A New Window to the World....

Long distance hiking adds a new window to your world.  Not only does it tie together disparate landscapes but it tunes your body and mind to a far richer world.  Long days spent on the trail gives your mind time to relax and your cardiovascular system time to strengthen the mind body connection.  Your senses are enhanced to the point that when you do re-enter civilization at the next town or city the world is full of vivid new impressions.  

After days of receiving your sensory input in relaxing doses that millions of years of evolution of living in a natural world has primed our bodies to receive, the sensory overload of color alone found in the thousands of items in a small rural store is like taking a psychedelic drug.  Suddenly you see our civilization in a whole new way and are entranced by everyday luxuries that most of us take for granted.

If you want to learn more about hiking the long distance trails of North America, please feel free to contact me at raincloudtreefarm@gmail.com.  Over the past eight years I have given illustrated talks on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, the Great Divide Trail (the Canadian Rockies), the Long Trail (the length of Vermont) and the Hayduke Trail (Southern Utah).  You can also learn about the US Forest Service and get a glimpse of a hikers life by reading my book Pilgrimage to the Edge: the Pacific Crest Trail and the US Forest Service that can be obtained at either Amazon.com or thru Exlibris publishing. 

Beginnings...

Pilgrimage to Edge:  The PCT and the U.S.Forest Service

 

I learned that anyone, no matter what his or her age or physical condition, can succeed at tackling life’s greatest challenges (like setting up this blog!) with a little flexibility and persistance.  Many dream of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, or other famous pilgrimage routes found on every continent.  Because we live in a world constrained by responsibilities –whether to family, job, school, or any of the other thousand cultural binders that define our lives–we believe that we never have enough time, strength, or fortitude to take on an adventure like hiking the PCT.  I found that by breaking every challenge into easily manageable parts; there is more than one way to fulfill your dreams and join an amazing an community of outdoor adventures.

By reading my book, Pilgrimage to the Edge: the Pacific Crest Trail and the U.S. Forest Service, (Please purchase one for $23.99 at raincloudtreefarm@gmail.com, Amazon or Exlibris ) you too can discover a far richer life illuminated by the magical scenery and special people who share the remote corners of our nation’s forest and parks.  You will see this natural world through my eyes, sharpened  by 33 years of service as a member of the the U.S. Peace Corps, U.S. Forest Service and AmeriCorps.

Our lives in the United States are much richer because we share a legacy of conservation that is unique amongst the world’s nations.  Join me on my walk of the PCT.  This trail is as much a monument to civilization as the pyramids of Egypt, the cathedrals of Europe or the mosques and temples of the East.  It illuminates the natural world both as our ancestors found it and as we have defined it.  The PCT vividly displays the finest wilderness scenery in the world conserved by a society that recognizes the importance of using our natural world to feed and nourish the human spirit.   Join me on a very special pilgrimage. When you set aside the time to read this book, you will discover the special connection we have the natural world showcased by a small footpath meandering through the mountain ranges marking the western edge of the American continent.