As of 2024, the Great Lakes Guide will be transitioning to Biinaagami.org. Biinaagami is a multimedia, change-provoking initiative rooted in Indigenous knowledge aiming to uplift voices and to connect people with their watershed.
Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.
Throughout your day today, take a look around you. What do you see?
For some, you might see lots of people working on computers. For others, you might see a bustling sidewalk filled with people coming and going. And still for others, you might see a giant open field filled with machinery to help grow fruits and vegetables.
Now use your ears. What do you hear?
The click-click of hands dancing on a keyboard. The rev of a car engine outside. The loud hum of a giant machine performing its monotonous task.
There’s nothing inherently bad about this noise. This is society, and this is how we live. This lifestyle comes with a lot of positives and conveniences. Sometimes, this noise is so routine that you forget what it’s like to not be around it.
What is it like to be in a place where you can actually hear your own thoughts?
Hiking provides this serenity. At first, it will likely feel as if you’ve found utter silence. But allow your ears a moment to adjust and soon you will realize you are surrounded by a soft, natural symphony.
Listen to the bubbling of a nearby stream, the chirping of birds, and the whispering of the wind as it passes through the trees. Watch as squirrels run across your path and the sunlight flickers with the swaying of the overhead tree branches. This wild concerto has a therapeutic, calming effect. It can help you feel part of something bigger.
Great Lakes Guide will help you plan your next hike and find this tranquility.
When you go on your hike, take the time to stop and enjoy the quiet change from your everyday life, while also appreciating the melody that nature provides you. Trust us — don’t underestimate the power of hiking.