Hiking the Mountains

Recently a hiker was lost in the woods up here in Washington State. This hiker figured that if they "stay the course" and continue hiking blindly into the woods, they might find a way out... wrong.

Anyway, today’s Seattle Times paper is full of letters to the editor about the foolishness of the hiker and what she could have/should have done. The following letter stood out from the rest; not because of its admonition of the hiker, but because of its defense of hikers in general. Pay close attention to the last line.

Saving grace
Doug Mercer's cautionary comments in "Dark side of the mountain: a climber's obligation" [guest commentary, Nov. 22] on one's responsibility to not die foolishly in the mountains are well-taken: It's selfish to forget about the ones left behind to do the crying.

Yet he almost makes it sound like we all go to the mountains for the thrill of danger.

That may be part of it, but I think we also go to the mountains for the same reason others go to church.

— John Wolff, Seattle

That last line says it all. “...I think we also go to the mountains for the same reason others go to church.”

How profound. I would have never thought to put it in those exact words, but I think this is as good as any and it allows meaning to be interpreted by the individual.