Motivation

[Mr. X]

I've been wondering this for a while. What is the main reason for doing out door activities such as climbing. For me it is really the experience of being out doors excercise comes second. I know that most of my colleages are definatley more into the thrill of risking it and going for numbers as a primary drive. How do you think the community is split? 50/50 or what?

 

[Dennis C.]

Climbing mountains and great exercise go hand in hand. You can't really separate one from the other. Of course your personal reasons of as to why one climbs can be debated (great views, fresh air, spiritual, peak bagging, etc.).

 

[KayakDan]

My wife and I aren't so much about altitude and peak bagging. It's more about just being out there,and camping is a big part of the draw. It's the solitude,the spiritual feeling of being connected to the real world,not the concrete,asphalt and deadlines of the world we occupy. It's about the feeling of self reliance in the backcountry environment. We are so interconnected in day to day life,relying on strangers,and much of what we live is out of our control. Preparation and planning fow what I carry will determine what life will be while I'm out there. Our choices will almost entirely decide what our experience will be.
All these things apply to kayaking offshore as well. We learn to make careful choices and assess risks,so we can experience what most will never know.

 

[trailbiscuit]

Fitness. That would have to be the number one reason.
But...why did I choose hiking and backpacking in the summer? I can't explain it. Just love everything about it. There are a lot of other choices out there. Maybe it's because hiking and backpacking don't take a lot of coordination...I'm not so good in that department.

 

[insight]

My wife and I aren't so much about altitude and peak bagging. It's more about just being out there,and camping is a big part of the draw. It's the solitude,the spiritual feeling of being connected to the real world,not the concrete,asphalt and deadlines of the world we occupy. It's about the feeling of self reliance in the backcountry environment. We are so interconnected in day to day life,relying on strangers,and much of what we live is out of our control. Preparation and planning fow what I carry will determine what life will be while I'm out there. Our choices will almost entirely decide what our experience will be.
All these things apply to kayaking offshore as well. We learn to make careful choices and assess risks,so we can experience what most will never know.

Good reply..

I've often thought about all this too, and being the idealistic, naive 20something year old I am, our artificial environment and the whole daily routine is something that doesn't always give me that feeling of raw connection.. I've never really considered our reliance on strangers and other people in general to be part of it as well. Out in the woods, staying alive is all up to your planning, the limited gear on your back, and your knowledge/experience. It's a good feeling, even if it's just for a weekend, and even if convincing myself that I can survive on my own in the wilderness is a total lie.

 

[Danielle]

Being out in the woods, carrying all we need for the weekend on our backs, reaching the top of a summit, getting a great view off some ledge, knowing we're far from "civilization", knowing we'll have great stories to tell and knowing that our families think we're nuts, enjoying the fact that we CAN get out and hike and backpack and aren't stuck inside because of some illness or issue, breathing in the fresh air, standing on top of West Bond and looking out over all the untouched wilderness (well, with the exception of the ski area and Mt. Washington Observatory that you can see in the distance), feeling the burn as we haul up a steep trail, going to sleep at night contentedly tired from a great day, hiking in bad weather and having the trails to ourselves, getting into great shape, feeling strong and fit, marking a peak off our list....

All of these things come to mind when I think about my motivation for hiking and backpacking. I don't know if I could put my finger on one thing, as to me, all of the above kind of meld together to explain why I am always so happy when we're out on the trails and in the woods, happy we got up and out of the house, happy we're not sitting around on the couch because we couldn't motivate, and on and on.

I just feel lucky that we can get out there as much as we do, and that motivates me to try and take advantage of every free day we have. Of course, I speak only for myself--maybe Ryan would like to sit on the couch for a day instead

 

[Sara]

Ironically, I exercise so that I can be a better hiker. ADackR and I spend literally every weekend somewhere holed up in the woods. Friends have joked that we should sell our house because we are never there except during the week when work mandates that we be. Being in the woods is such an intrinsic part of not only who I have become, but what we have become as a couple. I find that the time spent in the woods hiking, biking, skiing, canoeing and camping together my husband and with friends increases the quality of these relationships tremendously. There is something so real about the nature of the conversations and debates that take place in a lean-to, or along side a fire. The shared feelings of accomplishment, exhaustion and exhileration are even more memorable when shared with others. The longer the trip, the better the experience. As I sit here writing this even now I have great feelings of longing, but I know that soon enough, we'll be back for a weekend in the ADK's!

 

[Puma concolor]

For me, exercise was definitely the draw. I got into hiking as a single guy in my early 20s living in the High Peaks. I was frustrated by the lack of organized sports in the area and decided to take advantage of what the area had to offer ... mountains and lots of them. Once I got into it, I quickly began to fall in love with everything else the mountains had to offer and I've been totally addicted for some time now. But vigorous exercise remains the foundation on which my house is built ... I've never been nor ever will be a sit around the campfire and look at the pretty stars kind of guy. I can appreciate every subtle thing the woods have to offer, but I've got to be on the move or I just get bored.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Definitely not the exercise aspect of it (to me, that's a necessary evil). I just love being out there with only my wits to keep me going. It makes me feel alive, something the rigors of work definitely do not do for me any more. Just being able to wake up, put one foot ahead of the other, and escape for a few hours/days/weeks makes it all worthwhile. When I'm hiking, life is very good!

