At first, when one is learning to hike and camp, the fun comes from making his own equipment, planning menus, studying maps, and practicing cooking and other skills that one must learn in order to be healthy and safe on the trail. However, as one becomes more and more accomplished, these necessities take less time and less energy. Then it is possible for the hiker to spend more time enjoying the things about him.

Making A Record

One of the greatest joys of hiking comes from making a record of the trip by taking notes, making sketches, or taking snapshots. This record is a real source of satisfaction as the months and years roll by, and, as a matter of fact, there is much more enjoyment in the trip if one keeps alert for various things that might be included in such a record.

Write About It

Many hikers find that the joy of hiking is increased if they carry along a small notebook in which they jot down various impressions. A clever sign on the roadside, something unusual on the trail, a new bird, a beautiful sight such as a sunset - all of these are excellent material for a hike-notebook.

From field notes such as these, taken on the spot, it is an easy matter to write an interesting report of the trip for future reference. Some hikers have a Log Book they have made in which they write their stories of trips and illustrate these records with their own sketches or photographs. Later in life these records are worth their weight in gold to the person who has kept them.

Sometime when you are out on a walk and sit down to rest and enjoy the view, just pull out a piece of paper and a stub of pencil and begin to write. Try to describe the clouds, or the valley, or a group of trees. Perhaps you would like to tell how you feel about it. Regardless of what you write, just jot down a few lines and put it away. You will enjoy reading it some day.

Ruth Alexander Nichols: Nat. Girl Scout News Bureau

Many hikers find the sport more fun if they combine it with some other activity, such as sketching, exploring, or taking pictures.

Sketch It

That trusty old pad of paper mentioned above also comes in handy in making sketches along the trail. There may be an interesting tree or an unusual bridge along the trail. Sometimes it is advisable to make a rough map of certain sections of the country, so that you can tell your friends about it. These sketches can later be added to the permanent book for future reference. These sketches need not be masterpieces of art. The important thing is that they mean a great deal to the person who creates them.

Take pictures as you go

Snap It

A camera should be taken along whenever possible. Even though only one picture is made of each trip, these snapshots are an important part of the story in the Log Book. One can never tell when an unusual opportunity for taking a picture will present itself. A beautiful sky, a sunset, or some animal may come into view for a few short moments and then be lost forever if you do not have the camera handy to capture it. A snap of your friends or yourself will record the joy of the day for later use.

Read It

There are some poems and stories that cannot be appreciated unless they are read in the open - out under the sky or around a camp fire. A small book of verse or of stories written by a real outdoorsman is a great comfort on a hiking trip. Such writers as Henry Thoreau, Walt Whitman, John Muir, Bret Harte, or Robert Service will help you to appreciate the out-of-doors. Or it may be that there are stories about your own locality which would be interesting to read on the spot. Those living in New York City, for example, would find the works of Washington Irving or James Fenimore Cooper valuable in this connection. Those who live in New England or upper New York state will find the stories of Kenneth Roberts fascinating and full of information. Stories of covered-wagon days will interest those who live in the West and Middle West, and tales of the old South those in our southern states.

For this purpose the American Guide Series compiled by the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration is excellent for the hiker. Places of interest are described in detail and many interesting walks outlined. Your library may have copies of these books for your own or near-by states.

It may be that a small book about birds, insects, flowers, or snakes is the thing to take along. For those who are interested in nature these books are great companions. They answer questions that are bound to arise about the wild life along the trail. Don't hesitate to enjoy a good book on the trail. Copies of some such books can be purchased even at a ten-cent store.

Take Your Time

One very good reason for taking a hike is to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. There is little to be gained in hiking for distance all the time. A hike is something to be enjoyed, not an endurance contest. Two hours hiking before stopping to cook lunch is quite enough, provided you move along. It takes time to prepare a meal well; after eating, one likes to relax and enjoy the quiet of the surrounding woods. Likewise, on an overnight trip the hiker should plan to arrive at the camp site before dark so that everything can be shipshape before he retires for the night.

Stop occasionally to fill your lungs and rest! There is no hurry in the woods. The world rolls on pretty much the same whether humans move four or four hundred miles an hour!

Make Music

Perhaps you have had the experience of sitting around the campfire at night and listening to a friend who can play a guitar strum away while the group chimes in on the songs they know. If you have never had this opportunity, by all means try it some time. Any instrument, whether it be a harmonica or a ukulele, will add to your fun.

In Conclusion

This has of necessity been a brief review of hiking as a sport. The best way in the world to learn about hiking and camping and the fun that goes with it is to try some of the suggestions that are outlined here. There are few people who do not enjoy the out-of-doors when they have really tried it and when they have learned how to take care of themselves in the open. The best of hiking to you in the future!

Some Interesting Things To Do

1. Plan a city hike. Lay out a trail to points of interest or spots of unusual beauty.

2. Plan and take a camera hike to some spot of interest or beauty. After your pictures have been developed, plan a lecture that a group of your friends would enjoy and invite them to hear you tell about your trip.

3. Hike to some place where you think you can collect living things. Make a map of the locality, showing where different plants or animals can be found.

4. Write to the American Youth Hostels, Northfield, Mass., for information about their organization. Find out where the nearest hostel is.

5. Plan a series of hikes around the calendar. Include at least one for each month. List the kind of hike it would be and where you would go.

6. Form a hiking club with your friends. If possible, visit some hiking club near by. List some of the things such a club could do, such as publish a map of near-by hiking trails.

7. List any books you have read or know-about that stress some actual place.

Would you enjoy visiting these places and reading the books while there?

8. Make a list of the musical instruments that could be taken on a hike. Do you and any of your friends play these instruments?

9. Write an article on hiking as a sport for your school or local newspaper.

10. Now that you have had a chance to become acquainted with hiking as a sport, write a brief statement setting forth the advantages of hiking as a sport and hobby.

Helpful References

Aldrich, T. B., An Old Town by the Sea. Bollcs, F., Land of the Lingering Snow. Bolles, F., At the North oj Bear camp Water.

Burroughs, J., Camping and Tramping with Roosevelt. Chamberlain, A., Vacation Tramps in New England Highlands. Christy, B. H., Going Afoot. Emerson, R. W., Essays, "Country Walks."

Federal Writers Project, W.P.A., American Guide Series. (Excellent guides for many individual states.)

Fordycc, CP., Touring Afoot.

Graham, S., The Gentle Art of Tramping.

Hazlitt, W., Essays, "On Going on a Journey." Mills, E. A., The Spell of the Rockies.

Mills, E. A., The Rocky Mountain Wonderland. Mills, E. A., Wild Life on the Rockies. Mills, E. A., Tour National Parks. Mitchell, E. V., The Art of Walking. Morton, G. F., Hiking and Tramping. Muir, J., A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf.

Stevenson, R. L., Essays, "Walking Tours."

Thorcau, H. D., Camping in the Maine Woods.

Thorcau, H. D., Canoeing in the Wilderness.

Thorcau, H. D., Cape Cod.

Torrey, B., Footing It in Franconia.

(New England) Torrey, B., Nature's Invitation. Torrey, B., The Foot-path Way. Torrey, B., A Rambler's Lease.