The Joy of Playing in the Wilderness
A lot of backpackers and day-hikers are working on lists. There are lists of mountains to climb, hikes to explore, and areas to camp in. I love the lists. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I’m able to mark one more peak on my list or when I get a patch for accomplishing a task. It scratches an itch, gives me focus, and helps me figure out what hike to do next. A challenge that I face with these lists is that when I am in the wilderness I feel as if I have a job to do. I have to reach a certain mountain or hike a certain amount of miles. If I don’t accomplish my goal then it can feel like I haven’t made the most of my time in the woods. The goal-oriented approach to the wilderness can get in the way of a larger wilderness experience.
Sometimes I go into the wilderness without an agenda. I don’t have any lists to complete. I don’t have any mountains that I have to climb. I just want to be in the wilderness for a handful of days. And when folks ask what it is that I am doing, what mountains that I hope to climb, I tell them that I am just out here to play. Which brings up what I think is an important question. What does it mean to “play” when you are backpacking?
This summer I went into the White Mountains in New Hampshire with my brother and nephew without a real agenda of what we had to do, not expecting much by the way of something different or new but looking for a great time.
We decided that we would hike the 19-Mile Brook trail and look for a suitable place to camp. In the White Mountains (as it is with many National Forests), dispersed camping is allowed as long as you are far enough off of the trail, and not in a designated area where dispersed camping is prohibited (near huts, shelters, and official camping sites). In some parts of the country it is easy to find a suitable camping spot. But in the thick, hardwood, second-growth forests in the Northeast, it is very difficult to find a spot where the trees are not on top of each other, or the ground is level enough, or there is a decent water source near-by. On the 19-Mile trail there are some campsites and shelters and one of the many AMC Huts that one can find in the White Mountains, but none near enough for what we wanted to do. We were hoping we would be able to find a hidden spot in the woods, dispersed, knowing that it was going to be tricky. Some of the trail reports online suggested that there was something available in the area where we were going but we were not sure where.
About two miles up the trail we took a break and I decided to explore. I wondered in the forest for a bit, followed the faint hints of a trail, and found a space where there was some level ground, cleared out enough for three tents, and a good area for cooking. I had found a spot! It was a place that others have used in the past for at least 100 years (there were parts of an old cast-iron stove suggesting a lumber camp at one time). Even with the evidence of previous use, it was clear that it was not a site that was used often (note: for a variety of reasons I am not going to give more information about the exact location of the site – primarily to keep it from being overused). The stream was close enough to hear while falling asleep, the trees provided coverage so we could not be seen from the trail. It was a perfect site for what we wanted, including space for my brother to set up a hammock to relax in.
From this spot we were able to enjoy and “play” in the mountains. The majority of people that we met hiking the trails in the mountains were looking to climbing one or more of the 48 high peaks, working to complete their task. The rest of the people we met were thru-hiking the Appalachian trail. We were going to climb one mountain, but not because we needed to check things off a list. We were going to climb that one mountain because we wanted to enjoy the space, be in the woods, and have a good time. Usually, when you encounter another hiker you share your itinerary. You list off the mountains that you are looking to climb or the distance that you hope and plan on hiking that day. When we were asked what we hoped to do we just said that we wanted to play. We were climbing a mountain, going to Carter Hut because it is in a beautiful spot, and were going to play. We were going to explore. We were going to wonder. We were going to be open to whatever we encountered. We were going to enjoy being in the wilderness. And we did. We enjoyed a beautiful, open peak that gave us grand and wonderful views of the Whites, we endured Carter Dome which has a very steep descent to Carter Notch, had lunch and a game of cribbage in a hut, and explored a remarkable boulder field near the hut. Even with all of those activities, we were able to get back to our campsite with time to relax before working on dinner.
Of course, I encountered much of what I enjoy about the Whites. Beautiful hardwood trees, spruce and pines striving to survive at higher elevations, crystal clear streams, and the sounds of birds during the day and crickets through the night. We saw still ponds in the Notch, running streams along the trail, and beautiful wildflowers, moss, and other hints of beauty. It is a beautiful trail with lots to enjoy.
Mostly, it was a joy to be able to play. It was a joy to not have to get to all the mountains, to not have to make big miles each day, but instead to just be in the forest. It was a joy to just get two nights and three days in the wilderness with family. It was a joy to lie in the hammock, to make music and sing, to play games, to laugh, and to just be. No agenda, just existing in the woods. Maybe this is what it means to play, to just be, enjoy, and take in all that the wilderness has to offer.
I was recently reminded that as a culture we tend to put a high level of importance on being productive. We say that it is important to squeeze every possibility to get things done out of every minute of the day. Yet to what end? If we focus on getting things done, on being productive to as high as level as possible, I would argue that we losing an important part of ourselves that we find when we play. To play can mean just being in the moment. To play can mean to take each experience as it happens. It doesn’t matter what we get done, it doesn’t matter how far we go, we are just looking to be in the moment. We don’t have to be super-serious about mindfulness and zen-like awareness (although these things are good), we just need to laugh, be silly, and play. We just need to be able and ready to take in the day.
I get a lot out of completing tasks and checking off lists. I like to be pushed to accomplish goals. But it is also a gift to just be present in the wilderness. It is a gift to just explore, to find what one can, to enjoy each moment, and to play. A day without a real agenda. A day without a job to do. A day with an openness to anything that might happen. It is truly a gift to be able to play.