This past month we read the book On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor
From the book description:
While thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Robert Moor began to wonder about the paths that lie beneath our feet: How do they form? Why do some improve over time while others fade? What makes us follow or strike off on our own? Over the course of seven years, Moor traveled the globe, exploring trails of all kinds, from the miniscule to the massive. He learned the tricks of master trail-builders, hunted down long-lost Cherokee trails, and traced the origins of our road networks and the Internet. In each chapter, Moor interweaves his adventures with findings from science, history, philosophy, and nature writing.
Throughout, Moor reveals how this single topic—the oft-overlooked trail—sheds new light on a wealth of age-old questions: How does order emerge out of chaos? How did animals first crawl forth from the seas and spread across continents? How has humanity’s relationship with nature and technology shaped world around us? And, ultimately, how does each of us pick a path through life?
Moor has the essayist’s gift for making new connections, the adventurer’s love for paths untaken, and the philosopher’s knack for asking big questions. With a breathtaking arc that spans from the dawn of animal life to the digital era, On Trails is a book that makes us see our world, our history, our species, and our ways of life anew.
Reading Group Discussion Questions:
What are a few of your favorite trails or paths? Why? Have you hiked on the AT? If not, have you wanted to and why?
Were there any ideas in the book that either particularly challenged or resonated with you?
What does it feel like to follow a trail? To strike out on your own?
Are there ideas in this book that may influence your thoughts as you move about in the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness areas?
The term for place-listing is topogeny and is basically a list of names that “pull the mind across the landscape”. What would your list look like describing going from your home to a nearby city? Or from a trailhead to a favorite destination? (pg. 182-185).
The author states that “the tricky part is that while we are editing our trails, our trails are editing us.” In what ways have you experienced this?
The author states in the Epilogue that “from our first breath, there is a vast array of structures already in place – “spiritual paths, career paths, philosophical paths, artistic paths, paths to wellness, paths to virtue….How do we know which paths to choose?” How would you describe your life? Has it been a trail or a path? Hilly, meandering, straight, curvy, swampy, easy, moderate, challenging, etc.?
You're invited to participate in the IPWA Reading Group! We'll delve into the topics of wilderness, preservation, and conservation through reading, contemplation, and discussion.
This group meets in-person in Boulder, Colorado every other month. The group is open to all (IPWA volunteers, supporters, and the public). We'll gain a deeper understanding of wilderness through fiction and non-fiction selections, including works by renowned authors such as Aldo Leopold, Timothy Egan, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Wallace Stegner, Terry Tempest Williams, Edward Abbey, E.O. Wilson, and others.
Past readings included:
January 2024: A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
March 2024: The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
May 2024: Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Please consider joining us for an upcoming Reading Group gathering in Boulder, CO! These books are widely available at local libraries, bookstores (such as our local favorite, Boulder Bookstore), and online retailers.
July 18, 2024 - On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Rayback Collective in Boulder, Colorado - RSVP here
September 19, 2024 - The Wild Places by Robert McFarlane, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Rayback Collective in Boulder, Colorado - RSVP here
November 7, 2024 - Losing Eden: Our Fundamental Need for the Natural World and Its Ability to Heal Body and Soul by Lucy Jones, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Rayback Collective in Boulder, Colorado - RSVP here
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