Hiking Lady » Get Outside

Where Do You Belong?

Hiking Lady — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:10:26 +0000

“I prefer the saddle to the streetcar and star-sprinkled sky to a roof. The obscure and difficult trail, leading into the unknown, to any paved highway, and the deep peace of the wild to the discontent bred by cities… ”

- Everett Ruess, 1934

Leaders Turning to Nature

Hiking Lady — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:08:51 +0000

Is is true that being out in nature can help you “disconnect from the chaos to find the truth”? That is what Tom Scott, a co-founder of Nantucket Nectars posits. In the April 2012 issue of Harvard Business Review, there is an excellent article co-written by the director and diversity manager of NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School.

As all of us who have spent time outdoors know quite well, immersing yourself in natural beauty can have a tremendous ability to calm the mind and enable clearer thinking. I know it works for me!

And those of you who have ever been lost on a hike, or faced inclement weather on a backpacking trip, or had a run in with a bear, know that wilderness adventures can pose mental challenges and require conflict resolution skills. Perhaps that is why so many business leaders find that spending time in the wilderness makes them better at their desk jobs – they know how to remain calm in a crisis, have the humility to realize that actual skills matter more than titles or degrees, and problems get solved when people can look past the imminent danger and plan a resolution.

Perhaps all high school students should be required to spend a week in a wilderness survival school? There is so much to learn from being outdoors in the wilderness – not just how to read a map or survive in a worst-case scenario, but skills that can be translated to the rest of our lives…teamwork, communication, delegation, planning, backup planning, and even more backup planning! I’ve made some of my closest friends by spending time with them on backpacking trips, and we’ve all learned how to be better people because of these trips.

I’m off to enjoy the natural world around us and take a nice sunset hike in the local hills. I’ll be thinking about my next backpacking adventure…

Have you taken an outdoor course such as the NOLS course referred to in the Harvard Business Review article? What did you think?

The Best Teacher: Nature

Hiking Lady — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:01:38 +0000

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.”

-John Lubbock, British archaeologist and biologist, 19th century

Wise Words from Edmund Hillary

Hiking Lady — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:29:12 +0000

“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.”

- Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mt. Everest

Mountaineering: What’s the Rush?

Hiking Lady — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:32:21 +0000

Last week the New York Times published an article discussing the new breed of mountain climbers – those that strive to achieve mountain summits in record times.

While I am a novice mountaineer and love climbing mountain peaks, I have yet to attempt to break time records.

For me, it is about enjoying the scenery and taking my time to connect with nature. For others, it is a matter of setting personal records. One of the most famous mountaineers with a stop watch is Ueli Steck, also known as the Swiss Machine. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, his impressive climb (run!) up Mt. Eiger is an amazing video.

In my view, individuals should have the right to pursue their goals, whether it is to get to a mountain top in a certain amount of time, or enjoying nature and finding their own way to fulfillment.

What do you think?

Free Admission to U.S. National Parks this Weekend!

Hiking Lady — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:26:52 +0000

Grand Canyon, courtesy National Park Service

In honor of Veterans Day, the U.S. National Park Service is offering free admission November 11-13th!

Yes, that means you can get free entry at the 147 national parks that charge admission. There are so many parks to choose from… where shall we go?

Helen Keller’s View on Nature

Hiking Lady — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:04:47 +0000

“To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.”

-Helen Keller

One With Nature

Hiking Lady — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:53:51 +0000

“Those who know do not talk
Those who talk do not know

Keep your mouth closed
Guard your senses
Temper your sharpness
Simplify your problems
Mask your brightness
Be at one with the dust of the earth

This is primal union.

One who has achieved this state
Is unconcerned with friends and enemies
With good and harm, with honor and disgrace
This is therefore the highest state of humanity.”

- Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching

The North Face Speaker Series

Hiking Lady — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:14:46 +0000

The North Face Never Stop Exploring Speaker Series is bringing a handful of highly accomplished outdoor adventurers to various towns across the U.S.!

The lineup includes an ultramarathoner, an extreme skier, an ultrarunner, a National Geographic photographer and alpinist, a climber, a ski mountaineer, and an extreme skier and base jumper! This is gonna be cool.

When will they be coming to your town? Here’s a link to the calendar.

And here’s one of the clips about MarkSynott, one of the speakers:

The Trail

Hiking Lady — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:45:03 +0000

“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for.”

-Louis L’Amour