The Mental Superpower You Get From Wilderness Adventures
I remember back in February of 2024 when I was sleeping on a mountain pass in the Superstitions of Arizona, right outside of Phoenix. We were 2 nights into our trip and had hiked all day through the desert valleys, winding through canyons and over ridges, each one revealing a new piece of the barren beauty that makes the desert so alluring. We had staked camp on Terrapin Pass only a few hundred yards from Weavers Needle which stood like a sentinel over the Superstitions.
As the sun set over the valley that evening I was met with a sight that has left an irremovable impression on my heart and mind. Never before had I seen the orangish hues of the sunset dance so artistically with the reddish hues of the desert soil and mountain faces. As if Bierstadt himself was in charge of this scene, I sat in awe as the enchanted light of the close of day painted it’s final masterpiece until morning. The sun set, displayed its evening glory, and then it was gone and the night was upon us.
That sunset is seared into my mind and I will never forget it, like a photo album I can revisit that moment at any point in my mind and revigorate myself again with the essence of that view I saw in the desert that day. In fact I have hundred of these paintings stained into the fabric of my mind; from the cacti littered hills of the Superstitions to the misty mountaintops of The Smokies, from waterfalls pouring abundantly over Tennessee clifftops to sandy Nevada landscapes desperate for a drink, all of these scenes and more are right at my fingertips for me to see anytime I’d like.
Regardless of what I am going through, where I am, how ugly the world around me may seem, I have in my mind an art gallery of scenes from my adventures that I can peruse at will. This is the mental superpower that one acquires from time spent in the wilderness.
The things you will see, the memories you will create, and the experiences you will have from spending your time immersed in the wilderness will fill your mind with an art gallery of your own. One that you have the key to 24/7 and that no one can take away from you. You can draw on it for inspiration, peace, and power anytime you’d like.
This superpower is not easily found in a short hike from the car to the overlook, rather it comes as a reward from our complete immersion in the essence of nature, leaving behind our anxieties and worries about the modern world, and committing ourselves to having a moment of sincere and honest appreciation with the masterpiece we call the natural world.
Meriwether Academy is not created solely for the purpose of teaching valuable skills to our students and adventurers, but for creating an experience that can fundamentally change who you are from the inside out. Just as that sunset over the desert changed me, your life changing adventure is awaiting you….
Book your adventure with Meriwether today by clicking here to learn more.
By Warren Steury
