It's been a while

"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."   -John Muir

  It has been a while since I have written anything, spoke my opinion or logged an adventure.  Needless to say all of that still exists inside of me.  I still ponder many things about life and the universe.  Every adventure leads me to more questions about existence of me and the things I see.  I often wonder what was going on years before I was in the spot that I am in, who else has been here and what purposes this particular piece of land has served.  It is easy these days to get frustrated and caught up in the world around us, often we do not take the time to enjoy ourselves in whatever ways we do.  Finally when we do get to do the things we enjoy, we are usually wrapped up in ourselves to truly enjoy or get away from it all.  Sometimes I wonder if it is really possible to get way anymore.  I am grateful for every chance I do get to get out in the woods, in my canoe or out on an adventure, sometimes even work.  Realizing I am very privileged in this aspect of life and not many people or at least they say, cannot get away from it all and escape into the beauties of the outdoors.  One day I hope that it will be all that I do.  I want to live there, breathe there, work and play there.  I want to truly emerge myself into the outdoors and never come back.  After every trip as soon as I get back into civilization , I always question why?  Every trip, every adventure just makes me long for it that much more.  Maybe I have a sickness, or maybe just maybe I have found my one true calling in life but the question is how?  How do I make this the only thing to do?  Hopefully I am on my way.

  Since the last post I have accomplished many adventures.  Right after Cheaha my wife and I did the first six miles of the Tuxachanie National Hiking Trail located in Mississippi.  It was a great hike with six miles in to the Airey Lake Campground, which is a free place to camp with toilets and running water and then six miles back.  A total of twelve miles in just under five hours.  The first part of the trail is filled with pines, palmettos, and pitcher plant bogs; among other things as well.  This first part of the trail also follows and old abandoned logging railroad from the 1900's.  You can still see some of the remnants if you look hard enough.  The trail is located off of Highway 49 just north of Gulport in the Desoto National Forests.  When we do the whole trail I will have a blog for it, but for now I thought it was worth mentioning. 

 Here recently a group of us went back to the Sipsey Wilderness.  We hiked in on the 206 trail, roughly four miles or so and stayed for 3 nights.  The first night we arrived late and stayed at the Wolf pen Hunter's Camp.  Overall we stayed five days and four nights, it was nice to finally get to see some of the great sights at Sipsey.  On our way in we got a look at "Ship's Rock", we hiked to "Big Tree" and then one of the days my wife and I went on our own adventure and found "Eye of the Needle."  Every trip to Sipsey seems to be a learning experience, well I guess if you really want to be honest every trip in the woods is a learning experience, but there is something about Sipsey.  She always wants me to learn something from her.  Like Muir said it is a clear way into the Universe and I truly believe it, it is just finding that path and staying on it. Overall it was a great trip and really enjoyed being in the woods with others.

   I hope I am privileged enough to keep adventuring and to keep finding stories to tell and inspiring others to run to the woods or get out in a canoe.  Finding one's self in nature is truly amazing and there is nothing like it on this earth, nothing can take its place.  Growing closer and closer to a world that is not like the civilized one we are forced to live in and be one with, but to truly be free is to be in nature, in the woods.

Thank you all who support me, read my ramblings, followers and picture viewers.  Things have slowed a bit  but no matter at what pace I will continue t\o move forward.  I have stickers still available.  You can also view many more pictures at Living Wander or my instagram @living_wander.  Any thoughts, suggestions, opinions or places I should go please let me know.  Feel free to email me anytime.  Keep your eyes posted on the Facebook page for details on a hiking/camping trip I will be leading and inviting everyone to, I have had many people asking to go on some adventures, so I will finally get that organized and planned.  It will be in the Mobile or Baldwin County area.  You should know more at the first of the year.  Also some trips in our future (wife and I 2014) Oak Mountain, Rickwood Cavern, Cheaha, and definitely Sipsey.  Hopefully next year I can explore more trails around Florida and Alabama.  I am also hoping to complete the Black Creek National Hiking Trail.  Here is to many more adventures and stories.  Until next time live to wander.