By ANNIE RITCHIE / April 19, 2023
Welcome to your forest hike adventure! You are off on a journey walking through the forest to a beautiful spot on the other side. It’s easy to get disorientated in a forest, but you’re up for the challenge. Are you ready? Let’s go!
You’re all packed and ready for your adventure. You hope you have enough of the right gear but as you are unsure of the route, you can’t be 100% certain you have everything you need.
With a spirit of excitement you push on until you see a fork in the forest path. One path seems to lead towards the river and you are hoping it will follow the river though the forest. The other path seems to go deeper into the forest through dark shadow. Which path do you choose?
A. Do you take the sunlit path along the river?
B. Do you take the darker path deep into the forest?
If you chose A, go to part 2. If you chose B, go to part 3.
You are happy to see you have guessed right and the path does seem to meander alongside the river. This is good news as you know following the river will help you stay on track. You enjoy yourself even though you have to scramble over boulders and rushing water at times. Its warm in the sun and you decide you need to cool down.
A. Do you stop to have a drink from your water bottle?
B. Do you take off you socks and dangle your feet into the water?
If you chose A, go to part 4. If you chose B, go to part 5.
It’s so cool and quiet in the depths of the forest. You can hear the creatures scuttling around you as you move along the path. Its a bit disconcerting to be honest but that what adventure is all about isn’t it? What do you do to feel a bit more at ease?
A. Do you grab your flashlight?
B. Do you grab your bug spray?
If you chose A, go to part 6. If you chose B, go to part 7.
You feel better after your drink and make a mental note to keep hydrated as it seems to help you cool down. You continue up the path enjoying the warm sun on your back and the soothing sounds of the water nearby.
You gasp as your feet dip into the river water. It’s much colder than you expected! You dig into your backpack to find that long sleeved hiking shirt you brought along. You choose that because it will be easy to tie around your waist if you get cold again. It doesn’t take you long to feel refreshed and ready to hike again.
It’s hard to believe that its so dark in the forest that you need a flashlight, but you are glad you brought it along to light your path. And when you see a fallen tree blocking the path you are even more grateful that you saw it before you tripped over. It’s lying right across the path so you need to make a decision:
A. Do you use your backpacking axe to clear the path?
B. Do you use your backpacking saw to clear away branches so you can scramble over the trunk of the tree?
If you chose A, go to part 9. If you chose B, go to part 10.
Placing your backpack on the ground you start applying bug repellent to your arms. You are happy you chose to do this, as now that you are standing there quietly, you can hear buzzing close by. You explore a bit and just ahead you see an absolutely huge swarm of mosquitoes near a pool of stagnant water. You quickly finish applying the repellent whilst skirting the area where the mosquitoes are swarming. With your backpack nestled on your back again, you set off along the path.
It’s so beautiful in the forest. You take a deep breath and breathe in the woody scent of pine cones. You enjoy seeing the sunlight pouring through the trees making dappled patterns on the forest floor. You take your time enjoying your walk as you know that soon you will have reached your destination.
Soon you get into a rhythm and make headway clearing the path. The sound of your axe striking the trunk of the tree is quite mesmerising and you make great progress. Before you know it you have cleared the path and you’re able to continue on your hike. You’re really looking forward to seeing the view at the edge of the forest. You have been told its amazing.
You are glad you brought your backpacking saw along. It’s quite handy actually as it fits snugly into your pocket. It is perfect for cutting away smaller branches and when you have cleared an opening, you’re happy to squeeze though and scramble over the tree trunk. Soon you are on your way, excited to reach your destination.
As you leave the forest the most wonderful sight meets you eyes. Wildflowers in abundance, stretching as far as the eye can see. The scent is fantastic. Butterflies abound and the sound of bees buzzing is hypnotizing. You settle down for a well deserved rest, thankful that you went on this forest hiking adventure. You can’t wait for your next adventure.