Hiking

Korrin B.

April 18, 2009 - 7:00 PM

"I used to spend hours looking for ladybugs. Finally, I'd just give up and fall asleep in the grass. When I woke up, they were crawling all over me."

-Under the Tuscan Sun

There is just something about a good hike. I happen to come from the land of good hikes, gorgeous Northern California, surrounded by ancient redwoods and stunning coastline. Back home, I know every perfect place to go. I know the long hikes. I know the hikes to the places no one knows about. I know the best hikes to bring a dog on. I know the hikes that leave you at the end with a sense of extreme peace, as if this one hike had brought you closer to finding the ultimate truth. I love a good hike.

The last couple of years in Eugene for me have been difficult on this nature front. I'm so used to being able to hop in my car at those precise moments of reflection and in a matter of no more than five minutes be gazing out into a melodic ocean where everything becomes right again. I'm used to knowing where to go to escape the buildings and the lights. I don't know these places in Eugene yet. However, I'm learning.

Today I went with two friends and hiked Spencer Butte for the first time. It was glorious, to say the least. I was amazed that by simply driving up Willamette Street for a while, I could all of a sudden be out of the stop lights and soulless concrete buildings and instead in an area of beauty and life at its purest.

I was so excited as we got out of my car that I pranced around like a little fawn, hurrying to find the trail. The sun was shinning and the air was fresh. Even better, I had the company of two extraordinary women. As we talked our way up the butte, I soaked up everything I could. We could see a lake in the distance through tall, evergreen trees. Birds chirped and I smiled widely.
As we made it to the top, we could see the Three Sisters of the Cascade Range in the distance because the sky was so clear. The last part of the hike was the steepest and most satisfying part of our adventure. We reached the rocky top of the butte and were surrounded by 360 degrees of beauty. Eugene was so different, seeing it from up high. It made it look so small. Three women looked down at their Eugene home, community.

We sat down next to some purple flowers that called our names and were soon friends with many ladybugs. All we had to do was stop for a moment and breath, in order to enjoy the true essence of life. It came to us through sunshine, views, flowers, and the ladybugs. The ladybugs that only crawl onto your finger when you stop trying and just sit and be.

Maybe Eugene, Oregon isn't like my hometown in the way of hikes, but it does hold its own treasures and I feel so lucky to have a place like Spencer Butte just up the street from where I live. It's a very lovely hike and everyone should do it sometime. I can't believe it took me until my junior year to go.