Shinrin-Yoku

Ant on a lupine, Transept Trail, Grand Canyon

Ranger Gaelyn and I were talking about Forest Bathing (shinrin-yoku in Japanese).  She created a unique Ranger-lead hike along the lovely Widforss Trail on Grand Canyon’s North Rim last season.  The point was to walk very slowly and experience the environment with all the senses.  Research has shown that this sort of focused trekking is likely to have a variety of health benefits, from improved concentration to decreased anxiety to decreased blood sugar levels in diabetics.  Those of us who do this sort of thing frequently (and in fact feel a certain compulsion to return) know this intuitively.  

So, what’s the down-side?  I can’t imagine one, but Gaelyn found there wasn’t much interest.  She thinks that maybe visitors want a more traditional, interpretive hike.  I wondered whether most folks have a hard time slowing down and becoming absorbed into the place.  I saw several 20-somethings with loud (I could hear it clearly) music playing as they hiked.  How sad, to miss hearing the canyon wrens’ calls.

 

Lovely stripes, across the canyon from the Uncle Jim Trail

On the third day of my trip last week, I hiked alone along the Ken Patrick and Uncle Jim Trails.  I had no particular place to be, and after a bit of photography I found some shade and did what I call “communing,” which I reckon is indistinguishable from shinrin-yoku.  Connectedness.  

Regular readers will remember that I generally travel in my truck-camper combination, fondly named Lurch (he’s a little unwieldy.)  I knew I’d have a night backpacking and two car-camping in a tent.  Because Jess, my other gracious ranger friend, offered a spare bedroom for the other three nights I brought my Subaru instead.  It’s easier to drive and I get fully 2 ½ times better fuel economy.

Last Light, Widforss Point

An overnighter on Widforss Point has been on my (long) North Rim list for a couple of seasons now.  Sadly, the only permit which fit my schedule was for the day I drove up.  Backpacking after a 6-hour drive is not ideal, but it was workable.  The wet summer has kept the flowers going along the trail, and there were elk and grouse and lots of other critters as well.  Hiking alone makes the wildlife a bit less skittish.  There’s another reason to turn off the music! 

There’s always unfinished business, though.  As nice as the point was, there’s another spot which will be more photogenic, so I pulled another back-country permit for late September.  In the cold.

Raven, Cape Royal

My photo Friend Lynda kindly allowed me to invite myself to join her group.  I hope I made myself useful by telling them about a lovely viewpoint which doesn’t get much traffic.  Gaelyn and I joined Linda, her brother, and her photo road trip buddies there for happy hour, snacks, and shooting.  This afternoon was one of the more memorable parts of the week, despite less than exciting light.

Toroweap Sunrise

After 4 days at the North Rim I met Lynda and her lovely band of three at Dreamland Safari Tours in Kanab, UT.  I’d heard tell of Will James and his operation before.  Frankly, I might not have hired him as a guide if not for this trip with new and old friends.  I’d driven myself to Toroweap (inside Grand Canyon National Park) and White Pocket (Vermillion Cliffs National Monument) before.  The former is famous for carnivorous limestone and the latter for deep sand.  Being driven, guided, and cooked for was a pleasure, I must admit.  I do recommend Will’s tours for fun, safety, and an education.

White Pocket

The pace was unhurried, perfect for shnrin-yoku.

More images from this trip are in the Grand Canyon Gallery on the Website (start at the end).