The Essence of Hiking and Camping

Hiking and camping. Years ago I fell in love with the Canadian wilderness. Hiking with a 30-pound backpack for 20km a day was both exhausting and immensely satisfying. We got to the campsite, threw away the thirty pounder as quickly as we could, changed into our sandals, and jumped into the chilly lake before we did anything else. I often resulted in cramps in my toes because of the big difference in the ambient temperature. I didn't care. I felt so free, both spiritually and physically (I could almost fly after I shook off my backpack). It was after our refreshing dip that we started setting up our tents and cooking. We usually set up a camp fire too while we cooked. We'd barbecue some sausages or marshmallows over the fire, while cooking some real food using the stove. It was such a great experience to stare at the fire and embers while at the same time we could look up and see the millions of stars. I truly miss those moments. People have asked me why I'd enjoy an activity that's so physically demanding. I can only say that without the physical exertion, the rest and peacefulness that follow the hike won't be as satisfying and rewarding. Planning my hike, I've learned leadership. Leading friends out for a backcountry hike, I've learned responsibility. Enduring the hike, I've learned perseverance. From the whole hiking activity, I've learned that our minds make most of the difference in how anything turns out. As long as we stayed positive, confident, determined, and enthusiastic, nothing was impossible.

The longer I've stayed in HK, the more I've forgotten about these little findings I learned from mother Earth. I've become just another city dweller. A nature lover and an environmentalist seem to stick out in this place. I'm glad I read the Trailwalker book cuz it's reminded me of the good old times and good old philosophies I had for hiking.