read, and you have really got to catch up on all those DVR’d episodes of the Vampire Diaries. How in world can you find time to hike, particularly if you live in a city and hiking involves waiting for the weather to be nice, then driving out of the city and hoping the close-by hikes aren’t too crowded and you can find parking and anyhow won’t that just annoy you and shouldn’t you be doing laundry instead?
Or maybe that’s just me.
I struggle with finding time for “real” hiking. Because I live in Boston, there aren’t a lot of mountains nearby. Getting to a “real” hike — i.e., one that involves reaching a peak (or the bottom of a canyon), is at least several miles round trip, and requires packing a lunch — is not always possible, especially since I’m not naturally an early riser.
What is a city girl to do?
Take your hiking wherever you find it.
This past Sunday, I had one of those days where I decided not to set an alarm, and I clearly needed sleep, because I didn’t wake up until after noon. The night before, I had told myself that if the timing worked out, I would drive up to southern NH and get in a “real” hike, but at that point it wasn’t a real option. By the time I got going, stopped for food, and got up there, it would be after 3, and I wasn’t comfortable starting a hike that late in the day.
The Minute Man NHP Visitors Center
Instead of throwing in the towel, however, I decided to try something a little different. I went to the National Park Service website and looked up all the NPS sites in Boston and the surrounding area (there are twelve of them, in case you’re curious). I’ve been to most of them, but since the weather Sunday was amazing, I wanted to go somewhere where I could hang around outside, even if I wasn’t hiking up a mountain. I chose Minute Man National Historical Park.
Now, I’ve been to Minute Man before, but, as it turns out, I’ve only been to one corner of this site (the one in Concord by the North Bridge). This time, I started at the main visitors center at 250 North Great Road. The center itself was gorgeous, but more on that another time. I didn’t stick around there long enough to watch the film — it was beautiful outside, remember? — but instead set out on the Battle Road Trail.
Battle Road Trail
The Battle Road Trail stretches five miles, connecting historical sites from Concord to Lexington, following much of the path the British soldiers took on April 19, 1775 culminating in the battles of Lexington and Concord that mark the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Along the road are sites such as Hartwell Tavern, Wayside (which, among other things, is the house where Louisa May Alcott wrote her first published work), and the place where Paul Revere was captured during his famous ride to raise the alarm that the British were coming.
The trail itself is level and wide. There isn’t an elevation gain, you don’t have to be careful of your footwork, and you’re unlikely to run into wildlife (aside from a squirrel or two). At some points along the trail, you can see cars whiz by on Route 2A, though for the most part the trees mask the auto road and muffle the sounds. Walking on this trail won’t give you a hard workout. You’re likely to run into other people, but even if you don’t, you’ll never feel like you’re far from civilization by yourself.
Muskets!
Even so, the Battle Road Trail gave me what I needed last Sunday. I was outside. I was moving. I was surrounded by beauty, and when no one else was in sight, that familiar calm settled over me — even though I didn’t feel like it was just me and nature, the quiet of the park and the absence of others in front of me or behind me gave me time to think and be. (Also, I got to see a reenactment with muskets being fired. Serene? No. But very neat.)
Sometimes, you have to take your hikes wherever you can find them. You don’t always have to be climbing a mountain. Figure out what it is you’re seeking from your hike — solitude, being outdoors, whatever — and find a place where you can get that. You’ll be glad you didn’t just throw in the towel because you didn’t have time for a “real” hike.
© Her Side of the Mountain, 2010.
Today on Go Girl, I talk about my volcanic ash-tastic return voyage from Paris, and the benefits of single-serving friends.
Bonjour, faithful readers. I’m so embarrassed. Have you missed me? I’ve missed you!
The last month has been a busy one for Her Side, culminating in being away with limited internet access for the past week-and-a-half, and a nightmare return transatlantic flight in which we flew around the volcanic ash that is wreaking havoc over the ocean. But I’m back, and no more excuses. While I recover from jet lag and get back on track, here are a few tidbits to keep you occupied.
In the coming weeks: gear and food reviews, the completion of the Rule and the Good Stuff, and the unveiling of a new and exciting project…
© Her Side of the Mountain, 2010.
Her Side of the Mountain 