Exploring my Inner Self on Nebraska Trails

After miles of hiking, I was pleased with what I found

Something magical that happens out there in the forest far from the trappings of civilization. It is there that I feel most at home and most in contact with the spirit world. You learn a lot about yourself out there in nature. Life itself is more in focus and life feels more complete.

Sometimes nature shows you your weakness and where you need to improve. This trip showed me my progress, which encourages me to press onward.

Nebraska is not the first place you would think of when considering a hiking trip, but they do have a lot of nice trails. My partner wanted to go to Omaha and explore that area, and after some investigation, I was enthused about hiking opportunities.

My angst

I love hiking and being outdoors. But a problem I have faced over the years is a fear of snakes. A person should have a healthy fear or respect there and take normal sensible precautions. My fear was never the sensible kind, and at times it did keep me off the trails.

Two summers ago, I wrote about a breakthrough in Montana, where I confronted my fear. I went where I was afraid to go and did not blink. That was a major victory, but how would I feel the next time I went hiking? Emotions like fear can sneak back into your psyche almost unnoticed.

You may read that story here

https://readmedium.com/facing-my-fear-in-montana-7e4f3193c1c3

Rails to trails

Part of my obsession with hiking came from discovering the Rails to Trails program. Vast areas of railroad tracks have been abandoned, and there is a move to convert them to trails. Those trails are wide and very safe as far as any danger from snakes. If there was one around, you would see it and it would be easy to avoid.

A lot of these trails are in cities, and a lot are in remote areas. In remote areas, even in the midwest farmlands, the old railroads had trees on both sides. That has been preserved, so you can feel like you are in a forest even though you are surrounded by millions of acres of wheat.

https://www.traillink.com/viewnationalmap/

State and national parks

But I also love the state and national parks, where the trails are more remote and less maintained. Undergrowth, leaves, and twigs where a snake could easily hide line every trail. There are more hills and more rugged areas, which are great fun to hike. These are places you could not see a snake until you had already stepped on it.

The rails to trails paths are wide and straight, and usually without hills. There is a peaceful serenity in walking forward without having to pay attention to turns or anything else. Trails in national or state parks are more challenging, more rugged, and you must pay a lot more attention to what you are doing. Both have their own appeal.

Hitting the road

This summer I wanted to hike and see what progress I had made. Omaha seemed like a good option. A new area was appealing too. Coronavirus or not, I needed to have some time away and was not going to be stopped.

I wanted to be on the trails, but also thought about the possibility of snakes. It did feel different this time. In the past, I have felt fear and have even talked myself out even going hiking because of fear. I was more curious this time. How would I feel?

Nebraska

The weather was perfect the week I spent in Omaha. I had a great time hiking on some abandoned railways that had been converted to trails. They were fun, but after a couple of days, I was ready to move on to more rugged areas in parks.

My first venture was to the Neale Woods on the north side of Omaha. This is a remote area by the Missouri River with some great trails. The visitor center is closed and looks like it has been closed for a while. The trails were well maintained, however, and there were maps available. I have learned over the years to never assume water or food will be available at a hiking area. I was well stocked with both, and with the map in hand was soon ready to hit the trails.

I got there early and there was no sign of anyone else around which made me smile. I hunger for the solitude of nature. I had a decent phone signal and wondered how far away help would be if I needed it. I decided to not live in fear and studied the map.

I took what looked like the main trail, and it turned out to be the easiest and connected with several of the other trails in the area. The morning air had a slight chill which made the hike feel easier than usual. The trail led to the top of a ridge and there was a nice view off into the valley. This trail was not hard, but I could see some others that were more difficult as I got to see how the terrain of the area was shaped.

The next trail went through a field but had a general downward slope. I took that trail to see where it went. From the beginning, I could not see the large ravine you had to cross. This was steep at about 100 feet down and about 150 feet up on the other side. The trail had a lot of twists and turns, and I had to push a lot of tree limbs out of the way. Once I made it to the other side, I thought about going back but decided I did not want to climb down and up that ravine again. I made the right choice as the rest of the trail was not nearly as hard.

That trail, and the one it led to, were of moderate difficulty. Those kinds of trails are the most fun, and a bit of a challenge. I realized I was enjoying the hike and was not at all thinking about what might be lurking in the leaves below my feet. That revelation felt particularly good, so I hiked all the trails on the map that day, which was several miles.

The earth’s energy

The earth and the solitude are energizing. It is strange how it works. If my feet or legs do not start hurting, I can go on indefinitely and feel better the further I go. The earth is a good natural surface, so my legs and feet held up fine. At the end of the day I was energized and not tired at all, even though I had hiked well over five miles, and maybe was approaching 10.

At the end of the day I was energized and not tired at all, even though I had hiked well over five miles, and maybe was approaching 10.

Over the next several days I hit more state parks. I went to Platt River State Park, south of Omaha on a Sunday which was not a good choice. It was a beautiful day, and everyone and their dog was out to enjoy the day. The trails were easy and fun, but there was no solitude that day.

At another park, I saw a snake trying to get across the road. It was hot, and I am sure the pavement was too. This was near where I was going to start another trail. Not too long ago that might have made me think twice about that trail, but not this day.

On that same trail, I heard sounds off to the side. There was something rustling under the leaves, but it sounded like it was trying to go the other way, and I decided to leave it alone and not give it a thought.

There were times when I felt a little leery about where I was and wondered if there might be snakes around. But for the most part, I went where I wanted to go and had a great time hiking.

Having a few days to hike and be in nature was great for my spirit and left me feeling exceptionally good. I felt freer than I ever have out in the woods. I used common sense and normal precautions and felt confident most of the time. I also felt stronger physically. Around the Missouri River, there are a lot of hills, and some of them are steep. I was a little surprised that they gave me no problems.

This was not as big of a deal as the breakthrough I had two summers ago, but the trip did confirm I had made progress in battling my fear. I was recharged from my time in nature, and with the lack of fear, I felt better and more confident than I have in years.

Here is another hiking story, about pushing myself to my limits

https://readmedium.com/why-i-walked-12-miles-and-why-it-mattered-db0560d0be28

James Jordan is a writer living in the Midwest. Hiking the trails is a major passion, as well as telling stories about the trails. I can be reached at [email protected]