"I have written of inanimate things, rock and water, frost and sun; and it might seem as though this were not a living world. But I have wanted to come to the living things through the forces that create them, for the mountain is one and indivisible, and rock, soil, water and air are no more integral to it than what grows from the soil and breathes the air. All are aspects of one entity, the living mountain. The disintegrating rock, the nurturing rain, the quickening sun, the seed, the root, the bird—all are one." — Nan Shepherd The Living Mountain
"For the duller and fainter we became the clearer was our vision, though only in momentary glimpses. Then, after the sky cleared, we gazed at the stars, blessed immortals of light, shining with marvelous brightness with long lance rays, near-looking and new-looking, as if never seen before." — John Muir Steep Trails
"I had not known that the sunrise was so lavish and that you could actually feel the color when it reached your face." — Craig Childs The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild
"Where the water fell clear of the rock icicles hang, thick as a thigh, many feet in length, and sometimes when the wind blows the falling water askew as it freezes, the icicles are squint. I have seen icicles like a scimitar blade in shape, firm and solid in their place. For once, even the wind has been fixed." — Nan Shepherd The Living Mountain
"Taking the same trail in the opposite direction is like walking on the other side of time. Everything looks different on the way back. Same trees, same stobs and snags. Same switchbacks and curves; same vistas, same fallen tree bridge across the creek. But going back the way you came, it’s just as easy to lose your footing, but it’s harder to get lost. The light shines on things you didn’t notice on the way there. The path back, it’s the story you tell yourself, afterward." — Alexis M. Smith Marrow Island
"I think that the wilderness can be a great teacher and that it has much in common with feminist ideas. And by feminism I mean getting in touch with your own values, intelligence, resourcefulness, physical capacities, and general ability to live a rich and satisfying life of your own, not only with, but also apart from, friends and loved ones. There is nothing like severing connections to outside resources—both mechanical and human—to show a person how much she or he can really do. Since women have traditionally been taught that they cannot handle tough situations, the confidence gained on wilderness outings can be particularly valuable for them. I believe that even one weekend backpacking, even in not very difficult surroundings, can have a tremendous and lasting effect on the spirit which will carry over into all aspects of life." — Maggie Nichols via Anne LaBastille Women and Wilderness
"Watching people doubt themselves, in my experience it’s 100% always women. [On one trip] the group naturally split in half. There were some taller folks (all men) in the front, and they were all very fast walkers, very competitive with each other. And in the back it was mostly women, and many of them just happened to be shorter women. One of the women came up to me and said ‘You know, I just don’t know if backpacking is for me. Look how slow I am.’ And I said ‘You’re not slow at all. You’re walking a pace that’s correct for you. You’re doing what your body wants to do. Not thinking about your pace, are you enjoying being out here? Do you like the feeling of your body moving in this space? Don’t compare yourself to the other half of the group up there that’s taller, faster, more competitive. What are you experiencing right now?'" — Charlotte Austin or Shawnté Salabert She Explores, Episode 56, "An (Adventure) Book Club For The 21st Century"
"We do not have to be fearless, we do not have to be perfect. ... Be proud of ourselves, be proud of other women." — Grace Pezzella She Explores, "Sweat and Solidarity: Taking Up Space in the Outdoors"
"The best thing about climbing with other women was we shared the lead. Most of my partners were guys who were stronger climbers than me, who liked to take me climbing, not just go climbing. But following was like being the passenger instead of the driver." — Jan Redford End of the Rope: Mountains, Marriage, and Motherhood
"Your experience will greatly improve when you begin to exercise agency over your own outdoor experience. Try new things. Build a skill set. Shrug off doubts, rude remarks, and stereotypes. Surround yourself with people who support you. Know your limits and honor them. Know your ambitions and shoot for them. There is more to gain from your time outside than you can ever lose in trying." — Ruby McConnell A Woman's Guide to the Wild: Your Complete Outdoor Handbook
"For women wanting to get outdoors, the best advice I could give them is choose your own adventure. Take control of your own trips, and say this is what I want to do and where I want to do it, and start exactly where you want." — Evelyn Lees Teton Gravity Research, "Steep Jobs: Wild Women of the Wasatch" Episode 6
"It is important to remember that throughout history cultural conditioning and opinion had strongly centered women in the home. Consequentially, they generally possessed none of the necessary skills to survive alone in the wilderness. In the era we are describing women were constantly told that they were weak, frail, uncoordinated, and less intelligent than men. Thus it is not surprising that they had little drive to be strong and capable out-of-doors. Most women did not have the mental attitude to look at wilderness as a different dimension, a fresh horizon, freedom, excitement, or a growth-producing experience." — Anne LaBastille Women and Wilderness
"The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands, and when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community." — Ann Strong Minneapolis Tribune, 1895
"Women are invited to join the party at base and advanced base to assist in the cooking chores. Special rates are available. They will not be permitted to climb, however. … Women are not strong enough to carry heavy loads. And the high altitude—women aren’t emotionally stable enough to handle it." — Unknown Told to Arlene Blum when she asked to join a Denali expedition
"How womankind, who are confined to the house still more than men, stand it I do not know; but I have ground to suspect that most of them do not stand it at all." — Henry David Thoreau Walking
"This dull, difficult novel I have brought with me on my trip—I keep trying to read it. I have gone back to it so many times, each time dreading it and each time finding it no better than the last time, that by now it has become something of an old friend. My old friend the bad novel." — Lydia Davis Can't and Won't, "The Bad Novel"
"…I looked straight into bronze-colored bobcat eyes and held my breath, for longer than I knew I could. After two moments (his and mine) that were surely not equal—for a predator must often pass hours without an eyeblink, while a human can grow restless inside ten seconds—we broke eye contact." — Barbara Kingsolver Small Wonder
"You encounter an animal like this, and it is so vivid it detaches from time." — Craig Childs The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild
"The desert changed instantly. It turned from stones to coyotes." — Craig Childs The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." — Antoine De Saint-Exupery Airman's Odyssey
