Readers Review: On Trails
On Trails by Robert Moor, A Fresh Take on Paths, Trails, Passes, Roads and Beyond
A blog by: Louie “Crawdad Yankee Doodle” Knolle
When I’m not able to embark on my own treks and travels, one of my favorite ways to take a mental escape is to read about the amazing real life adventures of others. After working in the shop at RRT for two years surrounded by thru-hikers, both accomplished and aspiring, I always found myself drawn to books recounting someone’s trip along the AT, PCT, or one of the myriad of other long trails out there. That being said, On Trails is not your average adventure story, it goes well above and transcends to an exploration of the history and into the multitudinous varieties of trails that are used by all living things. While Moor is in fact a proud member of the Appalachian Trail class of 2009, I appreciated the selection of memories he shares from the trail when he deemed necessary, but his work quickly divulges from the now laundry list of AT memoirs.
He chose to divide the book into 6 main chapters:
• World’s Oldest Fossil Trails (Precambrian)
• Insects’ use of trails to create a sense of collective intelligence in the colony
• Movements of ungulates and other mammals creating their own paths
• Delving into the first human walkers of this continent, he travels with Native Americans learning how they once traversed this continent
• With his own personal stories from the trail, he speaks of the AT and other modern long trails
• The effort to extend the AT into Canada and across to the United Kingdom into the International Appalachian Trail
Through all of these thoughts and explorations, we begin to see the duality that exists along these seemingly simple trails. Despite the sense of freedom we experience on them, trails still have a designated path with boundaries usually existing between two (or more) points. Scientific discovery, animal and faint tracks of early people, the desire to find one’s own sense of freedom in the wilderness, and modernity all intersect in this one book in such a rich way. By the end of the book, Moor reflects after a once purely secular view of nature, that perhaps there is room for civilization in the midst of it all. He cites a great Gary Snyder quote towards the end that reads, “A person with a clear heart and open mind can experience the wilderness anywhere on earth. The planet is a wild place and always will be.”
If you’re interested in some natural history, select tales from the AT, a scoop of entomology, a dash of Darwin and Thoreau, all blended together with provocation of how you travel through the wilds and your place in it, then this is definitely not the book for you. (Only kidding!)
Some folks I’ve ran into have their various issues with the national parks, from overcrowding to the extent of the protections there but, national parks stand out to me for various reasons. It might be that they’ve been set aside from the rest of the world to be protected and treasured. It could be that I’ve been lucky enough to make some of my best memories in these places. It may be that they provide a window into a world before people touched it. I think everyone that goes to a national park has a different reason for loving it, but they all relate back to the same thing… Our national parks allow us to get back to the basics and enjoy a simpler life. They also show us what an environment not touched by humans looks like in all its rugged, untarnished beauty, and natural glory.
I remember the first friend trip I took, as opposed to a family one, we visited Zion National Park, Utah and Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado. I can still, remember that feeling of awe when we got to the top of Angel’s Landing and sat there staring out across the canyon, three years ago. The only reminder of the outside world was the winding road down below and the paved trail that we had hiked up on. These things raised a question to me, “Are these places still truly wild with all that we’ve built in them?” I ask myself this question repeatedly in the many places I have visited and still do to this day.
I’ve stood on the edge in these places, climbed their tallest peaks, shared adventures with friends that I can never forget and because of these things, these places will forever have a special place in my heart. As always with places that are special to us, we think about their longevity and continued existence for others to enjoy.
Our national parks aren’t necessarily under assault as some might suggest, but they are going through a state of change. With more people getting involved in outdoor activities than ever before and more people visiting our national parks each year the Parks Service has a responsibility to make sure that these places remain protected for generations to come. Whether they do that through increased fees, permit quotas or even shutting down areas of certain parks, it makes you wonder if their various tactics to protect these lands might be hurting them. Wouldn’t it be helpful in the long run to have more people out there being able to visit these places and getting them to have strong feelings about them so that they might be compelled to join the conservation effort? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to have high attendance and teach those attendees about the proper outdoors practices (i.e. Leave No Trace) so that those wishing to par-take in the beauty of the outdoors know proper conduct? These are tough questions, but they’re questions that we need to keep asking to ensure the continued unspoiled beauty of these places, and to make sure our access to them is not minimized.
For me, this is how I protect these places: I continue to ask these questions every day. I’ll continue to try and help ensure the things I got to enjoy in the past are there for future generations to do the same. I’ll keep dipping my toes in new waters, suffering through the dry mountain heat to get to the summit and hiking for days on end to find the hidden beauty in the places I visit. Most of all, I’ll continue to make new memories that inspire me to continue trying to protect these places, so others can enjoy them the way I did.
