Unknowingly we do things, and little by little they can build upon themselves into something wonderful. So is my love of the outdoors.
Looking back now, as a child it seemed I must of been playing outside all the time. My cousins and I would roam the woods either at home, or my grandparent's land. We would play football in my large front yard on Sunday afternoons in the fall. Each year in the spring I played baseball, then football in the fall and basketball in the winter.
I worked too. In the summer I helped my uncle with tobacco, or gather up pumpkins in the fall so my grandfather could sell. We would also cut and split firewood each winter.
My greatest memories however are with my Dad. He loved to deer hunt with a bow so he would take me with him scouting for deer in the spring and hunting in the fall. He also helped with Boy Scouts, and we would go hiking, camping or canoeing with all the boys in Troop 103.
As I got older my Dad and I got involved with the Carolina Wilderness Institute by first taking outdoor courses and later becoming an instructor. My first first course was Winter Travel Techniques I. Our instructor was Molton Avery, was the founder of CWI. Our first trip was to Roan Mt. in the winter of 1977 where I first experienced the cold and snow of the southern appalachian mountains.
In 1981, during college I had an opportunity to climb Mt. Rainier with other instructors from Carolina Wilderness Institute. In December of 1983 over Christmas break my Dad any I did a 50+ mile section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) from Damascus VA to Roan Mt City, TN. That was a major turning point for me, as I found what I really loved doing in the outdoors... backpacking.
If you love someone you spend time with them. When you aren't with them you think of them. This was how it was with me. The rest of my college time was spent thinking of hiking the AT. When I finally graduated in 1984 from High Point College I spent the next three years hiking the AT and rock and ice climbing.
So what do I love about being outdoors?
I guess the number one thing is the freedom you feel when in God's creation. There are literally no boundaries to what you can do and where you can go. The boundaries are what you put on yourself.
The grandeur and beauty of the landscape, either of the mountains or coast, can take your breath away. You begin to realize your place in this world. You feel small against this marvelous backdrop... that there is something must bigger than you... you experience the creative force of God.
Step into the woods for a few minutes and you start to feel the peace. The green of the trees and bushes, the blue sky, the rushing of the rivers and the orange sunsets makes the stress begin to wash away. Here you can escape the everyday pressures we all experience each day. It has a very therapeutic affect on you. You start to relax and let your senses be overtaken by the experience.
Why is the Outdoors... Indoors?
Have you ever wondered why we have pictures of outdoor scenes in our house? Or why we have potted plants inside? Or why we love large windows that let sunlight in? Prehaps it's because God made us for the outdoors! When we are stuck inside on those dark cold winter days, we long for the coming of spring and getting back outside.
So enjoy the outside each day, as it will make the day a memorable one!