A few months ago my partner informed me that he wanted to go backpacking on a 30 mile trip in the Santa Cruz area for his birthday this year. Initially I thought he was kidding but he was dead ass serious. We are both unfit individuals so this almost seemed impossible, but we all know that NOTHING is truly impossible. I digress, so he chose to start at the Castle Rock National Park and travel through the Big Basin Redwood National Park which totals to a 30 mile hiking trip, in the wilderness which included bears in the first part of our trip. We spent collectively about a 1k on supplies, mostly because he was EXTRA and got pricey items but honestly, the most expensive items will be your backpack, sleeping bag (down preferred), and tent. All these items will be $100+ depending on the brand name. We got the majority of our items at REI and Amazon, you can get anything and everything on Amazon, FACTS. Continue reading to learn why YOU, yes YOU, should go on a backpacking trip at least once in your life:
- Break away from technology:
Out in nature you don’t receive signals for your phone, it’s just you and Mother Gaia. There’s a connection you feel when you commit yourself to the land, it’s unmistakable. If you weren’t aware of this trees actually communicate with one another. As we were walking we heard creaking that sounded as if it were going back and forth throughout the forest as we walked and I couldn’t help but think that I’m a part of this moment, this experience. Spend some time away from your laptop, phone, social media, and connect to the land.
2. Being in nature is healing
Before I started my trip I was already sick with another sinus infection; however, once I started hiking all of my symptoms disappeared. No coughing, a bit of a runny nose, and no headache of pressure in my face, but I felt it as soon as I laid down and went to sleep. Below is the photo of our tent that we had just pitched up before the photo was taken. Just laying walking through and listening to their animals in your surrounding area and even the trees. Trees have their own language among one another and we became in tuned with it as we listened to their creaking and windy voices. If you listen carefully you too can hear the voices of the land.
3. Growth Doesn’t Come from Complacency
On the way to Castle Rock I prayed and asked my Grandmother’s Spirit to show up on the trail in the guise of a white feather to let me know she too was embarking on this journey with me. I know you’re thinking that I asked for something that is COMMON in the forest but it was a sign that came to me to be a sign of her Spirit, if that makes sense.
Each difficult step that I took it wasn’t long before I saw a white feather directly in front of my feet after my a strenuous incline. Without a doubt I knew my Grandmother was with me giving me the strength to push forward, literally. The first two days we hiked 9 miles, well a little bit over 10 for the first day because we temporarily got lost because of confusing directions on the trailhead, but the it took us 6 hours to do 9 miles but on the last day we had to walk through 12 miles starting with high inclines and miraculously made it to the beach in 6 hours exactly! It was an extremely rewarding experience even though we weren’t in the best of shape we accomplished our goals! The ending note of this entire post is that if you want change to happen you can’t sit around and wait for it, you gotta make moves towards it! So here’s to adventure, growth, and healing in nature!
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