Thought, Theory, Philosphy and Experience of Coffee Ridge Hikers.

"You get out of life exactly what you put in it.  No more - no less" - Vince Lombardi.

In the beginning God made matter.  The elements - dust and gas.  Gave them order and balance.  And created the Universe.  The Creation.  Heaven and the Earth.

And that was just the beginning.  Spin imparted on the world made night and day.  Then - set 'just so' on a tilted axis, Earth was sent rolling around the sun at a carefully prescribed distance and velocity.  So while one end of the globe can flourish & prosper in spring and summer - the other end can endure and survive the fall and winter.

Continents divided sea and ocean.  Mountains and volcanoes rose.  And over the vast geologic time scale - weathered down, eroded away.  And left their clues for geologist.  New mountain range and volcano continue the rock cycle.  Building land.  Soil.  Releasing minerals useful to plants and animals - essential to every living creature.

From time to time - glaciers rearrange the geography.  Transport rock and sand material great distance.  Excavate lake and pond.  And lay down new topography for river and stream.

Vast forest, prairie and grasslands hold the soil.  Replenish the air.  Recycle water.  Water vapor and air form the atmosphere.  Replenish the seas and oceans.  Lakes & ponds.  Rivers, streams, brooks and aquifer.

Heat keeps the whole engine turning.  Heat from the sun powers ocean currents & the Hydrologic Cycle.  Heat from within the Earth powers the rock cycle.

Order & Balance.  From unruly dust & gas.  - anonymous.

"That's one small step for man - one giant leap for mankind" - Neil Armstrong: first man to walk on the Moon. 

True Benefits.  What are the True Benefits of Hiking?

 First and foremost - Hiking is Walking.  And walking is (or should be) the foundation of any fitness, exercise and weight loss program.  For an active healthy life and lifestyle - nothing is better than walking.  Period!  Walking exercise and fresh air - these are the primary and most immediate benefits of hiking.

But - Hiking has other benefits.  Benefits that go way beyond good exercise.  Hiking puts you in the middle of nature.  On a day hike - you are a participant in the ultimate reality show.  Hiking takes you places.  Hiking can literally show you the natural world.  Teach you about the outdoors.  And take you around the globe. 

With a good guide and one short day hike - even the youngest beginner hiker can learn a lot.  And develope a lifelong interest in:

• Natural Science.
• Geology
• Geography
• Astronomy
• Meteorolgy / weather 
• Biology
• Micro biology / micro organisms
• Ornithology / bird watching & identification
• Mammology / spotting / tracking
• Trees / Plants / Mushrooms
• Herpetology / Amphibians / Reptiles / Snakes / lizards / salamanders / frogs / turtles
• Limnology / Fresh water Lakes / River / Stream / Brook
• Ichthyology / Fish
• Bugs & Insects
• Rocks & Minerals / Rock Hounding / Specimen identifying & collecting
• Cartography / Map Reading / Land Navigation / Orienteering
• Photography

To illustrate - we asked Tom a couple of questions about hiking. 

• Why hiking - after 40 years?
• And - How did it all start? 

"I don't hike so much for health and fitness.  Honestly?  I hike because I have too.  If I go more than a week without really getting outdoors, I don't feel right.  I begin to feel out of balance.  Out of balance with myself.  Out of balance with the world.  Out of balance with God.  It's really that simple.  Other interests, hobbies and activities have come and gone.  But the hiking thing - that's been a real constant in my life".

How did it start?  Tom says - "At about age 5 and a half.  Dad took us boys out for a walk in the woods.  Along the way - he taught us about poison ivy.  And poison oak.  Warned us about wild mushrooms.  Showed us what wild berries we could eat.  And which ones to leave alone.

'Walking slowly up and down that ancient deer trail - Dad pointed out the trees.  Red oak, white oak and maple trees.  Red pine, white pine, tamarack and juniper.  Birch.  Poplar and aspen.

Somewhere on that trail.  We heard about the glaciers.  Granite boulders.  And the Canadian Shield.  We got lessons on identifying quartz and flint ( chert ) and sandstone.  Fossils, petrefied wood.  Native copper.  Indian arrowheads and Indian burial mounds ( effigy mounds ).

I remember - chipmunks and squirrels everywhere.  White tailed deer were always just a little out of sight.  Fresh tracks and droppings preceded us.

We spotted lots of birds.  Crows.  Hawks and owls.  Redwing blackbird.  Bluejays.  Cardinals, Baltimore orioles, robbins and chickadees.  Kingfishers, bittern and great blue heron.  And I think we saw or heard a piliated woodpecker and kicked up a grouse or two.

We were taught the delicate art of walking across the tamarack swamp.  And how to drink water from a spring hole.  And eating watercress.  We learned some things about cattails and lily pads.  Leopard frogs & tadpoles.  Painted turtles and snapping turtles.  About water beatles.  Water strider and dragonfly.  And - we learned what to do if we got ourselves stuck in the mud (first - 'don't panic').

And we learned how to deal with other things too.  Like mosquitoes.  Deer fly's.  Horse flies.  Bees, wasps, hornets and wood ticks.  And I'm pretty sure we also heard about skunks racoon possum and rabies.

I - we learned a lot that day.  Over forty years ago.  After that - we three kids were more or less turned loose!  Turned loose and free to explore.  And play.  And run around the woods.  And climb hills.  Go looking for arrow heads.  And fossils.  And petrefied wood.  Free to go tracking deer.  And spotting game and birds.

We mostly stayed away from the springholes - unless really thirsty.  Too tricky getting to them.  You couldn't be careless or impatient - or you got stuck in the mud.  But - we also knew how to get ourselves out of the mud.  And with our tennis shoes still atttached!

Well - We all survived childhood!  And recently - Dad mentioned that long ago when we kids were little - he took us 3 boys for a walk in the woods.  Dad knew that piece of real estate.  He also knew it would be impossible to keep track of three small boys in that big awesome playground of a woods.  Dad said he purposely took us to the most dangerous places!  Like the swamp and springholes.  Knowing full well that we would find these natural 'kid trap' places on our own.  Well - he taught us what he could.  And trusted to Providence that that days common sense lessons would stick.  They did!   -  Tom.

'Brown bears are many things.  However - they are not your friends' - Field & Stream.

Be Alert.  Be Aware.  Be Safe.  Be Prepared 

The True Benefits of Hiking?

To remind you:

• Who you are.
• What you are. And -
• Where you are.

Order.  Balance.  Nature & Beauty. - Coffee Ridge Hiking.com.