July 28th's walk was on the only night of the week without thunderstorms. The air was thick, yet several walkers came. Some had never been to Storm King before. Some were from neighboring towns and states, but most of us were locals enjoying "our" mountain.

Here are all our comments and some photographs taken by the Silent Walks' sweeper, Thom Munterich.

Introduction

"Time for decompression....crunch of gravel under feet. Trying to walk silently. Feeling like a character in a play--waiting for the director's guidance! Felt painfully interconnected to the group."

" Broken glass glints in the sun like the eyes of rabid dogs.
Peace to Lily and her parents."


"It seems very cultivated and civilized NOT to speak with strangers on such a beautiful trail.
Respectful of nature and each other."

"I'm definitely coming again. We need more silence in life. Of course there was noise from our feet on the stone road, but it was similar to Dorothy stepping out of her house in Oz when all of us stepped off the road onto the dirt path. It became quieter and greener and more beautiful. By the way, I'm embarrassed to say that I've never been to that lookout before. Very nice!"

"It was such a treat to be non-verbal for a while. I almost don't want to write anything.
Beautiful walk."

"When I first started the walk, I thought that I would be more attuned with nature. Instead, I found myself more aware of myself on the walk, such as my breathing and my footsteps on the rocks. It was a very positive experience."

"Different group dynamic--more about the walk, the sounds, the sights, the bugs and not so much about the people. Amazing how different this month's walk was compared to June."


"It's as if you are walking in nature's confines with the tree cover, brooks gurgling, birds signing and bugs buzzing. Then when you reach the overlook, it's as if the door is thrown open and you see this amazing river in all its glory--the reward for the warm climb!"

"spiritual, peaceful, buggy"

"My second time felt completely normal not to be talking. More people came this time, including a young girl who seemed to enjoy the challenge. Weather was hot, muggy, but we didn't get rained on."

"Very Nice. To my surprise, not talking was only hard for the first two minutes. Looking forward to the next."

"I noticed the daddy longlegs speeding along beside us, little orange dots just above the path.
The light slanted through the trees, yellow and hazy.
As our footsteps fell into a rhythm, it was easy to be quiet."

"The sun was high and filtered through the trees. I could really hear the wind. A beautiful evening."

"Sound of wind in trees, train, plane. Bugs buzz. Feel of wind on skin. Uphill, hot, muggy. Turn, downhill, woods; feeling of well-being."
"I had a wonderful adventure! My mom and I saw a mushroom. There was an awesome view! I loved my experience of the silent walk."
After the walk, we enjoyed fresh blueberries and shared our experiences, where we came from, what we noticed. What a pleasant group of people!
Thanks to everyone who took time out of their schedules to create this shared experience.
Join us on August 27.