More About Hiking!

Important note: The following advice is for local hiking in well-populated areas only. Please always use your own discretion and consider your own unique needs. These are only suggestions.

My family and I spent the 4th of July in the exquisite New Jersey Highlands, pictured above. Appropriate, since the Highlands, according to the federal Highlands Conservation Act, is an area of “national significance,” due to, “the importance of the water, forest, agricultural, wildlife, recreational, and cultural resources of the Highlands region.” It is a national treasure. Instead of celebrating a nation rapidly descending into tyranny, we spent the day preparing for where this tyranny may soon lead us…out of Babylon and into the Authentic Life, close to nature, apart from the world.

Our son was the architect of the excursion, planning it out in advance from a map. It is always a bit dicey doing a hike you are unfamiliar with, because what you see on the map is only a vague semblance of what you actually encounter on the ground. He knew he would be going with his out-of-shape middle-aged parents, so he kept it to about a mile, which was perfect. I hope to increase my stamina over time. I said in A Tale of Two Realities (please read if you haven’t), that I had not hiked in years. Two hikes and I am now addicted. The peace and wonder I feel, along with the sense of empowerment and accomplishment, is intoxicating.

The hike evenly divided into two halves, the first being the difficult “trail connector” and the second, being an established, level trail. At the half-point, you see the bewitching vista above. The picture does not at all do it justice. It had more a sense of grandeur from the perspective of a bridge, over a large pond (the entire walk circumvented the pond). The creek you see comes down from the pond. The rocks there seem to be encased in sand, long petrified. It is interesting to think of the history of the formations and also the human history, when you encounter unexplained remnants like rock walls, perhaps going back hundreds of years. What the picture does portray is the mysterious, magical nature of those woods-you expect to see a fairy or an elf pop out any minute! It can all be quite romantic, you can easily forget the dangers of these parts, which are black bears, copperhead snakes, lyme and other ticks, poison ivy, falling branches and hunters in hunting season, to name a few. All these issues need to be kept in mind and prepared for.

We started by spraying ourselves with heavy duty bug spray, mainly for the ticks. I had my new mini backpack with water, first aid kit, two tick removal tools, compass, protein bars and tissues. The trail connector was a rocky, narrow path. We had to keep our eyes open for poison ivy and I learned that all boots are not hiking boots. My department store booties have zero ankle support. Real hiking boots are now on my priority list. You hike & learn! We passed a family fishing and learned the pond has bass and catfish. Good to know. Also muskrats and a swim team which has its own camper and porta-potty. Also good to know. Not really, nevermind…another issue one must be prepared for….you do you! Then there was a nice respite area in the shade where we took a much-needed break on this hot day. The rest of the way was easy and we exited at the “start” of the trail, where there were various instructions, including what to do if you see a black bear. At home, first thing: tick check and changing clothes.

We also saw these striking flowers:

BUTTERFLY WEED, a type of milkweed, great for home gardens. EDIBLE & MEDICINAL USES.

And here’s the itchy culprit from the last hike:

This appears to be STINGING NETTLE. It is widely known to have medicinal properties.

I have mentioned the need for provisions and awareness of the dangers of your area. In addition, maps and compasses are important when venturing out into nature. In our case, my son had studied the area, it was well populated and we had our cellphones. I would however, recommend not relying on your phone and always having a hard copy of a map with you (you may consider a laminated map in case of rain). Of course, getting lost is the main issue, but simple awareness of your environment is important too. As for getting lost, never rely on your “great sense of direction” or assume it can’t happen to you. Study the area before entering and have a plan. Know which direction you must travel if you do get lost-that is the purpose of the compass.

Rand McNally has many great resources for hiking and road travel. You might be interested in products like the following:

New Jersey Atlas & Gazetteer 2021 Road Atlas

Map It! Seek & Find: Fun, educational way to familiarize yourself with cartography-there are 2 volumes-great gift!

