Hiking

Or Thereabouts . . . But Hey, Who’s Counting?

Hiking has grabbed the imagination of writers, poets, actors, performers and adventurers throughout the years . . . some of these quotes are inspirational, some profound, some are funny, some are . . . just quotes . . . . we all have our favorites, what’s yours?

“Take only pictures; leave only footprints.” – Anonymous, but this anonymous person gives probably the best advice any hiker could ever have.

“…by bringing myself over the edge and back, I discovered a passion to live my days fully, a conviction that will sustain me like sweet water on the periodically barren plain of our short lives.” – - Jonathan Waterman, author, photographer and adventurer.

“In the mountains there are only two grades: You can either do it, or you can’t.” – - Rusty Baille, well said Rusty . . . same applies to some of those tricky hiking tracks.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – - John Muir, I couldn’t have said it better myself, hiking surely gives much more than it ever takes away.

“Me think that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” — Henry DavidThoreau.

“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stayout till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”   – - another pearl from John Muir.

“Hiking alone lets me have some time to myself.” – - Jamie Luner, famous actress and keen hiker.

“The body’s habituation to walking as normal stems from the good olddays. It was the bourgeois form of locomotion: physicaldemythologization, free of the spell of hieratic pacing, roofless wandering, breathless flight. Human dignity insisted on the right to walk, a rhythm not extorted from the body by command or terror. The walk, the stroll, were private ways of passing time, the heritage ofthe feudal promenade in the nineteenth century.” – - Theodor W. Adorno, he uses some big words doesn’t he . . . ?

“After a day’s walk everything has twice its usual value.” — George Macauley Trevelyan.

“If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” — Raymond Inmon, beautiful, just beautiful.

“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.” — Wallace Stevens. Interesting thought Wallace!

“Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise.” — Carrie Latet, that’s right, you can’t beat it can you?


“I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.” — G.M. Trevelyan.

“A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.” — Paul Dudley White.

“My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.” — Aldous Huxley, your father was a very wise man indeed.

“Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” — Steven Wright, true, I haven’t thought of it like that before!

“We live in a fast-paced society. Walking slows us down.” — Robert Sweetgall.

“Returning home is the most difficult part of long-distance hiking; You have grown outside the puzzle and your piece no longer fits.” — Cindy Ross.

“Not all that wander are lost.” — Unknown, no, but a good portion of them are!

“Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley. ” — Theodore Roethk.

“The place where you lose the trail is not necessarily the place where it ends.” — Tom Brown, Jr. You can say that again!

“The longest journey begins with a single step, not with a turn of the ignition key. That’s the best thing about a walking, the journey itself. It doesn’t much matter whether you get where your going or not. You’ll get there anyway. Every good hike brings you eventually back home. Right were you started.”
 — Edward Abbey

You need special shoes for hiking – and a bit of a special soul as well.” — Emme Woodhull-Bäche

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” – Sir Rannulph Fiennes. How true is that!

“Mountain hikes instilled in me a life-long urge to get to the top of any inviting summit or peak.” – Paul D. Boyer

“May the fulfilment come from the journey, not the destination.” — Anonymous

“It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent.” — Dave Barry. I’m not sure whether that’s been scientifically proven, but we’ve all had that thought at some point haven’t we!

“Hiking in undiscovered places is a lot of fun”. – - Karolina Kurkova. It sure is Karolina, it sure is . . .

“Hiking is the best workout!… You can hike for three hours and not even realize you’re working out. And, hiking alone lets me have some time to myself”. – - Jamie Luner

“I’m really an outdoorsy girl. People think I can’t go anywhere without getting all primped up, but I love to go camping, and I’m totally fine with not doing my hair or makeup, not taking a shower and just hiking”". – - Vanessa Hudgens. We’ll be watching out for you Vanessa . . . can’t wait to hike across you some time.

“Midwest kids go to summer camp. There is something very special about being away from your parents for the first time, sleeping under the stars, hiking and canoeing”. – - Jami Gertz

“Millions of Americans each year use our national forests to go hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, swimming, horseback riding, and canoeing”. – - Ric Keller, and they’re the smart ones!

“I dream of hiking into my old age”. - –  Marlyn Doan

“My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-three today and we don’t know where the hell she is”. – - Ellen DeGeneres. Nice one Ellen.

Sorry, couldn’t resist just adding one video! Hope you like it . . . .

And then I found this one. I’m sure all you hikers will relate to this one . . . it’s great!