Trail Talk – August 2022

Since I was born with two perfectly functional legs, my choice has always been to use them as my first option for travel. I enjoy being upright as Nature intended, and with alliteration intended, with my head held high above the madding masses of immobile minions caught up in their frenzied forays of frustration.

To stand tall is to gain the advantage of far sight, the ability to look around at one’s surroundings. Our eyes are so much better attuned to function as our head can swivel and bob, giving us a range of awareness that makes our world all the more interesting. And with a head that can easily turn, pivoting to catch each birdsong and call of the wild, our ears become equals to our eyes in processing data from our environment.

I prefer barefoot if possible. Watching my toes as I proceed has led to many interesting discoveries. The connection with the surfaces we trod gives us connection. The variety of soils and vegetation we pass along is a feast of textures that would be unappreciated otherwise. Light footwear is convenient if the going gets a bit too rough for comfort, but there’s still some pleasure in feeling the tug of sticky soil and the slight pain of a sharp stone.

Running has been a natural mode of propulsion, pushing me farther and faster, but still in the very presence of here and now, aware of all around me. In fact, I’ve written before that running defines me. It has certainly given me the pleasure of traveling to many places that no other mode of travel would, unless there had been more time to simply walk.

Moving through wilderness areas from first light to the reassuring dark of a day well spent still holds my interest. There is so much more to be seen away from the highways and byways, down below the flight paths and away from the constant noise of powered transportation. Proceeding afoot gives us opportunity to be more fully engaged is this wonderful place we call home.

From my youth, I’ve explored much country simply by following the tip of a fly rod. Finding new venues to pursue the oncorhynchus genus has been my impetus to widen my horizons far beyond my home waters. And to do this effectively, two functional legs are highly useful. (Though I must at this point include the caveat that I’ve also boated to many of these places, replacing functioning legs with functioning hands and arms on the oars as the preferred method of travel. It’s still self-propelled locomotion.)

This might also explain my non-desire to travel far and wide throughout the world. Traveling on foot keeps one grounded in more ways than one. Where I can travel between 40 and 50 miles in a day with a “fastpack” on my back, I’m more limited than traveling hundreds or thousands with other transportation options. Yet, I’m more fulfilled, and certainly feel that my time has been better spent.

That said, until my legs can no longer carry me to places I’d like to be, the preference is solidly to travel upright, as homo sapiens was intended.