The August 27th walk

Some new, some returning walkers shared the experience. Here are their comments interspersed with photographs by Thom Munterich.

Today's Silent Walk on the Half Moon was bug free with low humidity. --Loud crunching footsteps almost in unison maybe due to dryer conditions. --Soften light with deeper shadows from the tree scape this time.

Last time I thought my daughter was the reason we walked at the back of the group, but today I realized it was me.

it is harder to be silent when i decide to be than when it just happens. enjoyed the sounds. loved the scenery.

The loudest part was my own thoughts. I don't deny myself much in life, so this verbal fasting felt very cathartic.

The walk was great! It made my sense of hearing feel like it was amplified by 100. It helped me let things disappear.

Ok, next time it's this nice out, I'm bringing my tent and staying! What a lovely evening and such a great group of people. The coolness of the air is a sign of the fall--yet no fall color in the trees. I look forward to September's walk.

Contrasts: Silent green shadows and crunching feet. No bird song. Step out from the greenness and into loud reminders of who we are: boats, trains, cars, buildings.

I allowed my senses to do the work. No thinking, just sights and sounds.


This was the most awesome night yet. Could have stayed at the lookout for hours. Amazing how green everything still is.

I didn't know what to expect. I came to support Jackie on her art path. I enjoyed the silence, especially walking with many and not having to "do" conversation. After a bit, the chatter in my mind settled down, and I thought about how much this relates to yoga. Last winter I had a minor operation on my foot, so the act of walking is deeply appreciated here. Take away something we take for granted and its significance becomes profound. The best part was sitting on the bluff, looking at the beautiful valley we live in. I've been here for 18 years from West Texas. We didn't have these privileges. We're really lucky to have such a unique view, friends, and experiences to share. Thanks!

It was hard at first to keep silent. I am an environmental educator, so that part of me wanted to blurt out, "that's a such-and-such tree" or "that's a blah-blah bush," but as we had our rest on the rock overlooking the Hudson, my thoughts finally softened. The artist in me prevailed, and I was able to truly look and listen. My steps weren't as loud--as well as my thoughts. This walk was a blessing! Thanks!

The August walk was clear and vibrantly green. The light seemed just slightly darker than July, but the weather felt closer to fall--no humidity and no bugs. The view stretched all the way to the lower Catskills, with the river etched by the wakes of chugging boats. The pulse of all these different engines (boats, cars, trains) was the bass for the occasional hawk's cry and dog bark. I had to tear my eyes from the view, but loved the walk back. Like last time, one of the walkers cleaned up the littered bottles and glass. (The deer must get pretty wild out here...)
Thanks to everyone who made the time to participate!
You were a wonderful group.
Next walk: September 26!

The Third Silent Walk on the Half Moon is this coming Thursday, August 27th at 6pm. Join us!
Parking is limited, so please carpool.
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I am so pleased that the Silent Walks on the Half Moon were part of the re:Place exhibition at Georgia College and State University. Thanks to Michelle Hudson, Exhibition Curator and Shannon Morris, Museum Curator.

Henry David Thoreau on Walking

Here is a excerpt from Thoreau's well-known speech on walking. For the complete speech, click here.
I have met with but one or two persons in the course of my life who
understood the art of Walking, that is, of taking walks -- who had a
genius, so to speak, for sauntering, which word is beautifully
derived "from idle people who roved about the country, in the
Middle Ages, and asked charity, under pretense of going a la Sainte
Terre," to the Holy Land, till the children exclaimed, "There goes a
Sainte-Terrer," a Saunterer, a Holy-Lander. They who never go to
the Holy Land in their walks, as they pretend, are indeed mere
idlers and vagabonds; but they who do go there are saunterers in
the good sense, such as I mean. Some, however, would derive the
word from sans terre without land or a home, which, therefore, in
the good sense, will mean, having no particular home, but equally
at home everywhere. For this is the secret of successful sauntering.
He who sits still in a house all the time may be the greatest vagrant
of all; but the saunterer, in the good sense, is no more vagrant than
the meandering river, which is all the while sedulously seeking the
shortest course to the sea.

