The Noland Trail revisited-Erika Sikon

I revisited the Noland Trail today during this beautiful afternoon. It is the same trail and path, but it has changed. As mentioned in class the trail has lit up with the vibrant fall colors. Who needs Christmas lights when you can walk in the woods and see pretty greens, oranges, reds, yellows and pinks all around?

My favorite experience today was how drastically the dark came. To make the trip more like the one we took in class I walked the trail about the same time we did. I was able to see the sun sink under the horizon across the water. The darkness came quickly and with cold winds. I thought it was going to rain. The water rippled and waved because of the wind. It was also a new experience being alone on the trail. I was really was not alone I passes many people on the trail, but I did not know anyone else. It was not my whole class out there. The trail also seemed shorter. There were a lot more animals on the trail. They had also marked hazardous roots and stumps in bright green and red paint. It was the same trail we walked, but it was not the same trail or experience. Returning to a place does not guarantee the same experience. For me this was a true experience taking that long walk alone and then partially in the cold, dark and wind.

I noticed a sign at the entrance near the Lion’s Gate Bridge. It read, “Today I have grown taller from walking with the trees” by Katie Wilson Baker. I pondered the quote for a while as I walked. I did not feel smaller. I felt more alive and cautious to my surroundings. The Noland trail is a place of chora. I was not there alone listening to my own steady footsteps I was listening to the life of nature. I was in a place that was its own place and had its own energy that I found and experienced today.