
“It [the wilderness] was ready to echo the growl of a bear; the howl of a wolf; or the scream of a panther; but when you get fairly into the middle of one of these grim forests you are surprised to find that the larger inhabitants are not at home commonly… Generally speaking, a howling wilderness does not howl; it is the imagination of the traveler that does the howling.”
This Labor Day weekend I am headed on a walkabout in the wilderness – nearly 60 miles of backpacking over the course of 3 days on the Wild Azalea trail.
I’m going solo and I figure to travel fast and silent so that I can concentrate on fasting, meditation, and study. Next week I’ll let y’all know if I heard any howling, whether in the wilderness or in my own mind.