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.

The next walk is July 28th! Support your local artist and the Silent Walks on the Half Moon by buying a bandana or t-shirt. Help spread the buzz.

What, When, Where information for the Silent Walks

Description:
The project will consist of 12 once-a-month performances called “Silent Walks on the Half-Moon.” Each performance will lead participants on a group silent walk through the woods at the base of Storm King Mountain. This mountain is part of the Hudson Highlands, a chain of mountains that border the lower Hudson River.
Where: Participants will meet at a designated parking area at the Mountain Road trailhead in Cornwall-on-Hudson. There, they will be briefly introduced to the performance, including the requirement of silence. Participants will be directed to follow each other along a wide path for about 20 minutes to a trail spur that goes to a look out. From the look out, they will be able to view an impressive expanse of the Hudson River that stretches for about four miles.
When: The performances will take place once a month at 6pm on the evening of the waxing half-moon. Tip: Waxing moons are being born, so when you add a line to the crescent, it forms the letter “b.” Waning moons are dying, so the added line forms the letter “d.” This day of the month was chosen to commemorate Henry Hudson’s vessel, the Halfmoon. (This year marks the 400th anniversary of his sailing the Hudson River, so many villages are organizing celebrations.)
The time of day was chosen for its convenience to the workday and for its clear demonstration of light changing over the course of the year. Imagine the difference between the first sunny 6pm walk in June and the darkness at 6pm in December. Participants are encouraged to attend as many walks as they can throughout the year. After each person has had a chance to enjoy the view, the procession will follow a loop back down to the trailhead. People are encouraged to share their experiences of the walk before leaving.

Only dangerously severe weather such as lightening will postpone a performance by one day.
While general precautions will be taken, participants will agree in writing to walk at their own risk. Flashlights, bug repellant and a first aid kit will be available at each walk.
Timeline.
June 29, 2009--First Silent Walk-reception following
July 28, 2009
August 27, 2009
September 26, 20009
October 25, 2009
November 24, 2009
December 23, 2009
January 23, 2010
February 22, 2010
March 23, 2010
April 21, 2010
May 20, 2010--Final Silent Walk and closing reception

June 29th, 2009 the First Silent Walk

We were a small group of old and new friends.


We walked in silence to the view and back. Before leaving, each walker wrote about the experience. They could write just a few words if they wanted. These comments follow.

Just looking, listening and feeling the wind. Trying not to let my mind wander.

Group dynamic, rhythm of footsteps, light, wind, bugs.

Tuning into a earth without gadgets.

Humid, buggy, dark blue sky, one bird, 100 shades of green.


Thoughts and no thoughts, low sunlight, dog, same twig.

Interesting experience. Not what I expected exactly. I expected to be more aware of my surroundings, which I was, but I also became acutely aware of the movements and body language of the individuals in the group - the rhythms and sounds of their walking. We relied on our visual cues to stay together. I sometimes felt like I was passing through the space unseen. At moments I felt like a tracker. There were a lot of gnats that normally I would have complained about. It was nice not to complain or listen to others complain. It was a beautifully lit evening with dramatic clouds. Looking forward to the next hike.

When we returned, we shared how it felt. One person had tried to see the Hudson River without any buildings to get an idea of how it might have looked when Henry Hudson first sailed it. What would the ship have looked like to a native standing here? Another person said it was hard not to think about work. She had to make an effort to "be here now." Another walker found great comfort in being released from the burden of small talk. Personally, not talking felt very unnatural to me at first. It was hard! By the end, though, I was remembering times when I had wished for silence when in loud company. I was thankful I hadn't ruined anyone's walk with silly, obvious observations. We regrouped at 2Alice's for the reception and further discussion.