I rarely keep a journal on a regular basis. When I was younger, I kept a science journal, filled with notes about stories in archaeology, biology, and other subjects that I loved as a kid. When I started traveling in my twenties, I made it a habit to keep a travel journal on every journey. However, when I’m at home, I’m not one to write about my life. Most of it is pretty boring. However, I planned from early on to keep a journal for this hiking project. I felt that writing down the things I saw and felt might help me see my own personal growth as well as help me write my blog entries (which are now more than a month behind). Below are a few scans from my journal, a Moleskine Pocket Plain Notebook. (Update: I’ve added the photos to Flickr.)
My mission statement
I'm still trying to figure out if I'm a hiker who loves nature or a naturalist who enjoys hiking.
Making hand-drawn maps helps me learn the route and remember small nuances about the hike that I might otherwise forget.
If I don't have time to draw an animal, I'll take a photo of it and draw it at home.
Sometimes I'll include small flat items in my journal, like this feather I found on a trail.
Hike #19 took place on Save Our State Parks Weekend, and I wanted to have a memento showing that I supported our parks. The drawing behind the entrance ticket is an explanation of different clouds as copied from a book.
As I just blogged about, I saw my first rattlesnake of my hiking project on hike #28. I drew the snake at home based on photos I found online.
I would try to keep a section of my journal to the nature I would spot on the trail, as seen here on the bottom of each of these pages.
I drew the picture of a fly fisherman while in Oregon. Only afterward did I think the feather I found on hike #38 would look good as the fly.
I would try to limit my entries to one or two pages per hike so I will have enough space for all one-hundred hikes. Sometimes more pages would be necessary to record longer multi-day hikes, like I did here for hike #42 (Onion Valley). I tend to write small as a habit, but I kept the print as clean as possible here to fit in more info per page.
In the back of the book, I keep a running tally of the date, distance, and location of each hike.
#1 by GoldmanCafe on September 2, 2009 - 6:14 am
Kolby, this is great! I love the amount of detail (in sketches and words) that you give. I've been keeping a hiking journal this year, and my entries tend to be rambling with not much detail. Although, I DO print out a few of my photos when I get home and put them in the journal so that I have visual triggers, too. Thanks for posting this about your journal. Once again, you've inspired me!
#2 by wilberfan on September 2, 2009 - 8:51 am
When you're an old man, these will be amazingly priceless. Especially since your great grandkids will marvel at “paper” and “handwriting”–which I'm sure will be odd and mysterious to them! I was a little intrigued when you pulled this out of your pocket on #46–it's nice to have a little peek inside. Thanks for sharing!
#3 by phil b on September 2, 2009 - 5:07 pm
Kolby, that is a great piece of work. I have journals I keep from most of my trips, they are great to look back at 5, 10 years later. I could only wish mine were as in depth as yours are! I love the drawings. It gives me something to aim for in mine!
Phil B.
#4 by fberktin on September 3, 2009 - 5:18 am
Wow!
I am a hiker and a journal keeper (Moleskine) for many years. I stepped up my hiking to a higher level and down by 67 pounds since November 09. Your journals are going to make me take a nother look at how I keep my daily logs. I am on facebook you can check my hikes and Moleskine albums in my Photo albums. Would like to keep the dialogue for having the same interests.
Fred (Thornhill, Ontario, Canada)
#5 by Kenneth Ballard on September 3, 2009 - 11:29 am
This kind of reminds me of the journals I've seen for Lewis and Clarke, John James Audubon, and Charles Darwin.
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#6 by sasidhar79 on September 11, 2009 - 11:58 am
Kolby, you are great ! man you've got life !!
such passion for nature , I hope the whole world has it…
#7 by Bob on September 16, 2009 - 6:12 am
Inspirational! Keep hiking!
#8 by Jim Little on November 18, 2009 - 8:53 am
What an inspiration. I only wish I had kept a journal when I was actively hiking. I never had your drawing talent though.
#9 by Jim Little on November 18, 2009 - 4:53 pm
What an inspiration. I only wish I had kept a journal when I was actively hiking. I never had your drawing talent though.
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