We covered a half mile in one hour. That’s a two hour mile, folks. I’m not even sure if that’s our record slow time. You have to put in some effort to walk that slowly. But why though?
We stop to look at everything. Every last thing. We see unexpected and wonderful things on our slow hikes. You know how your eyes adjust to the dark when you stay outside long enough? Stars get brighter, trees start to show themselves, you can see the path ahead of you. Slow hiking is the same. When you slow down, the natural world begins to reveal itself to you.
I used to go for walks, sometimes jogs, for exercise. I always had to force myself to do it. Even if it was outside, it felt like work, worse. Like homework, an assignment, something to check off a list. Sure, roads like these are pretty, but I was bored.
I didn’t always feel like that. My dad is a retired botanist. Growing up, science was baked right into my life. We rarely drove any significant distance without my dad stopping to collect a sample, take photos, document, or observe. So we learned to examine and observe the world around as, too. Boots and nets lived in the car, at the ready for expeditions. As I became an adult, I lost that curiosity.
Now though. It’s back. With Paolo’s arrival and sense of wonder, I rediscovered mine. 
Who can go on micro expeditions? Any. One. Anyone. You don’t have to be a child to be interested in the world around you. You don’t have to be athletic or even in shape. You don’t have to have to know anything about wildlife, nature, science (except know to know what stinging nettles and poison ivy look like) to appreciate it and connect with it.
Where to slow hike? Outside! You don’t have to go anywhere special. Hit a city trail, go to a park, find a ditch. We find slow hiking near water usually means we see more neat stuff. Our favorite spot this summer has been Lineville Road. We park at the Green Bay West Shores parking lot and start walking along the edge of the road. Other places we like to slow hike in Greater Green Bay: Osprey Point (Izaak Walton League), UWGB Arboretum trails and along the bay shore, Green Isle Park/East River Trail, Sensiba State Wildlife Area, Barkhausen, Baird Creek…there are so many wild and outdoors spaces to explore in Greater Green Bay.
What to wear?
- Sturdy shoes, but even that’s negotiable. P usually wears socks and slides. Consider brightly colored clothing if you’re walking on a road.
- Rubber boots for wet and muddy exploring
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray (if necessary)
What to bring?
- Water bottle
- Trash bag to pick up litter
- Snacks, if you will be out for awhile
How do you slow hike?
- Get interested. Be curious. Wonder.
- Look up. Look down. Look under things. Look over things. Get down low. Change your perspective.
- Give it some time. You might not see anything “interesting” at first. Sometimes we don’t see anything out of the ordinary, at all, but we still spent the morning together talking and connecting outside. Really zoom in.
- Be prepared to get some strange looks from passers by.
I get so immersed I can slow hike for hours. P can usually last an hour. Sometimes, like today, he puts his foot down. “Just five more minutes” or “Let’s see what’s around this corner first” only works for so long. Today he put his arm around my shoulders, physically steering me to go back, “I’m literally gonna have to get one of those sheep sticks for you,” he said shaking his head. He’s not wrong. A shepherd’s hook might make me move faster.
Leave a Reply