Awareness and Hiking

Aldo Leopold advocates for the cultivation of awareness as a key virtue in developing an environmental ethic. Similarly the practice of mindfulness involves a sharpened awareness of the present and considers one’s actions. Greater mindfulness in an outdoor setting can be very valuable. Leopold advocated for outdoor recreation as a way of personally enjoying the natural world while not making a negative impact upon the environment. I really enjoy climbing mountains especially lofty 14ners. Most recently I had lead a 4 day FOOT trip over block through the ORC for freshman up and over Pikes Peak. The trip participants (affectionly called trippies) were all freshman of varying abilities and experience when it came to backpacking and hiking at high elevation. The mileage was much smaller than I was accustomed to hiking and our pace was slow. However this actually only enhanced my experience out in the backcountry. I was able to look around and be more aware of my surroundings. I could more keenly watch birds, study the trees, plants, and look in awe at the beauty of the entire landscape surrounding the mountain. This heightened awareness was increased by the idea that I did not need to push for a summit that meant covering many miles in just a few hours (I had previously taken more pride in my ability to do so). I was experiencing my surroundings in the present and was able to hike Pikes Peak with a greater mindfulness. As a leader I enjoyed getting to know my trippies in a unique setting and the rewarding task of teaching them about backpacking skills and living in the outdoors. Imparting my modest knowledge about the natural world and how to travel through it was an incredibly fulfilling experience. I agree with Leopold that knowledge is important quality for forming an environmental ethic. Outdoor education and recreation allows for people to personally experience the natural environment and improve their understanding of their relationship to it. Being in nature and learning about how to treat it in a sustainable way when traveling through the backcountry has personally been instrumental to my understanding and the value of the natural environment. Over the year I did not enjoy "conquering" a physical landscape by hiking up it just to be on top of it. I enjoyed the view from the top and the experience in nature while hiking rather than the accomplishment of a summit. 

 I thought about the hiking that I most enjoyed and came to the conclusion that I value my time in nature when I have a lot of time to contemplate and observe my surroundings. The places I backpack and hike are some of the most beautiful places in the world. Leopold's a land ethic hopes to change the role of Homo Sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to a member and citizen of it. It truly doesn’t make sense that humans should have such a hostile view of nature. I wondered if this idea still applied to something such as outdoor recreation. I realized that my distaste for high mileage and high paced through-hiking was tied to this idea of conquest. People become consumed with mileage and destinations and conquering the trail in as little time as possible rather than fully experiencing their environment. A person’s awareness of nature can be limited by their goal of reaching a destination or be blinded by shaving down time while doing an activity. It is the same with hiking just for a summit. A fixation on summiting diminishes the hiking experience. I believe that the natural world should be enjoyed and contemplated by experiencing it with a greater awareness. This awareness then can foster a greater value for the environment and affect the way I conceive of it and act towards it. When you take the time to hike with greater mindfulness you see complexity of the mountain with its animals and plants, the many ecosystems that exist in an alpine environment, the rock that is eroding away, and the soil that is being formed though decay. Through greater awareness I feel as if I have a greater connection to the natural world and I form valuable relationships with the things I experience. These relationships become a part of myself, my memories, knowledge, and values. Awareness of the natural world is a virtue I praise very highly and a quality that is essential to creating a virtuous environmental ethic.