What Was Built on Those Trails

The wilderness, whether the magnificent trees of the forest, the majestic crags of a mountainside, or the spare beauty of the desert, have always been thin places for me. From my early experiences backpacking and doing High Adventure trips in Boy Scouts, these places of wonder, beauty, connected to my sense of being a part, however small, of God’s creation. And away from the hubbub of city life, that connection always seemed to grow greater. God felt closer to me in the forests, mountains, and deserts than at home.

For two decades I had not prioritized getting into the wilderness save for irregular day hikes, here and there. I came to realize that was having deeply adverse effects on my well being, on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. So, I committed to regular hiking, just day hikes at first, with a goal to build up to a backpacking trip, my first in over 20 years. The process of just getting out and day hiking almost immediately improved my mental health, and made me once again feel more grounded spiritually, even when I could still hear the roar of the freeway from the trail.

That backpacking trip, which I was on last May was one of the most important trips I’ve ever taken in my life. I had a very important decision to make about my career, and I had been struggling with it for months. Being in the city, even when I had time away from work, still felt like I was in the middle of things. I couldn’t get the metaphorical distance I needed to really tackle the problem head on until I got some literal distance.

The end of that first day I felt sore, and tired, but in the best possible way. The people I was with, the trees and the streams, and perhaps most importantly, that feeling of truly being away from the hustle and bustle of my everyday life provided a chance to take a metaphorical deep breath for what felt like the first time in years. By the end of day two I was feeling invigorated, despite my physical weariness, and had also begun having deeper rapport and more authentic conversations with those I was on the trip with. The conversations touched on the challenges each of us was facing in our careers, and even on what our next steps were.

What was built on those trails in just a few days was a real sense of solidarity. The shared difficulties of being in the wilderness, tired, sore, and unable to retreat into our technology, did help us develop deeper connections. Hearing the common pains, and also unique challenges each of us was facing in our everyday lives allowed us to think more comprehensively both about our own situations and each other’s. The obstacles each one of us faced, personally and professionally, were brought into sharper relief out there in the woods.

I recall taking time that third morning to just sit by the lake on a rocky beach. The sounds of water were a balm to my troubled mind. The birds in the trees, the lack of any noise of cars, much less the sirens, and other sounds of a city, the chance to just breathe was a powerful moment of realization. I knew on an intellectual level how much I’d been missing the wilderness. This was the moment I felt in my soul how much I’d needed to get out there. The sense of realization and relaxation that came to me was profound. A new vision of what I needed to do next really began to form… an epiphany which was much needed, though it meant some significant changes for my life and career. By the time I reached the trail head a day and a half later, I’d made up my mind about what I would do.

I was invited to become part of the Wilderness Ways mission and board after this trip. In part it was because the founder of Wilderness Ways heard and saw my passion for what the wilderness can bring to people while we were out on the trail together. I agreed because I realized that I wanted to be part of sharing this gift, this liminal space, with others. I wanted to encourage those who helped people get out into the forests, onto the mountainsides, and through the deserts, not just in my own country, but even beyond it. There’s an amazing world out there, and the best ways to experience it is walking through the wild places, seeing them, and realizing that we are a part of this grander creation.

If you want to connect with me, to hear more about the work that Wilderness Ways is doing, please email me at pauljschneiderii@gmail.com. If you’d like to give to great wilderness organizations, but aren’t sure which ones, the Wilderness Ways foundation has got you covered. We identify and vet the organizations, and then can support them through scholarships for attendees of the programs or monies for their operating budgets. I’m excited about what we’re developing together at Wilderness Ways – a chance to help people connect with the outdoors in a more profound way.