If hiking is too difficult for you, I hope you are inspired to bring God’s creation more into your life in some way. Nature is part of living life to the fullest and understanding God, the Author of the Authentic Life.

A Tale of Two Realities

New York City. Lots of traffic. Even now. One would think there might be at least one decent rest-stop on your way around the city, or at least, by the time you get to New Jersey, somewhere on Route 80. Nope. Tons of land where it would be very easy to place a rest-stop. With all the minutiae the states concern themselves with, has no one thought of building at least one rest-stop around the city? I gave birth some twenty-something years ago to an almost 10-pound baby. Quite frankly, my body has never been the same. Do you see where this is going? (Don’t drink Snapple when you’re pregnant and don’t eat the 12 slices of whole wheat bread per day that they tell you to.)

Earlier this week, my husband and I were on our way to visit that same baby, traveling from Long Island to New Jersey. We finally got to The Home Depot shopping center off Route 80. I have gone to the Dunkin there, but I assumed the restroom would not be open, since the Dunkins around us have kept them closed. The only other place was The Home Depot. I came upon my first encounter with the “long line to get in” situation that I have seen pictures of….a grotesque zombie apocalypse of masks, blocked-off entrances and security guards. I thought, “I’m a middle-aged lady who’s been sitting in traffic forever-surely they would have no problem with me using their facilities.” So I walked up to the guard and explained my situation. He said, “Let me ask.” He came back. “No.” I was stunned and expressed my displeasure. I checked over at Dunkin and their restroom was open. My son is going to be getting doughnuts every time we visit. He would rather have doughnuts than duct tape or siliconized acrylic sealant.

Do I really have to state the obvious? We are losing our humanity. This should concern all of us. Reminds me of Our Lord’s words:

"For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry?"

Luke 23:31

Almost as soon as we got through the door with the box of doughnuts, my son said, “Want to go hiking now?” He has been making good use of his time off by hiking and gardening, much to prepper-Mommy’s pleasure. He found a large wooded area nearby while geocaching, and has been exploring all the trails. He was very excited about showing us a breathtaking ravine he found. I have not hiked in years and was already a bit tired from a poor night’s sleep, but I did not want to disappoint him. It was a long-shot, but I was going to give it my best effort.

As we approached the trail, I felt like Prepper Wonder Woman, with my hiking boots, olive-green pants with tons of pockets, wad of tissues, bug spray and mini first-aid kit. It was pure adrenaline from that point on. The world disappeared behind us as the sounds of birds and running water surrounded us. I felt free, able to breath without a mask, able to walk the path of a true human being, without feeling like a criminal. It was not a quick or easy hike. First, down a rocky hill, then we had a choice between crossing a muddy creek or walking on top of a huge mysterious pipeline. I chose the muddy creek that looked like quicksand. It proved to be a cinch. I felt over-confidence and arrogance wafting through me (not very subtle foreshadowing) as I watched my poor husband and child perilously walking atop the big pipe. Then it was quite a ways down another trail to the ravine. Suddenly, a magnificent vista of hills, trees, rocks, water and frogs appeared. It was a truly magical moment with my husband and son.

I eagerly ran down to the water and splashed my hands around in it. I felt pricks go through my thin pants and suddenly my arms and legs were all itchy. So much for Prepper Wonder Woman. My first thought was, “I’m in the middle of nowhere-what if I have a severe reaction?” I calmed down and hoped for the best. I told my son to take a picture of the plant so we could identify it when we got back (actually, we should have done it right there, with the phone). It was time to go back anyway, so we headed back and within a few minutes, the itching subsided. (I still haven’t gotten around to identifying the plant-but I should-this is how you learn as a prepper!} I barely made it back-the downwards hill at the start was now an upwards hill. At the least, the experience gave me a sense of empowerment and accomplishment. At best, a pivotal moment in my life at a pivotal moment for humanity. The choice between two realities.

I see the rest of my life as a journey back to those woods.