 

[mommabear]

Ironically, I exercise so that I can be a better hiker.

The same with me. I usually gear my workouts at home to accommodate my hiking. While I enjoy the exercise I get while hiking, I really head towards the woods because I love the outdoors.

 

[JohnL]

Exercise, fresh forest air, the woods, the peaks, the serenity, the swirling clouds, the chirping and singing of birds, the raging wind, the patter of rain on the forest canopy, the occasional grunt of a moose or a bear, a bright red trillium, rime ice, the wide eyed delight of happening upon a steaming pile of moose scat wondering if she’s out there eyeballing me, deep snow, yellow birch leaf filtered sunlight, a frog scooting across my path, breaking trail through the invisible tangle of spider webs, a spruce grouse exploding out of the snow and scaring the dickens out of me, peeing outdoors, and on and on. What other motivation do you need? The simple unencumbered joys of being in the woods.

For me, exercise is a key element in the total enjoyment of being out on the trails. Happiness is not having to stop to catch your breath.

JohnL

 

[Nadine]

Hiking has a calming effect on me. I hike to be at peace with myself and the world around me. I get into a trance state sometimes and it's almost like I'm in another world. I feel refreshed and recharged after time in the hills.

 

[Cloudsplitter]

Life on high

I have a very fond memory of looking down across the Virginia piedmont from an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway one summer evening six years ago. For me the moment epitomized everything that I feel about outdoor pursuits. First, I shared it with a few friends, and enjoyed it all the more for having done so. Second, our perch that evening was not reached via an arduous climb but rather an easy stroll that failed to cause even the most minor of pulmonary distress. Third, and most important, the view we shared stretched far over hills, fields, streams, and lands both wild and fully developed. As it was the weekend of the Fourth of July, tiny streams of fireworks spurted up at intervals from the towns below. I lost myself in the view that night, and for the briefest of moments, experienced that wonderful but very rare carefree feeling that comes with suddenly forgetting everything. I will never be a world class climber or trekker (although I do like a good challenge from time to time), and thus the enjoyment of the outdoors for me comes not from the exertion but from the shared moments, and, more importantly, the views we lose ourselves in.

 

[crazymama]

I feel refreshed and recharged after time in the hills.

In a nutshell, that's the main reason I do it. Its like rebooting my brain.

 

[Jaytrek57]

"Because I can't sing or dance."

Old quote....but just about sums it up for me.

 

[Grumpy]

Definitely not the exercise aspect of it (to me, that's a necessary evil). I just love being out there with only my wits to keep me going. It makes me feel alive, something the rigors of work definitely do not do for me any more. Just being able to wake up, put one foot ahead of the other, and escape for a few hours/days/weeks makes it all worthwhile. When I'm hiking, life is very good!

Sherpa K has expressed my thoughts, quite accurately.

Others here have said what follows in one way or another already, and very well, but one of my favorite expressions -- and a classic -- about being outdoors was written many years ago by John D. Voelker, aka Robert Traver:

“I fish because I love to; because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariable ugly; because of the television commercials, cocktail parties and assorted social posturing I thus escape; because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion; because trout do not lie or cheat but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience; because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don't want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters; because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness; because bourbon out of an old tin cup tastes better out there; because maybe someday I will catch a mermaid; and, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant - and not nearly so much fun.” John D. Voelker

Just substitute a few selected words here and there, and this Trout Fisherman's Credo becomes a Hiker's Credo, for me, anyway.

G.

 

[jfb]

I guess I hike for the exercise mostly. I also ski and bicycle for the exercise. My body just feels better after (not immediately after) a good workout and I find those activities more interesting than working out at a gym or pool. They can also be done individually or with others and don't require lots of organization or skill to participate.

 

[imarchant]

Grumpy, what an amazing quote! For me that passage along with the feeling of accomplishment of reaching a set goal sums up the experience for me. The benefits of the excersize are also good. Iwould not have the patience to exercize in a gym, it would be to boring.

 

[lumberzac]

Great quote Grumpy. That pretty much sums it up for me.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

There is something about scrambling up a steep section of ledge and rocks that I find very satisfying. Just finding that my old bod can still do it is great. (And yet I hesitate to take up technical rockclimbing.) My hikes tend toward slides and headwalls more than peaks.

Wildflowers, waterfalls, views and snow-covered trees are all pluses too.

Still, when I hiked the Osceolas in the fog and drizzle this past weekend, my favorite part was ascending the chimney between East Peak and the main summit.