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hike

thecity.

hike

thecity.

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This project is an attempt to reconcile my dierences with the urban environment. It is based on a journey taken

in the summer o 2010 in Washington D.C. A walk: rom the northern most point o the district to the southern

tip. Twelve miles, one day. In order to experience the entirety o what is the District o Columbia, the planned

route wound through a diverse cluster o neighborhoods: rich, poor, sae, sketchy, urban, green, touristy, almost

orgotten, historic, colorul and bland.

The journey was based on the idea o hiking, something I miss every day. It was an attempt to pry my mind

away rom the notion that a hike is not limited to a place covered in trees, ar removed rom society, but that

it can be anywhere.

What came to be was a guide to urban hiking. An examination o the act o wandering the urban landscape,

rom the planning stages to the completion and celebration o the trek.

This is or all who live in the city but have let their hearts in wide open spaces.

artist statement.

I dont like the city.

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Humans have always had the urge to explore uncharted territory, to go out intothe woods, to get dirty, to live under the sun, to be sel reliant. But we also havethe need or human contact, or community, or social and amily structures.People come to the city or many dierent reasons, be it school, money, amilyor anything else. Once there, its easy to get stuck, among the noise, in a placewhere everything else alls away...

There must exist a balance. Balance is

necessary for life and wellbeing. How does one cope

with living in the crazy labyrinth that exists betweenthe city walls? Where do you go to get away when

you cant get away?

Adaptation and evolution. If you cant

get to the wilderness, bring the wilderness to the

city. It doesnt take a change of latitude to grab ayour pack, throw some hiking shoes on and head

out the door for somewhere new. It would ta ke a

wander lost in thecity.

Day ater day we see the same things over andover. Our commute makes us numb to our sur-roundings and becomes a means to an end. Takea second and really look at what surrounds you.Things will take on new meanings and you willstart to enjoy things that you never knew existedbut were near you all the while.

Find your peace of mind.

lifetime to explore an entire city; its constantly

changing, alive with the over abundance of activity.

An ecosystem of its own. A living, breathing entity.

Sometimes all it takes is a change of pace, taking a

different sidewalk to work in the morning, enjoy the

public transportation instead of wishing you were

somewhere else.

S top and sme ll t he owe rs in thene igh-

bors overly-landscaped yard. Hell, pick a few and

bring them inside, theyll never know, theyre caught

up in their daily routine too. Walk in the rain. Find

a spot to watch the sunset, even if it means climbing

the water tower in that vacant lot that you pass by

every single day.

Take something and make something out

of it. Find ways to make a greenspace for yourself.

Grow a garden. Get dirty. Be creative, let your mind

wander outside of the boundaries set by the sardine

can society that you live in. Being active is the best

outlet.

It helps to have a bit of a sense of humor

as well... that will get you far in life... especially ifyou live in the city. Not being able to laugh and take

a step back will s urely lead to your demise!

So if you are frustrated, bored and feel-

ing slightly trapped in your concrete world, take a

hike. Dont just go for a walk in your neighborhood,

make it an event, an excursion, something to look

forward too. Get outside of your comfort zone. Af-

ter all, that is what we do when wander out into the

country on those barely blazed trails. Nothing good

ever comes from staying inside the 9-5 lines.

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things you will carry.

Hiking in the urban outdoors is sometimes tricky.Since there are plenty o available resources, suchas drinking ountains, ATMs, grocery stores, payphones, directories, people, and everything inbetween, it is possible and quite easy to go ultra-lite. But or those who like to be independentand resourceul, there are several basic things thatevery urban hiker needs to bring along.

1. A good, comfy backpack for

carrying all of your things. Smaller is easier in

the city. 2. Cell phone, in case of emergency

Facebook status updates. 3. Weaponry. 4. A

good map. Must have coffee stains and tears

or it wont work. 5. Water. hydrate or die. 6.

Music is essential for any excursion. 7. Mail!

Send some mail, people will be happy and youll

feel like youre on vacation. 8. A small journal

for note taking and sketching. 9. Dont forget the

dollars. City hiking can be expensive. 10. Cof-

fee. You will need at least four shots of espresso

to start off your journey.

What to bring on your hike.

1.

2.

3. 4.

5.

6.

7.

8. 9.

10.

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Dont do it. Dont plan your route. Dont mapout the trails you intend to ollow. Dont ollow a

trail. Thats the best part o being in the city. Areyou ever really going to be lost? No. There willbe some random person rom which you can getdirections. Or i you pay attention, and ollow thegrid that every single city is based on, you caneasily ollow letters and numbers and get yoursel

out o any bind.

bushwhack.

Dont plan your route.

That being said, its handy to carry a

street map. And kind of fun too. But beware, if

there are too many people around, you may resist

pulling out said map due to the chance you may

be mistaken as a tourist. This will not be a good

situation, it is hi ghly recommended that you avoid

looking like a tourist at all times.

If you do come to a fork in the road, take

the most adventurous and strange looking direction,

it will be far more rewarding. You may end up in

an alley eating the best burrito of your life, or you

might end up sitting along the river as the sun sets.

The greater the risk, the greater the reward. This

can be taken advantage of whilst in the city, as op-

posed to the wild, where you may fall off a clif f, geteaten alive, run out of food, or become hypother-

mic.

Satisfy your inner wanderlust.

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Plan Ahead and Prepare

Know the regulations and special concerns for the

area you are visiting. Prepare for extreme weather

and emergencies. Schedule your trip to avoid times

of high use. All you need is your smart phone. Use

a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking

paint,rockcairnsoragging.

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Good campsites are found, not made. In popular ar-

eas concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.

The entire city is a durable surface. Camping over-

night is not recommended, unless you have a thing

for cardboard boxes. Keep campsites small. Focus

on activity in areas where vegetation is absent. In

pristine areas, disperse to prevent the creations ofcampsites and trails.

Dispose of Waste Properly

Pack it in, pack it out. Deposit solid human waste

in catholes dug six to eight inches deep at least 200

feet from water, camp, and trails. Do not deposit

solid human waste in the city. It is illegal and you

will get arrested. Find a Starbucks, use the restroom.

Coveranddisguisethecatholewhennished.

The city is your canvas.

leave your trace.

Leave What You Find

Preserve the past: examine but do not touch,

cultural or historic structures and artifacts. Leave

rocks,plantsandothernaturalobjectsasyound

them.Takewhatyound,itsprobablytrash.Avoid

introducing or transporting non-native species.

Minimize Campre Impacts

Camprescancauselastingimpactstotheback-

country.Whereresarepermitted,useestablished

rerings,repans,ormoundres.Buildresonly

in trash barrels in sketchy underpasses. Keepres

small, use only sticks from the ground that can be

broken by hand.

Respect WildlifeObserve wildlife from a distance, do not follow or

approach them. Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife

damages their health, alters natural behaviors and

exposes them to predators and other dangers. Do

not feed the tourists. Protect wildlife and your food

by storing rations and trash securely.

Everywhere you look, everyone is leaving theirmark. Its nowhere near pristine, but its more

interesting than staring at unmarked, untouched,boring, grey concrete. Take in the colors o thecity. The stickers, the gratti, the marker tags, theposters, the murals... the visual surroundings oyour city can give you a lot o inormation aboutyour environment. Just like the animals in the wild

leave ootprints and scat.

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both nature andthe city are verystrange places.

they are polaropposites, but justas easy to get lostin and equallyisolating. they canmake