The Art of Self-Propulsion

With the number of RV super-centers seemingly on the rise, the art of bipedal motion and cycling is not always on the forefront of people’s minds.  Before people sat in their cars and pressed levers to get from point A to point B, if you wanted to get somewhere (by land) you walked.  People have been moving their bodies by foot since the beginning of time.  Feet are the original Model T, shinkansen bullet train, and high-speed jet.  There is a long history of humans traveling large distances by putting one foot in front of the other (and many four-legged animals continue this tradition seasonally!).  Sadly, some human migrations are not voluntary and others illustrate the strife of humankind, but the Underground Railroad, Bering Land Bridge theory, and recent migrant caravans demonstrate the power of human movement.

Hiking

While the term “hiking” may intimidate some, it is simply walking.  Commonly, the term is used in the context of a wilderness environment.  Walking is probably the simplest way to get around.  No high tech equipment needed, although a comfortable pair of shoes makes the journey more enjoyable.  One step at a time and you can find a nice tree stump or rock to take a break when needed.  As the slowest mode of human-powered transportation, it provides time to smell your surroundings (who doesn’t like that moist earth smell on a spring day, or drying leaves in the fall?), hear a waterfall or call of a loon, feel the wind on your skin, and see the details of your surroundings.  It is only at a slow pace that you can see frogs hopping along a stream, a complex spider web, or the subtle beauty of leaves dancing in the wind.

When strictly moving with your two legs, you don’t need to worry about getting a flat tire or bruised bum from too much time in the bicycle saddle.  Sure, you have to deal with blister maintenance, but some band aids and athletic tape are easier to carry and simpler to use than a bike repair kit.

Biking

Not to be confused with hopping on a two-wheeled vehicle, revving the engine, and letting a machine do the work, biking (commonly referred to as “cycling”) is another mode of transportation using self-propulsion.  In addition to the extensive backpacking experience Domonick and I have gained over the years, we completed a bike tour along the Four Rivers Bike Path in South Korea in the spring of 2017.  We spent nine days cycling 500 miles from Seoul to Busan and had an amazing adventure!  Domonick also completed the Southern Tier Bike Route (3,000 miles from Florida to California) during the winter of 2017.

Biking is much faster than walking and who doesn’t like cruising down a hill?  Because the pace on a bike is faster than on foot, you get to see more, although you may miss some of the details you would experience on a walk.  Not to mention the dangers of clip-in shoes!  On a particularly steep ascent in Korea, I ran out of gas near the top.  Not having the wherewithal to un-clip, I comically tipped over and earned a large goose egg on my left knee.

Domonick and I haven’t gotten into the mountain bike scene (and many areas including the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore prohibit bicycle traffic), so our road bikes are mostly confined to pavement.  Walking on foot provides the flexibility to traverse many types of terrain.  And on especially long and arduous ascents, one may end up walking their bike to the top anyway!  While biking is still an excellent way to get outside and use your body, it isn’t quite as simple as hiking.

Driving

I have enjoyed a road trip or two, playing tourist and hopping out of the car at scenic viewpoints.  Some people may be physically unable, due to disability, age, or health to move themselves by foot or bike.  In this case, using an automobile or shuttle bus may be the only way to see the wonders of nature.

Now, if you are able-bodied, there isn’t too much of an excuse to emit car exhaust into the atmosphere when exploring natural areas.  To get out of the city, we may need to drive or fly, but once we get to our destination, let’s move those limbs!  In his book Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey encourages people to exit their vehicles…

“They will complain of physical hardship, these sons of the pioneers.  Not for long; once they rediscover the pleasures of actually operating their own limbs and senses in a varied, spontaneous, voluntary style, they will complain instead of crawling back into a car; they may even object to returning to desk and office and that dry-wall box on Mossy Brook Circle,” he writes.

Summary

Stretch those legs and join Hiawatha Hiking Company on a day hike or overnight backpacking trip this summer.  Humans haven’t always had the luxury of automated travel, and I believe this is one of the many reasons why people have become removed from their natural surroundings.  It is all too easy to hop in a car and find yourself at your destination without enjoying the journey in between.  Don’t spend the summer as a spectator behind the bug-splattered, broad windshield of a recreational vehicle.  Take a walk and discover something new!